AI visibility tools · Head to head

Profound vs AthenaHQ: which AI visibility tool wins in 2026?

One is the enterprise analytics incumbent; the other is a free-to-start platform that also takes action. Compared on real pricing, engine coverage, and what each actually does. Sourced from both companies' live pages.

Javed Khatri Co-founder, Visibly
Updated July 2026 · Facts checked July 2026
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TL;DR

Profound is the enterprise pick: the deepest answer-engine analytics, agent tooling, and compliance for large in-house teams. AthenaHQ is the pick for teams that want to start free and act early, with a genuine free tier across five models and on-page plus off-page actions from its $295 Starter plan.

Their entry points tell the story: Profound starts at $99/mo tracking ChatGPT only, with depth and compliance aimed at large teams. AthenaHQ starts free across five models and turns on content actions at $295/mo. Unlike the pure trackers, AthenaHQ does act on what it finds, so the honest split here is enterprise depth versus free-to-start breadth with self-serve action.

Profound vs AthenaHQ at a glance
  • Profound's $99 entry tracks ChatGPT only; AthenaHQ has a real free tier across five models.
  • AthenaHQ is not monitoring-only: on-page and off-page actions start at its $295/mo Starter plan.
  • Profound is enterprise-heavy: deep response volumes, agent tooling, SOC 2, Fortune 500 customers.
  • AthenaHQ carries a G2 High Performer badge (4.9/5) as of Spring 2026; Profound was not listed on G2 at our check.

The contenders

Profound website, July 2026
Profound Enterprise answer-engine analytics
  • Founded2024, New York
  • Starting price$99/mo (ChatGPT only)
  • Free tierNo
  • Engines at entry1 (ChatGPT); up to 10 on Enterprise
  • Acts on findingsAgent credits (add-on)
  • Third-party ratingNot listed on G2 at time of check
  • FocusEnterprise analytics, agents, compliance
AthenaHQ website, July 2026
AthenaHQ Action on AI search, with a free tier
  • Founded2024 (YC W25)
  • Starting priceFree; Starter $295/mo
  • Free tierYes (300 credits, 5 models)
  • Engines at entry5 free; 9 on Starter
  • Acts on findingsOn-page + off-page on Starter
  • Third-party ratingG2 4.9/5, High Performer Spring 2026
  • FocusSelf-serve GenAI-search action agents
Capability Profound AthenaHQ Visibly
Tracks AI citations across engines
Acts on findings (content + off-page)
Done-for-you Managed service

The Visibly column is shown for reference: it is our product, and this page compares the other two. Website screenshots captured July 2026; every claim is referenced in Sources.

Where each tool sits

Positioning matrix: Acts on findings (vertical) by Analytics depth (horizontal). Profound sits low on Acts on findings and high on Analytics depth; AthenaHQ sits high on Acts on findings and high on Analytics depth; Visibly (our product) sits high on Acts on findings and high on Analytics depth.
Qualitative positioning from each product's public feature set and pricing pages, checked July 2026. Profound is analytics-deep with execution sold separately as agent credits; AthenaHQ acts on-page and off-page from Starter; Visibly, our product, includes execution in every paid plan and offers a done-for-you Managed option. Sources

Feature comparison

Capability
Profound
AthenaHQ
Coverage
Engines at entry tier[1]
ChatGPT only
5 models (free)
Engine pool[1]
Up to 10 (Enterprise)
9 models (Starter)
Free tier[1]
No
Yes (300 credits)
Google AI Overviews[2]
Growth plan and up
Included from free tier
Prompts at entry[1]
50 prompts, 1,500 responses/mo
300 response credits (free)
Action and features
On-page recommendations[2]
Analytics-led
Content optimization agent
Off-page / GEO actions[2]
Not included (agent credits)
Yes, on Starter
Content agent[2]
Aim / agents (credits)
Athena AI agent
Source and competitor analysis[2]
Answer Engine Insights
Sources + competitor insights
Prompt demand data[2]
Prompt Volumes (real-user demand)
Not advertised
Trust and compliance
Third-party rating[3]
Not listed on G2 (at check)
G2 4.9/5, High Performer
SOC 2[3]
Yes (Enterprise)
SOC II
SSO / SAML[3]
Enterprise
Enterprise (SAML/OIDC)
Exec BI dashboards[3]
Profound Sheets (Growth+)
Tableau / Power BI / Looker (Enterprise)

Based on both products' public pages, facts checked July 2026. "Not advertised" means we could not verify the capability from public materials. Spot something out of date? Tell us.

Pricing, side by side

Plan
Profound
AthenaHQ
Free tier[1]
No
Essential, free (300 credits, 5 models)
Entry paid plan[1]
Starter, $99/mo (billed yearly)
Starter, $295/mo
What entry paid includes[1]
ChatGPT only, 50 prompts
9 models, 3,600 credits, on/off-page actions
Enterprise[1]
Custom (up to 10 engines)
Custom (ACE, SSO, multi-region)
Execution included[2]
No; agent credits by plan
Yes, from Starter

Prices checked July 2026 from each product's public pricing page.

Profound (New York, founded 2024) has raised roughly $155M at a $1B valuation and serves 700+ enterprise customers, including about 10% of the Fortune 500, with a compliance posture (SOC 2, SSO) and response volumes built for large in-house teams. AthenaHQ (a Y Combinator W25 company) positions itself as 'Action on AI Search,' pairing monitoring with content agents that act; it carries a G2 High Performer badge for Answer Engine Optimization (4.9/5, Spring 2026) and holds SOC II and GDPR. Sources

Which should you choose?

Choose Profound if…

  • You are an enterprise with a large in-house SEO and content team
  • You want the deepest response volumes and real-user prompt demand data
  • You need SOC 2, SSO, and enterprise procurement boxes ticked
  • You are fine buying execution separately as agent credits

Choose AthenaHQ if…

  • You want to start free and track five models before paying
  • You want the tool to act (on-page and off-page), not just report
  • A G2-rated, self-serve product fits how your team buys
  • You are mid-market rather than Fortune 500 scale
The third option · Our product
One reports deeply. One acts. Visibly does both, and can run it for you.

Visibly tracks the same signals across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and AI Overviews, then produces the content and citations that move the number. Free trial, paid from $49/mo. See how it compares to Profound and AthenaHQ.

Run your free audit No card, no commitment

Profound vs AthenaHQ, answered

Is Profound better than AthenaHQ?

Neither is better across the board; they fit different buyers. Profound is the enterprise pick, with the deepest answer-engine analytics, agent tooling, SOC 2, and Fortune 500 customers. AthenaHQ is the free-to-start pick that also acts, with five models on its free tier and on-page plus off-page actions from its $295 Starter plan. Choose Profound for enterprise analytics depth, AthenaHQ for free-to-start breadth with self-serve action.

How do Profound and AthenaHQ pricing compare?

As of July 2026: Profound starts at $99/mo (billed yearly) tracking ChatGPT only, with custom Enterprise for up to 10 engines. AthenaHQ has a genuine free Essential tier (300 credits across five models), then a $295/mo Starter plan that adds nine models and on/off-page actions, with custom Enterprise above that. AthenaHQ is the cheaper way to start; Profound's value is depth at the top.

Does AthenaHQ have a free tier?

Yes. AthenaHQ's Essential plan is free and includes 300 response credits across five models (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Claude), plus prompt and response analysis, sources and competitor insights, and its Athena AI agent. Profound does not offer a free tier; its entry plan is $99/mo.

Does AthenaHQ actually take action, or just track?

AthenaHQ takes action. From its $295/mo Starter plan it runs on-page and off-page GEO and SEO actions and a content optimization agent, not just monitoring. That makes the honest comparison with pure trackers different: AthenaHQ competes on 'measures and acts,' where Profound's execution is sold separately as agent credits.

Which AI engines do Profound and AthenaHQ track?

Profound references ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, DeepSeek, and Google AI Overviews, with up to 10 engines on Enterprise. AthenaHQ covers five models free (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude) and nine on Starter (adding AI Mode, Copilot, Grok).

Who is AthenaHQ best for?

Mid-market teams that want to start free, track multiple models, and have the tool act on what it finds without a separate execution purchase. Its free tier, G2 rating, and self-serve content agents fit teams below enterprise scale.

What is the best alternative to Profound and AthenaHQ?

The category also includes Peec AI, Scrunch, Semrush's AI toolkit, AirOps, and Visibly. If you want the measurement plus the content and off-page work, done for you rather than self-serve, Visibly pairs tracking across five engines with execution from $99/mo (free tier and audit), plus a done-for-you Managed option. See our roundup of the best AEO tools.

References

Sources

  1. Profound pricing page tryprofound.com Accessed July 2026
  2. AthenaHQ plans page athenahq.ai Accessed July 2026
  3. AthenaHQ homepage (features) athenahq.ai Accessed July 2026
  4. Profound homepage (features) tryprofound.com Accessed July 2026
  5. Fortune: Profound raises $96M Series C at a $1B valuation fortune.com Accessed July 2026

Keep comparing

Head to head Visibly vs Profound Head to head Visibly vs AthenaHQ Roundup The best AEO tools in 2026, tested and compared AEO hub What answer engine optimization actually is

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