# AthenaHQ vs Profound

> Source: https://citedindex.com/compare/athenahq-vs-profound (structured, researched, re-verified)

AthenaHQ and Profound both measure how AI answer engines mention a brand, but they split on how they price engine breadth and API access.

AthenaHQ is a Y Combinator-backed platform with a single self-serve tier: Starter, $295/month, billed monthly (about 17% cheaper billed annually). That one tier already covers up to 9 AI engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot and Grok — and includes API access with add-on credits available. Usage is metered in credits rather than seats: Starter includes 3,600 monthly credits (roughly one credit per AI response checked), so a team running frequent prompts across all 9 engines can draw the pool down faster than the flat price suggests, pushing heavy users toward less-frequent monitoring or a custom Enterprise plan. A one-time ~$25 credit allowance (about 300 credits) is available to try it, but there is no ongoing free tier.

Profound has moved from a pure enterprise-sales model to three published tiers, all billed annually only with no month-to-month rate shown. Starter ($99/month) tracks ChatGPT and only ChatGPT, with 50 prompts tracked. Growth ($399/month) unlocks 3 answer engines and 100 prompts. Neither self-serve tier includes API access — that requires a custom, sales-led Enterprise plan, which also unlocks up to 9 answer engines, multiple tracked companies and SSO/SOC2.

The real choice is not "which is cheaper" — it's what a team needs on day one. AthenaHQ's $295/month buys engine breadth and an API immediately, capped by a credit pool that scales with usage, not seats. Profound's $99/month is the cheaper door in, but it opens onto ChatGPT only; real multi-engine coverage costs $399/month, and an API at all requires a sales conversation with no published price.

| Fact | AthenaHQ | Profound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What it is | YC-backed AEO platform tracking brand mentions across nine AI answer engines, credit-metered. | Enterprise answer-engine insights: how AI models talk about your brand, at scale. |
| Pricing | $0 / month (standing free plan) | $99 / month (billed annually) |
| API | Yes | — |
| Tags | Enterprise · Perplexity · Brand monitoring · AI Overviews · ChatGPT | Enterprise · Perplexity · Brand monitoring · Gemini · Free trial · Claude · ChatGPT |
| Full facts | https://citedindex.com/athenahq.md | https://citedindex.com/profound.md |

## Verdict

Want broad engine coverage and API access at a single self-serve price, and can live inside a credit budget → AthenaHQ. Want the cheapest possible entry and don't mind starting on ChatGPT only → Profound's $99/month Starter, upgrading to Growth ($399/month) once more engines matter. Need an API without talking to sales → AthenaHQ; Profound's API is Enterprise-only.

## FAQ

**Which is cheaper to start?**

Profound's Starter is $99/month versus AthenaHQ's Starter at $295/month — but Profound's $99 tier tracks ChatGPT only, while AthenaHQ's $295 tier covers up to 9 AI engines from day one.

**Which one has an API?**

AthenaHQ includes API access (with add-on credits available) on its $295/month Starter tier. Profound's self-serve Starter and Growth tiers have no API access at all — it is included only on Profound's custom-priced, sales-led Enterprise plan.

**How does AthenaHQ's credit system affect its real price?**

AthenaHQ's $295/month Starter tier includes 3,600 monthly credits (roughly 1 credit per AI response checked). A team checking frequent prompts across all 9 engines can burn through that pool faster than the flat price implies, which independent reviewers flag as a real cost driver for heavier usage.

**How many AI engines does each track at the entry tier?**

AthenaHQ's $295/month Starter already covers up to 9 engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok). Profound's $99/month Starter tracks ChatGPT only; 3-engine coverage needs Growth ($399/month), and the full 9-engine set is Enterprise-only.

**Is either billed month-to-month?**

AthenaHQ's Starter tier is billed monthly (with a discount for paying annually). Profound's Starter and Growth tiers are billed annually only — no month-to-month rate is published for either.