Free AI visibility checkers, compared
Several free tools now show whether AI assistants mention your brand. They don't all measure the same thing. Here's what each one actually gives you, and where Citeably is behind.
| Tool | Signup | Engines | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citeably | None | Claude and Perplexity on the free check; four engines on paid plans | A 0-100 score, the real answers with your name highlighted, who is recommended instead, the sources cited, a site audit, your first fix and ready-to-paste files | Knowing what to fix, not just where you stand |
| HubSpot AEO Grader | None | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini | A brand-perception score (sentiment, presence, recognition, share of voice). You can't choose the prompts. Ongoing tracking is a separate paid product | A quick read on how AI describes your brand |
| Semrush AI Search Visibility Checker | None for the free check | ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews | Mentions, citations and a competitor comparison | Teams already using Semrush, and Google AI coverage |
| Ahrefs AI Visibility Checker | None for the free preview | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, AI Overviews | A limited preview of mentions across engines | The widest engine coverage for a first look |
| Mangools AI Search Grader | Not stated | Several AI models | A visibility percentage across models | A simple percentage across engines |
| Rankability free report | Not stated | Not stated | A one-time snapshot for a single brand and keyword | A single-keyword snapshot |
Based on each tool's own pages and independent roundups, October 2026. Free tools change often, so confirm on their sites. Some are listed by name only because we couldn't verify details.
An honest read
- Where Citeably is behind: its free check covers two engines, and doesn't cover Google AI Overviews or AI Mode. Semrush and Ahrefs cover more engines for free.
- Where it is ahead: it ends in action. Besides your score and the real answers, you get who is recommended instead, which pages the engines cite, your first fix and ready-made files for your site.
- What it doesn't do: it can't promise a position. Nobody can. It shows what to change and then measures whether it moved.
Which should you use?
- Want the broadest quick look? Run the Semrush or Ahrefs free checker.
- Want to know how AI describes your brand? Try HubSpot's grader.
- Want to know what to fix next? Run Citeably's free check. It takes about a minute and needs no signup.
- Best of all: run two of them. Differences between tools are informative.
Questions
- What is the best free AI visibility checker?
- It depends on what you need. For the widest engine coverage, including Google AI Overviews, the Semrush and Ahrefs free checkers cover more engines than Citeably's free check. For knowing what to fix, Citeably's free check also shows the real answers, who is recommended instead, and your first fix with ready-made files.
- Are free AI visibility checkers accurate?
- They're estimates. AI answers vary between runs, locations and users, and free checks usually sample a small set of questions. Treat a free check as a starting point and repeat it before drawing conclusions.
- Why do free checkers show different results?
- They ask different questions, use different engines, and some measure brand perception while others measure whether you are recommended for buyer questions. Citeably asks buyer-style questions that never contain your brand name.
- Do I need to sign up?
- Not for Citeably's free check, nor for HubSpot's, Semrush's or Ahrefs' free tools as of October 2026.
Try Citeably's free check
Type your website. No signup. About a minute.