TL;DR: AthenaHQ is the challenger that comes closest to the leader on merit: the broadest verified engine coverage (nine, up to eleven claimed), the best genuine action layer among the newer tools (an AI copilot plus on-page and off-page content recommendations), a free tier, and the cleanest onboarding we reviewed. What holds it back is seed-stage maturity: thin documentation and share-of-voice numbers that depend heavily on your prompt set. App Score: 7.9/10.

How AthenaHQ measures up

Weighted against our AI visibility tools rubric. Sub-scores out of 10; weight in brackets.

Engine coverage (25%)8.5
Metric depth (20%)8.5
Actionability (20%)8.0
Data accuracy & methodology (15%)6.0
Price-value (10%)7.0
Setup & UX (10%)8.5
Weighted total7.9/10

Our independent score, from our own weighted rubric and verified pricing, kept separate from any sponsorship. How we rank.

Starting price Free tier, then $295/mo (Starter)
Plans Essential free / Starter $295 / Enterprise custom
Engines tracked 9+ (up to 11 claimed); free tier 5
Best for Funded brands wanting monitoring plus action
Standout Genuine content-action layer + clean onboarding
Free trial Free tier (300 credits)

AthenaHQ is a Y Combinator-backed generative engine optimization platform, founded in 2025 by a team out of Google Search and DeepMind. It does more than measure: alongside share of voice, citations and competitor tracking across the major AI engines, it ships an action layer (an “Ask Athena” copilot and a content-optimization agent) that turns gaps into on-page and off-page recommendations. That combination of broad coverage and built-in action is what separates it from dashboard-only rivals.

Key features of AthenaHQ

  • Broad engine coverage: tracks brand presence across up to eleven surfaces including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok and DeepSeek (the free tier covers five).
  • Action layer: an AI copilot plus a content-optimization agent that produces on-page and off-page recommendations, not just charts.
  • Deep metrics: share of voice, mention and recommendation rate, average position, citation sources, sentiment and brand-trait analysis at the prompt level.
  • AI traffic attribution: connects to GA4 and Google Search Console to attribute real traffic arriving from AI answers.
  • Free tier: a genuine free plan with 300 one-time credits and five engines, so you can test before committing.
  • Enterprise engines: an Athena Citation Engine, recommendation engine, SSO and BI dashboards on Enterprise.

Who AthenaHQ is best for

AthenaHQ suits funded brands and agencies that want AI-visibility monitoring and a built-in way to act on it in one platform, and teams that value fast, clean onboarding. It is less ideal for very lean budgets: the paid floor is $295/mo with no standard trial (the free tier stands in), and the documentation is still thin for edge cases. Teams wanting the deepest enterprise data should compare it with Profound; those wanting the lowest entry price with Otterly.ai or SE Ranking. See how it ranks in our best AI visibility tools guide.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Broadest verified engine coverage among the challengers
  • A real action layer (copilot plus content recommendations), not monitoring alone
  • Genuine free tier and very clean onboarding
  • AI-traffic attribution via GA4 and Search Console

Cons

  • Seed-stage: documentation is thin for edge cases
  • Share-of-voice numbers depend heavily on the prompt set you choose
  • No standard trial on paid plans (the free tier substitutes)
  • Smaller company and track record than the incumbents

Related guides

Compare the whole field in our best AI visibility tools guide, see the top Profound alternatives, and learn the method in answer engine optimization and AI brand monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does AthenaHQ cost?

AthenaHQ has a free Essential tier with a one-time 300 credits and five engines. The paid Starter plan is $295/mo (about 17% off annually) and unlocks all engines, CSV export, integrations and the content-optimization agent. Enterprise, with the Citation Engine, SSO and BI dashboards, is custom-priced. Confirm current plans on AthenaHQ’s pricing page.

Does AthenaHQ have a free plan?

Yes. AthenaHQ offers a genuine free tier (Essential) with a one-time allocation of 300 credits, coverage of five AI engines, competitor and source analysis, and access to the Athena AI agent. It is a real way to test the platform before moving to the $295/mo Starter plan, which adds all engines and the content-action features.

What makes AthenaHQ different from Profound?

AthenaHQ pairs broad engine coverage with a built-in action layer (an AI copilot and a content-optimization agent that gives on-page and off-page recommendations), where Profound is deeper on data but more monitoring-first. Profound has the larger dataset and enterprise track record; AthenaHQ is the nimbler, more affordable challenger with a genuine free tier.

Which AI engines does AthenaHQ track?

AthenaHQ tracks up to eleven surfaces on paid plans, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok and DeepSeek; independent reviews consistently verify around nine. The free tier is limited to five engines. Coverage this broad is a key reason it scores well on our engine-coverage criterion.
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