AI visibility tool pricing: what trackers cost and how they charge
AI visibility tools don't price the same way, so comparing headline prices can mislead. One plan buys a set number of prompts, another sells credits, another is sold as an add-on to an SEO suite. Below are the published starting prices for all 15 tools we follow (checked 2026-11-09), sorted from lowest, followed by how each pricing model works and what to check before you pay.
Hands-on tests are coming. Everything below is from vendors' published pages (checked 2026-11-09). We have not yet run our own accuracy tests, so there are no "winner" claims here.
Starting prices at a glance
| Tool | Published starting price | Entry price ÷ prompts* | Free trial / tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rankscale | $17/mo (Essentials, yearly only); Pro $99/mo, Pro+ $229/mo | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | Yes (Pro) |
| ziptie.ai | From $25.65/mo (Starter preset; usage-built) | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | 7-day, no card (25 prompts) |
| OtterlyAI | $29/mo (Lite, 15 prompts; $25/mo billed yearly) | $1.93 | Yes |
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | $50/mo custom prompts; AI Visibility Index from $199/mo; paid Ahrefs plans include 5-20 free daily prompts | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | unknown |
| Knowatoa | $59/mo (Starter) | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | Yes |
| LLMrefs | $79/mo (All in One, 500 prompts; limited-time price) | $0.16 | 7-day free trial; free account, no card |
| Writesonic | $79/mo billed annually (Starter, 50 prompts) | $1.58 (annual billing) | Yes, no card |
| SE Ranking (SE Visible) | $89/mo (SE Visible Basic, 75 prompts; $71/mo billed yearly); 25 prompts included in SE Ranking plans from $129/mo | $1.19 | 10-day free trial; free checker (5 checks/day) |
| Peec AI | $95/mo (Starter, 50 prompts, monthly billing); Pro $245, Advanced $495 | $1.90 | Not stated on pricing page (checked 2026-11-03) |
| Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit | $99/mo (25 tracked prompts) | $3.96 | No |
| Sight AI | $99/mo (Starter, 100 prompts) | $0.99 | 7-day trial, card required |
| Scrunch | $250/mo (Core, 125 prompts) | $2.00 | unknown |
| AthenaHQ | $295/mo (Starter, 3,600 credits); free tier | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | Free Essential tier (300 credits) |
| Gauge | $599/mo (Growth, 600 prompts) | $1.00 | unknown |
| Profound | Custom (Enterprise); free 7-day trial | n/a: not a simple prompt plan | Yes (50 prompts daily for 7 days; preset, not customizable) |
*Our arithmetic: list price divided by the prompts included in the entry plan, only where the vendor states both. It ignores how many engines and how often each prompt runs, which differ a lot, so treat it as a rough guide, not a value ranking.
The five pricing models
1. Prompt-based tiers
You pay a monthly fee for a fixed number of tracked prompts. Examples: OtterlyAI ($29/mo (Lite, 15 prompts; $25/mo billed yearly)), Peec AI ($95/mo (Starter, 50 prompts, monthly billing); Pro $245, Advanced $495), Scrunch ($250/mo (Core, 125 prompts)). Check how many engines each prompt runs on: Peec AI lists "Choose 3 models on Starter/Pro/Advanced: ChatGPT, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Copilot, Gemini, Naver AI".
2. Credits
Credits are spent per engine query, so cost depends on which engines and how often. Rankscale lists "Credit-based engine queries (~0.25 credits per prompt per engine)" ($17/mo (Essentials, yearly only); Pro $99/mo, Pro+ $229/mo); AthenaHQ lists $295/mo (Starter, 3,600 credits); free tier.
3. Usage-built plans
ziptie.ai lists "Pay per prompt × engine", so you build a plan from prompts and engines (From $25.65/mo (Starter preset; usage-built)).
4. SEO-suite add-ons
Worth pricing first if you already use that suite; check whether the add-on needs a base plan. Ahrefs Brand Radar: $50/mo custom prompts; AI Visibility Index from $199/mo; paid Ahrefs plans include 5-20 free daily prompts. Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit: $99/mo (25 tracked prompts), and it is listed as bundled in Semrush One. SE Ranking (SE Visible): price $89/mo (SE Visible Basic, 75 prompts; $71/mo billed yearly); 25 prompts included in SE Ranking plans from $129/mo on the page we read.
5. Custom / enterprise
Profound: Custom (Enterprise); free 7-day trial. You'll need a sales conversation for a number. See Profound alternatives with published prices.
Hidden costs to check before you buy
- Engine add-ons: OtterlyAI lists Claude (add-on), Google AI Mode (add-on), Gemini (add-on).
- Annual-only or annual-priced plans: OtterlyAI ($29/mo (Lite, 15 prompts; $25/mo billed yearly)); Rankscale ($17/mo (Essentials, yearly only); Pro $99/mo, Pro+ $229/mo); Writesonic ($79/mo billed annually (Starter, 50 prompts)); SE Ranking (SE Visible) ($89/mo (SE Visible Basic, 75 prompts; $71/mo billed yearly); 25 prompts included in SE Ranking plans from $129/mo).
- Engines locked to higher tiers: Profound ("Enterprise: up to 9 incl. Perplexity, AI Mode, Claude, DeepSeek, Exa, Muse Spark"); Peec AI ("Enterprise: up to 13 models incl. Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral (via API)"); Scrunch ("Enterprise adds Claude, Gemini, Meta AI, AI Mode, Grok"); Writesonic ("All 9 on Enterprise"); Knowatoa ("Growth: all 7 services"); Sight AI ("AI Mode & AI Overviews (Pro+)"); Gauge ("Enterprise adds AIO, Gemini, Perplexity").
- Paid API access: ziptie.ai lists "API & MCP +$10/mo".
- Card-required trials: Sight AI lists "7-day trial, card required".
- Seats: some tools list unlimited users or seats (OtterlyAI, Profound, Peec AI, ziptie.ai), which can matter more for teams and agencies than the headline price.
How to compare prices fairly
- Write down how many prompts you actually need (start with a short list of the buyer questions that matter most).
- List the engines you care about and check each is included in the plan, not an add-on.
- Check refresh: daily vs weekly changes how many answers you actually get.
- Then compare total monthly cost, including any base subscription and add-ons.
Who should pick which
- Tightest budget: start with the lowest rows in the table or a free tier or trial.
- Already paying for Ahrefs or Semrush: price the add-on first (SEO-suite add-ons).
- Agencies: weigh seats and white-label over per-prompt cost (best for agencies).
- Enterprise: see enterprise platforms.
Sources: Rankscale · ziptie.ai · OtterlyAI · Ahrefs Brand Radar · Knowatoa · LLMrefs · Writesonic · SE Ranking (SE Visible) · Peec AI · Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit · Sight AI · Scrunch · AthenaHQ · Gauge · Profound (vendor pages, checked 2026-11-09).
FAQ
How much do AI visibility tools cost?
Published starting prices for the tools we follow start at $17/mo (Essentials, yearly only); Pro $99/mo, Pro+ $229/mo (Rankscale) and go up to custom enterprise pricing. Several also offer free tiers or trials.
What is the cheapest AI visibility tool?
By published entry price, Rankscale ($17/mo (Essentials, yearly only); Pro $99/mo, Pro+ $229/mo). Tools listing a free tier, free account or free checker: LLMrefs (7-day free trial; free account, no card), AthenaHQ (Free Essential tier (300 credits)), SE Ranking (SE Visible) (10-day free trial; free checker (5 checks/day)).
Why is price per prompt misleading?
Plans differ in how many engines each prompt runs on and how often it refreshes, so the same price per prompt can buy very different amounts of data.
What do the Ahrefs and Semrush AI visibility tools cost?
Ahrefs Brand Radar: $50/mo custom prompts; AI Visibility Index from $199/mo; paid Ahrefs plans include 5-20 free daily prompts. Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit: $99/mo (25 tracked prompts), and Semrush lists it as bundled in Semrush One.