AthenaHQ vs Ahrefs Brand Radar: 2026 Comparison
Published November 4, 2026
AthenaHQ and Ahrefs Brand Radar both track how a brand appears in AI answers, and both bill by the AI response. AthenaHQ sells a free Essential plan and a $295 Starter plan with 3,600 credits and unlimited seats, while Ahrefs sells custom prompt packages from $50 per month in checks, one check per prompt per platform per run, plus a database of 531 million prompts from $199 per month. Ahrefs costs less on every workload we priced, and AthenaHQ includes more engines, unlimited seats, and a content agent.
Our analysts compared each vendor's pricing pages, product pages, changelogs, and blogs as of November 4, 2026, then priced three common tracking workloads on each. In the following sections, we compare the two tools on the points buyers weigh most, price the same work on both, and explain which buyer each fits and what changed recently.
| What buyers compare | AthenaHQ | Ahrefs Brand Radar |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price per monthSources 2, 5 | Free (Essential, 300 credits). Paid plans from $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits) | $50 (Basic custom prompt package, 2,500 checks)Cheaper paid plan |
| Plans per monthSources 2, 5 | Essential: free. Starter: $295, or less on annual billing. Enterprise: custom | Custom prompt packages: Basic $50, Growth $100, Scale $250. Brand Radar AI with the prompt database from $199. Ahrefs plans with prompts included: Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449 |
| Cost: 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 5 | $295 per month (Starter) | $50 per month (Basic package)Cheaper |
| Cost: 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 5 | $295 per month (Starter, 3,600 credits used in full) | $72 per month (Basic package plus overage)Cheaper |
| Cost: 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 5 | $295 per month plus 5,400 extra credits, price not published | $130 per month (Growth package plus overage)Cheaper |
| How usage is countedSources 2, 5, 6 | 1 credit equals 1 AI response. Starter includes 3,600 credits per month, and extra credits are a paid add-on at a price AthenaHQ does not publish | One prompt on one platform in one location per run is 1 check. Overage costs $0.020, $0.015, or $0.010 per check by package. Claude uses 8 checks per updatePublished overage price |
| Prompt limitsSources 2, 5 | Unlimited topics and prompts, limited by credits | Checks per month: 2,500, 7,000, and 25,000 on Basic, Growth, and Scale. Ahrefs Lite, Standard, and Advanced include 150, 300, and 600 checks |
| AI engines coveredSources 2, 6 | Starter: 11 models, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral. Essential: 511 models on Starter | Custom prompts: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode, plus Claude |
| Update frequencySources 2, 6 | Not published | Daily, weekly, or monthly, chosen per platformPublished frequency |
| Prompt databaseSources 2, 5, 6 | Prompt volume estimates on Starter and Enterprise | AI Visibility Index of 531 million prompts, from $199 per monthPrompt database |
| Countries and regionsSources 2, 3, 5 | Country-level support on Starter. Multi-region and multi-language support on Enterprise. Tracking in 185 markets down to the city level since August 2026City-level tracking | Each prompt is checked per location, and each location uses its own checks. Country list: Not published |
| Team seatsSources 2, 5 | Unlimited on every plan, with role-based access controlUnlimited seats | Ahrefs plans include 1 user, with extra users at $40, $60, or $80 per month on Lite, Standard, and Advanced. Standalone Brand Radar comes with an Ahrefs Free account |
| Content and agent toolsSources 2, 6 | Athena AI agent on every plan. Content optimization agent and on-page and off-page actions on StarterContent agent | AI-generated prompt suggestions, fanout queries, and prompt tags |
| SEO toolsSources 2, 5 | Not an SEO suite. Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console integration | Part of the Ahrefs suite, with Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit on Ahrefs plansSEO suite |
| Free trialSources 2, 5 | Free Essential plan with a $25 free credit and 300 creditsFree plan | Ahrefs Free account with Brand Radar. Prompt package trial terms: Not published |
| Best forSource 1 | Teams that want 11 models, unlimited seats, and a content agent on one plan, or to start free | Teams that want the lowest published price per AI response, or that already use Ahrefs |
Starting price per month
- AthenaHQ
- Free (Essential, 300 credits). Paid plans from $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits)
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- $50 (Basic custom prompt package, 2,500 checks) Cheaper paid plan
Plans per month
- AthenaHQ
- Essential: free. Starter: $295, or less on annual billing. Enterprise: custom
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Custom prompt packages: Basic $50, Growth $100, Scale $250. Brand Radar AI with the prompt database from $199. Ahrefs plans with prompts included: Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449
Cost: 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month (Starter)
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- $50 per month (Basic package) Cheaper
Cost: 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month (Starter, 3,600 credits used in full)
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- $72 per month (Basic package plus overage) Cheaper
Cost: 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month plus 5,400 extra credits, price not published
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- $130 per month (Growth package plus overage) Cheaper
How usage is counted
- AthenaHQ
- 1 credit equals 1 AI response. Starter includes 3,600 credits per month, and extra credits are a paid add-on at a price AthenaHQ does not publish
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- One prompt on one platform in one location per run is 1 check. Overage costs $0.020, $0.015, or $0.010 per check by package. Claude uses 8 checks per update Published overage price
Prompt limits
- AthenaHQ
- Unlimited topics and prompts, limited by credits
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Checks per month: 2,500, 7,000, and 25,000 on Basic, Growth, and Scale. Ahrefs Lite, Standard, and Advanced include 150, 300, and 600 checks
AI engines covered
- AthenaHQ
- Starter: 11 models, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral. Essential: 5 11 models on Starter
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Custom prompts: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode, plus Claude
Update frequency
- AthenaHQ
- Not published
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Daily, weekly, or monthly, chosen per platform Published frequency
Prompt database
- AthenaHQ
- Prompt volume estimates on Starter and Enterprise
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- AI Visibility Index of 531 million prompts, from $199 per month Prompt database
Countries and regions
- AthenaHQ
- Country-level support on Starter. Multi-region and multi-language support on Enterprise. Tracking in 185 markets down to the city level since August 2026 City-level tracking
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Each prompt is checked per location, and each location uses its own checks. Country list: Not published
Team seats
- AthenaHQ
- Unlimited on every plan, with role-based access control Unlimited seats
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Ahrefs plans include 1 user, with extra users at $40, $60, or $80 per month on Lite, Standard, and Advanced. Standalone Brand Radar comes with an Ahrefs Free account
Content and agent tools
- AthenaHQ
- Athena AI agent on every plan. Content optimization agent and on-page and off-page actions on Starter Content agent
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- AI-generated prompt suggestions, fanout queries, and prompt tags
SEO tools
- AthenaHQ
- Not an SEO suite. Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console integration
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Part of the Ahrefs suite, with Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Site Audit on Ahrefs plans SEO suite
Free trial
- AthenaHQ
- Free Essential plan with a $25 free credit and 300 credits Free plan
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Ahrefs Free account with Brand Radar. Prompt package trial terms: Not published
Best for
- AthenaHQ
- Teams that want 11 models, unlimited seats, and a content agent on one plan, or to start free
- Ahrefs Brand Radar
- Teams that want the lowest published price per AI response, or that already use Ahrefs
List prices in US dollars before tax, billed monthly unless the row says otherwise. Workload costs are the cheapest published plan that covers the job with daily tracking, including Ahrefs overage at its published per-check rate. AthenaHQ's extra-credit price is not published.
AthenaHQ vs Ahrefs Brand Radar Cost for the Same Workload
AthenaHQ bills in credits and Ahrefs bills in checks, and both count one AI response per prompt per engine per run, so the Top GEO Agencies research team priced the same tracking jobs on both. Each workload is tracked daily for 30 days:
- One brand with 25 prompts on ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity, tracked daily, which is 2,250 AI responses per month.
- One brand with 40 prompts on those three engines, which is 3,600 AI responses per month, the full Starter allowance on AthenaHQ.
- One brand with 100 prompts on those three engines, which is 9,000 AI responses per month.
Each cost is the cheapest published plan that covers the workload. Ahrefs costs include overage at the package's published per-check rate.
| Workload | AthenaHQ | Ahrefs Brand Radar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter) | $50 (Basic) |
| 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits) | $72 (Basic plus 1,100 checks of overage) |
| 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter) plus 5,400 extra credits at an unpublished price | $130 (Growth plus 2,000 checks of overage) |
- Ahrefs Basic includes 2,500 checks, so 40 prompts need 1,100 checks of overage at $0.020, or $22. At 100 prompts, Growth's 7,000 checks plus 2,000 at $0.015 cost $130, less than Basic's $180 or Scale's $250.
- AthenaHQ's Starter includes 3,600 credits, which covers the first two workloads. At full use, that equals about $0.082 per AI response, against $0.020 for an Ahrefs Basic overage check.
AthenaHQ or Ahrefs Brand Radar: Which Fits Which Buyer
Ahrefs Brand Radar costs less at every workload we priced, and AthenaHQ's draws are its engine coverage, unlimited seats, and content agent.
Choose AthenaHQ if
- Many people need access. AthenaHQ includes unlimited seats on every plan.
- You track many engines on one plan. Starter covers 11 models, including Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral.
- You want a content agent. Starter includes a content optimization agent and on-page and off-page actions.
- You need many locations. AthenaHQ tracks 185 markets down to the city level.
Choose Ahrefs Brand Radar if
- You want the lowest price. 40 prompts on three engines cost $72 per month on the Basic package against $295 on AthenaHQ Starter.
- You track 100 prompts. The Growth package plus overage costs $130 per month, while AthenaHQ needs extra credits at an unpublished price.
- You want market-wide data. The AI Visibility Index covers 531 million prompts from $199 per month.
- You already use Ahrefs. Paid Ahrefs plans include 150 to 600 checks per month at no extra cost.
Recent Changes to AthenaHQ and Ahrefs Brand Radar
Both vendors ship often, and the dates show how current any price quote is.
- August 19, 2026: AthenaHQ's August release added Shopping Pages with Shopify catalog sync, ChatGPT Ads reporting on Enterprise and Agency plans, and visibility tracking in 185 markets down to the city level.
- August 21, 2026: Ahrefs began extracting entities from AI responses in Brand Radar, so a team can match a brand as an entity for ambiguous names such as Apple or Notion.
- September 5, 2026: Ahrefs added API functions to manage prompts and tags in Brand Radar, including adding or removing countries on prompts.
- October 30, 2026: AthenaHQ began breaking YouTube citations down by channel, video category, length, and the moment in a video that an AI answer links to.
Where the Two Tools Are Headed in 2027 and Beyond
AthenaHQ: AthenaHQ's pricing page lists the Athena Citation Engine and the Athena Recommendation Engine under Enterprise, and its Starter plan sells API access and extra credits as paid add-ons. Its August 2026 release moved the product toward commerce and local search, with Shopify-synced shopping pages and city-level tracking.
Ahrefs Brand Radar: As of November 4, 2026, Ahrefs' pricing and product pages cite 531 million prompts in its AI Visibility Index, and its changelog says Claude is tracked only on custom prompts. Most of its recent Brand Radar changelog entries cover the API, entity matching, and AI-adjusted prompt volume.
AthenaHQ is building content and commerce tools on top of tracking, while Ahrefs is growing its prompt data and API.
Data Collection and Methodology
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's pricing, product, changelog, and blog pages as of November 4, 2026. All prices are list prices in US dollars per month before tax, billed monthly unless the row says otherwise. A "prompt" is one question the tool asks the AI engines. AthenaHQ bills in credits, where one credit is one AI response, and Ahrefs bills its custom prompts in checks, where one prompt run once on one platform in one location is one check.
Enterprise prices and AthenaHQ's extra-credit price are quoted privately, so none appears in the cost table. Ahrefs overage is priced at each package's published per-check rate.
We calculated products, differences, and ratios from the published values.
AthenaHQ publishes a free plan, one paid plan, and a custom tier. Ahrefs publishes three custom prompt packages, a prompt database plan, and Ahrefs plans that include a small number of checks.
We computed AI responses for each workload as prompts times engines times 30 days.
Sources
- Top GEO Agencies analysis of AthenaHQ and Ahrefs Brand Radar plans, prices, and limits, conducted November 2026. Download the data (CSV)
- AthenaHQ, Plans and Pricing, https://www.athenahq.ai/pricing, captured November 4, 2026.
- AthenaHQ, What's new in Athena: August 2026, https://athenahq.ai/blog/athena-august-2026-feature-drop, captured November 4, 2026.
- AthenaHQ, YouTube in AI search, https://athenahq.ai/blog/youtube-citations-in-ai-search, captured November 4, 2026.
- Ahrefs, Pricing, https://ahrefs.com/pricing, captured November 4, 2026.
- Ahrefs, Brand Radar, https://ahrefs.com/brand-radar, captured November 4, 2026.
- Ahrefs Blog, Changelog, https://ahrefs.com/blog/new-features/, captured November 4, 2026.