AEO Tool Comparison — 2026
Best AEO Tools 2026: Orbzy vs Otterly vs AthenaHQ vs Profound
Pricing and features pulled directly from each vendor's own pricing page as of 2026-07-23 — not estimates. Orbzy is the only one with a free, no-signup scan.
Scan My Site FreeSources: Otterly.AI pricing from otterly.ai/pricing. AthenaHQ pricing from athenahq.ai/plans. Profound pricing from Fortune (Feb 2026) and tryprofound.com. All fetched 2026-07-23 — pricing changes; verify on the vendor's site before buying.
| Feature | Orbzy | Otterly.AI | AthenaHQ | Profound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest entry point | Free scan, no signup | $29/mo (Lite) | Free plan (signup required) | $82.50/mo (Starter) |
| Self-serve paid tier | $29/mo (Starter) | $29/mo (Lite) | $295/mo (Starter) | $82.50/mo (Starter) |
| Time to first result | ~30 seconds, no account | Account setup, then tracking begins | Account setup, then tracking begins | Enterprise onboarding |
| One-time (non-subscription) option | ✓ $49 Fix Pack | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| AI engines tracked | ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity | 4 engines (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Copilot) | 5–9 models depending on plan | Not publicly listed per-tier |
| Built-in fix guidance | ✓ copy-paste code + deploy script | No — tracking only | Content optimization agent (Starter+) | Consulting-led |
Common questions
What is the cheapest AEO tool?
Orbzy's free scan has no cost and no account required. Among paid entry tiers, Orbzy's Starter is $29/mo, matching Otterly.AI's Lite plan ($29/mo). AthenaHQ's cheapest paid tier is Starter at $295/mo (it also has a free Essential plan with limited credits). Profound's Starter is $82.50/mo.
Which AEO tool has a free scan with no signup?
Orbzy is the only tool of the four with a free, instant scan requiring no account — paste a URL and get an AI Readiness Score in under 30 seconds. Otterly.AI, AthenaHQ, and Profound all require creating an account to access any tier, including their free/lowest plans.
What's the difference between Orbzy and Otterly.AI?
Otterly.AI is a citation-tracking platform — it monitors how often your brand is mentioned across AI engines over time, starting at $29/mo with no free tier. Orbzy leads with a free technical AI Readiness Score (structured data, llms.txt, robots.txt, and 5 other on-site signals) plus a one-time $49 Fix Pack, then adds citation tracking at $49/mo on the Track plan.
See where you actually stand
Free scan, no account, 30 seconds — then decide if you need ongoing tracking.
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