Visible vs Profound: Which AI Search Visibility Platform Is Right for You?
Profound is an enterprise-grade Answer Engine Optimization platform built for large brands and agencies orchestrating AEO campaigns at scale, with autonomous "Agents" and SOC2/SSO compliance. Visible is a free-forever, self-serve alternative built for small businesses that don't need enterprise workflow automation — just an honest, affordable way to see where they stand in AI answers.
Quick answer
Choose Visible if you want a free-forever plan, transparent scoring, and full 6-platform coverage without an enterprise price tag. Choose Profound if you're a large organization or agency that needs autonomous AEO campaign agents, SOC2/SSO compliance, and can budget $399+/month or work with a sales team on Enterprise pricing.
At a glance
| Visible | Profound | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0/mo forever | $99/mo (Starter) |
| Free-forever plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No — free AEO report only |
| Self-serve signup | ✓ Every tier | ✓ Starter/Growth only — Enterprise needs a demo |
| Platforms at entry paid tier | 4 platforms ($69/mo) | 1 platform — ChatGPT only ($99/mo) |
| Platforms at top self-serve tier | 6 platforms ($249/mo) | 3 platforms ($399/mo) |
| Published scoring formula | ✓ Mention 40% + Citation 35% + Prominence 25% | ✗ Not disclosed |
| Technical SEO/AEO audit | ✓ 12-analysis Deep Scan | Not a core feature |
| Content Coverage score (Deep Scan-linked) | ✓ Yes — % of tracked questions with a matching page, by intent | Not confirmed publicly |
| Content fix workflow | ✓ FAQ Builder (schema-marked) | ✓ AEO-optimized FAQ generator, autonomous Agents |
| Sentiment Dashboard (per-mention, by intent) | ✓ 0–100 gauge, plain-language bands, trend line — classified by Claude | Not confirmed publicly |
| Dedicated citations page (by domain/URL) | ✓ Yes — Top Cited Domains, source-type, platform/brand filters | Not confirmed publicly |
| Competitor visibility heatmap (brand × AI platform) | ✓ Yes — sortable, own brand pinned to top | Not confirmed publicly |
| Compliance | Standard | SOC2 + SSO/SAML (Enterprise) |
| MCP server | ✓ Shipped (13 tools) | Not advertised |
Pricing side by side
| Tier | Visible | Profound |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/forever — 3 prompts, 2 platforms | ✗ None (free report only) |
| Entry paid | $69/mo — 4 platforms, sentiment, full response viewer | $99/mo — ChatGPT only, 1 seat, 50 prompts |
| Growth/Pro | $249/mo — all 6 platforms, API + MCP, 3 seats | $399/mo — 3 engines, 100 prompts, 3 seats |
| Enterprise | Custom, self-serve to contact | Custom — demo required, up to 9 engines |
Pricing based on public information as of July 2026 — always verify current pricing directly with each provider.
Where Profound wins
Profound strengths
- Autonomous AEO "Agents" that execute marketing campaigns, not just report on them
- Prompt Volumes — analysis of what millions of real people ask AI models, at scale
- Enterprise compliance: SOC2, SSO/SAML for large-org procurement requirements
- Agent Analytics for monitoring how AI bots crawl your site
Visible strengths
- Genuinely free-forever plan — Profound's cheapest option is a $99/mo, ChatGPT-only Starter tier
- Full 6-platform coverage for $249/mo, versus Profound's 3-platform Growth tier at $399/mo
- Self-serve at every published tier — no demo required to unlock full platform breadth
- Published, auditable scoring formula and a closed diagnose → fix → measure loop
- Every teammate invite now works from day one, plus multi-company support — one login can hold different roles (e.g., Admin of your own company, Moderator of one that invited you) with an in-app company switcher
The core difference: campaign automation vs. affordable clarity
Profound is designed for teams that already have an AEO strategy and want to automate its execution across many prompts, brands, and engines — its Agents and Prompt Volumes tooling reflect that scale-first design. Visible is designed for teams that need to see their AI visibility clearly and affordably before investing in campaign automation, with a Deep Scan → FAQ Builder → Score loop that fits a smaller budget and a smaller team.
The platform-coverage-per-dollar gap is the clearest signal: Profound's Starter tier tracks only ChatGPT for $99/month, while Visible's Basic tier tracks four platforms for $69/month — and Visible's free plan tracks two platforms for $0, forever.
Key takeaway
If you're an SMB or solo marketer who wants broad AI-platform coverage without an enterprise budget, start with Visible's free plan. If you're a large organization that needs autonomous campaign agents and SOC2/SSO compliance, Profound is worth evaluating directly at tryprofound.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Profound?
Yes. Visible offers a genuinely free-forever plan with no credit card required. Profound's Starter plan costs $99/month and tracks ChatGPT only; there is a free AEO report but no ongoing free monitoring tier.
How does Visible's pricing compare to Profound?
Profound's Starter tier is $99/month for ChatGPT tracking only, and Growth is $399/month for 3 answer engines. Visible's Basic plan is $69/month for 4 platforms, and Pro is $249/month for all 6 platforms plus API and MCP access — more platform coverage at a lower price than Profound's comparable Growth tier.
Which is better for small businesses, Visible or Profound?
Visible is built specifically for SMBs and solo marketers, with a free-forever plan and self-serve signup on every tier. Profound is positioned for large companies and agencies orchestrating AEO campaigns at scale, with SOC2/SSO compliance and Enterprise pricing that requires a demo call.
Does Profound require a sales call?
Profound's Starter and Growth tiers allow direct self-serve signup, but its Enterprise tier — which covers up to 9 answer engines and multiple companies — requires booking a demo. Visible's Free, Basic, and Pro plans are all self-serve; only its custom Enterprise option involves a conversation.
Does Visible or Profound publish its scoring methodology?
Visible publishes its exact scoring formula: Score = (Mention Rate × 40%) + (Citation Rate × 35%) + (Prominence Score × 25%), with an in-app explainer. The score is now the headline number on Visible's dashboard, centered in the AI Search Share of Voice donut chart with a one-click 'Learn more' popover that shows the exact math. Profound does not publish a comparable scoring formula publicly.
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