Ahrefs Brand Radar looks like a feature of a tool you might already pay for. That framing hides the real price, which stacks to over $800 a month.
Brand Radar is a genuinely capable AI-visibility tracker, and if you live inside Ahrefs it is convenient to have it in the same login. But it is an add-on, not a feature, and the AI indexes price up fast. This review covers what it tracks, what it really costs, where it falls short, and the cheaper alternatives if you only need the visibility data.
What is Ahrefs Brand Radar?
Ahrefs Brand Radar is an AI-visibility add-on inside the Ahrefs ecosystem. It monitors how often your brand is mentioned across six engines, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, drawing on a database of more than 199 million search-backed prompts. It reports which engines mention you, your share of voice against competitors, sentiment, and which pages the AI cited as its source.
The data is solid, and the six-engine coverage including both Google AI surfaces is broader than some standalone tools. If tracking is all you need and Ahrefs is already your home, that is a real point in its favor.
How much does Ahrefs Brand Radar cost?
More than the sticker suggests, because it stacks. A base Ahrefs plan starts at $129/month, and the AI indexes cost $199/month per platform or $699/month for all six, with a social module adding another $199/month. Independent 2026 reviews from EWR Digital and others put a typical all-in configuration between $828 and $1,148/month.
One caveat in your favor: during the beta, Brand Radar has been included across Ahrefs plans at no extra cost, from the $129/month Lite plan. That is temporary. It is set to become a paid add-on, so the free-in-beta access should not anchor your budgeting.
It is priced like a feature and billed like a platform. Free in beta, then $199 per AI index on top of your base plan, and the total climbs past $800 fast.The Brand Radar catch
What Ahrefs Brand Radar does well
Credit where it is due. Brand Radar has broad engine coverage, a large prompt database, and the usual Ahrefs polish, and it reports citations and sentiment, not just raw mentions. For an SEO team already paying for Ahrefs that wants a first read on AI visibility without adding a vendor, it is a reasonable, low-friction choice.
The limitations to weigh
There are real gaps. As a beta, Brand Radar samples only a fraction of AI conversations, so coverage is incomplete. It tracks visibility but does not help you optimize, with no content or fix guidance. It does not track AI bot crawling. And the cost stacks on top of a base plan. It is a monitor, not an end-to-end AEO tool.
The best Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives
If you are not committed to Ahrefs, cheaper and more focused options do the same tracking job. Otterly and Scalenut are the cheapest dashboards, around $24 to $29/month. Peec suits agencies managing many brands. Profound suits enterprises that need deep granularity. And if you only want the data, MentionsAPI is the API option at about $0.52 per check, with no suite to buy.
| Tool | Entry price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MentionsAPI | ~$0.52/check | Developers, agencies, product teams |
| Scalenut | ~$24/mo | Tracking + SEO execution in one |
| Otterly.AI | ~$29/mo | Cheapest simple dashboard |
| Peec AI | ~$89/mo | Agencies, many brands |
| Profound | ~$399/mo | Enterprise depth, 10+ engines |
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | ~$828+/mo all-in | Teams already living in Ahrefs |
Two of those alternatives are worth a closer look in our own comparisons: Profound alternatives covers the enterprise end, and Goodie AI covers the all-in-one platform end. Brand Radar sits between them: broad tracking, no optimization, premium price.
Brand Radar, or just the data?
This is the real decision. Brand Radar bundles its tracking into the Ahrefs suite, so you buy the suite and the add-on to get it. The API gives you just the structured mention data, which you own and build on in your own tools. If you want the numbers and not another platform login, the API is a fraction of the stacked cost.
MentionsAPI is that option. You POST a query and brand to /v1/check and get mentions back across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for about $0.52 a call, with no suite and no add-on math. We walk through it in how to check if ChatGPT mentions your brand and make the full case in API or dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ahrefs Brand Radar?
How much does Ahrefs Brand Radar cost?
Is Ahrefs Brand Radar included in Ahrefs plans?
What are the limitations of Ahrefs Brand Radar?
What is the best Ahrefs Brand Radar alternative?
Should I use Ahrefs Brand Radar or a dedicated AI visibility tool?
Decide on Ahrefs loyalty, then price
Do this: if you already pay for Ahrefs and will use AI visibility inside it, Brand Radar is convenient, so budget for the add-on, not the beta price. If you do not live in Ahrefs, a focused tracker or the API does the same job for a fraction, and you skip the base plan entirely.
Then test before you commit. Pull a real read on your own brand with a single API call, compare it to what Brand Radar shows in a trial, and buy on the numbers, not the bundle.