Six questions to ask before you buy
Start from the decision you need to make, not from the feature list. These are the points where tools actually differ.
1. Which AI engines are on the plan you would buy?
Engine lists differ more than anything else. Some tools include a fixed set, some let you pick a few, some sell extra engines as add-ons. Read the engines on the exact plan you would pay for, not the longest list on the website, and check that the engines your customers actually use are on it.
2. How often is each engine measured?
AI answers change from one run to the next, so one check is a snapshot. "Daily" may apply to all engines or only some; a weekly full measurement may sit next to a daily early signal. Ask which engine is measured how often, on which plan.
3. Which countries and languages can it measure?
The answer that matters is the one your customer gets, in their language and market. Check whether you can set the country and the question language per question, and how many markets your plan includes. A translated interface is not the same as measuring in that language.
4. What evidence sits behind every number?
You should be able to open the dated answer text, the question that produced it and, when the engine shows them, the sources it cited. Also ask what happens when an engine fails to answer: a failed check is not zero. A tool that counts failures as 0% shows you lower numbers than reality.
5. Is there an API or MCP access, and on which plan?
If you want the data in your own reports, or want to ask ChatGPT or Claude about it through MCP, check which plan includes it and whether MCP can only read data or can also change things. In several tools it starts above the entry plan.
6. What does the price count?
Entry prices are not directly comparable. Tools count questions, credits or checks differently; some prices are annual-only; some engines cost extra. Multiply it out for the number of questions, engines and markets you actually need.
How SOV Tracker treats failed and empty answers is written down in the methodology: invalid answers are not zero. How the SOV Score is defined is in the methodology as well.
Two-week trial checklist
Run every tool you shortlist through the same six steps. Use your own questions, not the vendor's demo data.
- Write 10–20 of your own questions, most of them without your brand name: the questions a customer asks before they know you ("best accounting software for small agencies"), not "is [brand] good".
- Enter exactly the same questions, with the same market and language, in every tool you try.
- Add the same 2–3 competitors everywhere, so the shares are comparable.
- Pick 3 numbers in each tool and open the answers behind them. If you cannot see the dated answer text, you cannot check the number.
- Write down which engines failed or returned no answer during the trial, and how each tool showed it: as a gap, or as 0%.
- Only after the trial, price the plan you would need for your real number of questions, engines and markets.
Why one check is not enough is explained in why AI answers change.
Five tools, from their official pages
Listed alphabetically; this is not a ranking. Each fact comes from the official source linked under it, on the date shown. "Not verified" means that source does not state it, not that the tool lacks it. The full table with nine tools is in best AI visibility tools in 2026.
Otterly.AI
- Starting price: $29/mo Lite, 15 prompts; 7-day trial, 50 prompts
- AI engines: Base: ChatGPT, AI Overviews, Perplexity, Copilot; Gemini, AI Mode, Claude as add-ons
- Refresh cadence: Daily tracking on all plans
- API / MCP: API + MCP requests from Standard
- Turkish support: Not verified
Source: otterly.ai/pricing, checked . SOV Tracker vs Otterly.AI.
Peec AI
- Starting price: $95/mo Starter (50 prompts)
- AI engines: Choose 3 of ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Copilot, Perplexity, Gemini; more as add-ons
- Refresh cadence: Daily on standard plans
- API / MCP: Official MCP server; API on Enterprise (custom)
- Turkish support: Not verified
Source: peec.ai — AI Instructions (pricing), checked . SOV Tracker vs Peec AI.
Profound
- Starting price: Free 7-day Trial; Enterprise custom (no public paid brand tier shown)
- AI engines: Trial: ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews; Enterprise: up to 9 engines
- Refresh cadence: Daily (Trial: 7 days)
- API / MCP: API on Enterprise; none on Trial
- Turkish support: Not verified
Source: tryprofound.com/pricing, checked . SOV Tracker vs Profound.
Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit
- Starting price: $99/mo; no free trial
- AI engines: Names ChatGPT and Google AI Mode; full engine list not stated
- Refresh cadence: Prompt Tracking daily; Brand Performance weekly
- API / MCP: Not verified
- Turkish support: Turkey listed as a country; Turkish language not stated
Source: semrush.com — AI Visibility Toolkit KB, checked .
SOV Tracker (our product)
- Starting price: Free plan; paid from $89/mo
- AI engines: Free: ChatGPT; paid: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews
- Refresh cadence: Paid: daily Priority Pulse (ChatGPT + AI Overviews), weekly full 5-engine measurement
- API / MCP: API (read data and start scans) + read-only MCP on Pro and Agency
- Turkish support: Yes — Turkish interface and questions
Source: sovtracker.com/pricing, checked .
SOV Tracker's weak points
SOV Tracker is our product. Before you trial it, know what it does not do:
- The free scan uses ChatGPT only, asks 5 questions, can run once every 30 days for the same business, and captures no source evidence. It is a first look, not monitoring.
- Microsoft Copilot and Google AI Mode are not measured. If your customers rely on them, look at the tools in the profiles above that list them.
- The full 5-engine measurement is weekly. Daily checks cover only Priority questions, on ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.
- Starter has no API or MCP; both start on Pro. The MCP server is read-only.
- Our paid entry plan (Starter) costs more than Otterly.AI's Lite plan. Both prices are in the profiles above.
Plans and prices list what each plan includes.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI visibility tool is the best?
There is no single best tool for every team. Check the six points in this checklist (engines on your plan, measurement frequency, countries and languages, evidence, API/MCP, what the price counts) and run a two-week trial with your own questions before you buy.
How long should a trial of an AI visibility tool last?
At least two weeks. AI answers change from one run to the next, so a single day is a snapshot. Two weeks show whether the numbers move, whether failed checks are shown honestly, and whether you can open the answer behind each figure.
Is a free scan enough to choose a tool?
No. A free scan shows a first signal. SOV Tracker's free scan, for example, uses ChatGPT only, asks 5 questions and captures no source evidence. Choosing a tool needs the same questions measured over time, on the engines you need.
What does a failed check mean in an AI visibility tool?
It means the engine was not measured for that question at that time: a provider error, a timeout or no AI answer. It is not 0%. A tool should show it as not measured and keep it out of the share, otherwise the numbers come out lower than reality.
Disclosure and method
- SOV Tracker is our product, so we have a commercial interest in this topic. We do not call it the best tool; its profile follows the same rule as the others: our own public pricing page.
- We did not run a hands-on test of the other tools. The facts come from each vendor's official pages on the dates shown, not from reviews or third-party lists.
- Competitor facts on this page are rechecked against the official sources linked above. Pricing and product scope can still change after the verification date; if you spot a change, email hello@sovtracker.com.