Is Ahrefs Brand Radar worth it? Review, pricing and alternatives

Equipe NotHuman

Written with AI, reviewed by humans.

Reading time: 12 minutes

Ahrefs Brand Radar is the Ahrefs tool that tracks how a brand shows up in AI answers, from ChatGPT to AI Overviews. It’s worth it for teams that already pay for Ahrefs or compare brands with search volume. This review covers Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing, coverage in Brazil and Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives.

In short

  • Brand Radar has two modes: the Ahrefs index, with more than 400 million prompts based on Google searches, and the prompts you write.
  • Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing starts at $50 a month for custom prompts, while the index costs $199 per engine or $699 for all. In addition, the Ahrefs Lite, Standard and Advanced plans include 5 to 20 prompts a day.
  • Ahrefs itself says the index is strongest in English. So for Brazil, custom prompts in Portuguese are the safest route.
  • For brands with little search volume, Ahrefs recommends custom prompts. Among Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives, Peec AI, Otterly and Profound offer free trials, but Semrush’s AI toolkit doesn’t.

What is Ahrefs Brand Radar?

Ahrefs Brand Radar is the AI visibility module in Ahrefs. It counts brand mentions, site citations and share of voice across six engines: AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot. Claude, however, is only available in custom prompts, through the API.

The product works in two ways, and the difference matters when you choose:

  • Ahrefs index: you search any brand with no setup, because Ahrefs already stores the answers, with chatbot history since 2025. Since the index comes from the keyword database, Ahrefs recommends this mode for brands with search volume.
  • Custom prompts: you write the questions and pick the engine, country and frequency, from daily to monthly. So this mode suits small brands and purchase questions, but the history only starts when you add the prompt.

For Ahrefs plan subscribers, Brand Radar also shows search demand for the brand. In beta, it adds mentions on YouTube, Reddit and TikTok. According to the Ahrefs help center, Claude runs through the API, with the Claude Sonnet 4.6 model and web search. In addition, each Claude run uses eight checks. However, Ahrefs can’t collect new Grok data for now.

The current version comes from Brand Radar 2.0, which Ahrefs launched in August 2025. That release brought an overview report and separate reports for each type of data. If the topic is new to you, start with our guide to what GEO is. NotHuman, which publishes this blog, works in the same market, so it isn’t on the list of alternatives.

Ahrefs Brand Radar: illustration of a radar screen detecting dots linked to AI answer bubbles

Where do the index prompts and answers come from?

The index prompts come from the Ahrefs keyword database. First, the company turns real searches into questions, using Google’s People Also Ask and a semantic fan-out. Then it runs the questions in the free web version of each engine, with no history or personalization, and stores the answers.

According to the Brand Radar methodology, the database holds 110 billion keywords, and 28.7 billion of them have search volume. Per the product page, AI Overviews account for about 270 million of the 475 million monthly prompts. While AI Mode has about 90 million, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot have about 29 million each.

For the chatbots, Ahrefs reruns the questions once a month and shows the data in a 90-day window. On Google, however, it also tracks the searches that trigger AI Overviews and AI Mode. That part follows the keyword database, which updates every few days. In other words, the index shows a monthly snapshot of the category, not day-to-day changes.

Since each question gets one answer per month in each chatbot, a single prompt tells you little. The index draws its strength from volume, because the AI answer changes with every run. So the same logic applies as in the measurement protocol with fixed, repeated prompts we published on this blog.

Ahrefs also warns that it doesn’t filter out made-up or broken links that the models generate, because they’re part of the real output.

How much does Ahrefs Brand Radar cost?

Bought on its own, Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing ranges from $50 to $699 per month. Custom prompts cost $50 to $250, and the index costs $199 per engine or $699 for all engines. However, Ahrefs plans from Lite up already include a prompt quota.

OptionPrice per monthWhat’s included
Lite, Standard or Advanced plan$129, $249 or $4495, 10 or 20 daily prompts on one engine
Basic package$502,500 checks, about 80 daily prompts on one engine
Growth package$1007,000 checks
Scale package$25025,000 checks
Index on one engine$199Answers from one platform
Full index$699All engines and 2,500 checks

The figures on the Ahrefs pricing page are in US dollars, on the monthly plan, and the help center warns they may vary by region. In addition, AI Overviews and AI Mode count as a single engine in the index.

The check, the billing unit for custom prompts, is one run of one prompt, on one engine, in one location. That’s why each extra country and engine multiplies the bill. When you run out of checks, Ahrefs charges $0.010 to $0.020 per extra check, as long as pay-as-you-go is on. Without it, however, the prompts stop until the next month.

For example, 50 prompts in Portuguese, run every day on three engines, use 4,500 checks per month. So Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing comes to $100 on the Growth package, or $90 on Basic with 2,000 extra checks. Run once a week, the same list uses about 650 checks and therefore fits in Basic.

Does Ahrefs Brand Radar cover Brazil and Portuguese?

Yes, but unevenly. With custom prompts, you write the questions in Portuguese and pick Brazil as the location for each one. In the Ahrefs index, however, each country’s weight follows the keyword database, and coverage is strongest in English.

According to the methodology, Ahrefs only collects answers in locations where its keyword database has coverage. So non-English markets show up in proportion to that database. However, the documentation doesn’t say how many index prompts come from Brazil.

Brazil does exist as a filter. The API documentation accepts the BR code among 210 country codes, both for index queries and for adding custom prompts. Also, each saved report keeps the chosen location.

For a Brazilian brand, therefore, the risk is that the index has few questions from its niche in Portuguese. Ahrefs admits a similar limit. After all, the product page says the index works best for brands with search volume and may cover the rest poorly. So, in those cases, the company suggests starting with custom prompts.

With custom prompts, each extra location uses one more check, while the prompt generator works in one language at a time. Before paying for the index, then, test the brand with your plan’s quota or the Basic package, in Portuguese and in Brazil. If the budget only covers custom prompts, compare the Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives that also charge per prompt.

How do you read the Brand Radar metrics?

Brand Radar shows four AI visibility metrics: mentions, citations, impressions and share of voice. The first two count answers, while the other two weight each answer by Google search volume. In other words, impressions and share of voice work as estimates. So use them to compare brands in the same report, not as audience figures.

According to the help article on metrics, a mention counts once per answer, even if the brand appears three times in the text. A citation, on the other hand, counts when a page appears as a source. The tool also separates pages the engine checked without citing, which it labels “found but not cited”.

Impressions add up the estimated volume of the prompts where the brand appears. Since August 31, 2026, Ahrefs multiplies Google search volume by a weight for each engine, such as 0.115 for ChatGPT. As a result, figures from before that date may not match current ones.

Share of voice is the brand’s slice of impressions against the other brands in the report. So it shifts a lot depending on the competitor list. When Ahrefs expands the index, mentions for every brand can rise together. Then check the notes on the chart before you conclude that the AI changed.

“Metrics are directional indicators, not exact traffic counts – best understood as modeled visibility signals, and not performance metrics.”

Rebekah Bek, Ahrefs (2026)

Brand Radar shows what appears in AI, not who saw the answer. Therefore, to measure visits and conversions, use the AI channel in GA4.

Is Ahrefs Brand Radar worth paying for?

It’s worth it if you already pay for Ahrefs or want to compare brands with search volume without building a prompt list. It’s a weaker fit when the brand has little search volume or the focus is Brazil only. The same goes when the agency needs reports under its own brand. So, in those cases, look at the Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives.

In short, the table sums up the five criteria.

CriterionForAgainst
CollectionWeb version of the engines, no personalizationChatbot index updated once a month
BrazilBR on the country list and prompts in PortugueseIndex strongest in English
MetricsSeparates mention, citation and page only checkedImpressions estimated from Google volume
PriceQuota from Lite up and packages from $50In US dollars and no free trial
AgencyAPI and Data Studio connectorNo white label; per-client access only on Enterprise

In practice, Lite users can start with the 5 daily prompts included, because they cost nothing extra. If the brand shows up in the index, the $199 single-engine option buys a snapshot of the category. That snapshot includes history since 2025, with no cap on brands.

For agencies, the API, from Lite up, delivers custom prompt data without using up units. In addition, the Data Studio connector comes with Advanced plans and up. On the other hand, Ahrefs doesn’t allow white-label reports. Per-client restricted access, by the way, only exists on Enterprise, at $1,499 per month. Since Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing grows with prompts, engines and countries, factor it in when you price the GEO service at your agency.

What are the alternatives to Ahrefs Brand Radar?

Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives fall into three groups. First, Semrush, another SEO suite, sells an AI toolkit for $99 per month. Second, Peec AI, Otterly and Profound focus on AI visibility and offer free trials. Finally, for a no-cost diagnosis, there’s Radar GEO, from RD Station.

ToolPublished priceWhat’s different
Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit$99/month25 prompts; no free trial
Peec AI$95/month (Starter)50 prompts on 3 engines and 1 country
Otterly$29/month (Lite)15 prompts on 4 engines
ProfoundFree trial; Enterprise on request50 daily prompts for 7 days in the trial
Radar GEOFreeDiagnosis in ChatGPT and Gemini

Prices come from the official pages of Semrush, Peec AI, Otterly and Profound, on the monthly plan. Radar GEO shows presence, sentiment and competitors, but the page doesn’t say how many prompts it runs. Among paid alternatives with a published price, only Otterly starts below Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing, which begins at $50.

If you already pay for Semrush, you can start with the AI Visibility Toolkit, just as Ahrefs users start with their plan’s quota. On the other hand, among Ahrefs Brand Radar alternatives, Peec AI and Otterly charge per prompt. Their entry plans already include three or four engines. At Peec AI, for example, other languages and countries don’t use up extra prompts, but Starter tracks only one country. To choose between the two, see the comparison of Otterly and Peec AI.

To compare seven tools on the same criteria for collection, country and export, see our GEO tools comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ahrefs Brand Radar have a free version?

No. Ahrefs doesn’t offer a free trial, and its free account doesn’t include Brand Radar. The free AI Visibility Checker only shows a preview, with the top 5 results in each section, and you don’t need to sign up. On the other hand, the Lite, Standard and Advanced plans include 5 to 20 custom prompts per day.

Can you buy Brand Radar on its own, without an Ahrefs plan?

Yes. Ahrefs sells Brand Radar as a standalone tool, and the purchase comes with a free Ahrefs account. So standalone Ahrefs Brand Radar pricing starts at $50 per month for custom prompts and $199 per engine for the index.

How long do custom prompts take to show data?

Up to 24 hours, according to the Ahrefs help center. After that, updates follow the frequency you pick for each engine: daily, weekly or monthly. Custom prompt history starts when you add the prompt, while the Ahrefs index has chatbot answers since 2025.

Does Brand Radar show how many people saw the AI answer?

No. Ahrefs describes Brand Radar as a media-visibility audit that shows what appears in AI, not who saw it. After all, the tool’s impressions estimate exposure from Google search volume. To measure visits and conversions from AI, then, use GA4.

Want to know how your brand shows up in AI answers today?

NotHuman is opening spots for agencies and brands to track how they appear in AI answers. Join the waitlist and we’ll let you know when a spot opens up for you.

Main sources

  • Ahrefs, what Brand Radar is, where its data comes from and what it costs (2026).
  • Ahrefs, Brand Radar data collection and modeling methodology (2026).
  • Ahrefs, plans, Brand Radar AI and custom prompt packages (2026).
  • Ahrefs, setting up and paying for custom prompts (2026).
  • Ahrefs, mentions, citations, impressions and share of voice in Brand Radar (2026).
  • Semrush, AI Visibility Toolkit price and limits (2026).
  • Peec AI, plans for brands (2026).
  • Otterly, plans and add-ons (2026).

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