
Archytas AISpy
A free, downloadable desktop app that tracks brand visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, bring your own API keys, no subscription.
Best forsolo SEO/GEO consultants and small in-house marketing teams who want unlimited AI-visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews without a monthly subscription, and are comfortable supplying their own API keys
Our verdict
Archytas AISpy is a rare genuinely free entry in this category: a downloadable Windows/macOS app, not a subscription dashboard, that tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode with no seat cost and no cap on how many brands or prompts you track, the only recurring cost is the LLM and DataForSEO API usage you already control.
A genuinely free, unlimited alternative to paid AI-visibility SaaS, from a named and verifiable operator, but it launched three weeks ago to a single-point Show HN thread, so treat it as an early, unproven pick rather than a market leader.
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What's great
- Completely free with no subscription, seat cost or account required, cost is limited to the LLM/DataForSEO API calls a user makes themselves.
- Runs entirely locally (Windows/macOS) with no hard cap on the number of brands, prompts or competitors tracked, the only ceiling is local disk space.
- Covers five AI surfaces in one tool: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode (the last two via a built-in DataForSEO integration).
- Built by a named, independently verifiable operator, Michael Curtis, a 17-year SEO consultant who has worked with 7DOTS, Gravity Global, Jaywing and Melt Digital on brands including Audible and Expedia, rather than an anonymous team.
Watch-outs
- Zero third-party traction at verification time: the Show HN launch (2026-06-30) sits at 1 point with no comments, and no G2, Capterra, Trustpilot or Product Hunt listing exists anywhere.
- No MCP server support, the vendor confirms it is only 'on the roadmap', so it cannot be wired directly into an agent workflow the way some rivals' MCP integrations can.
- Requires the user's own paid API keys for every engine tracked (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Perplexity, plus DataForSEO for AI Overviews/AI Mode), 'free' means no software fee, not zero ongoing cost.
- Linux build is listed as 'coming soon' and not yet available, desktop coverage today is Windows and Apple Silicon macOS only.
Also note: No out-of-the-box analytics integration beyond scheduled CSV/XLSX export or direct SQLite queries. · The vendor states it may use in-app 'Message of the Day' space to promote future paid offerings, though the app itself carries no subscription tiers today.
How Archytas AISpy compares
The other tools buyers weigh against Archytas AISpy, and when to pick each.
| Tool | Best when you want… |
|---|---|
| Archytas AISpyThis page | solo SEO/GEO consultants and small in-house marketing teams who want unlimited AI-visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews without a monthly subscription, and are comfortable supplying their own API keys |
| Peec AI | A hosted, no-setup SaaS dashboard with a proven customer base, if you would rather not self-host or manage your own API keys. |
| Otterly AI | A simple, cheap monthly subscription with a managed dashboard, if a hosted, done-for-you setup matters more than unlimited local tracking. |
| Profound | An enterprise-grade, actively-reviewed platform, if proven adoption and support matter more than running free, self-hosted software. |
What is Archytas AISpy?
Archytas AISpy is a free, downloadable desktop app that tracks how a brand is mentioned and cited across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode. It is built by Archytas Digital, a London SEO consultancy run by freelance search consultant Michael Curtis, and it runs locally on Windows or Apple Silicon Mac (a Linux build is 'coming soon') using API keys the user supplies themselves, rather than a hosted subscription platform. Every tracked prompt, response and result is stored in a local SQLite database, so there is no per-seat cost and no vendor-imposed limit on how many brands or prompts a user tracks.
What does Archytas AISpy do?
A user downloads the Windows or macOS build, supplies their own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Perplexity API key (Google AI Overviews and AI Mode instead run through Archytas's own DataForSEO integration), and enters the prompts they want to monitor. Running a check fires each prompt at the selected engines and logs whether the tracked brand, its named competitors, and any cited source domains appear in the response, alongside a language-and-entity-analysis pass that surfaces which people, products and phrases the models associate with the topic even when no link is cited. A separate Fanout Query Mapping view shows the follow-up web searches an LLM runs behind the scenes before answering, so a user can see which pages actually get pulled in. Results chart into built-in performance dashboards, can be scheduled to run on a cadence, and export to CSV/XLSX or via direct SQLite queries into a BI pipeline. A 'follow-on question' feature lets a user re-query any stored response with a second, independently-chosen model, for sentiment classification, brand extraction, or a cheaper follow-up, without re-running the original prompt. There is no MCP server support yet, though the vendor lists it on the roadmap.
How Archytas AISpy works
- Download the Windows or Apple Silicon Mac build and supply your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Perplexity API key (Google AI Overviews and AI Mode run through Archytas's own DataForSEO integration instead).
- Enter the prompts to monitor; running a check fires each prompt at the selected engines and logs whether the tracked brand, its competitors, and any cited source domains appear in the response.
- A Fanout Query Mapping view shows the follow-up web searches an LLM runs behind the scenes before answering, so you can see which pages actually get pulled in.
- Schedule checks to run on a cadence, chart results in the built-in dashboards, and export to CSV/XLSX or query the local SQLite database directly for a BI pipeline.
Who is Archytas AISpy for?
- Solo SEO/GEO consultants and small in-house marketing teams that want unlimited AI-visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews without a monthly subscription.
- Freelancers running visibility checks for several small clients who want to avoid per-seat SaaS fees, since the only ongoing cost is each client's own API usage.
- Data teams that want to fold AI-visibility results into an existing BI pipeline by querying the local SQLite file directly, rather than exporting from a hosted dashboard.
Key features
- Multi-engine AI visibility tracking: Runs prompts against ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity via their native APIs, plus Google AI Overviews and AI Mode through a built-in DataForSEO integration.
- Fanout query mapping: Surfaces the web searches an LLM runs behind the scenes before answering a prompt, showing which pages get pulled in and who else is being cited.
- Language & entity analysis: Tracks brand, product and people mentions in AI answers even when no link or citation is generated, not just URL citations.
- Local SQLite storage, unlimited tracking: Everything runs and stores locally, so there is no per-seat pricing and no vendor-imposed cap on how many brands, prompts or competitors a user tracks.
- Scheduled exports + BI-ready database: Point AISpy at a cadence and it re-runs automatically, exporting to CSV/XLSX or letting a BI tool query the underlying SQLite file directly.
- Follow-on question re-querying: Any stored AI response can be re-queried with a second, independently chosen model, for sentiment classification, brand extraction, or a cheaper follow-up, without repeating the original prompt.
What are Archytas AISpy's use cases?
- Freelance/agency AI-visibility reporting on a budget: An SEO consultant running visibility checks for several small clients uses AISpy instead of paying per-seat SaaS fees, since the only ongoing cost is each client's own API usage.
- Tracking a live launch or event: A brand team schedules AISpy to run every few minutes during a product launch to catch how AI citations and sentiment shift in near-real time, accepting a higher token bill as the tradeoff.
- Feeding an existing BI/reporting pipeline: A data team schedules CSV/XLSX exports, or queries the SQLite file directly, to fold AI-visibility results into a reporting stack that already ingests other marketing data.
Why use Archytas AISpy?
- Genuinely free with no subscription, seat cost or account required, the only ongoing cost is the LLM/DataForSEO API calls a user makes themselves.
- Runs entirely locally (Windows/macOS) with no hard cap on the brands, prompts or competitors tracked, the only ceiling is local disk space.
- Covers five AI surfaces in one tool: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode.
- Built by a named, independently verifiable operator (Michael Curtis, 17-year SEO consultant), not an anonymous team.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Completely free with no subscription, seat cost or account required, cost is limited to the LLM/DataForSEO API calls a user makes themselves.
- Runs entirely locally (Windows/macOS) with no hard cap on the number of brands, prompts or competitors tracked, the only ceiling is local disk space.
- Covers five AI surfaces in one tool: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode (the last two via a built-in DataForSEO integration).
- Built by a named, independently verifiable operator, Michael Curtis, a 17-year SEO consultant who has worked with 7DOTS, Gravity Global, Jaywing and Melt Digital on brands including Audible and Expedia, rather than an anonymous team.
Cons
- Zero third-party traction at verification time: the Show HN launch (2026-06-30) sits at 1 point with no comments, and no G2, Capterra, Trustpilot or Product Hunt listing exists anywhere.
- No MCP server support, the vendor confirms it is only 'on the roadmap', so it cannot be wired directly into an agent workflow the way some rivals' MCP integrations can.
- Requires the user's own paid API keys for every engine tracked (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Perplexity, plus DataForSEO for AI Overviews/AI Mode), 'free' means no software fee, not zero ongoing cost.
- Linux build is listed as 'coming soon' and not yet available, desktop coverage today is Windows and Apple Silicon macOS only.
Limitations
- No out-of-the-box analytics integration beyond scheduled CSV/XLSX export or direct SQLite queries.
- The vendor states it may use in-app 'Message of the Day' space to promote future paid offerings, though the app itself carries no subscription tiers today.
Archytas AISpy pricing
- Archytas AISpyFree / download, no account or subscription
See current pricing on archytasdigital.com ↗Compare Archytas AISpy alternatives →
Archytas AISpy specs
Pricing
- Pricing model
- free
- Free tier
- ✓ Yes
Capabilities
- Public API
- ✗ No
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon); Linux "coming soon"
Archytas AISpy review
Archytas AISpy is a rare genuinely free entry in this category: a downloadable Windows/macOS app, not a subscription dashboard, that tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode with no seat cost and no cap on how many brands or prompts you track, the only recurring cost is the LLM and DataForSEO API usage you already control. It is built by a real, named, easily-verified operator, London SEO consultant Michael Curtis of Archytas Digital, rather than an anonymous team. The honest catch is timing and traction: it shipped on Hacker News on 2026-06-30 to a single point and zero comments, carries no third-party reviews anywhere, and has no MCP support yet. Pick it if you are a consultant or small team that wants unlimited, bring-your-own-key tracking and do not mind running early, unreviewed software; choose a paid platform like Peec AI, Profound or Otterly AI instead if you need a hosted dashboard, proven adoption, or agent/MCP integration today.
A genuinely free, unlimited alternative to paid AI-visibility SaaS, from a named and verifiable operator, but it launched three weeks ago to a single-point Show HN thread, so treat it as an early, unproven pick rather than a market leader.
Frequently asked questions
Is Archytas AISpy free?
Which AI engines does it track?
Does Archytas AISpy have an API or MCP server?
Who built Archytas AISpy?
How many brands or prompts can I track?
Is my data private?
Archytas AISpy alternatives
- Peec AI
A hosted, no-setup SaaS dashboard with a proven customer base, if you would rather not self-host or manage your own API keys.
- Otterly AI
A simple, cheap monthly subscription with a managed dashboard, if a hosted, done-for-you setup matters more than unlimited local tracking.
- Profound
An enterprise-grade, actively-reviewed platform, if proven adoption and support matter more than running free, self-hosted software.
- Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker is MCP/API/CLI-native and billed pay-as-you-go by usage, if you need programmatic, agent-first access instead of Archytas AISpy's downloadable desktop app.
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