Collection and method
Real engine queries or estimates? Protocol, date, archiving of raw answers and published score formulas.
Neutral guide · Compare
How to choose a GEO platform
Ten criteria to compare GEO platforms on a stable footing, a checklist to test on your own data and the questions to ask any vendor, Aive included.
See the comparisons Guide published by Aive · criteria apply to every vendor
Last verified · 28 September 2026
How do you choose a GEO platform?
Choose a GEO platform on its method before its dashboards. Check how answers are collected, which engines are covered, how many samples a score rests on and how sources are linked. Then assess execution, video, governance, integrations and total cost, and test on your own questions and content.
- Observed answer
- An AI engine’s answer collected on a given date and archived as is.
- Repeated sampling
- Running the same question several times to measure how much answers vary.
- TCO
- Total cost of ownership: licence, usage, options, support, integration and internal time.
Disclosure
A guide published by Aive, for every vendor
This guide is published by Aive. Its criteria apply to every vendor, Aive included: use them to question each offer in the same way.
It does not rank any platform. The detailed comparisons, verified on 28 September 2026, set out the cases where each vendor looks like the best fit.
Criteria · Measurement
What the platform really measures
Engines covered
Which engines and interfaces, in which markets and languages? Any stated coverage should be dated.
Repeated sampling and variance
How many runs per question, how often, and is the spread shown alongside the score?
Sources
Does each mention point to the answer and the cited source? A citation is not a click; a referral is not causation.
Criteria · Action
What the platform lets you do
Execution
From recommendation to action: drafts, sourced content and publishing to activated destinations, with logs.
Video
Is video a usable source: transcript, chapters, timestamped sourced statements, structured data, media experience?
Governance
Human approval, roles, audit trail, rights management, documented security and model-training policy.
Criteria · Cost and integration
What the platform costs and requires
Integrations
API, scopes, limits, webhooks, CMS and analytics: a status verified connector by connector, not a wall of logos.
Commercial unit
Sites, prompts, models, answers, brands × markets or an agreed scope: the unit determines what you pay for.
Total cost (TCO)
Licence, overages, options, support, integration and internal approval time, at comparable usage.
Observed units
Commercial units that do not compare directly
An entry price means little without its unit. Compare at equal scope and usage.
| Vendor | Observed public entry point | Observed main tier | Dominant commercial unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semrush | Free $0 | Starter $199/month; Pro+ $299; Advanced $549 | Sites, keywords, AI prompts, reports and seats |
| Profound | 7-day free trial | Enterprise on quote | Prompts, engines, Agents credits and regions |
| Peec AI | Brand Starter $95/month | Pro $245; Advanced $495; dedicated Agency offers | Prompts × models × frequency |
| AthenaHQ | Essential free | Starter $295/month; Enterprise on quote | AI answers and multipliers |
| Meikai | Starter €90/month | Growth €390; Enterprise €1,300 | Brand × market, prompts and models |
| Aive GEO | Free check, no account | Starter €325 excl. VAT/month (€390 incl. VAT); Professional, Enterprise and Enterprise+ on the Pricing page | Plan and AI credits; GEO Audit on an agreed scope |
Prices observed on 28 September 2026 on vendors’ official pages, in the vendor’s currency, not converted, to be rechecked. Page published by Aive, not an independent benchmark.
Evaluation
Evaluation checklist: test on your own data
Apply the same protocol to every platform you evaluate.
Before
- A question panel that reflects your buyers
- Engines, markets, languages and frequency set in writing
- A dated baseline with archived raw answers
- Real videos and content, with rights checked
During
- The same protocol for every platform
- Variance shown alongside every score
- Every action approved by your team, with logs
- Integrations tested in your stack
To decide
- Observation, action and observed outcome kept apart
- Cost compared at equal scope and usage
- Limits and uncovered areas documented
- A measurement plan beyond the evaluation
Questions
The questions to ask any vendor
- Do your scores rely on real engine queries, and on what date?
- How many samples per question, and how is variance shown?
- Can I export raw answers and the cited sources?
- What is Available, an Option, Enterprise-only or not public?
- Who approves content before publishing, and where is the log?
- How is video used: transcript, moments, sourced statements, pages?
- What is the billing unit, and what happens with overages?
- Is my content used to train models, and under what policy?
What this guide does not do
- It does not rank platforms or name a winner.
- It does not replace a test on your own questions and content.
- It promises no visibility, citation or traffic outcome.
- The prices quoted are dated observations, to be rechecked on vendors’ pages.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pick a single GEO platform?
Not necessarily. A team can keep a tracking tool and add an execution chain, or the other way round. In that case, read each tool’s indicators separately, with their method and period, without adding them up.
Why does repeated sampling matter?
An AI engine can answer the same question differently depending on when it is asked. Without several runs and visible variance, a score reflects a single answer rather than a trend.
How do you compare prices expressed in different units?
Translate each offer into your real usage: number of questions, engines, markets, frequency, users and options. Then compare total cost at equal scope, without converting currencies without a date and method.
How long should an evaluation last?
The duration is agreed during scoping, based on the number of questions, engines, markets and content items. It should cover a baseline, an action period and a new measurement, using the same method.
Go further
Compare Five dated comparisons built on these criteria. Compare Methodology Engines, questions, repeated sampling, scores, confidence and limits of Aive measurement. Methodology Technology MGT and the technical chain that links video to evidence. Technology Pricing Entry prices shown for Aive Studio and Aive GEO. Pricing Demos Player, Content Graph, Expert and sample report, using demonstration data. Demos GEO Measurement Request a GEO Audit on your questions, engines and markets, with a dated baseline. GEO Measurement
Apply these criteria to your own data
Start with the free check of your website, then the GEO Audit: question panel, engines, markets and period are agreed with you, and the dated report serves as the baseline.