Ahrefs Brand Radar Alternatives, Including Free and Manual Options
If you already pay for Ahrefs, Brand Radar is the obvious place to start. If you do not, the main alternatives are Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit, Otterly.AI, AthenaHQ, Scrunch and Profound. Teams with a short prompt list can also use Search Console plus a spreadsheet. We read public pages only and have tested none of these tools.
- Ahrefs charges by checks: one prompt on one platform in one location uses one check 1.
- Public entry prices read on 20 October 2026 range from free tiers to about $300 a month, with custom quotes at the top.
- Work out prompts times platforms times days before you compare prices.
- A spreadsheet and Search Console cover the basics for a short prompt list.
What are the main alternatives to Ahrefs Brand Radar?
There are three groups. Other SEO suites with an AI add-on: Semrush. Dedicated AI trackers: Otterly.AI, AthenaHQ, Scrunch, Peec AI and Profound. And a do-it-yourself routine with free reports and a prompt log.
We read each vendor's public page on 20 October 2026 and did not run a hands-on test. So this page does not rank tools or judge how accurate they are. Disclosure: Chalk Labs sells AI SEO strategy and page production, not tracking software, so we gain if you hire help instead of buying a tool.
How does Brand Radar charge, and what does a check cost you?
Ahrefs lists its Brand Radar AI add-on from $199 a month. It also sells custom prompt packages for tracking your own prompts: Basic at $50 a month for 2,500 checks, Growth at $100 for 7,000 and Scale at $250 for 25,000 1. Overage costs $0.020, $0.015 and $0.010 a check on those three packages 1.
A check is one prompt, on one platform, in one location 1. That unit matters more than the headline price. Doubling your platforms or your countries doubles your checks, even if your prompt list stays the same. The page does not say whether the packages add to the $199 add-on or replace part of it, so ask Ahrefs before you budget.
- Plan A: 40 prompts x 2 platforms x 1 location x 30 days = 2,400 checks a month.
- Plan B: the same list checked weekly = 40 x 2 x 4 = 320 checks a month.
- Plan C: 100 prompts x 2 platforms x 30 days = 6,000 checks a month.
- Plan A fits inside Basic (2,500). Plan C fits inside Growth (7,000).
- Add a second country to Plan A and you need 4,800 checks, so Growth.
What should you compare before you switch?
Compare the things that change your bill and your data. The first three usually shrink a shortlist fastest.
- Billing unit: checks, prompts, credits or seats? Convert each to a monthly cost at your own prompt count.
- Platforms: which assistants are in the base price, and which are paid extras?
- Run frequency: does the tool check daily, or can you choose weekly?
- Exports: can you pull CSV or JSON, or reach an API, so the data is not trapped?
- Trial: can you test on your own prompts before paying?
- Market: can you set country and language for the buyers you want?
How do the alternatives compare on price and coverage?
The table shows what each vendor's own page listed on 20 October 2026. Some pages gave no dollar figure, and we say so rather than guess.
| Tool | Public price | Prompt allowance | Platforms | Likely fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | AI add-on from $199 a month; packages $50, $100, $250. Free AI Visibility Checker listed under free tools; scope not stated 1. | 2,500, 7,000 or 25,000 checks 1. | Page gives platform counts, not names 1. | Teams already in Ahrefs. |
| Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit | $99 a month; SEO plus AI plans from $165.17 a month billed annually 23. | 25 prompts; 50 or 100 in larger plans 23. | ChatGPT and Google AI Mode 2. | Teams already in Semrush. |
| Otterly.AI | Lite $29, Standard $189, Premium $489 a month. Page shows two price sets (second set $25, $160, $422) without saying which applies 4. | 15, 100 and 400 prompts 4. | ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity, Copilot; others cost extra 4. | Small teams wanting a posted price. |
| AthenaHQ | Free Essential tier; Starter $295 a month; Enterprise custom 5. | 300 credits free; 3,600 on Starter 5. | 5 engines free; 11 on Starter 5. | Teams wanting many engines. |
| Scrunch | Starter $300 a month, or $250 billed annually 6. | 350 custom prompts on Starter 6. | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Meta 6. | Agencies and multi-user teams. |
| Profound | Free trial; Enterprise custom, no dollar figure shown 7. | 50 prompts for 7 days in the trial 7. | 3 in trial; up to 9 in Enterprise 7. | Large brands needing API and SSO. |
| Peec AI | Plans named, no prices shown; only Enterprise is quote-led 8. | No numeric cap shown 8. | Names ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini 8. | Teams happy to ask what each plan costs. |
| Free routine | No licence fee. | Your own list. | Whatever you check by hand. | Under about 30 prompts. |
Which alternative suits which kind of buyer?
If you use Semrush rather than Ahrefs, price its toolkit first, because you keep one login and one invoice 2. At 25 prompts for $99 a month it is a modest start, and extra prompts are sold in blocks 2. If you want a posted price from a dedicated tool, Otterly.AI and Scrunch both list plans 46.
If you want many engines at one price, AthenaHQ lists 11 on Starter, and its free tier lets you test five engines before paying 5. Check how fast credits burn, because the page defines one credit as one AI response 5. A team that needs SSO, an API and security review may find Profound's Enterprise or Scrunch's custom tier closer to the brief 67.
Which free and manual options replace Brand Radar?
Three free routes are worth a try. First, Google says traffic from its AI features counts inside the overall Search Console totals, reported under the Web search type, with no separate filter named on that page 9. So Search Console shows real clicks, though not which prompts led to them.
Second, free tiers and trials: AthenaHQ's Essential tier is free 5, Scrunch lists a 7-day Starter trial with no card 6, and Profound's trial covers 50 prompts for 7 days 7. Third, a spreadsheet. Pick 20 to 30 buyer prompts, ask each assistant once a month, and log whether you were named, linked or missing. Our prompt list builder and the guide to an AI visibility tracking spreadsheet show the layout.
How do you test two tools without fooling yourself?
Give both tools identical inputs, then check a few answers by hand. That tests the tool, not the luck of one run.
- Day 1: write 25 buyer prompts and freeze the list.
- Day 1: load the same prompts, country and language into each tool.
- Day 3: run 5 of those prompts by hand in each assistant. Note named, linked, competitors.
- Day 7: compare each tool's output with your hand notes.
- Day 10: score each tool 0 to 2 on platforms, match with hand checks, exports, cost at 25 prompts.
- If neither beats your spreadsheet, keep the spreadsheet.
What can no tracker promise?
No tracker can promise that your numbers will rise. Google notes that third-party tools lack its internal ranking data and cannot ensure results, and it tells site owners to treat promised AI-experience gains with care 10. Use any dashboard as a sample, not a count.
Decision rule: if a tool's dashboard and your own hand check disagree on three of ten prompts, trust the hand check and ask the vendor why. Pair it with plain checks: ask new customers how they found you and read your analytics. For wider tool groups, see AI visibility tracking tools compared and manual vs automated prompt tracking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Ahrefs Brand Radar?
Free routes cost nothing: Search Console plus a spreadsheet, or AthenaHQ's free Essential tier 5. Among paid options, Otterly.AI lists Lite at $29 a month for 15 prompts, with some engines sold as extras 4. The page also shows a second, lower price set ($25 for Lite) without saying which applies. Compare the full cost for your engines, not just the headline.
Does Ahrefs Brand Radar have a free trial?
The pricing page we read on 20 October 2026 listed none for Brand Radar or its prompt packages 1. It does list a free AI Visibility Checker among its free tools, but the page does not say how it relates to Brand Radar. Ask Ahrefs directly.
Which alternative covers the most AI engines?
Can Semrush replace Brand Radar?
For a short prompt list, possibly. Semrush lists its AI Visibility Toolkit at $99 a month with 25 tracked prompts, covering ChatGPT and Google AI Mode 2. Both tools are suite add-ons, so the choice usually follows the suite you already use.
Can I track AI visibility without any paid tool?
Yes, at small scale. Google says AI feature traffic is included in Search Console totals 9. Add a monthly log of 20 to 30 prompts across the assistants your buyers use. It is slower, but it costs nothing and shows you the real answers.
Sources
- Ahrefs Pricing · AhrefsOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Brand Radar AI add-on from $199 a month; prompt packages Basic $50 (2,500 checks), Growth $100 (7,000), Scale $250 (25,000) with overage rates; one check is one prompt on one platform in one location; no trial listed for Brand Radar.
- AI Visibility Toolkit · SemrushOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Toolkit $99 a month with 25 prompts; extra prompts sold in blocks; tracks ChatGPT and Google AI Mode; no free trial.
- Semrush Pricing · SemrushOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: SEO plus AI search plans: Starter $165.17 and Pro+ $248.17 a month billed annually (50 and 100 prompts daily); Advanced custom.
- Otterly.AI Pricing · Otterly.AIOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Lite $29, Standard $189, Premium $489 a month for 15, 100 and 400 prompts; four engines included; AI Mode, Gemini and Claude as add-ons; page also shows a second price set ($25, $160, $422) without saying which applies.
- AthenaHQ Pricing · AthenaHQOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Free Essential tier (300 credits, five engines); Starter $295 a month with 3,600 credits and 11 engines; Enterprise custom; one credit is one AI response.
- Scrunch Pricing · ScrunchOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Starter $300 monthly or $250 billed annually (350 custom prompts, 3 users); platforms; 7-day Starter trial with no card; Enterprise with Data API and SSO.
- Profound Pricing · ProfoundOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Free Trial with 50 prompts for 7 days across three engines; Enterprise custom with up to nine engines, API, CSV and JSON exports, SSO; no dollar prices shown.
- Peec AI Pricing · Peec AIOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Plans Starter, Pro, Advanced and Enterprise; no dollar amounts or numeric prompt caps shown; names ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.
- AI features and your website · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Traffic from AI features is included in overall Search Console search traffic under the Web search type; no separate filter named on the page; last updated 2025-12-10.
- Google Search's Guidance on Third-Party SEO Tools & Advice · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Third-party tools cannot see Google's internal ranking data, cannot ensure ranking success, and AEO and GEO service promises deserve scrutiny.