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Comparison · honest · updated June 2026

FixAEO vs AthenaHQ

A free 20-tool catalog with 8-engine scans (Lite $25–29/mo) vs an enterprise GEO platform with BI integrations and agentic content, from $295/mo. Self-serve and cheap vs enterprise depth.

The 10-second verdict

Pick FixAEO if you want to see and fix your AI visibility across 8 engines for free (or $25–29/mo) with 20 utility tools and no signup. Pick AthenaHQ if you're an enterprise that needs BI integrations (GA4 / Looker / API), sentiment + hallucination detection, procurement features (SOC 2, SSO), and a dedicated specialist — and the $295/mo floor fits your budget.

Pick FixAEO if
  • You want a free tier and no signup, not a $295/mo floor
  • You want a flat, predictable price instead of credit-metered billing
  • You want 20 utility tools (schema, llms.txt, robots.txt, validators) beyond tracking
  • You care about DeepSeek coverage alongside the other 7 engines
  • You do one-off audits and want a public sample report before any signup
Pick AthenaHQ if
  • You need turnkey BI integrations — GA4, Looker, Power BI, API
  • You want sentiment analysis + brand-impersonation/hallucination detection
  • You need enterprise procurement: SOC 2 Type 2, SSO, audit logs
  • You want an agentic content engine + a dedicated GEO specialist
  • You track Google AI Mode as a surface distinct from AI Overviews

Pricing side-by-side

FixAEO
$0 – $29/mo

20 free tools forever + a free Gemini scan, no signup. Lite $25–29/mo (flat) for 8-engine daily tracking, multi-domain, and recurring audits.

AthenaHQ
$295/mo

Self-Serve from $295/mo, credit-metered (3,600 credits/mo, 1 credit = 1 AI response); $95/mo billed annually. Enterprise is custom. No free tier.

Feature-by-feature

Feature
FixAEO
AthenaHQ
Truly free tier (no signup, no expiry)
FixAEO is free forever with a Gemini scan, no signup. AthenaHQ has no free tier or trial — Self-Serve starts at $295/mo.
Low-cost paid entry
FixAEO Lite is a flat $25-29/mo. AthenaHQ Self-Serve is $295/mo ($95/mo if billed annually).
Flat, predictable pricing
FixAEO bills a flat monthly rate. AthenaHQ is credit-metered (3,600 credits/mo, 1 credit = 1 AI response) so cost moves with usage.
Multi-engine AI scanner
FixAEO: 8 engines incl. DeepSeek. AthenaHQ: 8+ (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok) — no DeepSeek; counts AI Mode separately.
Turnkey BI integrations (GA4, GSC, Looker, API)
AthenaHQ ships GA4, GSC, Shopify, Webflow + Tableau/Power BI/Looker + API (Enterprise). FixAEO exposes a /scan/:id JSON endpoint only.
Sentiment + hallucination/impersonation detection
AthenaHQ packages sentiment analysis and brand-impersonation/hallucination alerts. FixAEO measures brand-mentioned per scan.
Free utility tool catalog (schema, llms.txt, etc.)
FixAEO: 20 free tools across generators, validators, audits. AthenaHQ is a platform, not a free-tool catalog.
No signup to scan + public sample report
FixAEO: type a URL, get a report; sample at /aeo-report/. AthenaHQ requires a paid subscription.
Enterprise procurement (SSO, audit logs, SOC 2)
AthenaHQ: SOC 2 Type 2, SSO, audit logs, dedicated GEO specialist. FixAEO is self-serve, no procurement track today.
Named case studies + social proof
AthenaHQ: YC-backed, case studies (Gruns, Verito, Popl, Lago), G2 badges. FixAEO is newer and doesn't cite customer counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is AthenaHQ?
AthenaHQ is an enterprise-grade Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) / Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform. It tracks how brands appear across AI assistants, detects content gaps and 'AI blindspots,' monitors competitors, and flags brand impersonation and hallucinations — with an 'Ask Athena' AI copilot and content recommendations. It's Y Combinator-backed and SOC 2 Type 2 certified, aimed at marketing teams, agencies, and enterprises.
How much does AthenaHQ cost?
AthenaHQ's Self-Serve plan starts at $295/month on a credit-based system (3,600 credits/month, where 1 credit = 1 AI response), or $95/month effective when billed annually (17% off). New accounts get 67% off the first month. The Enterprise plan is custom-priced. There is no permanent free tier. FixAEO, by contrast, keeps 20 tools and a Gemini scan free forever, with Lite at a flat $25–29/month.
Does AthenaHQ have a free tier or free trial?
No. AthenaHQ has no free-forever tier and no standard free trial — using the platform requires a paid subscription starting at $295/month. That's the biggest practical difference from FixAEO, which is free to use (a Gemini-powered scan plus 20 free tools) with no signup required.
Which one covers more AI engines?
It's close. AthenaHQ lists 8+ engines: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and Grok (it counts AI Overviews and AI Mode as two separate Google surfaces). FixAEO covers 8: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, DeepSeek, and Google AI Overviews. The notable differences — FixAEO includes DeepSeek, which isn't on AthenaHQ's list; AthenaHQ tracks Google AI Mode as a distinct surface.
What does AthenaHQ do better than FixAEO?
Several enterprise things. (1) Turnkey integrations — GA4, Google Search Console, Shopify, Webflow/Framer, plus Tableau, Power BI, Looker, and API access on Enterprise; FixAEO only exposes a /scan/:id JSON endpoint. (2) Packaged sentiment analysis and brand-impersonation/hallucination detection. (3) Enterprise depth — SSO, audit logs, SOC 2 Type 2, a dedicated GEO specialist, and an agentic content engine. (4) Stronger social proof — YC backing, named case studies (Gruns, Verito, Popl, Lago), and G2 badges.
What does FixAEO do better than AthenaHQ?
Four things. (1) It's genuinely free — $0 forever with a Gemini scan and no signup, vs AthenaHQ's $295/month floor with no free tier. (2) Flat, predictable pricing — $25–29/month Lite vs AthenaHQ's credit-metered model where the bill moves with usage. (3) 20 free standalone utility tools (schema generator, llms.txt generator + validator, robots.txt tools, sitemap validator, GEO audit, AI rank tracker, and more) that AthenaHQ doesn't offer. (4) DeepSeek coverage, plus a public no-signup scan and sample report.
Is AthenaHQ worth it for a small team?
Probably not at $295/month unless you specifically need its enterprise features — BI integrations, sentiment/hallucination detection, SSO, or a dedicated specialist. For a founder or SMB, FixAEO covers the core job (see and improve your AI visibility across 8 engines) for free or $25–29/month. Many teams start free on FixAEO and only move up-market to a platform like AthenaHQ when procurement and BI pipelines become the requirement.
Can I use both?
Yes. Use FixAEO's free utility tools (schema, llms.txt, robots.txt, validators, one-off audits) alongside AthenaHQ's enterprise tracking, BI integrations, and agentic content once you're at that scale. They overlap on the core scan but solve different ends of the market.

Try FixAEO yourself

Run a free AEO audit on your URL — 20 tools, 8-engine scanner, 3 minutes, no signup.

Run a free AEO audit

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