How much does GEO cost in 2026?
Published prices only: ours, and the ones software vendors print on their own pricing pages. No guessed agency ranges.
It depends on who does the work. Of the tools we checked, tracking starts at $29 a month (Otterly.AI's Lite plan) and runs to custom enterprise quotes. Our own platform is $99, $299 or $999 a month, account-managed service is $3,000–$8,500 a month, and done-for-you work starts from $25,000. Prices read 24 September 2026.
What am I actually paying for when I pay for GEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the work of getting a business found, trusted and quoted by AI answers in ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot. Money goes to one or more of three things:
| What you buy | What it does | Who does the fixing |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking software | Asks AI engines your customers' questions and records who gets named | You |
| Software plus a guide | The same, with a person who reads the results with you and says what to fix next | You, with help |
| Done-for-you service | A team measures, writes, fixes the site and measures again | The agency |
The price gap between these is large, because the third one is mostly people's time. Knowing which one you need is the biggest cost decision you will make. Our page on GEO agency vs GEO software goes deeper on that choice.
How much does AI Syndicate cost?
These are our own prices, as published on our pricing page on 24 September 2026. We sell five products.
| Product | Price | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| AI Pulse | $99/month or $990/year | 2,000 tokens a month, 1 seat, 1 market |
| AI Pro | $299/month or $2,990/year | 6,000 tokens a month, 3 seats, 3 markets |
| AI Max | $999/month or $9,990/year | 16,000 tokens a month, 10 seats, 10 markets |
| AI Managed | $3,000–$8,500/month, priced by scope | Everything in AI Max plus a dedicated account manager |
| AI Command | From $25,000 | Done for you by our team, one client per territory |
A few plain facts about these:
- Pulse, Pro and Max are the same software. Every feature and all 10 AI engines are on every plan. They differ only in tokens, seats and markets.
- A token is how we meter the work the software does for you: scanning a page, asking an AI engine a question, drafting a post, checking a fact. The allowance refills each billing month.
- Annual billing gives two months free.
- No setup or build fee on any product. AI Command is scoped per engagement.
- AI Command is our only done-for-you tier. Our team builds and ships the content, schema and fixes.
What do other AI visibility tools cost?
We opened each vendor's own pricing page on 24 September 2026 and copied what it said. Prices change often, so check the page before you buy.
| Vendor | Plans and prices we read | What the price includes |
|---|---|---|
| Otterly.AI | Lite $29/month, Standard $189/month, Premium $489/month; Enterprise custom. About 15% less when billed yearly | 15, 100 or 400 search prompts. ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot included; Google AI Mode, Gemini and Claude are paid add-ons |
| Semrush | SEO $139/month, Starter $199/month, Pro+ $299/month, Advanced $549/month (lower when billed yearly) | Sold as "SEO + AI Search" plans. Starter, Pro+ and Advanced list 50, 100 and 200 prompts tracked daily |
| Profound | A free trial, then Enterprise at a custom price | The trial tracks 50 prompts daily for 7 days. Enterprise lists nine AI engines including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Claude |
| Peec AI | Starter, Pro and Advanced plans, plus custom Enterprise | 50, 150 or 350 prompts; you choose 3 AI models. We could not read the price figures on the page today, so we don't quote them |
Two things stand out. First, the entry price for tracking is low. Second, the number of AI engines included varies a lot, and some vendors cap engines or charge extra beyond the first few. Compare like with like.
For the done-for-you side of the market, we are not going to print a "typical agency retainer" range. We did not find a published source for one, and a guess dressed up as a market figure is worse than no figure. Ask any agency for a written price and a written list of what ships each month.
What makes GEO more or less expensive?
Five things move the price, in roughly this order:
- Who does the work. Software you run yourself costs the least. Software plus a person costs more. A team that writes and ships changes to your site costs the most.
- How many AI engines are checked. Each engine is a separate set of questions and answers to collect. Some tools include four engines and charge for the rest. Buyers ask different engines, so fewer engines means a narrower picture.
- How many questions (prompts) are tracked. A prompt is one question you want to track, such as "best estate lawyer in Tampa". More prompts, run more often, cost more.
- How many markets or locations. A business in one town needs one set of local questions. A brand in ten cities needs ten. Most tools and services price by this.
- How many people use it. Seats matter for teams and agencies running several brands.
For example, a single-location dentist tracking 20 local questions probably needs the smallest plan of almost any tool. A brokerage with offices in five cities needs more prompts, more markets and more seats, whichever vendor it picks.
How do I decide how much to spend on GEO?
Start cheap and measure before you commit to more.
- Get a free baseline first. Find out which AI engines name you today, for which questions. Our free AI visibility check does this, and so do the trials some vendors offer.
- Count your prompts and markets. Write down the 10 to 30 questions your customers actually ask, per location. That number decides which plan size you need.
- Decide who fixes things. If you have someone who can edit the site, software may be enough. If nobody will act on the report, a cheaper tool just gives you a cheaper report nobody reads.
- Check what is included. Ask how many engines, how many prompts, how often they run, and whether add-ons cost extra.
- Re-measure after 60 to 90 days against the same questions before you spend more.
That last step is the one that protects your budget. Here is how to measure AI visibility so the comparison is fair.
To put a number on the other side of the bill, our free AI Revenue Calculator estimates the extra leads, clients and revenue at your own numbers.
Sources
- AI Syndicate pricing — AI Syndicate. Read Sep 24, 2026.
- OtterlyAI pricing — Otterly.AI. Read Sep 24, 2026.
- Semrush plans and pricing — Semrush. Read Sep 24, 2026.
- Profound pricing — Profound. Read Sep 24, 2026.
- Peec AI pricing — Peec AI. Read Sep 24, 2026.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to start with GEO?
Run a free check first to see where you stand. Among the tools we checked on 24 September 2026, Otterly.AI's Lite plan at $29 a month was the lowest published paid price; our own entry plan, AI Pulse, is $99 a month with all 10 engines.
How much does a GEO agency cost?
We don't have a published source for typical agency prices, so we won't give a market range. Our own account-managed service is $3,000–$8,500 a month, and our done-for-you tier starts from $25,000.
Is GEO software enough, or do I need an agency?
Software is enough if someone on your side will make the fixes it points to. If nobody will, you are paying for reports, and a managed or done-for-you option is the better fit.
Why do GEO prices vary so much?
Mostly because of who does the work, then how many AI engines, prompts, markets and seats are included. A tool tracking 15 prompts on four engines and a team rebuilding your site are different products.
Related pages.
See what AI says about your business.
Enter your domain and the free AI visibility check shows where ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers mention you — and where they don't.