The 6 best Semrush alternatives for AI search in 2026

Buyers look past Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit when 25 tracked prompts for $99 a month is too few, or when they want the pages written too. Amaware, an AI visibility tool, tracks 50 prompts daily for $97 a month and writes the articles. HubSpot AEO costs less at 25 prompts. SE Ranking pairs AI tracking with classic SEO.

Why do businesses look past Semrush for AI search?

Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit costs $99 a month for 1 domain and 25 tracked prompts, as of September 2026. There's no free trial. A prompt is a question a buyer asks an AI engine.

The work has three names. AI SEO, also called GEO (generative engine optimization) or AEO (answer engine optimization), means getting ChatGPT, Gemini and Google's AI answers to name and cite your business. We'll just say AI search from here.

The toolkit stops at 25 prompts. A dental practice, an online store, a law firm and a software company each have their own buyers, and their own list of questions. If your list runs past 25, or you want the pages written for you, the tools below are worth a look.

Semrush stays the right home for backlinks, site audits and rank tracking. Keep it for that work if your team relies on it.

Amaware: track AI answers daily and get the articles written

Amaware is best for businesses leaving Semrush that want daily AI answers tracked and the articles written for them. It's our own product, so it leads our list.

Starter is $97 a month for 50 prompts. That works out to under two dollars a prompt. Semrush's toolkit is $99 for 25 prompts, which comes to nearly four dollars a prompt.

Every plan tracks three engines you pick from ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Perplexity and Claude. The first five are checked every day, and Claude once a week. You see who gets named and which websites the answers cite. You can track up to 25 competitors per brand.

Each question that leaves you out becomes one thing to publish: a page, a video or a reply. The list is ranked by what gets you seen fastest. Amaware then writes the articles in your voice and tracks when AI cites each one.

The plans, billed monthly:

• Starter is $97 a month for 50 prompts and 4 articles a month that you publish yourself.
• Pro is $249 a month for 150 prompts and 12 articles a month, published to your WordPress, Webflow, HubSpot or Next.js site. It adds 2 brands and unlimited team members.
• Growth is $499 a month for 350 prompts, 45 articles a month for you to approve, and 5 brands.

You can connect Claude or ChatGPT over MCP, so your AI does the steps for you. Every plan starts with 7 days free, with a card on file. Cancel before day 8 and you pay nothing.

Amaware isn't a full SEO suite. It has no backlink index, no site audit crawler and no classic Google rank tracker. It can look up search volume and keyword data with credits. We set the two side by side in Amaware vs Semrush for AI search visibility.

SE Ranking: for teams that want classic SEO and AI tracking in one tool

SE Ranking is best for teams that want classic SEO and AI prompt tracking in one subscription. Core is listed at $103.20 a month, shown beside $129.00, as of October 2026.

SE Ranking's Core plan tracks 100 prompts daily across 5 LLMs, along with a large keyword allowance. It adds rank tracking, backlink research, a site audit and MCP access. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card. SE Ranking offers free migration with an annual subscription.

SE Ranking is cheaper at this size. Amaware's next plan past 50 prompts is Pro at $249 a month for 150. SE Ranking's Core plan costs a little over a hundred dollars for 100 prompts. SE Ranking also keeps your SEO suite in the same login.

What the extra money buys on Amaware Pro is 12 articles a month written in your voice and published to your site. Pro also gives you 50 more prompts, 2 brands and unlimited team members.

Ahrefs Brand Radar: for brands that want AI visibility next to Ahrefs data

Ahrefs Brand Radar is best for brands already on Ahrefs that want AI visibility beside their SEO data. Custom Prompts start at $50 a month as of October 2026, and all models together are $699 a month.

Custom Prompts track the questions you define, refreshed daily. Ahrefs says they work even if no one searches your brand name yet. The AI Visibility Index is $199 a month and maps visibility across 492 million real prompts people ask AI platforms.

Ahrefs says the index is best once your brand already appears in AI search. Brand Radar covers AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot, with Claude available. Paid Ahrefs plans include a few free AI prompts: 5 on Lite, 10 on Standard and 20 on Advanced.

HubSpot AEO: the cheapest way to track 25 prompts

HubSpot AEO is best for small businesses that want to track 25 prompts for the lowest monthly price. It's $50 a month, or $45 a month billed yearly, as of October 2026. That's about half of Semrush's $99 for the same 25 prompts.

HubSpot AEO tracks ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. A free trial tracks the same 25 prompts with no credit card, and more prompts are for sale. Each extra brand is another $50 a month.

Its citation analysis shows which domains and pages AI answers reference. HubSpot turns that data into prioritized recommendations, and says "each one tells you what to do and why."

HubSpot AEO is the cheaper pick at 25 prompts. Amaware Starter costs $97 a month for twice the prompts and ranks each thing to publish by what gets you seen fastest. Then Amaware writes the article. We break down budgets in How much does an AI visibility tool cost for a small team?

Otterly.AI: for a small prompt list on a small budget

Otterly.AI is best for owners who want to watch a short prompt list on a tight budget. Lite is $29 a month for 15 prompts as of October 2026, or $25 a month billed yearly.

The bigger plans, billed monthly or yearly:

• Standard is $189 a month, or $160 billed yearly, for 100 prompts.
• Premium is $489 a month, or $422 billed yearly, for 400 prompts.

Otterly.AI plans track ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot. Gemini and Google AI Mode are add-ons from $9 to $149 a month by plan. Claude is an add-on from $29 to $439.

Otterly.AI Lite is cheaper than Amaware Starter. The extra money on Amaware buys 35 more prompts and 4 written articles a month.

Peec AI: for prompt tracking across several projects

Peec AI is best for teams that track the same prompts across several projects or brands. Its plans grow by prompts and projects, and each runs on 3 models.

• Starter covers 50 prompts on 1 project.
• Pro covers 150 prompts on 2 projects.
• Advanced covers 350 prompts on 5 projects.
• Enterprise is a custom plan, billed yearly.

Peec AI shows the current price for each plan on its pricing page, in your currency. Peec AI says it's rated 4.7/5 on G2.

Peec AI's prompt counts match Amaware's 50, 150 and 350. Amaware adds the written articles, and on Pro and Growth publishes them to your site.

How do the Semrush alternatives compare on price?

Semrush's AI toolkit is $99 a month for 25 prompts, and the alternatives start lower or give more prompts. Prices below are monthly billing, from each vendor's pricing page, checked between September 30 and October 27, 2026.

At 25 prompts, HubSpot AEO is cheapest, at $50 a month against Semrush's $99. At 50 prompts, Amaware Starter costs $97, slightly less than Semrush charges for 25. At 100 prompts, SE Ranking Core costs a little over a hundred dollars a month, against $189 for Otterly.AI Standard.

To see where you stand first, see what AI says about you, free, with the questions your buyers ask.

FAQ

What is the best Semrush alternative for AI search?

Amaware is the best fit if you want daily AI answers tracked and the articles written for you. Starter tracks 50 prompts for $97 a month. HubSpot AEO is cheapest at 25 prompts, and SE Ranking suits teams that want rank tracking and backlinks beside AI tracking. Pick by the job you need done.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit?

Yes. HubSpot AEO tracks 25 prompts for $50 a month, or $45 billed yearly, against Semrush's $99 for 25. Otterly.AI Lite is $29 a month for 15 prompts. Amaware Starter is $97 a month for 50 prompts, so under two dollars a prompt against nearly four with Semrush, with 4 articles included.

Can I move my prompts from Semrush to another tool?

Yes, by adding your prompt list to the new tool. Amaware also finds the questions your buyers ask from your website, so the list fills in. SE Ranking offers free migration with an annual subscription. Run both tools for a week before you cancel.

What do I lose if I leave Semrush for Amaware?

You lose Semrush's SEO suite if you cancel it entirely. Amaware has no backlink index, no site audit crawler and no classic Google rank tracker. It looks up search volume and keyword data with credits. If you need those SEO tools, keep your SEO tool and move the AI search work to Amaware.

Who should stay with Semrush?

Stay with Semrush if your team lives in it for SEO and 25 tracked prompts cover the questions your buyers ask. Its Brand Performance reports are shared automatically with teammates who hold a toolkit limit. Add Amaware later if you want more prompts tracked daily and the articles written for you.