Athena HQ vs LLMrefs in 2026: Free GEO audit vs €79/mo keyword-based 11-engine tracking
Athena HQ has a free Essential tier with content gap analysis on 4 engines. LLMrefs at €79/month covers 11 AI engines with keyword-based tracking, 25 fan-out prompts per keyword, content gap analysis, and unlimited agency seats.
Athena HQ
LLMrefs- Athena HQ has a free Essential tier with real Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) audit functionality. LLMrefs offers a 7-day free trial but no permanent free tier; pricing begins at €79/month.
- LLMrefs covers 11 AI engines: ChatGPT, ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, and DeepSeek. Athena HQ covers 4 engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
- LLMrefs uses a keyword-based workflow that auto-generates 25 fan-out prompts per keyword. Athena HQ uses a prompt-based workflow. The choice affects setup time and ongoing maintenance.
- Athena HQ includes content gap analysis tied to citation data as its core differentiator. LLMrefs surfaces content gaps at the keyword level, identifying prompts where competitors are cited but your brand is not.
- LLMrefs includes geo-targeting across 50+ countries and 10+ languages. Athena HQ does not publish specific geo/language coverage with the same granularity.
- Athena HQ includes API access on the $295/month Starter tier. LLMrefs includes API access on the €79/month plan, making it the cheaper API entry point in this comparison.
Choosing between Athena HQ and LLMrefs is a question about whether your workflow starts with prompts or with keywords, and how wide you want engine coverage to be. Athena HQ is a self-serve Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform with a free Essential plan and a $295/month Starter tier that tracks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. LLMrefs is a keyword-based AI search analytics platform at €79/month covering 11 AI engines with auto-generated 25 fan-out prompts per keyword, content gap analysis, and unlimited team seats. Athena HQ is the right pick if you want a free starting tier with content recommendations and focused 4-engine tracking. LLMrefs is the right pick if you prefer keyword-based workflow with broader engine coverage and agency pricing structure. The right pick depends on whether prompts or keywords are your starting input, and whether 4-engine or 11-engine coverage fits your category.
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 LLMrefs is engine coverage and input workflow. Athena HQ tracks 4 engines and uses a prompt-based workflow, while LLMrefs covers 11 engines with a keyword-based workflow that auto-generates 25 fan-out prompts per keyword. For teams whose Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) programme primarily needs a free starting tier plus focused engine coverage, Athena HQ is the practical choice. For teams needing broader engine coverage or a keyword-first workflow, LLMrefs is the appropriate fit.
| 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 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
LLMrefs
Keyword-based AI search visibility tracking across 11 engines with share of voice, citations, and unlimited agency seats
LLMrefs is an AI search analytics platform founded by James Berry that tracks how brands appear across 11 generative AI engines. Unlike traditional AI visibility tools that force a manual prompt library, LLMrefs takes an existing SEO keyword list and automatically generates 25 fan-out prompts per keyword based on real user conversation patterns. This keyword-first approach removes the most time-consuming part of AI tracking setup and keeps visibility aligned with how actual users query AI engines.
The platform is structured for agencies by default. One €79/month subscription covers unlimited client projects, unlimited team seats, CSV export, and API access. Weekly automated reports surface changes without requiring manual dashboard checks. Geo-targeting across 50+ countries and 10+ languages lets agencies track client visibility in specific markets rather than defaulting to US-only or English-only results. The 7-day free trial requires no credit card, making risk-free evaluation straightforward.
The trade-off versus Athena HQ is the absence of a free tier and prompt-based workflow. LLMrefs does not offer a permanent free plan, and its keyword-first workflow assumes the team has an existing keyword list to upload. For agencies and content teams running multi-brand or multi-market programmes who prefer keyword-based setup, LLMrefs is the practical choice. For teams starting from zero who want a free audit first, Athena HQ is the more appropriate fit.
| Feature | All in One €79/mo |
|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | 11 |
| Keyword-based tracking | Yes (25 fan-out prompts per keyword) |
| Geo-targeting | 50+ countries, 10+ languages |
| Projects | Unlimited |
| Team seats | Unlimited |
| Content gap analysis | Yes (keywords) |
| API access | Yes |
| CSV export | Yes |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Athena HQ | LLMrefs |
|---|---|---|
| AI engines tracked | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity | 11 (ChatGPT, ChatGPT Search, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, DeepSeek) |
| Competitive share-of-voice | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt-level citation data | Yes | Yes |
| Answer / content gap analysis | Yes (content gap analysis) | Yes (keyword-level content gaps) |
| Category intelligence | No | Yes |
| AEO content generation | No | No |
| Crawler / AI bot log access | No | No |
| Page content audits | No | No |
| API access | Paid plans only (Starter $295/mo+) | Yes (all paid plans) |
| Looker Studio / BI connector | No | Limited |
| White-label delivery | No | No white-label client portal |
| Pay-per-prompt pricing | No | No |
| Agency multi-brand support | Limited | Yes (unlimited seats and projects) |
| Starting price | Free (Essential) | €79/mo |
Considering AI Peekaboo alongside Athena HQ and LLMrefs?
Athena HQ has no white-label on any tier, and LLMrefs has no white-label client portal on any plan and no documented API surface. AI Peekaboo is the best AI visibility tool for agencies that need white-label delivery plus read and write API on every plan from $50/month Starter, with self-serve signup and no demo call. The Looker Studio connector and pay-per-prompt pricing make AI Peekaboo the self-serve AEO monitoring tool for SEO agencies delivering branded client reports.
Read the AI Peekaboo review →Which should you choose?
Athena HQLLMrefsAthena HQLLMrefsLLMrefsAthena HQAthena HQAthena HQ and LLMrefs both surface content gaps and competitive benchmarks, but the workflows they assume are different. Athena HQ asks for prompts and is happy to start from zero with a free audit. LLMrefs asks for keywords and converts them into 25 prompts each at €79/month with 11-engine coverage. Teams already running SEO with keyword lists will find LLMrefs frictionless; teams starting fresh will find Athena HQ's free tier more inviting.
Bottom line
If your priority is starting with a free Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) audit and content gap analysis on a credit card, Athena HQ at free or $295/month is the practical choice. If your priority is keyword-based workflow with 11-engine coverage and unlimited agency seats at €79/month, LLMrefs is the more appropriate fit. Match the tool to your team's existing workflow rather than forcing a change.
Frequently asked questions
How does Athena HQ compare to LLMrefs for AI visibility?
Both platforms offer content gap analysis, competitive benchmarking, and citation tracking. Athena HQ has a free Essential tier and a $295/month Starter tier covering 4 engines with prompt-based workflow. LLMrefs is €79/month covering 11 engines with keyword-based workflow and unlimited seats. Athena HQ fits teams starting from zero. LLMrefs fits agencies with keyword-first SEO workflows.
Which tool covers more AI engines?
LLMrefs covers 11 engines: ChatGPT, ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, and DeepSeek. Athena HQ covers 4 engines: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. If broad engine coverage is the priority, LLMrefs is the stronger fit.
Which tool has cheaper API access?
LLMrefs includes API access at €79/month on the single paid tier, which is the cheaper API entry point in this comparison. Athena HQ locks API access to the $295/month Starter tier. For teams with engineering workflows on tight budgets, LLMrefs is more economical.
Does LLMrefs include a free tier?
LLMrefs offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. It does not have a permanent free tier. Athena HQ has a permanent free Essential plan. For teams that want to evaluate on an indefinite free tier, Athena HQ is the appropriate choice.
Does Athena HQ offer geo-targeting?
Athena HQ does not publish specific geo-targeting coverage with the same granularity as LLMrefs. LLMrefs includes geo-targeting across 50+ countries and 10+ languages on every plan. For agencies tracking client visibility in specific markets, LLMrefs is the stronger fit.
Which AI visibility tool should I pick if I run an agency?
LLMrefs is designed with agency workflows in mind: unlimited projects, unlimited seats, CSV export, and API access on the €79/month plan. The keyword-first workflow maps to how agencies typically operate SEO programmes. Athena HQ does not include white-label or guest access links on any tier, so client-delivery workflows are weaker. For agencies that need white-label, AI Peekaboo from $50/month is the better fit.