Comparison · Updated Sep 2026 · We build SearchMention
SearchMention
SearchMention vs AthenaHQ for online stores
AthenaHQ is credit-metered AEO with content agents across 11 models. SearchMention is fixed-price product citation tracking for catalog merchants.
Who each tool is for
Pick SearchMention when
You sell products and want predictable pricing for citation tracking, readiness fixes, competitor who-won, and AI Traffic — Shopify, Magento, or Woo — without budgeting credits per AI response.
From free taste → Starter $49/mo
Pick AthenaHQ when
You're a brand or SaaS team running credit-metered AEO — 11-model visibility, content optimization agents, GA4/GSC integration, Shopify/Webflow connectors, and enterprise ACE + BI dashboards.
Free Essential → Starter $295/mo
Both can touch ecommerce. The fork is credit-based brand AEO vs fixed-price catalog visibility.
At a glance
| Capability | SearchMention | AthenaHQ |
|---|---|---|
| Primary job | Product citations + readiness + AI Traffic | Credit-metered AEO + content agents |
| Pricing model | Fixed monthly (query caps by plan) | Credits — 1 credit = 1 AI response |
| Platforms | Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce | Shopify, Webflow + domain tracking |
| Per-product citation attribution | Yes — core workflow from sitemap | Brand visibility + citation intelligence |
| Content optimization agents | Readiness fix lists + lost-prompt diagnosis | Advanced content optimization agent, self-learning improvement |
| Models tracked | ChatGPT + Gemini (Perplexity on Growth) | 11 on Starter — ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Mistral |
| Analytics integrations | AI Traffic (edge human vs bot) | GA4, GSC, Shopify, Webflow |
| Enterprise features | Agency plan (multi-store) | ACE, SSO, audit logs, BI exports (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) |
| Free starting point | Free readiness scan + prompt taste | Essential — 300 credits ($25 free credit) |
| Paid entry (public) | $49/mo Starter | $295/mo Starter (3,600 credits/mo) |
AthenaHQ pricing verified against athenahq.ai/pricing (Sep 2026). SearchMention: pricing.
When to pick AthenaHQ
Choose AthenaHQ when AI search optimization is a continuous content and brand program measured in credits. Starter at $295/mo buys 3,600 credits (one credit per AI response) across eleven models — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and more. Content optimization agents, on-page and off-page GEO actions, and GA4/GSC integration connect visibility data to traffic you already track.
Enterprise adds Athena Citation Engine (ACE), SAML/OIDC SSO, executive dashboards with Tableau/Power BI/Looker support, and white-glove setup. Shopify and Webflow integrations make Athena credible for DTC brands — but the buyer is usually a marketing team optimizing brand presence, not a merchant ops lead fixing 2,000 SKUs.
When to pick SearchMention
Choose SearchMention when the question is catalog-specific: which product URLs get cited in buyer prompts, what's broken on those pages, and which competitor product won when you didn't show up. Import the sitemap, score AI readiness, run tracked prompts — citations roll up to individual products with lost-prompt diagnosis in the slide-over.
At $49/mo Starter you get ChatGPT + Gemini monitoring without calculating credits. Magento and WooCommerce are first-class. Start with the free readiness scan, add AI Traffic when GA4 mislabels ChatGPT clicks.
Where they actually differ
Credit-metered AEO vs fixed catalog visibility
AthenaHQ's economics are credit-based: every AI response consumed counts against your monthly allocation (300 free on Essential, 3,600 on Starter at $295). That model suits brand teams running broad prompt portfolios across many models — you pay for breadth. SearchMention caps queries by plan tier at a flat price ($49 Starter, $99 Growth) optimized for ecommerce prompt sets tied to your catalog categories. If you're a founder who doesn't want to model credit burn, fixed pricing wins.
Content agents vs readiness + who-won
AthenaHQ's Advanced Content Optimization Agent and self-learning content improvement loop target brand and SaaS content teams producing GEO-optimized pages at scale. SearchMention's action layer is merchant-specific: readiness scores per product URL, prioritized fix lists from automated checks, and lost-prompt diagnosis naming the competitor SKU that won. Agents vs ops — different muscle memory for different buyers.
Model breadth vs ecommerce depth
AthenaHQ Starter tracks eleven answer engines out of the box — including Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, and Meta AI — with unlimited competitor tracking and persona targeting. SearchMention focuses on the models that drive shopping answers today (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity on Growth) and goes deeper on product attribution, platform-specific readiness for Magento/Woo, and competitor page scoring on paid plans. Wide vs deep is the tradeoff.
Price point and buyer stage
AthenaHQ Starter at $295/mo is six times SearchMention Starter — justified if you use eleven models, content agents, and GA4/GSC correlation daily. For a 500-SKU store validating whether ChatGPT cites their products, SearchMention's free scan and $49 tier deliver faster ROI proof. Enterprise Athena with ACE and BI exports competes with Profound and Peec Advanced, not with SearchMention Growth at $99.
Pricing
AthenaHQ
- Essential Free — 300 credits ($25 free credit), 5 models
- Starter $295/mo — 3,600 credits, 11 models, content agent
- Enterprise Custom — ACE, SSO, BI dashboards, negotiated credits
API access and extra credits are paid add-ons on Starter.
SearchMention
- Free readiness scan + free prompt-monitoring taste
- Starter $49/mo — ChatGPT + Gemini, product citations, competitors
- Growth $99/mo — adds Perplexity + higher query volume
AthenaHQ's $295 Starter includes breadth (11 models, content agents, GA4/GSC) that most catalog merchants won't fully consume. SearchMention's $49 Starter includes depth (product citations, readiness, who-won) they'll use weekly. Match spend to the question you're actually asking.
Honest take
AthenaHQ is a legitimate AEO platform — G2 High Performer Spring 2026, 4.9 rating, serious model coverage, and content agents that brand teams actually use. It's not overpriced for what it delivers to SaaS and enterprise marketing orgs. It is overkill for a catalog merchant whose KPI is "how many of my products does ChatGPT cite this month?"
Brand team budgeting credits across 11 engines → AthenaHQ. Catalog merchant on Magento needing who-won on lost prompts → SearchMention.
FAQ
- Is AthenaHQ good for ecommerce?
- Yes for DTC brands with marketing teams running AEO programs — Shopify integration, GA4/GSC, content agents. Less ideal for catalog ops teams who need per-SKU citation rollups and platform-specific readiness on Magento/Woo.
- How many credits do I need?
- On AthenaHQ, credits = AI responses. Starter's 3,600/mo covers roughly 120 prompts × 30 days if running one response per prompt daily across one model — multi-model runs consume faster. SearchMention avoids this math with plan-based query caps.
- What is Athena Citation Engine (ACE)?
- Enterprise-only feature for deeper citation intelligence and optimization. SearchMention's citation bridge rolls prompt citations onto product pages on every paid plan — different tier, different buyer.
- Can I use both?
- Unusual for SMBs. A large brand might use Athena for enterprise AEO and SearchMention for a specific storefront BU — but overlap is high; pick based on primary workflow.
- Which has the better free tier?
- Athena Essential: 300 credits for brand visibility experiments. SearchMention: unlimited free readiness scans plus prompt taste — better for validating catalog page quality before subscribing.
Catalog visibility without credit math
AthenaHQ excels at multi-model AEO. If your question is which products AI cites — start with a free readiness scan.