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Best AEO Tools in 2026: 8 Tools Compared

By ToolNimba Editorial Team October 29, 2026 10 min read

Best AEO Tools
  1. Top pick
    Otterly.ai logoOtterly.ai

    Low-cost brand tracking in AI answers

    Starting price$29 per month
    Check out Otterly.aiRead our review
  2. Runner-up
    Frase logoFrase

    Fast briefs with basic AI visibility

    Starting price$39 per month
    Check out FraseRead our review
  3. Also great
    Surfer logoSurfer

    Content scoring with AI search analytics

    Starting price$49 per month
    Check out SurferRead our review

How we researched this

We compared official pricing and feature pages, app store listings, privacy policies and public user reviews. Prices change, so check the provider's site before you pay.

Key takeaways

  • AEO covers two jobs: tracking how AI engines mention your brand, and writing content that AI engines can cite clearly.
  • Otterly.ai is the cheapest entry point for tracking, while Frase and Surfer combine content scoring with AI visibility features.
  • Clearscope suits editorial teams that want clear content guidance, while Peec AI and Goodie suit teams that want prompt tracking plus actions.
  • Profound and HubSpot AEO are stronger for larger teams, but check prompt limits and engine coverage before you commit, since both drive the real cost.

Quick comparison

NameBest forStarting priceFree plan
Otterly.aiLow-cost brand tracking in AI answers$29 per monthFree trialVisit
FraseFast briefs with basic AI visibility$39 per monthFree trialVisit
SurferContent scoring with AI search analytics$49 per monthNoVisit
ClearscopeEditorial teams that want clear grading$129 per monthFree trialVisit
Peec AIPrompt tracking for growing teams$95 per monthFree trialVisit
GoodieTracking plus optimization actions$295 per monthFree trialVisit
ProfoundEnterprise AI visibility depthSee websiteFree trialVisit
HubSpot AEOTeams already using HubSpot$50 per monthFree trialVisit

The best AEO tools

We compared official pricing pages, feature descriptions, and public reviews, focusing on prompt limits, engine coverage, content tools, and whether a tool tracks only or also helps you act.

01Otterly.ai logo

Otterly.ai

Best for: Low-cost brand tracking in AI answers

Check out Otterly.ai
Starting price$29 per month
Free planFree trial

Otterly.ai is the simplest way to start with AEO. It checks a set of prompts each day across major AI engines and shows how often your brand is mentioned and which sources are cited. The Lite plan at $29 per month covers 15 prompts, which is enough for a small brand or a single product line.

The limit is scope. Otterly.ai does not write briefs or optimize pages, so you still need a content tool or an editor to act on what it finds. Higher plans add more prompts and API access, but the price rises fast. For a first look at AI visibility, Otterly.ai is the lowest-risk starting point.

What we like
  • Lowest entry price here
  • Tracks ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Copilot
  • Daily tracking and unlimited team members on listed plans
Watch out for
  • Entry plan covers only 15 prompts
  • It tracks only and does not help you write content
02Frase logo

Frase

Best for: Fast briefs with basic AI visibility

Check out Frase
Starting price$39 per month
Free planFree trial
Frase website
frase.io homepage

Frase has long been a brief tool, and its AEO value comes from that strength. It analyzes top results for a query, builds a brief with questions and headings, and scores your draft against competing pages. That question-led structure fits answer engines well, since AI answers favor clear, direct answers.

AI visibility tracking exists but depends on your plan, so check which engines and prompt counts your tier includes. Frase also publishes to WordPress, Webflow, and other platforms, which shortens the path from brief to live page. For content teams that want briefs first and tracking second, Frase is a practical pick.

What we like
  • Brief generator from top results
  • Content optimization included
  • AI visibility on higher tiers
  • Publishes to common CMS platforms
Watch out for
  • AI tracking is tier-gated
  • Monthly billing costs more than annual billing
03Surfer logo

Surfer

Best for: Content scoring with AI search analytics

Check out Surfer
Starting price$49 per month
Free planNo
Surfer website
surferseo.com homepage

Surfer scores your content against top-ranking pages as you write, with term suggestions, structure guidance, and a numeric score. That editor is the core product, and it helps writers produce pages that are easy for both search engines and AI engines to parse. AI Search Analytics adds prompt tracking across engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and AI Overviews.

The catch is packaging. The entry Discovery plan focuses on content, while AI tracking sits on higher plans or as a standalone add-on listed from $82 per month billed yearly in recent comparisons. Seat limits also apply. For teams that already score content in Surfer, adding AI tracking is a natural next step.

What we like
  • Content Editor scores drafts in real time
  • AI Search Analytics tracks prompts
  • Large content and SEO feature set
Watch out for
  • AI tracking needs higher tiers or a standalone add-on
  • Seat limits apply on lower plans
04Clearscope logo

Clearscope

Best for: Editorial teams that want clear grading

Check out Clearscope
Starting price$129 per month
Free planFree trial

Clearscope gives editors a report with a letter grade, term suggestions, and readability guidance, which is easy to hand to a freelance writer. Unlimited users on both tiers is unusual and valuable for agencies and large editorial teams, since you do not pay per seat. The Essentials plan starts at $129 per month, with a 14-day free trial reported.

AI visibility is not the main focus here. Clearscope has added brand visibility features, but a dedicated tracker such as Otterly.ai or Peec AI covers more engines and prompts. Choose Clearscope when content quality is the main job, and add a tracker if AI citations become a key metric.

What we like
  • Letter-grade reports that editors understand
  • Unlimited users on all tiers
  • Readability guidance included
Watch out for
  • Higher entry price
  • AI visibility features are lighter than dedicated trackers
05Peec AI logo

Peec AI

Best for: Prompt tracking for growing teams

Check out Peec AI
Starting price$95 per month
Free planFree trial

Peec AI tracks brand mentions across AI models with daily checks, and its pricing is easy to understand. Starter at $95 per month covers 50 prompts, Pro at $245 covers 150 prompts with sentiment analysis, and Advanced at $495 covers 350 prompts with multi-country tracking. Unlimited users on all plans helps teams share reports without seat costs.

The Starter plan is narrow, with one project and one country, so multi-market brands will need a higher tier. Peec AI also focuses on tracking rather than writing, so pair it with Frase, Surfer, or Clearscope for content work. For teams that want clean tracking data at a mid-range price, Peec AI is a strong choice.

What we like
  • Clear prompt tiers from 50 to 350 prompts
  • Unlimited users
  • Daily tracking and sentiment analysis on higher plans
Watch out for
  • Starter covers one project and one country
  • Content optimization is not the focus
06Goodie logo

Goodie

Best for: Tracking plus optimization actions

Check out Goodie
Starting price$295 per month
Free planFree trial

Goodie aims to close the loop between tracking and action. Its Core plan at $295 per month covers 110 prompts across engines such as ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity, AI Mode, and Copilot, plus 50 optimization actions per month. Unlimited seats and strategist support make it easier for a team to act on the data, not just read a dashboard.

The price is higher than Otterly.ai or Peec AI, and 110 prompts will not cover a large brand with many products. Pro at $999 per month adds more prompts, engines, and actions. Goodie suits teams that want one tool for monitoring and next steps, and that can use the action quota each month.

What we like
  • Combines monitoring with optimization actions
  • Unlimited seats
  • Strategist support included
  • 7-day free trial
Watch out for
  • Higher entry price than trackers
  • Prompt counts still cap larger brands
07Profound logo

Profound

Best for: Enterprise AI visibility depth

Check out Profound
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial

Profound is built for larger brands and agencies that need depth. It tracks mentions, citations, and sentiment across many AI engines, with workspace and reporting features for teams managing several brands. A 7-day trial with 50 prompts is reported, which lets a team test the data before a sales conversation.

Pricing is the barrier. Profound does not publish a price list, and recent comparisons give a wide range for its plans, so budget planning needs a quote. Smaller teams will likely find Otterly.ai or Peec AI enough. For an enterprise brand where AI citations matter to revenue, Profound's depth justifies the sales process.

What we like
  • Deep tracking across many answer engines
  • Agency and enterprise features
  • 7-day trial with 50 prompts reported
Watch out for
  • No public price
  • Enterprise plans require a demo and quote
08HubSpot AEO logo

HubSpot AEO

Best for: Teams already using HubSpot

Check out HubSpot AEO
Starting price$50 per month
Free planFree trial

HubSpot AEO is a low-cost entry point for teams that already run marketing in HubSpot. At $50 per month on its own, it tracks 25 prompts across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, with recommendations for improving visibility. It is also included in Marketing Hub Professional and Enterprise plans, which makes it effectively free for those customers.

The prompt limit is the main constraint, and 25 prompts will not cover a large site. Engine coverage is also narrower than dedicated trackers. For a HubSpot team taking its first step into AEO, this is the easiest tool to adopt, and you can move to a dedicated tracker later if prompt needs grow.

What we like
  • Low entry price
  • Tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
  • Recommendations included
  • Free one-time grader reported
Watch out for
  • Prompt count is modest at 25
  • Full value needs a HubSpot setup

How we picked these

We compared official pricing pages, feature descriptions, and public reviews, and we favored tools that are sold and supported in 2026 and that truly fit AEO work. We included both trackers and content tools, since AEO needs both measurement and writing. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, we wrote See website rather than repeating a third-party guess as fact.

We did not claim hands-on testing that did not happen. Our method was document comparison: pricing terms, prompt limits, engine lists, and feature descriptions, checked against vendor pages where possible. Prices in this fast-moving category change often, so confirm the current plan before you buy.

How to choose an AEO tool for your team

AEO tools look similar on a landing page, but prompt limits, engine coverage, and content features separate them fast. Start with your job, not with the longest feature list.

Decide if you need tracking, writing, or both

If you only need to know how AI engines mention your brand, a tracker such as Otterly.ai, Peec AI, or HubSpot AEO is enough. If you need to write answer-ready pages, add Frase, Surfer, or Clearscope for briefs and scoring. If you want one tool to track and act, Goodie is the closest fit, though its price is higher.

Count prompts the way the vendor counts them

A prompt is not a page or a keyword. It is one question checked on one or more engines, and vendors count it differently. List your brand questions, product questions, and comparison questions, then match that list to a plan with room to grow. A cheap plan with 15 prompts is useless if you need 100, and an enterprise plan is wasteful if you need 30.

Check citations, not just mentions

A mention without a citation sends no traffic, so check whether your tool shows which pages AI engines cite and which queries trigger those citations. Use that data to fix the pages that matter: add a direct answer near the top, use clear headings, and add structured data where it fits. Track the same prompts over time, since AI answers change as models update.

Sources

  1. https://www.mexseo.info/blog/answer-engine-optimization-tools/
  2. https://llmpulse.ai/blog/best-surfer-seo-alternatives/
  3. https://www.aeohq.ai/articles/aeo-pricing
  4. https://higoodie.com/blog/goodie-vs-peec-ai-aeo-tool-comparison/
  5. https://picked.so/blog/aeo-tools
  6. https://www.rankability.com/blog/best-aeo-tools-for-agencies/
  7. https://www.otterly.ai
  8. https://www.frase.io
  9. https://www.surferseo.com
  10. https://www.clearscope.io
  11. https://www.peec.ai
  12. https://www.higoodie.com
  13. https://www.tryprofound.com
  14. https://www.hubspot.com

Frequently asked questions

What are the best AEO tools?

For low-cost tracking, Otterly.ai is the best starting point. For content plus tracking, Frase and Surfer are the strongest picks. For editorial teams, Clearscope is the clearest grading tool, while Peec AI and Goodie suit teams that want prompt tracking with more depth or actions. The best tool depends on whether you need tracking, writing, or both.

What is the best AEO software for small businesses?

Otterly.ai at $29 per month is the most affordable tracker for a small business, and HubSpot AEO at $50 per month suits HubSpot users. Frase at $39 per month billed annually is a good content-first choice for a small team that writes its own pages. Start with one tool and a short prompt list, then upgrade only when prompt limits bite.

What is the best tool for AEO tracking?

Peec AI offers clean daily tracking from $95 per month for 50 prompts, with higher tiers for larger brands. Otterly.ai is cheaper but covers fewer prompts on its entry plan, while Profound offers deeper enterprise tracking at a quoted price. Compare engine coverage and prompt counts, not just the monthly price, before you choose.

How is AEO different from SEO?

SEO focuses on ranking in search results, while AEO focuses on being cited in answers from AI engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. The work overlaps, since both need clear, well-structured content, but AEO adds prompt tracking, citation checks, and direct answers. A good SEO page often helps AEO, but it does not guarantee a citation.

Do AEO tools guarantee citations in AI answers?

No tool can guarantee a citation, since AI engines choose sources on their own. AEO tools show where you appear, which pages get cited, and what to improve, but the final choice sits with the model. Use the data to improve content quality, structure, and factual clarity, and measure progress over months, not days.

What should an AEO platform include?

A useful AEO platform should track prompts across the engines your customers use, show citations and sentiment, and link findings to pages you can fix. Content tools should add briefs, structure guidance, and scoring for answer-ready pages. Avoid tools that only report mentions without showing which pages to improve.

Keep reading