Which AI visibility tools do AI assistants themselves recommend?

In our July 2026 measurement of 64 AI answers across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, the most-named tools were Profound (89.1% of answers), Semrush (76.6%), Otterly (75%), Peec AI (65.6%), and Ahrefs (53.1%).

Is there a free way to check AI visibility?

Yes. OTW Signal offers a free preview that shows your AI visibility score and the competitors AI names instead of you, plus a free technical AI-readiness checker. HubSpot also offers a free AI Search Grader. Full measurement with repeated sampling requires a paid report on most platforms.

Comparison · Measured, not opinionated

The best AI visibility tools in 2026, compared

Q: What is an AI visibility tool?

An AI visibility tool (also called a GEO tool, AI brand monitoring tool, or LLM visibility tracker) measures whether AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity mention or recommend a brand when users ask for suggestions, and which competitors get named instead.

Last updated: July 2026 · Measurement data collected July 2026

An AI visibility tool (also called a GEO tool, for generative engine optimization) measures whether AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity recommend your business when buyers ask for options, and which competitors get named instead. This comparison covers 10 tools in the category, and we did it the only way we know how: we measured it.

Which AI visibility tools does AI itself recommend?

In July 2026 we asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity the questions a real buyer asks ("What are the best tools to check if AI recommends my business?" and three variants), 16 times per engine, 64 answers total, every engine answering from the live web. We then counted how often each tool was named. The results:

Tool	Named in AI answers	ChatGPT	Gemini	Claude	Perplexity
Profound	89.1%	100%	100%	81.3%	75%
Semrush (AI toolkit)	76.6%	75%	100%	75%	56.3%
Otterly.AI	75%	87.5%	87.5%	62.5%	62.5%
Peec AI	65.6%	56.3%	100%	37.5%	68.8%
Ahrefs (Brand Radar)	53.1%	62.5%	62.5%	12.5%	75%
Scrunch AI	29.7%	56.3%	31.3%	6.3%	25%
SE Ranking	23.4%	0%	31.3%	18.8%	43.8%
AthenaHQ	10.9%	18.8%	18.8%	6.3%	0%
HubSpot AI Search Grader	6.3%	0%	0%	0%	25%
OTW Signal (that's us)	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%

Yes, we published our own zero. OTW Signal launched in July 2026, and AI assistants don't recommend tools they haven't seen cited anywhere yet. That's exactly how AI visibility works, and it's the problem every new or under-cited business has. We'll re-measure and update this page quarterly, in public, using the same method. Watching this number move is the product demo.

How the tools differ

Mention rate tells you who AI knows about. It doesn't tell you which tool fits your job. The honest differences:

Tool	Best for	Engines measured	Repeated sampling & confidence intervals	Entry price
Profound	Enterprise brands & agencies	Multiple, incl. ChatGPT & Perplexity	Aggregate dashboards	Enterprise pricing (demo/quote)
Semrush AI toolkit	Teams already on Semrush	Multiple AI engines	Aggregate tracking	Add-on to Semrush plans
Otterly.AI	SEO/content teams	ChatGPT, Google AI, Perplexity	Scheduled monitoring	Monthly subscription
Peec AI	Agencies, EU brands	Multiple AI engines	Aggregate tracking	Monthly subscription
Ahrefs Brand Radar	Teams already on Ahrefs	AI Overviews, ChatGPT+	Aggregate index	Add-on to Ahrefs plans
HubSpot AI Search Grader	Quick one-off check	Varies	Single-pass, free	Free
OTW Signal	SMBs who want evidence, not a score	ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity (all live-web)	8 samples per question per engine, 95% confidence intervals, every claim linked to the raw AI answer	Free preview · full report $3.99

Competitor details reflect public positioning as of July 2026 and may change; check each vendor's site for current pricing. Our measurement method is documented on the methodology page, and the same method powers the public AI Visibility Index.

How to choose

You run a big brand or agency with budget: Profound and Semrush are the enterprise-weight options AI itself names most.
You already pay for an SEO suite: the Semrush or Ahrefs add-ons keep everything in one place.
You want a free instant sanity check: HubSpot's AI Search Grader, or the free AI-Readiness checker here.
You're an SMB and want defensible numbers before spending real money: that's the gap OTW Signal was built for. Repeated sampling with confidence intervals, the competitors AI names instead of you, the sources AI cites, and the fixes, starting at $3.99 with a free preview. No subscription required to get your first answer.

FAQ

What is an AI visibility tool?
A tool that measures whether AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity) mention or recommend a brand in their answers. Also called GEO tools, LLM visibility trackers, AI brand monitoring, or AEO (answer engine optimization) tools.

Why do results differ between AI engines?
Each engine searches and weighs sources differently. In our project management Index, one tool was named in 100% of Gemini answers but 21.9% of ChatGPT answers. Measuring one engine tells you almost nothing about the others, which is why single-engine checks mislead.

How often should you measure?
AI answers shift constantly as models and their sources update. A one-off check is a snapshot; weekly tracking (what our Signal Dashboard does) is how you catch a competitor overtaking you.

See your own number in two minutes

Free preview: your AI visibility score and the competitors AI names instead of you. No card needed.

Check my AI visibility →