Athena HQ vs Profound in 2026: Free GEO audit + Claude coverage vs $99/mo crawler logs + 9 engines
Athena HQ has a free Essential tier with content gap analysis. Profound at $99+/month covers 9 engines with crawler log analysis, Marketing Agents for AEO content generation, and brand accuracy gap analysis.
Athena HQ
Profound- Athena HQ has a free Essential tier with real Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) audit functionality. Profound does not offer a free tier; Starter begins at $99/month with only ChatGPT covered, and the buying process is sales-led above Starter.
- Profound tracks 9 AI engines: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Athena HQ covers 4 engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
- Profound is the only AI visibility tool that connects citation data to crawler log activity, showing when GPTBot and ClaudeBot crawled specific pages. Athena HQ does not include crawler log access.
- Profound includes Marketing Agents for AEO content generation that closes gaps between what AI models say and what is actually true about a brand. Athena HQ focuses on content gap analysis without content generation.
- Athena HQ unlocks API access at $295/month Starter. Profound locks API access to Enterprise custom contracts. For mid-tier API access on a credit card, Athena HQ is the practical choice.
- Profound's Starter plan covers only ChatGPT on the entry tier, while Athena HQ covers all 4 engines on every tier including free. For teams that want engine breadth without paying Enterprise pricing, Athena HQ is the more appropriate fit.
Choosing between Athena HQ and Profound is a question about whether you want a free starting tier with structured content gap analysis or a sales-led platform with crawler log access and AEO content generation. Athena HQ is a self-serve Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform with a free Essential plan and $295/month Starter tier focused on citation tracking and content gap analysis on 4 engines. Profound is an enterprise AI search marketing platform starting at $99/month that covers 9 engines, exposes crawler log activity, and includes Marketing Agents for AEO content generation. Athena HQ is the right pick if you want to start with a free audit and run a focused GEO programme on a credit card. Profound is the right pick if you need crawler log analysis and Marketing Agents for content generation and prefer a sales-led buying process. The right pick depends on whether your priority is a free starting tier with a focused 4-engine programme, or a sales-led enterprise platform with crawler logs and execution tooling.
The tools at a glance
Athena HQ
Free-to-start GEO audit platform with citation gap analysis and API access on paid plans
Athena HQ is a generative engine optimization platform built around a free GEO audit, paired with paid plans that unlock deeper analysis. It tracks brand appearances across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity on all tiers, including the free Essential plan. The standout feature is the Essential tier itself: a genuine free plan that runs a real audit of your AI citation performance, surfaces which competitors are winning in your category, and identifies content gaps that may be holding your brand back.
The paid plans focus on depth rather than coverage. Citation source tracking, unlimited competitor benchmarking, and API access unlock at the $295/month Starter tier, with no mid-priced option in between. The content gap analysis is the centerpiece of the platform: Athena HQ compares your site content coverage to the topics AI models are pulling from competitor sites, and flags specific topic areas to prioritize in your content calendar.
The main friction versus Profound is the absence of crawler log analysis and AEO content generation. Athena HQ focuses on citation tracking and content recommendations through its dashboard. For teams whose Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) programme primarily needs editorial recommendations on a self-serve model, Athena HQ is the practical choice. For teams needing crawler log correlation and Marketing Agents for execution, the conversation moves to Profound.
| Feature | Essential Free | Starter $295/mo | Enterprise Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI models tracked | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| GEO audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content gap analysis | Basic | Full | Full |
| Citation source tracking | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor benchmarking | 2 competitors | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| API access | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| White label | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Profound
Enterprise AI visibility with crawler log analysis and AEO content generation
Profound is an AI search marketing platform built for in-house SEO and content teams at larger organisations. It tracks how AI models represent a brand across 9 engines including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. The depth of coverage is unmatched in the market.
What makes Profound distinct from other monitoring tools is the connection between citations and crawl activity. The platform exposes crawler log data showing when GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and other AI crawlers last visited specific pages on a site. This lets teams correlate crawl timing with changes in citation behaviour, a relationship that most tools cannot surface.
The platform also includes Marketing Agents, a built-in content generation layer that closes the gap between what AI models say about a brand and what is actually true, generating AEO-optimised content designed to address accuracy and citation gaps. The buying process reflects the platform positioning: a demo call, structured onboarding, and a Customer Success Manager. This is not a friction point for enterprise teams with dedicated headcount; it is the model.
| Feature | Starter $99/mo | Growth $399/mo | Enterprise Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer engines tracked | ChatGPT only | 3 engines | Up to 10 |
| Unique prompts tracked | 50 | 100 | Custom |
| Monthly responses analyzed | 1,500 | 9,000 | Custom |
| Team seats | 1 | 3 | Custom |
| CSV / JSON exports | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| API access | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Agent credits/mo | 100 | 400 | Custom |
| SSO / SAML | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Athena HQ | Profound |
|---|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity | 9 (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek, Claude, Google AI Overviews) |
| Competitive share-of-voice | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt-level citation data | Yes | Yes |
| Answer / content gap analysis | Yes (content gap analysis) | Yes (brand accuracy gap analysis) |
| Category intelligence | No | Yes (prompt volume intelligence) |
| AEO content generation | No | Yes (Marketing Agents) |
| Crawler / AI bot log access | No | Yes (crawler log integration) |
| Page content audits | No | Yes |
| API access | Paid plans only (Starter $295/mo+) | Enterprise only |
| Looker Studio / BI connector | No | Limited |
| White-label delivery | No | No |
| Pay-per-prompt pricing | No | No |
| Agency multi-brand support | Limited | Limited |
| Starting price | Free (Essential) | $99/mo (ChatGPT only on Starter) |
Considering AI Peekaboo as a more affordable alternative to Athena HQ and Profound?
Both Athena HQ and Profound start above $100/month on their entry tiers. AI Peekaboo is the best AI visibility monitoring tool under $100/month, with pay-per-prompt pricing, read and write API, and white-label delivery included on every plan from $50. For SEO agencies and in-house teams that need to start this week without enterprise contracts, AI Peekaboo is the self-serve alternative.
Read the AI Peekaboo review →Which should you choose?
Athena HQProfoundAthena HQProfoundAthena HQProfoundAthena HQAthena HQ and Profound serve Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) programmes but at different scale and process points. Athena HQ is the focused self-serve choice for teams that want a free audit and $295/month depth. Profound is the enterprise choice for teams that need crawler log correlation and Marketing Agents for content execution with a CSM-led buying process. Tools address related but distinct needs; pick by scale and execution depth.
Bottom line
If your priority is starting with a free Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) audit and running a focused 4-engine citation programme on a credit card, Athena HQ at free or $295/month is the practical choice. If your priority is 9-engine coverage plus crawler log analysis and Marketing Agents for content generation with Enterprise sales-led onboarding, Profound is the more appropriate fit. Decide between self-serve and sales-led models before committing.
Frequently asked questions
How does Athena HQ compare to Profound for AI visibility?
Athena HQ is a self-serve Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform with a free Essential plan and a $295/month Starter tier covering 4 engines with content gap analysis. Profound is an enterprise AI search marketing platform starting at $99/month covering 9 engines with crawler log analysis and Marketing Agents for AEO content generation. Athena HQ fits teams that want free entry plus content depth. Profound fits enterprise teams that need crawler logs and content execution tooling with a CSM-led process.
Which tool has better crawler log analysis?
Profound is the clear answer for crawler log analysis. It connects citation data to crawler log activity, showing when GPTBot and ClaudeBot last crawled specific pages on a site. This correlation between crawl timing and citation changes is a unique differentiator. Athena HQ does not include crawler log analysis at any tier.
Does Athena HQ include AEO content generation?
No. Athena HQ focuses on citation tracking and content gap analysis without content generation capabilities. Profound includes Marketing Agents, a built-in AEO content generation layer that closes gaps between what AI models say about a brand and what is actually true. For teams that need content generation alongside measurement, Profound is the practical choice.
Does Profound have a free tier?
Profound does not offer a free tier; Starter begins at $99/month and only covers ChatGPT on the entry tier. Growth expands to 3 engines at $399/month, and Enterprise unlocks up to 10 engines on custom pricing. Athena HQ has a permanent free tier that covers all 4 engines on the Essential plan. For teams with $0 starting budgets, Athena HQ is the practical choice.
Which tool is better for smaller teams?
Athena HQ is the practical choice for smaller teams. The free Essential plan and the $295/month Starter tier are self-serve, transparent, and accessible without a demo call. Profound's Starter at $99/month is cheap but limited to ChatGPT, and the Growth and Enterprise tiers require demo conversations. Smaller teams should default to Athena HQ unless crawler logs or AEO generation are firm requirements.
Can I use Athena HQ and Profound together?
Yes. Some enterprise teams use Athena HQ for low-cost Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tracking at the free or Starter tier, and Profound for crawler log analysis and Marketing Agents on Enterprise. The tools address different layers of the problem. This combination is useful when a brand wants both broad citation monitoring on a credit card and crawler log depth on an Enterprise contract.