Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit is a $99 add-on with 25 tracked prompts, no free trial and a $99 charge for each extra user or domain. That is good value if you already live in Semrush and poor value if you do not. This post lists eight alternatives, ranked by the reason you might leave, with prices read from each vendor's page on 29 October 2026. If you want the head-to-head of Semrush against Ahrefs Brand Radar and a dedicated platform, read Semrush AI Toolkit vs Ahrefs Brand Radar vs a dedicated platform instead. We make Mentionova, one of the eight, so we say where it loses.
What are the key takeaways?
- Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit is $99 a month for 1 project, 1 Brand Performance domain and 25 tracked prompts. Each extra user licence is $99, each extra domain or location is $99, and 50 more prompts cost $60 a month. There is no free trial.
- Prompt Tracking covers three engines: ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode and Gemini, desktop only. Semrush's pricing page also lists Perplexity mentions in its reports.
- The cheapest per prompt is SE Visible, at $89 a month for 75 prompts ($1.19 per prompt, calculated), against $3.96 for the Semrush toolkit.
- If you want to stay in an SEO suite, Ahrefs includes 5 daily custom prompts on Lite ($129) and sells its AI Visibility Index from $199 a month. SE Ranking says SE Visible is included in every SEO plan, from $103.
- Mentionova is not the cheap option. Starter is $125 a month ($99 annual) for 25 prompts on 3 engines, run weekly. It earns its price only if you use the scored briefs and CMS drafts.
What are the best Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit alternatives?
The best alternatives are Ahrefs Brand Radar and SE Visible if you want an SEO suite, Peec AI and Promptwatch for daily tracking with more seats or engines, Otterly and Rankscale for small budgets, Writesonic for SEO plus content plus GEO, and Mentionova for briefs and drafts. All prices were read on 29 October 2026.
| Tool | Entry price (as listed) | Prompts on entry plan | Engines on entry plan | Seats | Trial | Switch if you want |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit (baseline) | $99/mo | 25 | ChatGPT Search, AI Mode, Gemini (Prompt Tracking) | $99 per extra user | None | n/a |
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | Included on Lite ($129); Index from $199/mo | 5 daily on Lite | AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot; Claude for custom prompts | 1 on Lite | Not stated on pricing page | A suite with a bigger prompt index |
| SE Visible | $89/mo, $71 annual | 75 | ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode | Unlimited | 10 days | Most prompts per dollar |
| Peec AI | $95/mo | 50 | 3 chosen from 6 | Unlimited | 7 days | Daily tracking for a whole team |
| Promptwatch | $95/mo | 50 | "Track all models" | Not stated on card | 7 days | Every engine on the entry plan |
| Otterly | $29/mo | 15 | ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity, Copilot | Unlimited | Free trial (per its FAQ) | The lowest bill |
| Writesonic | $99/mo, $79 annual | 50 | ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews | 1 | No card to start | SEO, content and GEO in one tool |
| Rankscale | $17/mo (yearly); Pro $99, $84 annual | Credit-based | 17+ engines | Team workspaces from Pro | Pro free trial | Flexible schedules, hourly to monthly |
| Mentionova | $125/mo, $99 annual | 25 | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google | 3 | 14 days, no card, 6 engines | Gaps turned into briefs and CMS drafts |
What does Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit include and cost today?
The standalone toolkit is $99 a month with 25 Prompt Tracking prompts, one Brand Performance domain, 300 daily AI Analysis queries and AI checks in Site Audit for up to 100 pages. Semrush One bundles SEO and AI from $199 a month for 50 prompts. Semrush says the toolkit has no free trial.
| Semrush option | Price | Tracked prompts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Visibility Toolkit | $99/mo (the knowledge base says per month; the pricing page says per domain, billed annually) | 25 | 1 project, 1 Brand Performance domain, 10 CSV exports a day |
| Semrush One Starter | $199 monthly, $165.17 annual | 50 | Adds the SEO Toolkit: 5 sites, 500 tracked keywords |
| Semrush One Pro+ | $299 monthly, $248.17 annual | 100 | 15 sites, 1,500 keywords, historical data |
| Semrush One Advanced | No public price | 200 | 40 sites, 5,000 keywords |
| Add-ons | $60/mo per 50 prompts; $99 per domain or location; $99 per user | Each user needs their own toolkit licence |
What the toolkit does well: Visibility Overview, Competitor Research and Prompt Research update daily; Prompt Tracking updates daily; Brand Performance updates weekly and covers share of voice, sentiment and narrative drivers. Semrush cites a database of 239M+ prompts. Prompt Tracking lets you compare AI positions with Google, Bing or Baidu rankings in the same view.
Why do Semrush users look for an alternative?
Four limits drive most switches: no free trial, 25 prompts on the standalone toolkit, $99 for every extra user or domain, and three engines in Prompt Tracking. A fifth matters for reporting: Share of Voice and Estimated Traffic are not available in Prompt Tracking. None of these is a flaw if you already pay for Semrush.
- No trial. Semrush's knowledge base says the toolkit "does not offer a free trial", so you pay before you see your own data.
- 25 prompts. That covers one focused program. Fifty more cost $60 a month, or you move to Semrush One.
- Per-seat and per-domain pricing. The toolkit is not shared across a corporate account. Each user needs a $99 licence, and each extra Brand Performance domain or location is $99.
- Three tracking engines. Prompt Tracking runs on ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode and Gemini. Those are the three engines Semrush's Prompt Tracking documentation offers.
- Desktop only, no Share of Voice in Prompt Tracking. Semrush lists both as current limits.
Which alternatives fit which reason for leaving?
Pick by the limit that hurts. For trials, most alternatives offer one. For seats, Peec AI, Otterly and SE Visible include unlimited users. For engines, Promptwatch, Rankscale or Ahrefs. For staying in an SEO suite, Ahrefs or SE Ranking. For acting on gaps, Writesonic or Mentionova. Details follow, all read on 29 October 2026.
Is Ahrefs Brand Radar the right swap if you want to stay in an SEO suite?
Ahrefs includes custom prompt tracking on every paid plan: 5 daily prompts on Lite ($129), 10 on Standard ($249) and 20 on Advanced ($449). Ahrefs counts usage in checks: 5 prompts on 1 platform daily is 150 checks a month, and Claude uses 8 checks per update. The AI Visibility Index, covering 516 million+ prompts, starts at $199 a month or $699 for all models. Check packs start at $50 a month, up to $250 for 25,000 checks. Platforms: AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, plus Claude for custom prompts.
Is SE Visible the cheapest way to keep SEO and AI data together?
SE Visible Basic is $89 a month ($71 annual) for 75 prompts, 5 projects, unlimited seats, daily tracking, API and MCP access. Core is $189 ($151 annual) for 200 prompts and unlimited locations. The plan table lists ChatGPT, AI Overviews and AI Mode. SE Ranking says SE Visible is included in every SEO plan from $103 a month; the page does not say which limits come with it.
Is Peec AI better for teams that need more seats?
Peec AI includes unlimited team users and unlimited competitors on every plan, which removes Semrush's $99-per-user cost. Starter is $95 a month for 50 prompts on 3 models you choose from ChatGPT, AI Mode, AI Overviews, Copilot, Gemini and Naver AI, tracked daily. The API starts on Pro ($245); MCP is on every plan. See Peec AI alternatives.
Is Otterly the lowest-cost replacement?
Otterly Lite is $29 a month for 15 prompts tracked daily on ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot, with unlimited team members. Claude, AI Mode and Gemini are paid add-ons. Standard is $189 for 100 prompts and adds recommendations and MCP. It is a tracker; it does not include keyword or backlink data.
Is Promptwatch the pick if you want more engines?
Promptwatch Essential is $95 a month for 50 prompts and 6,000 responses, and every plan says "Track all models", a list that includes Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, AI Mode and Meta AI. MCP and API access are on every plan. Content writing and refresh start on Professional at $245. There is a 7-day free trial.
Is Writesonic a fit if you want SEO, content and GEO in one tool?
Writesonic positions itself as "SEO + GEO in one platform". Starter is $99 monthly ($79 annual) for 50 prompts on ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Overviews, plus 15 AI articles and 10 site audits. Perplexity and Claude are Enterprise only, and so is the full Action Center. Our Mentionova vs Writesonic page covers its plans in detail.
Is Rankscale better for flexible or high-frequency checks?
Rankscale sells credits, typically 0.25 credits per engine per prompt, across 17+ engines, with schedules from hourly to monthly. Essentials is $17 a month on a yearly plan; Pro is $99 monthly or $84 annual for 1,200 credits and up to 4,800 answers. Pro+ ($229) adds REST API access.
Where does Mentionova fit next to Semrush?
Mentionova is not an SEO suite. Starter is $125 a month ($99 annual) for 25 prompts on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google, with 3 team seats; Scale ($400, $320 annual) adds Claude, Gemini and Reddit for 100 prompts. Every opportunity is rescored nightly from 0 to 100 with a brief, and drafts go to WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Sanity or a webhook. It connects to Semrush through its connectors rather than replacing it.
How do the alternatives compare on price per tracked prompt?
On monthly list prices, SE Visible is cheapest per prompt at $1.19, followed by Peec AI and Promptwatch at $1.90 and Otterly at $1.93. The Semrush toolkit works out to $3.96, and Mentionova Starter to $5.00. These are our calculations and ignore engines per prompt and run frequency.
| Tool and plan | Monthly price | Prompts | Price per prompt (calculated) | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE Visible Basic | $89 | 75 | $1.19 | Daily |
| Peec AI Starter | $95 | 50 | $1.90 | Daily |
| Promptwatch Essential | $95 | 50 | $1.90 | Daily |
| Otterly Lite | $29 | 15 | $1.93 | Daily |
| Writesonic Starter | $99 | 50 | $1.98 | Daily |
| Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit | $99 | 25 | $3.96 | Daily |
| Semrush One Starter | $199 | 50 | $3.98 | Daily |
| Mentionova Starter | $125 | 25 | $5.00 | Weekly by default |
Semrush One also includes the full SEO Toolkit, so its per-prompt figure overstates the AI cost. Mentionova is the most expensive per prompt in this table and runs less often. Its price pays for scored opportunities, briefs and drafts, not for more answers. Every platform's prices are in one place in AI visibility tool pricing in 2026.
Should you keep Semrush and add a dedicated tool instead?
Keep Semrush if you use its keyword, backlink and prompt databases every week; 239M+ prompts is data no tracker here sells. Add a dedicated tool only for a gap Semrush does not cover: more seats, Perplexity or Claude tracking, a trial before you commit, or gaps turned into briefs and drafts.
A decision path:
- You use Semrush daily and need under 25 prompts. Keep the toolkit. Nothing here beats having AI and SEO data in one login.
- You need more prompts but stay in Semrush. Compare $60 per 50 extra prompts with Semrush One Starter ($199, 50 prompts, SEO Toolkit included).
- You are paying $99 per teammate. Move tracking to Peec AI, Otterly or SE Visible, which include unlimited seats.
- Your buyers use Perplexity or Claude. Promptwatch, Ahrefs (Claude for custom prompts) or Mentionova Scale.
- Nobody acts on the reports. A dedicated platform with briefs and drafts: Mentionova, or Writesonic for content plus SEO.
Where does Mentionova lose to Semrush's toolkit?
Mentionova loses on cadence, data and price per prompt. Semrush tracks daily; Mentionova runs weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Semrush has a 239M+ prompt database and SEO data; Mentionova has neither. At 25 prompts, Mentionova's $125 monthly Starter costs more than the $99 toolkit. If those matter most, stay with Semrush.
- Cadence. No daily runs. Opportunities are rescored nightly; prompts are not rerun nightly.
- No prompt database. Semrush's Prompt Research shows topic volume and difficulty. Mentionova tracks only the prompts you add.
- No SEO suite. No keyword database, backlink index or rank tracker. Mentionova connects to Semrush, Ahrefs and others through its 38 connectors.
- Google AI surfaces. Semrush tracks AI Mode daily. Mentionova records Google's organic top ten and pulls AI Overviews on demand; it does not track AI Mode.
- Starter engines. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google only. Claude, Gemini and Reddit need Scale at $400 ($320 annual).
- Seats. Mentionova plans include 3 seats. Peec AI, Otterly and SE Visible include unlimited seats.
How do you test an alternative when Semrush has no free trial?
Use the free paths on both sides. Semrush runs a free AI search visibility checker; Ahrefs includes 5 daily prompts on paid plans; most alternatives here have 7 to 14 day trials. Run the same five unbranded prompts everywhere for two weeks, then compare mention rate, cited sources and the time to a shippable fix.
- Day 1. Write five unbranded buyer prompts using the method in How to check if ChatGPT mentions your brand.
- Days 1 to 2. Load them into each tool. Mentionova's trial is 14 days, no card, 5 prompts, all six engines. SE Visible's is 10 days. Promptwatch's is 7.
- Days 3 to 12. Let runs accumulate without editing prompts. Answers vary between runs, so one day proves little.
- Day 13. Export mention rate and cited domains per engine. Compare only engines both tools track.
- Day 14. For your biggest gap, note which tool got you to an action fastest: a page to update, a source to pitch, a draft.
The feature-level comparison is on Mentionova vs Semrush.
Where does each number come from?
All read on 29 October 2026 unless noted.
- Semrush: semrush.com/kb/1493-ai-visibility-toolkit (price, no trial, limits, add-ons, per-user licences); semrush.com/pricing/ai (per domain, billed annually; Perplexity in mentions); semrush.com/kb/1503-prompt-tracking (engines, desktop only, metrics); semrush.com/kb/1595-brand-performance-reports (Perplexity in Brand Performance); semrush.com/one (239M+ prompts); Semrush blog, "Starter vs. Pro+", 21 October 2026 (Semrush One prices).
- Ahrefs: ahrefs.com/pricing and ahrefs.com/brand-radar.
- SE Visible: visible.seranking.com/pricing. Peec AI: peec.ai/pricing and peec.ai/geo-report (7-day trial). Promptwatch: promptwatch.com/pricing. Otterly: otterly.ai/pricing. Writesonic: writesonic.com/pricing. Rankscale: rankscale.ai/pricing.
- Mentionova: mentionova.com/pricing and mentionova.com/docs/billing/plans-overview; feature detail from Mentionova's compare pages, checked 10 October 2026.
- Price per prompt is our arithmetic from monthly list prices.
What do people ask about Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit alternatives?
How much is Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit?
$99 a month for 1 project, 1 Brand Performance domain and 25 tracked prompts. Extra prompts are $60 per 50, and extra domains, locations or users are $99 each. Semrush One, which bundles SEO and AI, starts at $199 a month for 50 prompts.
Does Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit have a free trial?
No. Semrush's knowledge base says the toolkit does not offer a free trial and needs a paid subscription. Semrush does run a free AI search visibility checker, which gives a one-off view rather than ongoing tracking.
Which AI engines does Semrush track?
Prompt Tracking covers ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode and Gemini, desktop only. Semrush's Brand Performance reports also cover Perplexity. Semrush's documentation offers no Claude or Copilot option in Prompt Tracking.
What is the cheapest alternative to Semrush's AI toolkit?
Otterly Lite at $29 a month for 15 prompts is the lowest monthly bill. On price per prompt, SE Visible Basic is cheapest at $89 for 75 prompts. Rankscale Essentials is $17 a month but only on a yearly plan.
Is Ahrefs Brand Radar better than Semrush's AI toolkit?
Ahrefs covers more engines, including Perplexity, Copilot and Claude for custom prompts, and has a 516 million+ prompt index. Semrush gives 25 prompts for $99 with daily tracking. Our three-way comparison runs the numbers.
Can I use an alternative alongside Semrush?
Yes, and many teams do. Keep Semrush for keyword, backlink and prompt research, and use a dedicated tool for extra seats, engines or content workflow. Mentionova connects to Semrush through its connectors.
Is the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit worth it?
It is worth it if you already use Semrush and need 25 prompts or fewer on ChatGPT, AI Mode and Gemini. It is weaker for teams with several users, who pay $99 each, or for buyers who need Perplexity or Claude tracking.
Compare the output yourself. Start the 14-day Mentionova trial, no card.