The best ai search visibility tools in 2026
Tools that track how a brand is represented inside AI answers -- ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews -- rather than in the classic ten blue links. An emerging category, sometimes called generative engine optimisation.
We have not ranked these one to five, because the right choice depends entirely on how you work. Each entry below says who it suits and who should skip it.
Writesonic
Now an AI search visibility platform -- it tracks how brands appear in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews -- with article generation included rather than as the main product.
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $79/mo | Billed annually · 3 AI platforms tracked · 50 prompts/day · 15 AI articles/month · 1 user |
| Basic | $199/mo | Billed annually · 100 prompts, 300 answers daily · 25 AI articles/month · 2 users |
| Growth | $399/mo | Billed annually · 200 prompts, 600 answers daily · Sentiment analysis · 50 AI articles/month · 3 users |
| Enterprise | Custom | All 10 AI platforms · SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR · SSO/SAML |
Pricing verified
Writesonic: who it suits
Buy it if
- Brands that need to know how they are represented in ChatGPT and AI Overviews
- SEO teams adding generative engine optimisation to their remit
Skip it if
- Anyone looking for a cheap AI writing tool -- this is no longer that product, whatever older comparisons say
- Individuals and solo bloggers, given entry pricing starts at $79/month billed annually
- Teams wanting month-to-month billing at the advertised price
Surfer SEO
Content optimisation scored against what currently ranks, now extending into tracking brand visibility inside AI answers.
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | $49/mo | Billed yearly · 120 documents · 10 pages tracked · Surfy AI assistant |
| Standard | $99/mo | Billed yearly · 360 documents · 25 AI prompts tracked weekly · WordPress and Google Docs integration |
| AI Search Analytics | $158/mo | Billed yearly · Tracks ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews · 100 AI prompts daily · 5 brand spaces |
| Pro | $182/mo | Billed yearly · 360 documents · 50 AI prompts daily · Internal linking · Content ideas |
| Peace of Mind | $299/mo | Billed yearly · Unlimited documents (fair use) · API access · Dedicated success manager |
| Enterprise | $999/mo | Custom limits · White-label · SSO |
Pricing verified
Surfer SEO: who it suits
Buy it if
- Content teams publishing regularly against competitive queries
- Agencies managing optimisation across many client sites
- SEO teams adding generative engine optimisation to their remit
Skip it if
- Anyone wanting a tool that writes -- this scores and guides, it does not draft from a brief
- Occasional publishers, since 120 documents a year on the entry tier costs $588 up front
- Writers who would rather not let a content score dictate structure
Otterly.ai
A dedicated AI search visibility tracker -- monitors how a brand appears across ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI engines, priced by the number of prompts tracked.
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Lite (annual) | $25/mo | 15 search prompts · 4 AI search engines · 15% annual discount |
| Lite (monthly) | $29/mo | 15 search prompts · 4 AI search engines tracked |
| Standard (annual) | $160/mo | 100 search prompts · API and MCP access · Agent Analytics |
| Standard (monthly) | $189/mo | 100 search prompts · API and MCP access |
| Premium (annual) | $422/mo | 400 search prompts · 1M Agent Analytics events |
| Premium (monthly) | $489/mo | 400 search prompts · Enhanced API requests |
| Enterprise | $1000/mo | Starting price · Customisable features · Dedicated support |
Pricing verified
Otterly.ai: who it suits
Buy it if
- Brands wanting to know how they are described in AI answers without an enterprise commitment
- Agencies tracking a defined set of prompts across several clients
- Teams that want the data in their own systems via API
Skip it if
- Anyone tracking a broad keyword set -- this is priced per prompt, and a large set gets expensive quickly
- Teams wanting classic rank tracking, which this does not replace
- Anyone needing an established tool, since this whole category is new and unproven
Common questions
- What is the best ai search visibility tool?
- There is no single answer, and any page claiming one is selling something. Writesonic is the pick if brands that need to know how they are represented in chatgpt and ai overviews; Surfer SEO is the pick if content teams publishing regularly against competitive queries; Otterly.ai is the pick if brands wanting to know how they are described in ai answers without an enterprise commitment.
- Which of these have a free tier?
- Writesonic. That makes them the sensible places to start if you are evaluating.
- What is the cheapest option?
- Otterly.ai at $25/mo. Cheapest is not the same as best value — the allowances differ significantly between tools at the same price.