Short answer: there are four kinds of AI search optimization help, and most buying mistakes come from picking the wrong kind. Trackers measure whether AI mentions you. Suites bolt AI tracking onto classic SEO. Agencies do ongoing work for you. One-time fixes repair what stops AI reading your site. Pick the kind first, then the vendor.
We sell one of these (a one-time fix), so we say so up front and list our competitors by what the pages say, not by what we would like them to say. Prices below were read on 13 November 2026.
How to compare them
- Does it fix or only watch? A dashboard that shows you are invisible does not make you visible.
- What does it track? Number of prompts, which AI engines, how often.
- What does it cost per month, and can you leave? Look for annual lock-ins and minimum terms.
- Can it show a before and after? If nobody can show a change, nobody can prove the work.
Trackers and suites (they watch)
- SE Ranking: AI visibility add-on from $71 a month across ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI features. Core plan from $103.20 a month on annual billing, with 25 AI prompts tracked daily. Suits you if you also want classic rank tracking (pricing).
- Semrush: SEO plan $117.33 a month annual. Starter with AI search $165.17 a month annual, 50 AI prompts a day. Suits you if you already live in Semrush (pricing).
- Otterly, Scrunch, Athena, Siftly and others: dedicated AI trackers. A competing vendor's comparison quotes Otterly at $29 to $489 a month by prompt volume, Scrunch from $250 a month annual, Athena at $295 a month and Siftly from $79 a month with a free plan. We have not verified these on the vendors' own pages, so check before you buy (source).
Good for: a site that is already readable and wants to track mentions over time. Not for: fixing why you are not read.
Agencies and done-for-you (they do the work monthly)
Agencies are listed in directories such as the Semrush agency directory, but most do not publish prices. One vendor, Snezzi, states $500 a month for its platform and done-for-you work from $1,999 a month on a three-month minimum. Treat that as one data point, not a market rate.
Good for: larger businesses that want content, outreach and reporting handled continuously. Ask for: a measured before and after, and whether you can cancel.
One-time fixes (they repair, then step away)
- DevMarDe AI Visibility Fix: up to $490 (£390) once, priced from your Crawl Audit report. Crawler rules, robots.txt, llms.txt, Organization and FAQ schema, validated sameAs links, then a re-score. Score up at least 20 points or refunded. Optional $99 (£79) a month monitoring. For limited companies and businesses in the UK and US.
- Crawl Audit full report: $7.89 once, the do-it-yourself version with the code to paste.
For other audit tools, see AI crawl audit tools compared.
Good for: a small business whose site AI cannot read yet. Not for: large sites that need continuous content programmes.
Which should you pick?
- Not sure ChatGPT can read you? Start with a free check (here is how). Fix first, track later.
- Readable already, want numbers? A tracker or suite you can cancel monthly.
- No time, bigger budget? An agency, with a before and after written into the contract.
- Small budget, blocked site? A one-time fix.
Whatever you choose, remember what nobody can sell you: a guaranteed recommendation. See what it costs and what you are paying for.
Questions people ask
What is the best AI search optimization tool for a small business?
It depends on the problem. If AI cannot read your site, a fix or audit comes before any tracker. If it can, a low-cost tracker such as the plans above lets you watch mentions month to month.
What is the difference between an AI tracker and an AI optimization service?
A tracker measures whether AI mentions your brand. A service changes your site or your presence to improve that. You usually need the second before the first is useful.
Are AI visibility tools worth it?
Only if you act on the results. A report on its own changes nothing, so pair any tool with a list of fixes and a person to do them.
Should I hire an AI SEO agency?
Consider one if you need continuous content and outreach and can afford a monthly retainer. Ask for a measured before and after and the cancellation terms, and check their own site is readable to AI.
Prices come from the vendor pages linked above, read on 13 November 2026, and may have changed. DevMarDe sells the AI Visibility Fix and Crawl Audit, so this comparison is not neutral. Product names are trademarks of their owners and DevMarDe is not affiliated with them.
Related
View all →AI crawl audit tools compared
Five free and paid tools that check whether AI crawlers can reach your site, compared on what each one says it checks, what it costs, whether it needs sign-up and who makes it. Read from each tool's own site on 26 October 2026.
We tested 20 AI search sites: who lets AI crawlers in
We checked 20 sites that publish AI search optimization advice. None blocks the main AI search crawlers in robots.txt, 3 would not answer a plain request, and 12 have llms.txt. Method and limits included.
How much does AI search optimization cost?
AI search optimization costs from about $29 a month for tracking to $1,999 a month for done-for-you work. What each price buys and what to skip. Prices checked 13 Nov 2026.
Find out whether AI answers can read your site.
Crawl Audit scores your own domain against the signals in this guide. The free check needs no sign-up; the full report is $7.89, one time.