Otterly AI earns its reputation: Gartner Cool Vendor 2025, G2 High Performer, 4.9/5 across 250 reviews, 20,000+ users. At $29/mo Starter it’s the most credentialed entry point in the AEO category.
But the real cost drifts higher once you add AI Mode ($9-149/mo depending on plan) and Gemini tracking on top of the base price. And with 6 AI platforms, Otterly misses Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, and Mistral entirely—platforms that collectively account for a meaningful and growing share of AI queries.
Three platforms deliver serious AI visibility tracking for under $50/mo with different tradeoffs: more platforms, more proactive workflows, or more revenue-connected analytics.
What are the best Otterly AI alternatives under $50?
The top 3 Otterly AI alternatives under $50 are Airefs, Promptmonitor, and AIclicks.
Airefs at $24/mo undercuts Otterly while adding Reddit keyword monitoring—a proactive capability that identifies future AI citation sources before they become established. Promptmonitor at $29/mo matches Otterly’s price and covers 8 AI platforms (including Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI) that Otterly misses entirely. AIclicks at $49/mo adds Prompt Cluster Mapping and Citation Intelligence—two capabilities that connect AI visibility data to revenue-driving topics in a way Otterly’s reporting doesn’t.
Top affordable Otterly AI alternatives — Comparison table
| Platform | Starting Price | AI Platforms | Best For | Key Differentiator | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airefs | $24/mo | ChatGPT by default (+ other LLMs on request) | Startups, SMBs, agencies | Reddit monitoring + done-for-you option | Yes (7-day) |
| Promptmonitor | $29/mo | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI (8) | Teams wanting broadest platform coverage | 8 platforms including Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI | Yes (7-day) |
| AIclicks | $49/mo | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot | Teams connecting visibility to revenue topics | Prompt Cluster Mapping + Citation Intelligence | Not listed |
1. Airefs: The proactive alternative under $50
Otterly monitors what AI says about your brand. Airefs shows you the Reddit threads and content gaps that will determine what AI says about your brand in the future.
The Reddit keyword monitoring—tracking up to 30 keywords to surface conversations before they become established AI sources—is a workflow that no Otterly tier covers. At $24/mo it’s $5/mo cheaper than Otterly’s Starter with a fundamentally more action-oriented approach.
Where Otterly’s GEO Audit identifies on-page optimization gaps, Airefs surfaces the external discussions driving AI citations. Both matter—but for teams that want to get ahead of AI visibility rather than measure it, Reddit monitoring provides earlier-stage intelligence that an on-page audit misses by design.
The done-for-you tier ($249/mo) handles execution on your behalf; Otterly has no service layer at any price.
Key features
- ChatGPT-first tracking: Daily refresh on paid plans; other LLMs on request
- Reddit keyword monitoring: Track up to 30 keywords to surface future citation opportunities
- AI Search Analytics: Real AI-driven traffic and crawler monitoring on your site
- Competitor source analysis: Sources your competitors rank in that you don’t
- Content opportunity identification: Specific articles and discussions AI models already cite in your market
Pricing
- Lite: $24/mo — 1 domain, 3 competitors, 25 prompts, 3 Reddit keywords
- Pro: $49/mo — 3 domains, 60 prompts, 10 Reddit keywords, 7-day free trial
- Expert: $83/mo — Unlimited domains, 150 prompts, 30 Reddit keywords, AEO strategist
Pros & cons
Pros:
- $24/mo vs $29/mo+ (Otterly after add-ons) — cheaper before add-on inflation
- Reddit monitoring identifies future AI citation sources — no Otterly equivalent
- 7-day free trial; no sales call required
- Done-for-you tier executes on insights — Otterly has no service layer
Cons:
- No Gartner or G2 category recognition — Otterly’s third-party credentials are stronger
- Fewer AI platforms by default than Otterly’s 6 base platforms
- No GEO Audit — Otterly’s 25+ on-page factor analysis has no direct equivalent
Customers
Airefs serves 100+ teams across startups, agencies, and B2B SaaS. 5.0/5 customer rating.
Thanks to Airefs, Techmap went from invisible in LLM answers to showing up every time as one of the best courses for tech recruiters—and it all happened in just a few weeks.
— Ruben K, Co-founder, Techmap
2. Promptmonitor: The broadest platform coverage at the same price
Otterly AI covers 6 platforms: ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot. Promptmonitor covers 8: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI.
At $29/mo—the same as Otterly’s Starter—Promptmonitor tracks Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI that Otterly misses at any tier. For teams that need cross-platform coverage beyond Otterly’s 6, this is the most affordable way to close the gap.
The publisher contact extraction feature—surfacing author emails and social profiles from AI-cited sources to enable direct outreach—is unique to Promptmonitor among sub-$50 tools. No Otterly tier offers an outreach workflow.
If building relationships with AI-cited publishers is part of your AEO strategy, Promptmonitor provides infrastructure that Otterly’s monitoring approach doesn’t support.
Key features
- 8-platform tracking: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI
- Publisher contact extraction: Author emails and social profiles from AI-cited sources for direct outreach
- Brand mention monitoring: Citation tracking, share of voice, sentiment analysis
- Competitor benchmarking: Which competitors appear in AI responses across platforms
- 7-day free trial: Evaluate the full platform before billing
Pricing
- Starter: $29/mo — 7-day free trial
- Pro: $129/mo
Pros & cons
Pros:
- 8 platforms vs Otterly’s 6 — covers Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI that Otterly misses entirely
- $29/mo matches Otterly’s base price with broader platform coverage
- Publisher contact extraction enables outreach workflows no Otterly tier provides
- 7-day free trial — same evaluation window as Otterly
Cons:
- Solo indie founder (Yogesh) — Otterly has a 2-10 person team with Gartner recognition
- No G2 reviews; primary community is a 1,300-subscriber newsletter vs Otterly’s 250 verified reviews
- No GEO Audit — Otterly’s 25+ on-page factor analysis is absent
- No done-for-you tier
Customers
Promptmonitor serves independent marketers, agencies, and SEO professionals. 7-day free trial available.
Perfect for quickly seeing where your brand stands across 8 AI engines—something most tools at this price only promise.
— Promptmonitor user
3. AIclicks: The revenue-connected alternative at $49/mo
Otterly AI tracks where your brand appears and how it’s mentioned. AIclicks’ Prompt Cluster Mapping connects those appearances to specific revenue-driving topic clusters—showing which AI visibility gains map to purchasing intent rather than just brand mentions.
At $49/mo, this is the most affordable tool in this comparison that bridges AI visibility data to business outcomes.
Citation Intelligence—AIclicks’ analysis of which sources AI engines cite and “trust” in your category—goes beyond Otterly’s citation tracking to show why certain sources are preferred. Where Otterly shows you citations, AIclicks shows you what makes them authoritative.
The Clutch-verified case study showing a client achieving ~2x organic AI traffic growth provides concrete accountability for outcomes that Otterly’s reporting, while comprehensive, doesn’t offer in third-party verified form.
Key features
- Prompt Cluster Mapping: Maps tracked prompts to revenue-driving topic clusters
- Citation Intelligence: Which sources AI engines cite and trust in your category
- AI Search Visibility Dashboard: Citations and brand positions across 4 AI platforms
- Competitor insights: Which competitors appear more frequently and in which contexts
- Smart content tools: Content recommendations based on visibility gaps
Pricing
- Starter: $49/mo — 4 AI platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot)
- Pro: $189/mo
- Business: $499/mo
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Prompt Cluster Mapping connects AI visibility to revenue topics — Otterly has no equivalent
- Citation Intelligence shows source authority patterns — more actionable than Otterly’s citation list
- $49/mo with no add-ons required — Otterly’s real cost climbs above $29/mo with AI Mode and Gemini
- Clutch-verified case study with ~2x AI traffic growth
Cons:
- Only 4 AI platforms vs Otterly’s 6 — missing AI Overviews, AI Mode
- No Gartner or G2 presence — Otterly’s third-party validation is significantly stronger
- No free trial listed — Otterly offers 14 days no credit card
- No GEO Audit equivalent
Customers
AIclicks serves SEO agencies, in-house marketing teams, and SaaS companies. A Clutch-verified green technology client increased organic AI traffic by nearly 2x.
We tracked our OKR progress without guesswork and increased organic web traffic from AI sources by nearly 2x.
— AIclicks Clutch-verified customer
Frequently asked questions
Why look for Otterly AI alternatives under $50?
Otterly AI is a well-validated platform with Gartner and G2 recognition. The case for alternatives is specific: add-ons for AI Mode and Gemini push the real monthly cost above $29/mo; the 6-platform ceiling misses Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI; and there’s no proactive opportunity discovery layer like Reddit monitoring. Under $50, the alternatives address these specific gaps while remaining competitive on price.
Can any under-$50 tool match Otterly’s third-party validation?
No. Otterly’s Gartner Cool Vendor 2025, G2 High Performer, and 4.9/5 across 250 verified reviews are unmatched at this price point. Airefs has a 5.0/5 customer rating. Promptmonitor has no G2 presence. AIclicks has Clutch and Trustpilot presence but no category-level recognition. For procurement-sensitive teams, Otterly remains the strongest-credentialed sub-$50 option in the category.
Which under-$50 alternative covers the most AI platforms?
Promptmonitor covers 8 platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI) for $29/mo—the broadest coverage of any sub-$50 tool and broader than Otterly’s 6. Otterly covers ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot. AIclicks covers 4. Airefs covers ChatGPT by default with other LLMs available on request.
Does any under-$50 tool have Otterly’s GEO Audit?
No. Otterly’s GEO Audit—25+ on-page factor analysis with prioritized optimization recommendations—has no direct equivalent in this price range. Airefs focuses on external opportunity discovery (Reddit, competitor sources). Promptmonitor focuses on publisher outreach infrastructure. AIclicks focuses on revenue-topic mapping. For teams that specifically need on-page GEO guidance, Otterly’s $29/mo Starter remains the most accessible option.
Is there a free trial for these alternatives?
Airefs: 7-day trial on Pro ($49/mo). Promptmonitor: 7-day trial. AIclicks: not listed. Otterly AI: 14-day trial on Starter ($29/mo)—the most generous evaluation window of any platform in this comparison.
Conclusion: Choosing your under-$50 Otterly AI alternative
For teams that want proactive opportunity discovery at the lowest price, Airefs at $24/mo undercuts Otterly while adding Reddit monitoring and a content opportunity engine that identifies future AI citation sources before they’re established.
For teams that need broader AI platform coverage at the same price, Promptmonitor at $29/mo matches Otterly’s Starter price while covering Claude, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI that Otterly misses—plus publisher outreach infrastructure that Otterly doesn’t offer.
For teams that want to connect AI visibility to revenue outcomes without exceeding $50/mo, AIclicks at $49/mo provides Prompt Cluster Mapping and Citation Intelligence—two capabilities that advance from measuring AI mentions to understanding which ones drive business results.
Want to start tracking AI visibility for $5/mo less than Otterly’s Starter? Try Airefs free for 7 days — $24/mo with Reddit monitoring and daily tracking.