Athena HQ vs Goodie in 2026: Free GEO audit + Claude coverage vs $399/mo 12-model AEO
Athena HQ is free to start with content gap analysis on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Goodie at $399+/month covers up to 12 AI models with prompt research, agentic commerce, crawler analytics, AEO content generation, and Google Analytics revenue attribution.
Athena HQ
Goodie- Athena HQ has a free Essential tier with real GEO audit functionality. Goodie's Explorer entry plan is $399/month for just 3 engines, with Pro and Enterprise requiring demo calls.
- Goodie covers up to 12 AI models including Meta AI, Grok, AI Mode, DeepSeek, Amazon Rufus, and Sparky. Athena HQ covers 4 engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
- Goodie includes an MCP server on every plan plus crawler behavior analysis (Agent Experience Suite) and Google Analytics revenue attribution. Athena HQ focuses on citation tracking and content gap analysis.
- Athena HQ includes API access on the $295/month Starter tier. Goodie locks API access to Enterprise. For engineering teams that need programmatic access on mid-tier budgets, Athena HQ is the practical choice.
- Athena HQ includes content gap analysis tied directly to citation data, which feeds editorial planning. Goodie includes AEO content generation through its AEO Writer and Content Studio.
- For teams needing 12-model coverage, agentic commerce visibility, and revenue attribution proof, Goodie at $399+/month is the more comprehensive fit. For teams running focused GEO programmes, Athena HQ at free or $295/month is the practical entry point.
Choosing between Athena HQ and Goodie is largely a question about how mature your Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) programme is and how much breadth you need. Athena HQ is a self-serve GEO platform that starts with a free Essential plan and ramps to $295/month with API access and full content gap analysis, focused on the four major AI engines. Goodie is a full AEO platform that covers up to 12 AI models with prompt research, optimization actions, Agent Experience Suite for crawler behavior, AEO content generation, and Google Analytics revenue attribution, with Explorer starting at $399/month and Pro and Enterprise requiring demo calls. Athena HQ is the right pick if you want to start with a free audit and run a focused 4-engine GEO programme on a credit card. Goodie is the right pick if you run AEO at scale, need 12-engine coverage, and want revenue attribution proof. The right pick depends on whether your priority is a free starting point with focused engine coverage, or full AEO platform coverage with revenue attribution proof.
The tools at a glance
Athena HQ
Free-to-start GEO audit platform with citation gap analysis and API access on paid plans
Athena HQ is a generative engine optimization platform built around a free GEO audit, paired with paid plans that unlock deeper analysis. It tracks brand appearances across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity on all tiers, including the free Essential plan. The standout feature is the Essential tier itself: a genuine free plan that runs a real audit of your AI citation performance, surfaces which competitors are winning in your category, and identifies content gaps that may be holding your brand back.
The paid plans focus on depth rather than coverage. Citation source tracking, unlimited competitor benchmarking, and API access unlock at the $295/month Starter tier, with no mid-priced option in between. The content gap analysis is the centerpiece of the platform: Athena HQ compares your site content coverage to the topics AI models are pulling from competitor sites, and flags specific topic areas to prioritize in your content calendar.
The main friction versus Goodie is breadth and execution. Athena HQ focuses on the four major AI engines plus structured content gap analysis without prompt research, agentic commerce, crawler analytics, AEO content generation, or revenue attribution. For teams whose GEO programme primarily needs citation tracking plus actionable content recommendations, the focused scope is the right tradeoff. For teams running AEO at scale and needing revenue attribution proof, the conversation moves to Goodie.
| Feature | Essential Free | Starter $295/mo | Enterprise Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI models tracked | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| GEO audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Content gap analysis | Basic | Full | Full |
| Citation source tracking | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Competitor benchmarking | 2 competitors | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| API access | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| White label | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Goodie
End-to-end AEO platform covering 12 AI models with agentic commerce and revenue attribution
Goodie is the most complete AEO platform available: 12 AI models tracked, MCP server on every plan, prompt research, agentic commerce visibility, Agent Experience Suite for crawler behavior, AEO content generation, and revenue attribution connected to Google Analytics. The platform covers the full AEO workflow: discovering which prompts customers use, monitoring brand mentions across all major engines, prioritizing optimization actions, generating optimized content, and connecting visibility to revenue.
The Agent Experience Suite and Agentic Commerce Suite are the most distinctive pieces. The Agent Experience Suite monitors how AI crawlers actually traverse a site, surfacing technical gaps that prevent discovery. The Agentic Commerce Suite tracks SKU-level product presence across ChatGPT shopping, Amazon Rufus, Perplexity shopping, and Sparky. Both are rare in the market and available from Pro tier upward.
The trade-off versus Athena HQ is the entry price and brand safety coverage. Explorer starts at $399/month for 3 engines with 100 prompts, which is high for teams starting from zero. Pro and Enterprise both require a demo conversation before pricing is disclosed. Goodie also focuses on monitoring, optimization, and revenue attribution rather than systematic brand safety monitoring for misrepresentation and reputational risk.
| Feature | Explorer $399/mo | Pro Contact sales | Enterprise Contact sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | 3 | 6 | Up to 12 |
| Prompts per month | 100 | 250 | 500+ |
| Optimization actions/mo | 10 | 30 | 60+ |
| MCP server access | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Agentic commerce visibility | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Revenue attribution | Google Analytics | Full attribution | Custom modeling |
| API access | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi-brand tracking | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Athena HQ | Goodie |
|---|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity | Up to 12 (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot, Meta AI, Grok, AI Overviews, AI Mode, DeepSeek, Rufus, Sparky) |
| Competitive share-of-voice | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt-level citation data | Yes | Yes |
| Answer / content gap analysis | Yes (content gap analysis) | Yes |
| Category intelligence | No | Yes |
| AEO content generation | No | Yes (Content Studio + AEO Writer) |
| Crawler / AI bot log access | No | Yes (Agent Experience Suite) |
| Page content audits | No | Yes |
| API access | Paid plans only (Starter $295/mo+) | Enterprise only |
| Looker Studio / BI connector | No | Enterprise |
| White-label delivery | No | Enterprise (multi-brand) |
| Pay-per-prompt pricing | No | Yes |
| Agency multi-brand support | Limited | Enterprise |
| Starting price | Free (Essential) | $399/mo |
Considering AI Peekaboo alongside Athena HQ and Goodie?
Athena HQ locks API access to paid plans and lacks white-label delivery, while Goodie requires enterprise contracts for API access and multi-brand support. AI Peekaboo is the best self-serve AEO monitoring tool with read and write API, white-label reports, and guest access links on every plan from $50/month. For marketing agencies that need multi-brand support with self-serve signup, AI Peekaboo covers what neither tool offers at standard pricing, with 5 AI surfaces included.
Read the AI Peekaboo review →Which should you choose?
Athena HQGoodieAthena HQGoodieAthena HQGoodieGoodieBoth platforms serve Generative Engine Optimization goals but at different price points and with different feature priorities. Athena HQ is a self-serve platform with a free starting tier and a focused 4-engine scope with content gap analysis. Goodie at $399+/month is a full AEO platform with 12-model coverage, MCP, crawler analytics, content generation, and Google Analytics revenue attribution. The choice is essentially focused self-serve GEO versus comprehensive AEO with revenue proof as your bigger gap.
Bottom line
If your priority is starting with a free GEO audit and running a focused 4-engine GEO programme on a credit card, Athena HQ at free or $295/month is the practical choice. If your priority is 12-model coverage plus crawler analytics, MCP, AEO content generation, and Google Analytics revenue attribution, Goodie at $399+/month is the more comprehensive fit. Pick by which programme maturity level matches your current state.
Frequently asked questions
How does Athena HQ compare to Goodie for AI visibility monitoring?
Athena HQ is a self-serve Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform with a free Essential plan and a $295/month Starter tier that adds API access and full content gap analysis. Goodie at $399+/month covers up to 12 AI models with prompt research, optimization actions, crawler analytics, AEO content generation, agentic commerce, and Google Analytics revenue attribution. Athena HQ fits teams that want to start with a free audit on a credit card. Goodie fits brands running AEO at scale with revenue proof needs.
Which tool has wider AI engine coverage?
Goodie covers up to 12 AI models including Meta AI, Grok, AI Mode, DeepSeek, Amazon Rufus, and Sparky. Athena HQ covers 4 engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. For brands whose audiences use a diverse mix of AI assistants, Goodie's broader coverage is meaningfully better.
Does Goodie have API access?
Goodie locks API access to Enterprise. Athena HQ includes API access on the $295/month Starter tier. For teams with engineering workflows that need programmatic access on mid-tier budgets, Athena HQ is the practical choice.
Which tool has better content gap analysis?
Athena HQ includes content gap analysis as a core feature, comparing your site content coverage to topics AI models are pulling from competitors. The basic version is on the free tier and the full version on Starter. Goodie instead uses prompt research and optimization actions to guide content work, plus an AEO Writer that generates optimized content. The two approaches are complementary but distinct: Athena HQ tells you what is missing, Goodie helps you produce what to write.
Does Athena HQ include MCP support?
No. Athena HQ focuses on citation tracking and content gap analysis through its dashboard, with API access on the paid tier. Goodie includes an MCP server on every plan including Explorer, making it compatible with Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-aware agentic workflows. For developer-led marketing or technical SEO teams building agentic pipelines, Goodie is the better fit.
Which AI visibility tool should I pick if I need revenue attribution?
Goodie is the clear answer. Goodie connects AI visibility data to Google Analytics on Explorer, with full attribution on Pro and custom modeling on Enterprise. This turns AI visibility from a vanity metric into a reportable channel with measurable ROI. Athena HQ does not include revenue attribution or analytics integration at any tier.