Frequently asked questions
Common questions
What is a generative engine optimization tool?
Software that tracks whether AI assistants mention or cite your brand when people ask questions in your category, and which sources they pull from. It is measurement first - the optimisation part is what you do with the data.
How much do these tools cost?
Published entry prices run from $29 a month (Otterly.AI Lite) to $100 (Trakkr Growth) and $99 (Profound Starter, ChatGPT only). Several vendors publish no price at all. Figures checked 6 September 2026 - this category re-prices frequently.
What is the cheapest way to start tracking AI visibility?
Free, with LLM Brand Boost's permanent free tier at ten tracked prompts. The cheapest paid step in the category is its $39 Starter at fifty prompts; the cheapest standalone alternative is Otterly.AI at $29 for fifteen. Disclosure: LLM Brand Boost is ours.
Which one tracks the most AI engines?
Rankscale claims 17 or more but does not publish a price. Among tools with a published price, Trakkr covers eight engines on its $100 plan, and Ahrefs Brand Radar covers seven.
Is there a free option?
LLM Brand Boost is the only tool here with a permanent free tier - ten tracked prompts, no time limit. Everything else offers a trial that expires. Disclosure: LLM Brand Boost is operated by the people who publish this site.
Do I need one of these if I already use Ahrefs or Semrush?
Probably not at first. Both bundle AI visibility tracking into plans you may already pay for. Buy a dedicated tool when you need more engines, more prompts, or data the suites do not expose.
What is a prompt, and how many do I need?
A prompt is one tracked question, checked repeatedly over time. Fifteen is enough to learn whether you appear at all. Running a programme against competitors usually takes 50 to 150.
Why do so many vendors hide their pricing?
Because they are selling to enterprise procurement rather than to a marketer with a card. That is useful information: a tool that will not state a price before a call is telling you who it was built for.
Is generative engine optimization the same as SEO?
It overlaps but the retrieval is different. Traditional rankings and AI citations move independently - sites with no organic traffic at all get cited, and sites that rank well often do not. Measuring one does not tell you about the other.
How often do these prices change?
Constantly. The category is roughly eighteen months old and vendors repackage tiers regularly, which is why every figure on this site carries the date it was checked.
How did we score these tools?
Five weighted criteria for one buyer - somebody starting from zero without an enterprise budget: cost to start, tracked prompts per dollar, engine coverage at that tier, getting data out, and how fast you can be running. Built from published pricing, not from trials of every tool. A different buyer gets a different answer, which is what the chooser above is for.