AthenaHQ vs Semrush: 2026 Comparison
Published November 4, 2026
AthenaHQ and the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit both track how a brand appears in AI answers, but they price that work in different ways. AthenaHQ sells a free Essential plan and a $295 Starter plan that bills in credits, one per AI response, with unlimited seats, while Semrush sells the toolkit at $99 per month with 25 tracked prompts, $60 add-ons of 50 prompts, and a license for each user. Semrush costs less for the two smaller workloads we priced, by our estimate, and AthenaHQ includes more engines, unlimited seats, and content tools in its plan.
Our analysts compared each vendor's pricing pages, help pages, newsroom posts, and product 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 | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price per monthSources 2, 5, 6 | Free (Essential, 300 credits). Paid plans from $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits) | $99 per domain (25 prompts). The pricing page says billed annually and the help page lists $99 per monthCheaper paid plan |
| Plans per monthSources 2, 5, 6 | Essential: free. Starter: $295, or less on annual billing. Enterprise: custom | One AI Visibility Toolkit plan at $99 per domain. More prompts come from $60 add-ons or Semrush One bundles. Enterprise: custom pricing |
| Cost: 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 6 | $295 per month (Starter) | $159 per month, our estimateCheaper, by our estimate |
| Cost: 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 6 | $295 per month (Starter, 3,600 credits used in full) | $219 per month, our estimateCheaper, by our estimate |
| Cost: 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 enginesSources 1, 2, 6 | $295 per month plus 5,400 extra credits, price not published | $459 per month, our estimate |
| Prompt limitsSources 2, 6, 7 | Unlimited topics and prompts, limited by credits | 25 included. Add 50 prompts for $60 per month. Semrush One Starter, Pro+, and Advanced bundles list 50, 100, and 200 prompts |
| How usage is countedSources 2, 7 | 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 | Prompts tracked. Each Prompt Tracking campaign runs on one engine, and Semrush does not say how it counts one prompt on several engines |
| AI engines coveredSources 2, 5, 7 | Starter: 11 models, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral. Essential: 511 models on Starter | Pricing page: mentions from ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, and Perplexity. Prompt Tracking: ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode, or Gemini, one per campaign |
| Update frequencySources 2, 6 | Not published | Prompt Tracking daily. Brand Performance reports weekly. Visibility Overview, Competitor Research, and Prompt Research daily on a rolling basisPublished frequency |
| Countries and regionsSources 2, 3, 6 | 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 | Prompt Tracking in 220+ countries and territories. Brand Performance tied to one of more than 68,000 locations, with extra domains or locations at $99 each |
| Team seatsSources 2, 6 | Unlimited on every plan, with role-based access controlUnlimited seats | Each user needs a toolkit license, at $99 per month for each extra user |
| Content and agent toolsSources 2, 5, 6, 9 | Athena AI agent on every plan. Content optimization agent and on-page and off-page actions on StarterContent agent | Prompt Research for topic volume, difficulty, and intent, and a site audit for AI readiness. Official Claude connector since August 2026 |
| SEO toolsSources 2, 6 | Not an SEO suite. Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console integration | Semrush One bundles the SEO toolkit with AI visibility, so one login covers bothSEO suite |
| Reporting and exportsSources 2, 5, 6 | CSV export and integrations on Starter. API access is a paid add-on on Starter. Enterprise adds BI dashboards for Tableau, Power BI, and Looker | Up to 10 CSV exports a day per user, 1,000 rows each, plus PDF exports and the My Reports tool. Report add-ons from $10 per month |
| Free trialSources 2, 6 | Free Essential plan with a $25 free credit and 300 creditsFree plan | No free trial for the toolkit |
| Best forSource 1 | Teams that want 11 models, unlimited seats, and a content agent on one plan, or to start free | Teams that already use Semrush for SEO and want the lower price for a short prompt list |
Starting price per month
- AthenaHQ
- Free (Essential, 300 credits). Paid plans from $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits)
- Semrush
- $99 per domain (25 prompts). The pricing page says billed annually and the help page lists $99 per month Cheaper paid plan
Plans per month
- AthenaHQ
- Essential: free. Starter: $295, or less on annual billing. Enterprise: custom
- Semrush
- One AI Visibility Toolkit plan at $99 per domain. More prompts come from $60 add-ons or Semrush One bundles. Enterprise: custom pricing
Cost: 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month (Starter)
- Semrush
- $159 per month, our estimate Cheaper, by our estimate
Cost: 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month (Starter, 3,600 credits used in full)
- Semrush
- $219 per month, our estimate Cheaper, by our estimate
Cost: 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 engines
- AthenaHQ
- $295 per month plus 5,400 extra credits, price not published
- Semrush
- $459 per month, our estimate
Prompt limits
- AthenaHQ
- Unlimited topics and prompts, limited by credits
- Semrush
- 25 included. Add 50 prompts for $60 per month. Semrush One Starter, Pro+, and Advanced bundles list 50, 100, and 200 prompts
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
- Semrush
- Prompts tracked. Each Prompt Tracking campaign runs on one engine, and Semrush does not say how it counts one prompt on several engines
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
- Semrush
- Pricing page: mentions from ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, and Perplexity. Prompt Tracking: ChatGPT Search, Google AI Mode, or Gemini, one per campaign
Update frequency
- AthenaHQ
- Not published
- Semrush
- Prompt Tracking daily. Brand Performance reports weekly. Visibility Overview, Competitor Research, and Prompt Research daily on a rolling basis Published frequency
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
- Semrush
- Prompt Tracking in 220+ countries and territories. Brand Performance tied to one of more than 68,000 locations, with extra domains or locations at $99 each
Team seats
- AthenaHQ
- Unlimited on every plan, with role-based access control Unlimited seats
- Semrush
- Each user needs a toolkit license, at $99 per month for each extra user
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
- Semrush
- Prompt Research for topic volume, difficulty, and intent, and a site audit for AI readiness. Official Claude connector since August 2026
SEO tools
- AthenaHQ
- Not an SEO suite. Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console integration
- Semrush
- Semrush One bundles the SEO toolkit with AI visibility, so one login covers both SEO suite
Reporting and exports
- AthenaHQ
- CSV export and integrations on Starter. API access is a paid add-on on Starter. Enterprise adds BI dashboards for Tableau, Power BI, and Looker
- Semrush
- Up to 10 CSV exports a day per user, 1,000 rows each, plus PDF exports and the My Reports tool. Report add-ons from $10 per month
Free trial
- AthenaHQ
- Free Essential plan with a $25 free credit and 300 credits Free plan
- Semrush
- No free trial for the toolkit
Best for
- AthenaHQ
- Teams that want 11 models, unlimited seats, and a content agent on one plan, or to start free
- Semrush
- Teams that already use Semrush for SEO and want the lower price for a short prompt list
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. Semrush workload costs are our estimates, since Semrush does not say how it counts one prompt on several engines. AthenaHQ's extra-credit price is not published.
AthenaHQ vs Semrush Cost for the Same Workload
AthenaHQ bills in credits, one per AI response, and Semrush sells prompts that each track one engine per campaign, so the Top GEO Agencies research team priced the same tracking jobs on both. Each workload is tracked daily for 30 days on ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Gemini, the three engines Semrush Prompt Tracking offers and AthenaHQ Starter includes:
- One brand with 25 prompts on ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Gemini, 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 AthenaHQ cost is the cheapest published plan that covers the workload. Each Semrush cost is our estimate: the $99 toolkit plus enough $60 add-ons of 50 prompts, treating each engine as its own prompt.
| Workload | AthenaHQ | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| 1 brand, 25 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter) | $159 (toolkit plus 1 add-on), estimate |
| 1 brand, 40 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter, 3,600 credits) | $219 (toolkit plus 2 add-ons), estimate |
| 1 brand, 100 prompts, 3 engines | $295 (Starter) plus 5,400 extra credits at an unpublished price | $459 (toolkit plus 6 add-ons), estimate |
- On one engine, Semrush costs $99 for 25 prompts, $159 for 40, and $219 for 100. On three engines, the same prompts need 75, 120, and 300 prompts of allowance, which is $159, $219, and $459 by our estimate.
- AthenaHQ's Starter includes 3,600 credits, which covers 25 or 40 prompts on three engines tracked daily. At full use, that equals about $0.082 per AI response. 100 prompts need 9,000 credits, so a team pays for 5,400 extra credits at a price AthenaHQ quotes on request.
AthenaHQ or Semrush: Which Fits Which Buyer
Semrush costs less for up to 40 prompts on three engines, by our estimate, and AthenaHQ earns its price with more engines, unlimited seats, and a content agent.
Choose AthenaHQ if
- Many people need access. AthenaHQ includes unlimited seats on every plan, while Semrush charges $99 per month for each extra toolkit user.
- You track many engines. Starter covers 11 models, including Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral.
- You want to start free. Essential includes a $25 free credit and 300 credits across five engines.
- You want a content agent. Starter includes a content optimization agent and on-page and off-page actions.
Choose Semrush if
- You track a short list. 25 prompts on one engine cost $99 per month, and on three engines about $159 by our estimate.
- You already pay for Semrush. Semrush One bundles SEO and AI visibility under one login.
- You want prompt research. Prompt Research shows topic volume, difficulty, and intent.
- You need many locations. Prompt Tracking covers 220+ countries and territories.
Recent Changes to AthenaHQ and Semrush
Both vendors ship often, and the dates show how current any price quote is.
- April 28, 2026: Adobe completed its acquisition of Semrush.
- 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 26, 2026: Semrush launched an official connector for Claude, its third MCP integration with a major AI model.
- 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.
Semrush: Adobe completed its acquisition of Semrush on April 28, 2026, and said Semrush customers can expect continued investment and an expanded product roadmap as the companies integrate. Its enterprise tier lists custom large-scale prompt tracking, forecasting and ROI attribution, and AI automations.
AthenaHQ is building content and commerce tools on top of tracking, while Semrush is tying AI visibility into its SEO suite under Adobe.
Data Collection and Methodology
Prices and plan details come from each vendor's pricing, help, newsroom, 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. Semrush's pricing page lists $99 per domain per month billed annually, while its help page lists $99 per month, so the monthly-billing price may differ. A "prompt" is one question the tool asks the AI engines. AthenaHQ bills in credits, where one credit is one AI response.
Semrush assigns each Prompt Tracking campaign to one engine and does not state how it counts one prompt run on several engines, so we estimated the three-engine cost by treating each engine as its own prompt. Enterprise prices and AthenaHQ's extra-credit price are quoted privately, so none appears in the cost table.
We calculated products, differences, and ratios from the published values.
AthenaHQ publishes a free plan, one paid plan, and a custom tier. Semrush publishes one AI Visibility Toolkit plan, prompt and domain add-ons, Semrush One bundles, and a custom enterprise tier.
We computed AI responses for each workload as prompts times engines times 30 days.
Sources
- Top GEO Agencies analysis of AthenaHQ and Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit 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.
- Semrush, AI Visibility pricing, https://www.semrush.com/pricing/ai/, captured November 4, 2026.
- Semrush Knowledge Base, AI Visibility Toolkit, https://www.semrush.com/kb/1493-ai-visibility-toolkit, captured November 4, 2026.
- Semrush Knowledge Base, Prompt Tracking, https://www.semrush.com/kb/1503-prompt-tracking, captured November 4, 2026.
- Semrush Newsroom, Adobe Completes Semrush Acquisition, April 28, 2026, https://www.semrush.com/news/455953-adobe-completes-semrush-acquisition-strengthening-cx-enterprise-with-enhanced-brand-visibility-capabilities, captured November 4, 2026.
- Semrush Newsroom, Semrush Launches Official Connector for Claude, August 26, 2026, https://www.semrush.com/news/469301-semrush-launches-official-connector-for-claude-bringing-marketing-intelligence-into-ai-conversations, captured November 4, 2026.