Profound vs Otterly for AI Visibility in 2026
Quick answer: Profound is the enterprise heavyweight. Otterly is the affordable monitor. We compare pricing, engine coverage, and what each actually does, plus a WordPress-native third option.
⚡ Key takeaways
- → Different buyer profiles. Profound is the enterprise platform ($99/mo Starter, $399/mo Growth, custom Enterprise). Otterly is the self-serve SMB monitor ($25/mo Lite, $160/mo Standard, $422/mo Premium on annual).
- → Otterly's headline tiers exclude two engines. Gemini and Google AI Mode are paid add-ons ($9-$149/mo each). Full coverage on Standard runs about $278/mo after add-ons, not the $160 sticker.
- → Profound's signature is Prompt Volumes, panel data on what people actually ask AI. Otterly does not have this. If demand research is the use case, Otterly cannot replace Profound.
- → Same-day setup vs 1-3 weeks. Otterly is self-serve with a free trial. Profound is sales-led, no public trial, onboarding usually takes 1-3 weeks before first usable data.
If you have a marketing org with budget and want demand research at depth, Profound is the platform built for that job. If you want self-serve, transparent pricing, and a same-day start, Otterly is the cheaper monitor and the easier place to test the channel.
What's in this guide
Different buyers, not different versions of the same tool
Profound and Otterly get compared a lot. The pricing pages sit next to each other in every "best AI visibility tools" list.
They are built for different buyers though.
Profound is the enterprise standard. Sales-led, hosted SaaS, Prompt Volumes panel data, SOC 2, dedicated account team at Growth and above. The customer list (Statsig, Zapier, Clay, US Bank, Mejuri) tells you who the actual buyer is. Marketing orgs with a dedicated AI search owner and budget over $1,000/mo.
Otterly is the SMB monitor. Self-serve signup, free trial without a card, prices listed on the page. Solo marketers, small agencies, and brand teams testing the channel use it. 4.9 out of 5 on G2 from 41 reviews.
So the comparison is real, but the answer almost always falls out of who you are and what the use case is.
The pricing math, sticker vs real
Both vendors publish prices. Both have catches that matter.
What each tool costs at each tier
| Tier | Profound (monthly) | Profound (annual) | Otterly (monthly) | Otterly (annual, 15% off) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Starter $99/mo | Starter $82.50/mo ($990/yr) | Lite $29/mo | Lite $25/mo ($300/yr) |
| Mid | Growth $399/mo | Growth $332.50/mo ($3,990/yr) | Standard $189/mo | Standard $160/mo ($1,920/yr) |
| Top | Enterprise: custom | Enterprise: custom | Premium $489/mo | Premium $422/mo ($5,064/yr) |
| Full-engine cost on Standard/mid | All included | All included | $278/mo with Gemini + AI Mode add-ons | $236/mo with Gemini + AI Mode add-ons |
Profound annual saves ~17% (two months free). Otterly annual saves 15%. Otterly Gemini and Google AI Mode add-ons run $9 / $59 / $149 per tier, monthly.
The Profound entry tier is roughly 4x the Otterly entry tier in monthly terms. The Profound mid tier is roughly 2x the Otterly mid tier even after Otterly's add-ons.
So the cost gap is real. The bundles are different though.
Profound's tiers bundle more engines, more prompts, more competitors, and Prompt Volumes data at Growth. Otterly's tiers cap on prompt volume (15 / 100 / 400 per month) and gate Gemini and Google AI Mode to paid add-ons.
If you only need to track ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, and AI Overviews on a small prompt set, Otterly's Lite at $25-$29/mo gets you started for the price of lunch. If you need broader engine coverage, more prompts, or demand research, the cost climbs and Profound's bundle starts to look more competitive at the mid-tier.
Engine coverage compared
Otterly covers ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and Google AI Overviews out of the box on every plan. Gemini and Google AI Mode are paid add-ons.
Profound's tier-based coverage is less transparent. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude are the base set on Starter and Growth. Enterprise unlocks 10+ engines plus specialty integrations like ChatGPT Shopping.
So at the base tiers, both tools cover the major engines. The split shows up at the edges.
- If you need Google AI Mode specifically, Otterly bills it as an add-on ($9-$149/mo). Profound includes Gemini-line engines in the base set.
- If you need ChatGPT Shopping or 10+ engines at once, Profound Enterprise is the only one of the two that goes there.
- If Copilot is central to your buyer, Otterly includes it on every plan. Profound's Copilot coverage varies by tier.
What each one actually does
Beyond engines, the scope of each tool is meaningfully different.
Profound only.
- Prompt Volumes (panel demand data on real AI queries by category)
- Multi-platform site coverage (Shopify, Webflow, custom CMS, headless)
- 10+ engines at Enterprise tier
- Dedicated account team at Growth and above
- SOC 2 Type II compliance and SSO
- ChatGPT Shopping visibility at scale
- Content Agents for AI-drafted optimization
Otterly only.
- Public, self-serve pricing without a sales call
- Free trial without a card
- Same-day setup, first data inside an hour
- Lite tier at $25-$29/mo (no Profound equivalent at this price)
- Simple, clean dashboard built for one or two users
Both tools track citations across major engines, both surface cited / mentioned / absent results, and both support competitor benchmarking. The split is at the depth (Profound's demand research, multi-platform coverage, enterprise controls) vs the accessibility (Otterly's price, speed of setup, transparent tiers).
Three real buyer scenarios
The solo marketer testing the channel. You want to know if your top 10 buyer questions get cited in ChatGPT and Perplexity. You have no budget approval for a sales call. Otterly Lite at $25/mo annual covers it. Profound Starter at $82.50/mo annual is 3-4x the cost and requires a sales call you do not want to make. Otterly wins this scenario clearly.
The mid-market brand with a dedicated AI search owner. You need 100+ prompts tracked, competitor benchmarking across multiple categories, and you want to know what your buyers actually ask AI (not just whether they ask the questions you guessed). Profound Growth at $3,990/yr annual is the right fit. Prompt Volumes unlocks at this tier. Otterly Premium at $422/mo annual ($5,064/yr) costs more for less, since it does not have the demand data and gates engines as add-ons.
The enterprise retailer tracking AI shopping. You sell across multiple platforms (Shopify, custom CMS, headless storefronts) and you want ChatGPT Shopping visibility at scale plus SOC 2. Profound Enterprise is the only one of these two that fits the use case. Otterly does not have multi-platform tracking or ChatGPT Shopping support at any tier.
If you are on WordPress
Neither Profound nor Otterly runs on WordPress. They both live in hosted SaaS dashboards and track external sites.
If your site is on WordPress, the alternative worth knowing about is CiteTrack. It is a WordPress plugin that runs inside the admin, queries 5 engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot) through your own API keys, logs verified AI crawler hits, and ties AI-referred visits to WooCommerce or EDD orders.
The pricing shape is different too. CiteTrack is flat annual ($59 Solo for 1 site, $129 Studio for 5, $249 Agency unlimited). No monthly subscription. Free crawler logging without a license. Honest limit: WordPress only, you manage your own engine spend.
Different tool for a different platform. If you are on WordPress and the budget shape matters, it is worth a look. If you are not, Profound and Otterly are the two real options.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Profound or Otterly?
Otterly at every tier. Otterly Lite at $25-$29/mo is roughly 4x cheaper than Profound Starter at $82.50-$99/mo. Otterly Standard at $160-$189/mo is about half of Profound Growth at $332.50-$399/mo. The gap narrows when you add Otterly's Gemini and AI Mode add-ons, but Otterly still wins on raw price.
What does Profound do that Otterly does not?
Prompt Volumes demand research, multi-platform site coverage (Shopify, Webflow, custom CMS), 10+ engines at Enterprise, dedicated account team at Growth and above, SOC 2 compliance, SSO, ChatGPT Shopping visibility at scale, Content Agents for AI drafting.
What does Otterly do that Profound does not?
Self-serve signup with no sales call, free trial without a card, same-day setup, transparent published prices, a $25-$29/mo entry tier (Profound has no equivalent at this price), 4.9/5 G2 rating from 41 reviews.
Does Otterly track Google AI Mode?
Yes, but as a paid add-on ($9/mo on Lite, $59/mo on Standard, $149/mo on Premium). Same for Gemini. The headline tier prices do not include either engine, so full coverage on Standard runs about $278/mo monthly or $236/mo annual.
Can I try Profound before signing a contract?
Profound is primarily sales-led. Trial terms vary by account. Otterly offers a 14-day free trial with no card required. So Otterly is the easier tool to test the category with first.
How many prompts does each tier track?
Otterly: 15 on Lite, 100 on Standard, 400 on Premium. Profound publishes prompt allowances inside the platform rather than on the pricing page, with Growth typically unlocking several hundred and Enterprise running custom.
Which one is faster to set up?
Otterly. Self-serve signup, first data inside an hour. Profound is sales-led with onboarding typically 1-3 weeks before you see usable data.
Are there other options if I am on WordPress?
Yes. CiteTrack is a WordPress plugin in this category at flat annual pricing ($59-$249/yr) with 5-engine citation tracking, verified crawler analytics, and WooCommerce/EDD revenue attribution. Different shape than both Profound and Otterly. Honest limit: WordPress only.
- The full pricing breakdown, Profound pricing and Otterly pricing.
- The wider field, Profound alternatives and Otterly alternatives.
- Real cost across the category, SaaS vs WordPress plugin.
- The CiteTrack head-to-heads, CiteTrack vs Profound.
See it in your own WordPress dashboard
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