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Best AI Mode Checking Tools in 2026: 9 Tools Compared

By ToolNimba Editorial Team October 30, 2026 12 min read

Best AI Mode Checking Tools
  1. Top pick
    Google Search Console logoGoogle Search Console

    Free first-party checks

    Starting priceFree
    Check out Google Search ConsoleRead our review
  2. Runner-up
    Peec AI logoPeec AI

    AI Mode citation tracking

    Starting price$95 per month
    Check out Peec AIRead our review
  3. Also great
    Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit logoSemrush AI Visibility Toolkit

    AI Mode inside an SEO suite

    Starting price$99 per month
    Check out Semrush AI Visibility ToolkitRead 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

  • Google Search Console is the free first step for AI Mode measurement, because it reports real Google impressions and cited pages from your own site.
  • Peec AI, Otterly.AI, and SE Ranking all list Google AI Mode coverage, while Semrush and Ahrefs add AI Mode tracking to wider SEO suites.
  • Entry prices range from free with Search Console and AthenaHQ Essential, to $29 per month for Otterly.AI, $95 per month for Peec AI, and $99 per month for Semrush AI Visibility.
  • AI Mode results vary by prompt and day, so check a fixed prompt set weekly and track citations, not a single visibility score.

Quick comparison

NameBest forStarting priceFree plan
Google Search ConsoleFree first-party checksFreeYesVisit
Peec AIAI Mode citation tracking$95 per monthFree trial (7 days)Visit
Semrush AI Visibility ToolkitAI Mode inside an SEO suite$99 per monthFree trialVisit
Ahrefs Brand RadarAI Mode plus prompt discovery$50 per monthNoVisit
Otterly.AIAffordable AI Mode monitoring$29 per monthFree trialVisit
SE Ranking SE VisibleAI Mode inside a value suite$52 per monthFree trial (14 days)Visit
ProfoundEnterprise AI Mode analytics$99 per monthFree trial (7 days)Visit
ScrunchAI Mode plus crawler checks$250 per monthFree trial (7 days)Visit
ZipTiePay-per-check AI Mode trackingSee websiteFree trial (7 days)Visit

The best AI mode checking tools

Google AI Mode gives conversational, cited answers instead of a list of links, so checking it needs a different tool than classic rank tracking. The tools below check whether your brand and pages appear in AI Mode answers, which sources get cited, and how competitors compare on the same prompts.

01Google Search Console logo

Google Search Console

Best for: Free first-party checks

Check out Google Search Console
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Google Search Console website
search.google.com homepage

Google Search Console is the starting point every team should use, because it is free and first-party. It reports generative AI impressions, cited pages, and linked pages for your verified sites, with breakdowns by page, country, date, and device. That data shows what Google actually surfaced from your site, not what a third-party tool estimated.

The limits are scope and competition. Search Console only covers sites you verify, and it does not run test prompts or compare you with competitors. Use it as ground truth for your own pages, then add a prompt tracker below for competitor and prompt-level checks. Every site owner with AI Mode traffic should check Search Console before paying for another tool.

What we like
  • Real Google data from your own site
  • Shows cited and linked pages
  • Breaks down by page, country, and device
Watch out for
  • Only covers your own verified sites
  • No competitor tracking
  • No prompt-level AI Mode testing
02Peec AI logo

Peec AI

Best for: AI Mode citation tracking

Check out Peec AI
Starting price$95 per month
Free planFree trial (7 days)
Peec AI website
peec.ai homepage

Peec AI is a strong dedicated choice for AI Mode checking, because published comparisons list AI Mode and AI Overviews in every plan, not just on enterprise tiers. You set prompts, pick engines including AI Mode, and track mention frequency, citations, and source analysis daily. Reports are written for marketers, which helps when results go to clients or managers.

Starter pricing is listed at $95 per month, or $80 per month billed annually, for 50 prompts across three engines. If you need more than three engines, add-on costs apply, so confirm the total for AI Mode plus ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini before you buy. For readable, recurring AI Mode monitoring, Peec AI is one of the easiest tools to run week to week.

What we like
  • AI Mode included in every plan in listings
  • Clear mention and citation reports
  • Competitor visibility comparisons
Watch out for
  • Monitoring only, no classic SEO suite
  • Extra engines are paid add-ons
03Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit logo

Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit

Best for: AI Mode inside an SEO suite

Check out Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit
Starting price$99 per month
Free planFree trial
Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit website
semrush.com homepage

Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit suits teams that already track keywords, traffic, and backlinks in Semrush. It adds AI Mode and ChatGPT mentions, cited pages, competitor benchmarking, prompt discovery, sentiment, and technical checks for AI crawlers. That lets you see an AI Mode citation gap next to the keyword and page data that should fix it.

Recent listings put the toolkit at $99 per month per domain, with a free checker limited to three checks per day in some comparisons. The total cost is higher than a standalone tracker once you add the base Semrush plan, but it avoids a second workflow. Agencies that already report from Semrush will find this the simplest way to add AI Mode checks.

What we like
  • AI Mode and ChatGPT tracking next to SEO data
  • Prompt and topic discovery
  • Technical AI crawler checks
Watch out for
  • Toolkit is an add-on to a Semrush plan
  • Free checker is limited to a few checks per day
04Ahrefs Brand Radar logo

Ahrefs Brand Radar

Best for: AI Mode plus prompt discovery

Check out Ahrefs Brand Radar
Starting price$50 per month
Free planNo

Ahrefs Brand Radar checks AI Mode alongside AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot, with custom prompt tracking from $50 per month on a paid Ahrefs plan in published listings. Its advantage is discovery. A large prompt database helps you find AI Mode questions you were not tracking, then measure your cited pages and competitors on those prompts.

The AI Visibility Index, listed from $199 per month in some comparisons, covers fuller reporting, so confirm which tier includes the AI Mode views you need. For SEO teams already in Ahrefs, Brand Radar is a natural add-on. For teams that only need AI Mode checks, a dedicated tracker such as Peec AI or Otterly.AI may be cheaper.

What we like
  • AI Mode coverage in Brand Radar
  • Large prompt database
  • Citation and share of voice reporting
Watch out for
  • Requires a paid Ahrefs plan
  • Full AI Visibility Index pricing is higher
05Otterly.AI logo

Otterly.AI

Best for: Affordable AI Mode monitoring

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

Otterly.AI is the budget pick for recurring AI Mode checks. It monitors a defined prompt set daily across Google AI Mode and AI Overviews plus other major AI search engines, and it reports brand mentions, citations, and competitor positions. A GEO audit feature helps you check basic readiness alongside monitoring.

Lite starts at $29 per month, with 15 prompts in some listings, so it suits one brand or a small pilot. Check AI Mode coverage on your exact tier, because some comparisons list Gemini and AI Mode as add-ons rather than included engines. For small teams that want a weekly AI Mode check without enterprise pricing, Otterly.AI is the best value starting point.

What we like
  • Lowest entry price for dedicated tracking
  • Daily monitoring for a defined prompt set
  • Simple alerts when mentions change
Watch out for
  • AI Mode may be a paid add-on on entry tiers
  • Small prompt count on Lite plan
06SE Ranking SE Visible logo

SE Ranking SE Visible

Best for: AI Mode inside a value suite

Check out SE Ranking SE Visible
Starting price$52 per month
Free planFree trial (14 days)

SE Ranking sells its AI search product as SE Visible, with AI Overviews and AI Mode trackers inside the wider SEO suite. That means you can check AI Mode citations next to classic rankings, site audits, and keyword data in one project. Published listings cite 200 prompts and a 14-day trial for the AI tracker, with Essential SEO pricing from $52 per month billed annually.

The catch is plan clarity. AI add-on pricing differs from base SEO pricing in some comparisons, so confirm the SE Visible price for your prompt count and engine list. For agencies that already use SE Ranking, adding AI Mode checks here is cheaper and simpler than buying a separate enterprise platform.

What we like
  • Separate AI Mode tracker inside an SEO suite
  • 200 prompts on some plans in listings
  • 14-day trial
Watch out for
  • AI pricing varies by plan and add-on
  • Less dedicated-only depth than Profound
07Profound logo

Profound

Best for: Enterprise AI Mode analytics

Check out Profound
Starting price$99 per month
Free planFree trial (7 days)

Profound tracks AI Mode as part of a wider AI search platform that covers up to nine engines on higher tiers, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews and AI Mode. Its strength is analysis depth, including prompt volumes, query patterns, and share of voice, which helps larger brands explain AI visibility to leadership.

Starter is listed at $99 per month for ChatGPT-only tracking, while Growth at $399 per month adds three engines. That means AI Mode checks require at least Growth for most buyers, so small teams should compare Peec AI and Otterly.AI first. For enterprises that need governance, API access, and board-ready reporting, Profound is the most complete option in this list.

What we like
  • Covers Google AI Mode on higher tiers
  • Deep prompt and answer analytics
  • Enterprise reporting and governance
Watch out for
  • Starter covers ChatGPT only
  • Multi-engine Growth starts at $399 per month
08Scrunch logo

Scrunch

Best for: AI Mode plus crawler checks

Check out Scrunch
Starting price$250 per month
Free planFree trial (7 days)

Scrunch pairs AI Mode monitoring with AI crawler analytics and content guidance, which helps teams act on what they find. You can see whether AI Mode mentions your brand, which pages get cited, and whether AI crawlers can access and parse those pages. That combination is useful when a citation gap comes from a technical block, not just weak content.

Entry pricing is listed at $250 per month for Core in some comparisons, and $300 per month for Starter in others, so check the current pricing page. Scrunch suits content and marketing teams that want monitoring plus next steps in one tool. Teams that only need a weekly mention check will find cheaper options above.

What we like
  • AI Mode monitoring plus publishing guidance
  • AI crawler analytics
  • Content team workflow
Watch out for
  • Higher entry price
  • Classic SEO features are lighter than full suites
09ZipTie logo

ZipTie

Best for: Pay-per-check AI Mode tracking

Check out ZipTie
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (7 days)

ZipTie, also listed as ZipTie.dev, uses usage-based pricing, which suits teams that check AI Mode occasionally rather than daily at scale. It covers AI Mode, AI Overviews, Bing AI Overview, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity, with per-check pricing listed around $0.01 per check in some comparisons. That model keeps costs low for small prompt sets.

The trade-off is trial coverage. Some comparisons note that AI Mode is not included in the trial, so you may need a paid plan to test AI Mode specifically. Confirm trial coverage and per-check pricing before you rely on ZipTie for a client report. For occasional AI Mode checks on a tight budget, usage pricing is a practical alternative to a monthly subscription.

What we like
  • Usage-based pricing for occasional checks
  • Covers AI Mode, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and more
  • Simple project setup
Watch out for
  • AI Mode is not in the trial in some listings
  • Usage costs vary with prompt volume

How we picked these

We compared official feature pages, pricing pages, and October 2026 AI Mode and AI visibility roundups. We only included tools with documented Google AI Mode coverage, either as a named engine or as part of an AI search tracker, plus Google Search Console as the free first-party source. Where pricing differed across sources, we used the most commonly listed figure and marked uncertain totals as See website. AI Mode answers change by prompt and day, so we treated all third-party scores as trends, not exact ranks.

How to check AI Mode well

Start with Search Console, then add a prompt tracker. In Search Console, look for pages with AI impressions but low clicks, and pages that get cited often. Those pages are your best candidates for improvement. In a tracker, build a fixed prompt set of 20 to 50 real buyer questions, run it weekly, and record mentions, citations, and competitors for each prompt. Do not change the prompt wording every week, or trends become hard to read.

Prompts, citations, and competitors

Use the exact questions buyers ask, including best-of, comparison, and how-to prompts. For each prompt, note whether your brand is mentioned, whether your pages are cited, and which competitors appear instead. A citation matters more than a mention, because it links back to a source buyers can open. Track both, but prioritize closing citation gaps on high-intent prompts first.

Fixes that help AI Mode visibility

Improve the pages that should be cited. Use clear headings, direct answers in the first paragraph, FAQ sections, and factual details that an AI answer can quote. Check that AI crawlers can access the page, that structured data is correct, and that the page loads well. Then wait two to four weeks and re-check the same prompts, since AI Mode results do not change overnight.

Free checks versus paid monitoring

A free checker is enough for a one-time question, such as whether your brand appears for five prompts today. Paid monitoring is needed for trends, alerts, competitor tracking, and client reporting. If you check monthly for one brand, Otterly.AI or ZipTie will likely cost less than an enterprise plan. If you report weekly to clients, Peec AI, Semrush, or Profound will save reporting time.

Sources

  1. https://search.google.com/search-console
  2. https://peec.ai
  3. https://www.semrush.com
  4. https://ahrefs.com
  5. https://otterly.ai
  6. https://seranking.com
  7. https://www.tryprofound.com
  8. https://scrunch.com
  9. https://ziptie.dev
  10. https://allinclusive.llc/blog/ai-mode-seo-strategy-semrush-insights
  11. https://machined.ai/blog/best-ai-visibility-checkers

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI mode checking tool?

Google Search Console is the best free starting point, because it uses real Google data for your own site. For prompt-level competitor checks, Peec AI is the best dedicated tool, while Semrush and Ahrefs are best if you already use those SEO suites. Small teams should also consider Otterly.AI at $29 per month.

How do I check if my site appears in Google AI Mode?

Start in Google Search Console, where generative AI impressions and cited pages are reported for verified sites. Then run your key prompts in Google AI Mode itself, or use a tracker such as Peec AI, Otterly.AI, or SE Visible to check the same prompts weekly. Compare both sources, since Search Console shows real traffic and trackers show prompt-level answers.

What is the best free AI mode checking tool?

Google Search Console is the best free AI mode checking tool for your own site, with no prompt limit beyond your actual traffic. For a free third-party check, AthenaHQ Essential and free checkers from Semrush and Ahrefs can test a small number of prompts. For ongoing monitoring, a paid tracker is usually needed.

Does AI Mode tracking replace classic rank tracking?

No. AI Mode checks show whether AI answers mention and cite you, while classic rank tracking shows positions on a results page. Both matter, because AI systems often cite pages that perform well in classic search, and many buyers still click classic results. Track both, and use classic SEO fixes to support AI citations.

How often should I check AI Mode?

Check a fixed prompt set weekly for trends, and review Search Console monthly for real impression and citation data. Daily checks add noise, because AI answers vary by phrasing and timing. Weekly tracking over a month gives a clearer picture of gains, losses, and competitor moves.

Why does my brand appear in ChatGPT but not in AI Mode?

Engines use different models, sources, and retrieval systems, so visibility in one does not guarantee visibility in another. AI Mode draws heavily on Google search and cited web pages, while ChatGPT may weight different sources. Check which pages AI Mode cites for your prompts, improve those pages, and track AI Mode separately from ChatGPT.

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