AI answer engines are transforming how your customers discover and interact with brands online. Profound’s data shows that ChatGPT’s AI search results only overlap 12% with Google’s traditional search. This creates new optimization challenges that conventional SEO tactics can’t address. Profound and AthenaHQ have both developed answer engine optimization (AEO) platforms to help enterprise brands navigate this shift. But their approaches and capabilities reveal major differences: Profound Profound provides enterprise-scale AI visibility and works with some of the largest brands in the world. Unlimited unique prompts analyzed daily, exclusive capabilities like real-time AI crawler tracking and AI conversation analysis, a dedicated AI search strategist, and up to a 5-minute SLA. AthenaHQ offers enterprise subscriptions with credit-based scaling but lacks many large or well known customers, AI content creation and outreach capabilities, access to AI experts, and a 2-hour SLA. Profound provides enterprise-scale AI visibility and works with some of the largest brands in the world. Unlimited unique prompts analyzed daily, exclusive capabilities like real-time AI crawler tracking and AI conversation analysis, a dedicated AI search strategist, and up to a 5-minute SLA. AthenaHQ offers enterprise subscriptions with credit-based scaling but lacks many large or well known customers, AI content creation and outreach capabilities, access to AI experts, and a 2-hour SLA. For enterprise organizations that require scalable, reliable, and agile AI search optimization, Profound offers superior value, strategic partnership, and significantly more experience in helping larger brands win. Profound vs. AthenaHQ Overview Profound Built from the ground up for enterprise brands: Exclusive capabilities like real-time AI bot tracking, AI search volume insights, product visibility optimization for AI commerce, and automated content creation Enterprise volume that supports up to 200,000 unique prompts analyzed daily Strategic partnerships via weekly syncs with a dedicated AI Search Strategist team Global coverage across 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type II compliance and SSO functionality White glove support with dedicated Slack channels and up to 5-minute SLAs Proven enterprise results helping brands like Ramp, 1840 and Company, MongoDB, Docusign, and many others control their AI presence Measurable performance difference with Profound achieving 34.4% visibility in AI-generated answers about AEO compared to AthenaHQ’s 0.2% score Exclusive capabilities like real-time AI bot tracking, AI search volume insights, product visibility optimization for AI commerce, and automated content creation Enterprise volume that supports up to 200,000 unique prompts analyzed daily Strategic partnerships via weekly syncs with a dedicated AI Search Strategist team Global coverage across 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type II compliance and SSO functionality White glove support with dedicated Slack channels and up to 5-minute SLAs Proven enterprise results helping brands like Ramp, 1840 and Company, MongoDB, Docusign, and many others control their AI presence Measurable performance difference with Profound achieving 34.4% visibility in AI-generated answers about AEO compared to AthenaHQ’s 0.2% score AthenaHQ Designed for self-service needs with a pay-as-you-scale model: Flexible scaling with a credit-based model for additional usage Automated workflows for insights, content creation, and outreach Industry standard support with 2-hour enterprise response times Flexible scaling with a credit-based model for additional usage Automated workflows for insights, content creation, and outreach Industry standard support with 2-hour enterprise response times Capability Comparison: Profound vs. AthenaHQ Capability Profound AthenaHQ Pricing Model Custom enterprise pricing Subscription + extra credits Team Access Unlimited Unlimited Response Analysis Unlimited Unlimited AI Engines ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, and Copilot (Claude, MetaAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and more in development) ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude Global Coverage 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Unlimited languages and regions Key Features Agent Analytics, Conversation Explorer, Shopping Analytics, Content Briefs, Actions Automated outreach, content creation Analytics Depth Advanced sentiment themes, citation categorization, competitive analysis Automated optimization focus Security SOC 2 Type II, SSO, role-based access control, unlimited data retention SSO, unlimited data retention Support Up to 5-minute SLA, dedicated AI Search Strategist team 2-hour SLA, expert network access API Access Real-time data exchange with no rate limits Custom enterprise access Capability Profound AthenaHQ Pricing Model Custom enterprise pricing Subscription + extra credits Team Access Unlimited Unlimited Response Analysis Unlimited Unlimited AI Engines ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, and Copilot (Claude, MetaAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and more in development) ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude Global Coverage 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Unlimited languages and regions Key Features Agent Analytics, Conversation Explorer, Shopping Analytics, Content Briefs, Actions Automated outreach, content creation Analytics Depth Advanced sentiment themes, citation categorization, competitive analysis Automated optimization focus Security SOC 2 Type II, SSO, role-based access control, unlimited data retention SSO, unlimited data retention Support Up to 5-minute SLA, dedicated AI Search Strategist team 2-hour SLA, expert network access API Access Real-time data exchange with no rate limits Custom enterprise access Capability Profound AthenaHQ Capability Capability Profound Profound AthenaHQ AthenaHQ Pricing Model Custom enterprise pricing Subscription + extra credits Pricing Model Pricing Model Custom enterprise pricing Custom enterprise pricing Subscription + extra credits Subscription + extra credits Team Access Unlimited Unlimited Team Access Team Access Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Response Analysis Unlimited Unlimited Response Analysis Response Analysis Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited AI Engines ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, and Copilot (Claude, MetaAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and more in development) ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude AI Engines AI Engines ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, and Copilot (Claude, MetaAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and more in development) ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, and Copilot (Claude, MetaAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and more in development) ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AIO, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude Global Coverage 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Unlimited languages and regions Global Coverage Global Coverage 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly 50+ countries and 15+ languages, with more added weekly Unlimited languages and regions Unlimited languages and regions Key Features Agent Analytics, Conversation Explorer, Shopping Analytics, Content Briefs, Actions Automated outreach, content creation Key Features Key Features Agent Analytics, Conversation Explorer, Shopping Analytics, Content Briefs, Actions Agent Analytics, Conversation Explorer, Shopping Analytics, Content Briefs, Actions Automated outreach, content creation Automated outreach, content creation Analytics Depth Advanced sentiment themes, citation categorization, competitive analysis Automated optimization focus Analytics Depth Analytics Depth Advanced sentiment themes, citation categorization, competitive analysis Advanced sentiment themes, citation categorization, competitive analysis Automated optimization focus Automated optimization focus Security SOC 2 Type II, SSO, role-based access control, unlimited data retention SSO, unlimited data retention Security Security SOC 2 Type II, SSO, role-based access control, unlimited data retention SOC 2 Type II, SSO, role-based access control, unlimited data retention SSO, unlimited data retention SSO, unlimited data retention Support Up to 5-minute SLA, dedicated AI Search Strategist team 2-hour SLA, expert network access Support Support Up to 5-minute SLA, dedicated AI Search Strategist team Up to 5-minute SLA, dedicated AI Search Strategist team 2-hour SLA, expert network access 2-hour SLA, expert network access API Access Real-time data exchange with no rate limits Custom enterprise access API Access API Access Real-time data exchange with no rate limits Real-time data exchange with no rate limits Custom enterprise access Custom enterprise access — Why Enterprise Brands Prefer Profound Get the insights you need to outperform competitors in AI search Profound’s Agent Analytics provides real-time AI bot tracking on your domain with GA4 integration for complete customer journey analysis. Answer Engine Insights tracks brand mentions and reveals what AI is saying about your brand. Conversation Explorer analyzes AI keyword and topic volume, and Shopping optimizes product visibility in AI commerce. AthenaHQ focuses on automated workflows rather than deep analytical insights. Agent Analytics Conversation Explorer Scale without slowdowns and maintain your competitive advantage Profound analyzes up to 200,000 unique prompts daily per customer with unlimited data retention. Our plans are tailored to enterprise needs, analyzing AI visibility and providing actionable insights without the unpredictable pricing that credit-based upgrades create. AthenaHQ’s credit-based model leads to inconsistent spending as you scale, potentially forcing expensive plan changes. Solve critical problems in minutes and get expert advice With dedicated Slack channels and up to a 5-minute SLA, Profound offers the support that fast-moving enterprise teams require. Our dedicated AI Search Strategist teams share competitive intelligence and tailored recommendations, forming a strategic partnership. AthenaHQ offers a 2-hour SLA and access to an expert network. Protect sensitive data and meet compliance requirements Profound offers SOC 2 Type II compliance, SSO integration, role-based access control, and automated daily backups—supporting the security standards and audit capabilities that enterprise brands require. AthenaHQ provides basic SSO but lacks SOC 2 Type II compliance and comprehensive audit capabilities. SOC 2 Type II Achieve measurable ROI that justifies enterprise investment With Profound, Ramp became the eighth most visible fintech brand, growing AI visibility by 7x and doubling citations. 1840 & Company went from invisible to one of the five most visible brands in remote staffing, achieving 11% AI visibility. Performance testing shows a clear divide, with Profound achieving 34.4% AI visibility versus AthenaHQ’s 0.2%. Simplify operations across distributed teams and regions With support for 50+ countries and 15+ languages (expanding weekly)—plus an agency-focused “God View” for multi-client management—Profound is built to scale along with complex enterprise operations. AthenaHQ claims unlimited regions but lacks the specialized enterprise infrastructure for complex global operations. — What Makes Profound Different Answer Engine Insights Track AI visibility and see where and how AI mentions your brand across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AIO, and other major platforms. Measure visibility and share of voice, analyze how AI describes your brand, and identify which websites influence AI-generated answers. Compare your performance to competitors and build a competitive advantage. Agent Analytics Understand exactly how AI crawlers and answer engines interact with your website. See when, how often, and which AI bots access your content. Identify which pages AI models prefer, optimize your site’s technical structure for AI indexing, and measure how AI search influences clicks to your site with our GA4 integration. Conversation Explorer Discover how often relevant topics are discussed across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot—insights no other platform provides. Profound has access to the largest dataset of real user conversations in the world, besides the LLMs themselves. Spot trending topics and guide your AI visibility strategy with real conversation data. Shopping Analysis Optimize how your products appear in ChatGPT Shopping and other AI commerce features. Track product visibility, find high-impact keywords to increase product exposure, analyze competing products and retailers, and refine how your products are represented in AI-powered shopping recommendations. Content Creation & Powerful Actions Get strategic recommendations across earned, social, and owned channels based on influential content signals. Profound helps you create world-class content briefs based on its billions of AI signals. Go from brief to finished content in minutes. — How Profound Helps Enterprise Brands Improve AI Visibility Ramp Ramp achieved 7x AI visibility growth in accounts payable, increasing from 3.2% to 22.2% within one month and moving from 19th to 8th place among fintech brands in the accounts payable sector with help from Profound’s Answer Engine Insights. Ramp achieved 7x AI visibility growth 1840 & Company 1840 & Company increased AI visibility from 0% to 11% in remote staffing within one month, becoming a top five player in AI-driven searches and successfully competing against established players Toptal and Upwork with help from Profound’s Citation Analysis. 1840 & Company increased AI visibility from 0% to 11% — The Clear Choice for Enterprise AI Search Optimization While AthenaHQ offers solid automation capabilities for AI search optimization, Profound is the comprehensive enterprise solution that leading brands need to win AI visibility. Profound delivers what no other platform can: the ability to see exactly how your brand and topics are searched in AI engines, track every AI bot that visits your website in real time, and analyze how your products appear in AI commerce results—with automated content creation and an AI-powered Copilot to simplify your workflows. See for yourself why enterprise brands choose Profound, and join industry leaders who have already made the switch to enterprise-grade AEO. AEO. Get a demo and discover how Profound can transform your AI search visibility. Get a demo Get a demo
