Best Profound Alternatives in 2026: 10 AI Visibility Tools Compared

We compared 10 Profound alternatives on engine coverage, entry-tier limits, action features, and real monthly cost. This guide was last updated in September 2026 and takes about 14 minutes to read.

Profound is one of the most recognized names in AI visibility. Its Enterprise tier is deep, its historical dataset is strong, and its Prompt Volumes data is hard to match. The problem is everything below Enterprise.

The $99/mo Starter plan tracks ChatGPT only, with 50 prompts and a single seat. Growth at $399/mo adds Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Grok all sit behind a custom Enterprise quote, which third-party reviews place at roughly $2,000 to $5,000+ per month.

That gap is why most teams start looking elsewhere. Buyers rarely leave Profound because the data is bad. They leave because the engines they need, or the actions they want to take, sit two tiers above their budget.

In this guide, we break down 10 Profound alternatives, show exactly which engines each one unlocks on its entry plan, and calculate what it really costs to track ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini together on each platform. If you are comparing the wider category, our guide to the best AI visibility tools covers more platforms.

Best Profound Alternatives at a Glance

• Best overall Profound alternative: Visby, for teams that want tracking, GEO tasks, and content generation from $79/mo

• Best for broad engine coverage on one plan: AthenaHQ, with 8 engines including Claude on its self-serve tier

• Best budget option with the most engines: Rankscale AI, with 10 engines on every plan and credit-based pricing

• Best for clean analytics and unlimited seats: Peec AI

• Cheapest paid entry point: Otterly AI, from $29/mo

• Best for crawler-level diagnostics: Scrunch AI

• Best for teams already on Ahrefs or Semrush: Ahrefs Brand Radar and Semrush AI Visibility

• Best for content execution workflows: AirOps and Frase

What Is Profound and Why Do Teams Look for Alternatives?

Profound is an AI visibility platform that tracks how brands appear in answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and other AI engines. It was founded in New York in 2024 and is built mainly for enterprise marketing teams with dedicated analysts.

Here is what each Profound plan includes as of September 2026:

Annual billing gives two months free on Starter and Growth.

Where Profound Still Wins?

A fair comparison starts with what Profound does well. It is the right pick for some teams.

• Prompt Volumes data: Profound estimates how often people ask a given question, not just where you rank for it. Few competitors offer this.

• Historical depth: Its time-series data is more developed than most trackers in the category.

• Enterprise readiness: SOC 2, SSO, and dedicated support make procurement easier for large companies.

Why Teams Switch Away From Profound?

1. Engine gating: Starter covers one engine. Claude and Gemini require an Enterprise contract and a sales call.

2. Price jump: Moving from one engine to three costs $300 more per month, and full coverage has no published price.

3. Limited seats: One seat on Starter and three on Growth makes team collaboration expensive.

4. Enterprise-only essentials: API access is Enterprise-only, and there is no white-label reporting for agencies.

5. Insight without execution: Profound shows where you stand, but turning that data into tasks and published content usually needs other tools.

6. Usability complaints: G2 reviewers mention tracking bugs, slow exports, and dashboards that feel overwhelming without an analyst.

How We Evaluated the Profound Alternatives?

We scored every tool against the same six criteria, using vendor pricing pages and hands-on testing as of September 2026.

1. Engines on the entry plan: How many AI engines you get on the cheapest paid tier, not the maximum across all tiers.

2. Claude and Gemini access: Whether these engines are available without an Enterprise contract. This is the most common reason buyers leave Profound.

3. Tracking depth: Prompt-level answers, citations, brand mentions, sentiment, and competitor share of voice.

4. Action features: Whether the tool turns data into tasks, content, or recommendations your team can act on.

5. Pricing transparency: Published prices, free trials, and whether credits or add-ons make the monthly bill hard to forecast.

6. Integrations: Connections to Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Shopify, and reporting tools.

Visby is our product, and it appears on this list. We have tried to be fair, include its limitations, and point you to a different tool when it is the better fit.

Best Profound Alternatives Comparison 2026

Here is a side-by-side view of each alternative, its best use case, and its starting price.

AI Engine Coverage on Each Entry Plan

Most roundups list the total engines a vendor supports. This table shows what you actually get on the cheapest paid plan.

What It Really Costs to Track ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini?

These three engines are the minimum set most B2B brands need. Here is the cheapest way to get all three on each platform.

Best Profound Alternatives Scorecard 2026

We scored each tool from 0 to 10 on four criteria, for a total out of 40. Scores reflect the entry plan and vendor information available as of September 2026. They are not sponsored.

Engine coverage is scored on the entry plan, which is why Profound scores lower here than on its Enterprise tier. Action features measure whether a tool tells you what to do next and helps you do it.

The 10 Best Profound Alternatives in 2026

1. Visby - Best Overall Profound Alternative for Turning Visibility Into Action

Visby is an AI visibility platform built for teams that want to improve their AI presence, not just measure it. It tracks prompt-level visibility, then turns gaps into prioritized SEO and GEO tasks and SEO-optimized articles inside the same platform.

Where Profound charges $399/mo before you see a second engine, Visby lets you pick three engines from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews on its $79/mo Starter plan. Claude and Gemini are available from day one, with no Enterprise contract.

Starting price: From $79/mo (Starter), $199/mo (Growth), custom Enterprise pricing

vs Profound: Claude and Gemini on the entry plan, plus built-in tasks and content generation that Profound's Starter does not include.

Best for

SEO teams, growth marketers, and B2B or e-commerce brands that want AI visibility tracking, competitor insights, and a clear action plan in one place.

Key Features

• Prompt-level tracking with intent classification (commercial vs informational) for every AI answer

• Funnel-based competitor analysis across top, middle, and bottom of funnel

• Automated GEO task generation on a Kanban board, with assignees and priorities

• SEO-optimized article generation with internal linking: 5/mo on Starter, 15/mo on Growth

• AI referral traffic from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot, via Google Analytics

• Google Search Console, Bing, and Shopify integrations

• Social proof tracking across Reddit, G2, and Trustpilot

Pros

• Claude and Gemini on the cheapest plan, with no per-engine surcharge

• The only tool on this list that combines tracking, task management, and content generation from $79/mo

• Connects AI visibility to real traffic and search performance

• Free trial with no sales call

Cons

• Three engines per plan, and Perplexity, Copilot, and Grok are not currently tracked

• Starter includes 15 prompts and 1 seat, which is tight for larger teams

• No prompt volume estimates like Profound's Prompt Volumes

Pricing

• Starter - $79/mo: 3 engines, 1 domain, 15 prompts, 45 AI answer analyses/mo, 5 articles/mo, 1 seat

• Growth - $199/mo: 3 engines, 3 domains, 90 prompts, 270 AI answer analyses/mo, 15 articles/mo, 3 seats

• Enterprise - Custom: 5+ domains, 250+ prompts, 25 articles/mo, expert GEO audit, 10+ seats

Verdict: Visby is the strongest Profound alternative for teams that need Claude and Gemini coverage and want the data to lead to published work. Teams that must track Perplexity, Copilot, or Grok today should look at AthenaHQ or Rankscale instead.

2. AthenaHQ - Best for Eight Engines on One Self-Serve Plan

AthenaHQ is the closest match to Profound's Enterprise coverage without an Enterprise contract. Its Self-Serve plan tracks eight engines, including Claude and Grok, and adds an AI assistant called Ask Athena for interactive analysis.

Starting price: From $295/mo (Self-Serve), custom Enterprise pricing

vs Profound: Near-Enterprise engine coverage at a published price, but billing is credit-based.

Best for

Mid-market and enterprise brands that need broad engine coverage and can absorb a higher entry price.

Pros

• 8 engines on one plan: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Copilot, Grok

• Unlimited seats with role-based access

• Google Analytics, Search Console, and Shopify integrations

• Strong competitor and sentiment analytics

Cons

• $295/mo is one of the highest entry prices on this list

• Credit-based billing makes the monthly bill harder to forecast

• No free trial

Pricing

• Self-Serve - $295/mo: 3,600 credits/mo, unlimited seats

• Enterprise - Custom Pricing

Verdict: AthenaHQ is the right pick when engine breadth matters more than price. Smaller teams, or those that only need three core engines, will get more value from a lower-priced tool.

3. Rankscale AI - Best Budget Option With the Most Engines

Rankscale AI brings a familiar rank-tracker interface to AI search. Every plan includes 10 engines, from ChatGPT and Claude to DeepSeek, Mistral, and Grok, and pricing is based on credits.

Starting price: From ~$20/mo (Essential), $99/mo (Pro), $385/mo (Growth)

vs Profound: Far broader engine access for less money, but no execution layer.

Best for

SEO teams and agencies that want the widest engine coverage at the lowest price and are comfortable managing credits.

Pros

• 10 engines on every plan, with no engine gating

• Unlimited search terms and all regions

• Looker Studio dashboards on Pro; white-label and REST API on Growth

Cons

• Credits are weighted by engine: Claude costs about 2 credits per run versus 0.25 for ChatGPT

• The Essential plan's credit allowance is small for real tracking

• Monitoring only, with no task management or content generation

Pricing

• Essential - ~$20/mo: 120 credits, up to 480 AI responses

• Pro - $99/mo: 1,200 credits, up to 4,800 AI responses, 10 brand dashboards

• Growth - $385/mo: 5,500 credits, up to 22,000 AI responses, white-label, API

• Enterprise - ~$780/mo

Verdict: Rankscale is the best value for pure engine coverage. Teams that track Claude heavily should model their credit usage first, and teams that need to act on the data will need a second tool.

4. Peec AI - Best for Clean Analytics and Unlimited Seats

Peec AI is a Berlin-based AI search analytics platform with a clean interface and fast setup. Every plan lets you choose any three models from a pool of seven, and every plan includes unlimited users.

Starting price: From $95/mo (Starter)

vs Profound: Unlimited seats and a free trial, but Claude still requires Enterprise, the same gate as Profound.

Best for

Analytically minded marketing teams and agencies that want reliable reporting and plan to handle content creation with separate tools.

Pros

• Unlimited seats on every plan

• Strong prompt-level analytics, including share of voice, sentiment, and fan-out queries

• Multi-country tracking and Looker Studio on Advanced

• 7-day free trial

Cons

• Claude is not available below Enterprise

• Three models per plan; each extra model costs $35 to $165/mo depending on tier

• No task management or content generation; Actions is still in beta

Pricing

• Starter - $95/mo: 50 prompts, 3 models, 1 project

• Pro - $245/mo: 150 prompts, 3 models, 2 projects

• Advanced - $495/mo: 350 prompts, 3 models, 5 projects

• Enterprise - Custom Pricing

Verdict: Peec AI is a strong analytics tool for teams that value seats and reporting over execution. If Claude was your reason for leaving Profound, Peec does not solve it. See our full Peec AI vs Visby comparison for a hands-on breakdown.

5. Otterly AI - Cheapest Paid Entry Point

Otterly AI is the lowest-cost way to start tracking AI visibility. Its $29/mo Lite plan covers four engines, and it was named a Gartner Cool Vendor in 2025.

Starting price: From $29/mo (Lite)

vs Profound: Four engines for less than a third of Profound Starter's price, but Claude and Gemini cost extra.

Best for

Solo SEOs, freelancers, and small teams that want a low-risk starting point.

Pros

• Four engines on every plan: ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, Copilot

• Public API on Standard and above

• Looker Studio connector

• 14-day free trial

Cons

• Claude, Gemini, and AI Mode are paid add-ons; the Claude add-on runs from $29 to $439/mo

• 15 prompts on Lite is too few for a real evaluation

• Monitoring only, with no content or task features

Pricing

• Lite - $29/mo: 15 prompts

• Standard - $189/mo: 100 prompts, API

• Premium - $489/mo: 400 prompts

• Enterprise - From $1,000/mo

Verdict: Otterly is the best choice if budget is the main constraint. Once you add Claude and Gemini, the price advantage narrows quickly.

6. Scrunch AI - Best for AI Crawler Diagnostics

Scrunch AI combines visibility tracking with technical insight into how AI crawlers read your site. On Enterprise, its Agent Experience Platform (AXP) serves a structured version of your site to AI crawlers.

Starting price: From $250/mo (Core), custom Enterprise pricing

vs Profound: Adds crawler-level diagnostics and a free trial, but keeps Claude and Gemini on Enterprise.

Best for

Technical SEO teams and enterprises that care about how AI crawlers access and interpret their content.

Pros

• Crawler analytics that most trackers lack

• 125 prompts and 5 user licenses on Core

• 7-day free trial

Cons

• Core covers four engines; Claude, Gemini, AI Mode, and Grok require Enterprise

• $250/mo is high for four engines

• AXP is Enterprise-only

Pricing

• Core - $250/mo: 125 prompts, 4 engines, 5 site audits, 5 users

• Enterprise - Custom Pricing: 9 engines, AXP, API, SSO

Verdict: Scrunch fits teams whose main concern is technical crawler access. It is not a direct fix for Profound's Claude gate.

7. Ahrefs Brand Radar - Best for Teams Already Using Ahrefs

Ahrefs Brand Radar adds AI visibility to the Ahrefs SEO suite. Its main strength is scale: a database of more than 470 million prompts based on real search behavior.

Starting price: From $398/mo (Select platforms), $699/mo (All platforms)

vs Profound: A larger prompt dataset and flat pricing, but no Claude tracking at any price.

Best for

SEO teams that already run their program in Ahrefs and want AI visibility next to keyword and backlink data.

Pros

• The largest prompt dataset in the category

• Tight integration with Ahrefs keyword, backlink, and content tools

• Six engines on the entry tier

Cons

• No Claude coverage on any plan

• One of the highest entry prices on this list

• Focused on analysis rather than next steps

Pricing

• Select platforms - $398/mo: 6 engines

• All platforms - $699/mo: adds Grok and more custom prompt checks

Verdict: Brand Radar makes sense for committed Ahrefs users. Teams without an Ahrefs subscription, or teams that need Claude, will find better value in a dedicated AI visibility tool.

8. Semrush AI Visibility - Best for Teams Already Using Semrush

Semrush sells AI visibility as a standalone plan or bundled with its SEO suite. The standalone plan tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI surfaces with daily rankings.

Starting price: From $99/mo per domain (AI Visibility), $199/mo (SEO + AI bundle)

vs Profound: Multiple engines at Profound Starter's price, but no Claude on any tier.

Best for

SEO teams that already work inside Semrush and want AI visibility without onboarding another vendor.

Pros

• AI visibility and SEO data in one subscription

• Detailed sentiment and brand narrative analysis across many locations and languages

• Free trial on bundled plans

Cons

• No Claude tracking at any price

• 25 prompts on the $99 plan is modest

• Priced per domain, so each extra brand adds cost; extra seats are $45/mo each

Pricing

• AI Visibility - $99/mo per domain: 25 prompts, daily tracking

• Starter (SEO + AI) - $199/mo: 50 prompts

• Higher tiers - Up to 200 prompts on Advanced

Verdict: Semrush is the low-friction choice for existing Semrush customers. Teams that need Claude or deeper prompt tracking will outgrow it.

9. AirOps - Best for Content Production Workflows

AirOps focuses on what happens after the data. It pairs AI visibility insights with workflows that help content teams refresh and publish pages at scale.

Starting price: Free to start (Solo and Pro), custom Enterprise pricing

vs Profound: A free starting point and a strong content layer, but narrower engine coverage.

Best for

Content and SEO teams that publish at high volume and want AI visibility insights built into production workflows.

Pros

• Free start on both Solo and Pro

• Bulk editing tools for refreshing hundreds of pages

• Unlimited seats on Pro

Cons

• Solo covers ChatGPT only; Pro adds Google and Perplexity, but no Claude or Gemini

• Paid limits on Pro are not fully published

• Less specialized as a pure visibility tracker

Pricing

• Solo - Free to start: 100 prompts, ChatGPT only

• Pro - Free to start: 250 prompts, multiple engines, unlimited seats

• Enterprise - Custom Pricing

Verdict: AirOps suits content-heavy teams that care more about execution than engine breadth. For combined tracking and execution with Claude included, Visby is the closer fit.

10. Frase - Best for Content Optimization With GEO Scoring

Frase started as a content research tool and now combines SERP research, content briefs, and an AI writer with AI visibility tracking. Its editor shows a real-time GEO score while you write.

Starting price: From $39/mo (Starter, billed yearly); $49/mo billed monthly

vs Profound: Much cheaper with Claude and Gemini included, but lighter as a tracker.

Best for

Content marketers and agencies that want visibility tracking inside their writing workflow.

Pros

• Tracks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini

• Real-time GEO score in the editor

• Direct publishing to WordPress, Webflow, Wix, and other CMS platforms

Cons

• AI-generated drafts usually need editing

• The interface can feel crowded

• Tracking is lighter than dedicated visibility platforms

Pricing

• Starter - $39/mo (billed yearly)

• Professional - $103/mo

• Scale - Custom Pricing

Verdict: Frase is a smart pick for writers who want GEO guidance while drafting. Teams that need competitor tracking and funnel-level insight will want a dedicated platform.

How to Choose the Right Profound Alternative?

Start with the reason you are leaving Profound. The right alternative depends on which gap you need to close.

Before you commit, ask each vendor these questions:

• Which engines are included on the plan I am buying, not on the top tier?

• Is the prompt limit per prompt or per engine query? A 50-prompt plan across 3 engines is 150 queries.

• Do some engines, like Claude, use more credits than others?

• How often is data refreshed: daily, weekly, or monthly?

• Can the tool connect AI visibility to traffic through Google Analytics or Search Console?

• Does the tool help me act on the data, or will I need a separate content tool?

Switching From Profound: A Quick Checklist

• Export your prompt list, competitor set, and historical visibility data before your contract ends

• Rebuild the same prompts in the new tool so your baseline stays comparable

• Run both tools in parallel for two to four weeks to compare results

• Check that your priority engines are tracked on the plan you selected

• Connect Google Analytics and Search Console to measure AI referral traffic from day one

FAQ About Profound Alternatives

What are the best Profound alternatives in 2026?

The best Profound alternatives are Visby, AthenaHQ, Rankscale AI, Peec AI, Otterly AI, Scrunch AI, Ahrefs Brand Radar, Semrush AI Visibility, AirOps, and Frase. Visby is the best overall pick for teams that want Claude and Gemini on the entry plan plus built-in tasks and content. AthenaHQ has the broadest single-plan coverage, and Otterly is the cheapest paid entry.

How much does Profound cost?

Profound Starter costs $99/mo and tracks ChatGPT only. Growth costs $399/mo and adds Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Enterprise pricing is custom, and third-party reviews report $2,000 to $5,000+ per month.

Does Profound track Claude and Gemini?

Only on the Enterprise plan. Starter and Growth do not include Claude or Gemini, so you need a sales call and a custom contract to track them.

Which Profound alternative includes Claude on the cheapest plan?

Visby ($79/mo), Rankscale AI (from ~$20/mo, with higher credit usage for Claude), Frase (from $39/mo), and AthenaHQ ($295/mo) all include Claude below Enterprise. Otterly offers Claude as a paid add-on. Peec AI and Scrunch AI keep it on Enterprise, and Ahrefs Brand Radar and Semrush do not track it.

Does Profound have a free trial?

Profound does not offer a clear self-serve trial for its multi-engine plans, and most onboarding goes through sales. Visby, Peec AI, Scrunch AI, and Otterly AI all offer free trials, and AirOps has a free starting tier.

What is the cheapest Profound alternative?

Rankscale AI's Essential plan starts at about $20/mo, and Otterly AI starts at $29/mo. Both have tight limits on their entry plans, so most teams end up on the next tier.

Is there a Profound alternative that also creates content?

Yes. Visby generates SEO-optimized articles with internal linking and turns visibility gaps into tasks. AirOps and Frase also focus on content workflows, while Profound's content features start on Growth.

Is Profound worth it?

Profound is worth it for large enterprises that need prompt volume data, SOC 2 compliance, and dedicated support. For small and mid-sized teams, the entry plans are narrow for the price, and most alternatives offer more engines for less.

Which Profound Alternative Should You Choose?

Profound is still a credible choice for enterprises with the budget and the analysts to use it. For most other teams, its entry plans leave out the engines and the action features they actually need.

If you need Claude and Gemini without an Enterprise contract, and you want your visibility data to become tasks and published content, Visby is the most complete alternative from $79/mo. If engine breadth is your top priority, AthenaHQ and Rankscale AI cover more engines. If budget is the only constraint, Otterly AI is the cheapest place to start.

Whichever tool you choose, measure the same prompts before and after you switch. That is the only way to know whether the new platform is actually improving your AI visibility.

For more comparisons, see our guides to the best GEO tools, the best AEO tools, and the best AI SEO tools.