Updated March 2026 · 9 tools compared
Best AEO tools 2026: an honest comparison
The best AEO tools in 2026 are WebMole, Otterly, Peec, and Profound — each suited to a different budget and use case. We looked at 9 tools for AI citation monitoring, schema generation, API access, and fix output. Here is what we found, including where each tool falls short.
Disclosure: WebMole is our product. We have included it honestly alongside competitors with the same level of detail. Where a competitor does something better, we say so.
Quick comparison
All 9 tools at a glance. Details and verdicts in the sections below.
| Tool | Starting price | Free audit | API access | Fix gen | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WebMoleours | $29/mo | Yes | $29/mo | Yes | Developers, founders |
| Otterly | $29/mo | Yes | No | No | Monitoring-focused teams |
| Peec | €89/mo | No | €499+/mo Enterprise | No | Mid-market teams |
| Profound | Custom (~$499+) | No | Enterprise (contact sales) | No | Fortune 500 |
| Cairrot | Freemium | Yes | Free | No | API experimenters |
| AIclicks | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | No | Click attribution |
| Scrunch | ~$250/mo | No | Enterprise custom | No | Compliance agencies |
| SE Ranking | $65+/mo (add-on) | No | Yes (SEO API) | No | Existing SE Ranking users |
| HubSpot Grader | Free | Yes | No | No | One-off snapshots |
The 9 tools in detail
1
WebMoleour product
Price
Free audit · $29/mo Starter · $49/mo Pro · $99/mo Agency
API access
Yes — self-serve from $29/mo, 100 req/day on Starter
What it does well
- +Fix generation — JSON-LD, schema markup, robots.txt suggestions are included, not add-ons
- +Public REST API on the $29 Starter plan — self-serve, no sales call
- +Free audit with no signup required (webmole.ai/free-audit)
- +12-factor GEO scoring with specific per-factor results
What it lacks
- –Newer than Otterly and Peec — smaller user base and less historical data
- –Fewer integrations than enterprise tools
Best for
Developers, founders, and small teams who want fixes alongside monitoring
Verdict
The cheapest tool with a self-serve API and fix generation. If you need programmatic access or want the actual code to paste — not just a score — this is the right starting point.
2
Otterly
Price
$29/mo entry
API access
No API — on roadmap as of early 2026
What it does well
- +20,000+ users — the largest user base in the category
- +Two successful Product Hunt launches, strong brand community
- +Solid monitoring fundamentals: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini
- +Playful brand voice that stands out in a dry analytics space
What it lacks
- –No API — confirmed on their help docs as of February 2026
- –No fix generation — monitoring only
- –No Claude coverage
- –15-prompt/month limit on entry plan
Best for
Marketing professionals who want a monitoring dashboard and brand community
Verdict
The strongest brand in the category. Good choice if you want monitoring and a well-established product. Not an option if you need an API or fix output.
3
Peec
Price
€89/mo Starter · €199/mo Pro · €499+/mo Enterprise
API access
Enterprise only — docs.peec.ai exists but access requires €499+/mo
What it does well
- +$21M Series A — well-funded and growing
- +1,300+ brands already on the platform
- +Clean Vercel/Linear aesthetic — one of the better-designed tools in the space
- +CEO-driven onboarding creates trust; solid analytics depth
What it lacks
- –€89/mo entry is 3x the price of WebMole and Otterly
- –API is Enterprise-only (€499+/mo) — not accessible below that
- –No fix generation at any tier
Best for
Mid-market and enterprise marketing teams with dedicated budget
Verdict
Well-funded and polished. Expensive for what the entry tier delivers. The API gap is significant — if you need programmatic access, you are paying €499+/mo to get it.
4
Profound
Price
Custom enterprise — ~$499/mo floor from reviews
API access
Yes — most mature in the category (TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, MCP server), but requires contacting support to access
What it does well
- +The most technically mature developer story — REST API, TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, and an MCP server
- +$96M raised — deep team and resources
- +Multi-engine data depth suited to enterprise marketing teams
- +MCP server lets Claude and Cursor query citation data directly
What it lacks
- –Not self-serve — API access requires contacting support@tryprofound.com
- –No public pricing — demo required to see the product
- –Not accessible without an enterprise budget
Best for
Fortune 500 marketing teams with a dedicated AEO analyst
Verdict
The most technically capable option if you can get access. Profound's MCP server and SDKs are ahead of everyone else. The barrier is the enterprise gate — you can't use it without a sales process.
5
Cairrot
Price
Freemium — exact tiers not fully published
API access
Yes — free on all plans, including free tier
What it does well
- +Free API on all plans including free tier — the only tool that does this
- +WordPress plugin for direct CMS integration
- +Positioned explicitly for developers building internal tools
What it lacks
- –Documentation depth is limited compared to WebMole
- –Smaller feature set — monitoring focus, no fix generation confirmed
- –Pricing details hard to verify publicly
Best for
Developers who want free API access to experiment with AEO monitoring
Verdict
The most accessible API entry point in the category. Worth using alongside any paid tool to cross-reference data. If budget is the constraint, start here.
6
AIclicks
Price
Not confirmed — likely $49–99/mo based on category pricing
API access
Unknown
What it does well
- +AI click tracking and attribution — a niche not covered by most AEO tools
- +Some citation monitoring capabilities
What it lacks
- –Less established than Otterly, Peec, or Profound
- –Limited comparison data publicly available
- –API status unknown
Best for
Teams focused on click-level attribution alongside citation monitoring
Verdict
Niche focus on click attribution rather than citation monitoring. More limited scope than full AEO tools. Worth investigating if click data is your primary need.
7
Scrunch
Price
~$250/mo Core · Enterprise custom (agency pricing)
API access
Enterprise only — ~$500+/mo custom pricing
What it does well
- +SOC 2 Type II compliance — a real differentiator for enterprise agencies
- +RBAC and SSO — useful for larger team workflows
- +Enterprise Data API and Query API for custom integrations
What it lacks
- –No API below Enterprise tier — Core at ~$250/mo has none
- –Expensive entry for what the Core plan includes
- –Overkill for founders and small teams
Best for
Larger agencies with SOC 2 or compliance requirements
Verdict
Right tool for compliance-sensitive agency work. Not built for founders or small teams — the price and feature set both assume a larger operation.
8
SE Ranking (AI Overview tracking)
Price
$65+/mo and up — add-on to existing SE Ranking subscription
API access
Yes — SE Ranking SEO API, not AEO-specific
What it does well
- +AI Overview tracking integrated into an SEO platform most teams already use
- +Historical SEO data alongside AI citation data in one place
What it lacks
- –AI tracking is a feature add-on, not a dedicated AEO product
- –Less depth than purpose-built AEO tools
- –Requires an existing SE Ranking subscription
Best for
Teams already paying for SE Ranking who want partial AI Overview coverage
Verdict
Convenient if you already use SE Ranking. Not a substitute for a dedicated AEO tool — the AI tracking feature isn't deep enough to replace a purpose-built product.
9
HubSpot AI Search Grader
Price
Free
API access
No
What it does well
- +Free, no signup required
- +Quick brand presence snapshot
- +HubSpot credibility makes the score trustworthy to non-technical stakeholders
What it lacks
- –No monitoring — one-shot only
- –No fix generation
- –No API
Best for
Getting a quick first snapshot of your AI search presence
Verdict
Good for a first check. Not a monitoring solution. Use it to understand where you stand, then switch to a tool that tracks changes over time.
How to choose
You need a self-serve API at a fixed price
WebMole ($29/mo) or Cairrot (free). Every other tool with an API requires either enterprise pricing or contacting sales.
You want a monitoring dashboard, no integrations needed
Otterly. Largest user base, lowest friction, same entry price as WebMole. Best if you don't need API access or fix output.
You have a mid-market budget and want polished analytics
Peec. €89/mo entry, well-funded, clean design. The right fit if you don't need API access and have a marketing team to run the dashboard.
You're a Fortune 500 team with a dedicated analyst
Profound. The most technically mature option — TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, MCP server. Requires a sales process but the product depth is real.
You have compliance requirements (SOC 2, SSO, RBAC)
Scrunch. Built for compliance-sensitive agency work at enterprise pricing. Not for small teams.
You just want a quick one-off check
WebMole free audit or HubSpot AI Search Grader. Both free, no account. WebMole also gives you the fixes alongside the score.
Common questions
What is the best AEO tool in 2026?
WebMole is the best option for most founders and small teams ($29/mo, API included, fix generation). Otterly is the strongest monitoring-only option with 20,000+ users. Profound is the most technically mature for enterprise teams with a budget.
Is there a free AEO tool?
Yes. WebMole offers a free audit with no account required at webmole.ai/free-audit. HubSpot's AI Search Grader is also free. Cairrot has a free tier with API access.
Which AEO tools have an API?
WebMole (from $29/mo, self-serve), Cairrot (free tier), Profound (Enterprise, contact sales required), Peec (Enterprise, €499+/mo), and Scrunch (Enterprise custom pricing). Otterly has no API as of early 2026.
What is the cheapest AEO tool?
WebMole and Otterly both start at $29/mo for paid plans. HubSpot's grader and WebMole's free audit are free but one-shot — no ongoing monitoring.
What is AEO and why does it matter in 2026?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the practice of making your content more likely to be cited by AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. As more users get answers directly from AI rather than clicking search results, being cited by those engines directly affects your traffic and brand discovery.
What does an AEO tool actually do?
AEO tools typically do some combination of: monitoring (tracking how often AI engines mention your brand), auditing (scoring your pages against AEO best practices), and fix generation (producing schema markup and content changes to improve your score). WebMole does all three. Most competitors stop at monitoring.
See your AI citation score free
No account. No credit card. Enter your URL and get your score and the top 3 fixes in under 2 minutes.