HubSpot AEO Grader review and GetCited compared
A free, credible first read on how AI sees your brand. A one-time grade on three engines is a starting point, not a program.
Facts checked October 2026 against hubspot.com. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
HubSpot's AEO Grader is a good free first read on AI visibility, and HubSpot AEO is a low-cost way to keep tracking 25 prompts on three engines. Neither diagnoses individual buyer questions or ships fixes. When you are ready to act, GetCited adds daily monitoring across up to 10 engines, a 400+ check audit, fixes shipped to your CMS or GitHub and a before-and-after on every change, and our 12 free tools are a no-login next step.
What is HubSpot's AEO Grader?
HubSpot's AEO Grader, which HubSpot now lists as the AI Search Grader, is a free, one-time check of how AI engines see your brand. You enter four things: company name, location, products or services, and industry. It returns a score out of 100, a breakdown across five dimensions and a written interpretation.
It queries three engines: ChatGPT (HubSpot names the model as GPT-5.4 mini), Perplexity and Gemini. No HubSpot account is needed, but you complete a short form to unlock the full report.
How the HubSpot AEO Grader scores your brand
The score out of 100 is split across five dimensions. Sentiment carries the most weight, so a brand that AI describes consistently well can outscore a better-known brand with mixed coverage.
| Sentiment (up to 40 points) | The tone AI engines use about your brand: general, contextual and source-based sentiment. |
|---|---|
| Presence quality (up to 20) | How deep your mentions are, the quality of the sources and how rich the data about you is. |
| Brand recognition (up to 20) | How widely AI engines recognise your brand. |
| Share of voice (up to 10) | Your estimated share of your category's voice compared with competitors, plus a rank bonus. |
| Market competition (up to 10) | Your category role (Leader, Challenger or Niche Player) and how innovative AI considers you. |
Source: HubSpot's AI Search Grader page, checked October 2026.
AEO Grader vs HubSpot AEO (the paid version)
The Grader is a snapshot. For tracking over time HubSpot sells HubSpot AEO, launched on April 14, 2026 at HubSpot's Spring 2026 Spotlight. It costs $50 a month, or $45 a month billed annually, for 25 prompts across ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, and you can buy more prompts. Its brand visibility score updates daily, and it adds prompt tracking and suggestions, competitor share of voice, citation analysis and prioritised recommendations.
HubSpot AEO is included in Marketing Hub Pro and Enterprise with more prompts and CRM-informed recommendations, and it does not require a HubSpot subscription. Each brand needs its own instance.
| Price | $50/mo, or $45/mo billed annually |
|---|---|
| Prompts | 25 included; more can be purchased |
| Engines | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity |
| Update frequency | Brand visibility score updates daily |
| Launched | April 14, 2026 (Spring 2026 Spotlight) |
Source: HubSpot's AEO product page, checked October 2026; launch date per TechRepublic.
What a one-time grade can't tell you
AI answers change from one run to the next, so a single check cannot separate a real shift from noise. Repeated runs over days are what show a trend.
Three engines leave gaps. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Claude, DeepSeek, Meta AI and Grok are outside the Grader's scope, and Google's AI answers are where many buyers now see AI first.
A grade describes your brand in general. It does not show which of your buyers' actual questions leave you out, which pages AI cites instead of yours, or what to change. That is the job of an AI visibility tracker, which is where GetCited fits.
Understanding HubSpot AEO Grader
HubSpot's AEO Grader, now listed as the AI Search Grader, is a free, one-time check of how AI engines describe your brand. You enter your company name, location, products or services and industry. It queries GPT-5.4 mini, Perplexity and Gemini and returns a score out of 100 with a written interpretation. No HubSpot account is needed, but you complete a short form to unlock the full report.
The score is split across five dimensions: Sentiment (up to 40 points), Presence Quality (20), Brand Recognition (20), Share of Voice (10) and Market Competition (10). Because sentiment carries the most weight, a brand AI describes consistently well can outscore a better-known brand with mixed coverage.
In April 2026 HubSpot launched a paid product, HubSpot AEO, at its Spring 2026 Spotlight. It costs $50 a month, or $45 billed annually, for 25 prompts across ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, with more prompts available to buy. Its brand visibility score updates daily, and it adds competitor share of voice, citation analysis and prioritised recommendations. It is included in Marketing Hub Pro and Enterprise, and it does not require a HubSpot subscription.
The limits are scope and action. The Grader is a single snapshot, and both the Grader and HubSpot AEO stay on three engines, leaving out Google AI Overviews, AI Mode and Claude. Neither ships fixes to your site or measures the effect of each change.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Capability | GetCited | HubSpot AEO Grader |
|---|---|---|
| AI Visibility Monitoring | 10 engines, daily (varies by plan) | 3 engines (Grader snapshot; daily on paid AEO) |
| Copy-Paste Fix Generators | Plus fix dispatch to CMS + GitHub PRs | — |
| Schema/JSON-LD Generators | ✓ | — |
| Content Creation | Pages, articles, social posts (engine + editorial team) | — |
| Editorial Placement | Outreach + editorial team | — |
| AEO Scanner (no-auth) | ✓ | — |
| Citation Building | Outreach + Wikipedia/Wikidata workflows | — |
| Technical AI Readiness Audit | 400+ checks across 3 pillars | — |
| E-E-A-T Optimization | ✓ | — |
| Free Tools | 12 free tools, no login | Free |
| Agency Services | Managed service + agency workspaces | — |
| WordPress Plugin | ✓ | — |
| GBP Review Management | Monitor + approved replies | — |
| GSC Intelligence | 40+ modules (+ GA4 outcomes) | — |
| Competitor Intelligence | AI, search, YouTube, social, ads, reviews | Share-of-voice score |
| Impact Measurement | Before & after on every fix | — |
| MCP Server | MCP server + API + webhooks | — |
| Shopify AEO Module | ✓ | — |
HubSpot AEO Grader Pricing
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| AI Search Grader | Free | One-time check on GPT-5.4 mini, Perplexity and Gemini; score out of 100 across 5 dimensions |
| HubSpot AEO | $50/mo ($45/mo annual) | 25 prompts (about $2.00 per prompt), ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, daily visibility score, extra prompts purchasable; one instance per brand |
Published prices as listed on hubspot.com in October 2026. Prices change; check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. GetCited plans start at $99/mo, see pricing.
When to Choose What
- •You want a completely free first look at your AI visibility
- •You need a quick report to build internal buy-in for AEO investment
- •You already use HubSpot Marketing Hub Pro or Enterprise, which includes HubSpot AEO
- •Three engines and 25 prompts are enough for your tracking needs
- •You need daily tracking across up to 10 engines, not a one-time snapshot of 3
- •You want each buyer question diagnosed (missed shortlist, wrong story or lost at verification) with evidence
- •You want fixes shipped to your site and a before-and-after to prove they worked
- •You want AI answers alongside Google, YouTube, reviews and Reddit
HubSpot AEO Grader: Strengths & Gaps
- +Completely free, with no HubSpot account required
- +Clear 100-point rubric across five dimensions, with a written interpretation
- +HubSpot brand trust and distribution
- +Low-cost paid tracking: HubSpot AEO at $50/mo ($45/mo annual) with a daily visibility score
- +HubSpot AEO is included in Marketing Hub Pro and Enterprise, with CRM-informed prompt suggestions
- −The Grader is a one-time snapshot; ongoing tracking is the paid HubSpot AEO product
- −Only 3 AI engines (no Google AI Overviews, AI Mode or Claude)
- −HubSpot AEO includes 25 prompts, and each brand needs its own $50/mo instance
- −No fix generators, schema tools or fix shipping
- −No technical audit of your site
- −No agency services or implementation support
Best HubSpot AEO Grader Alternatives
If HubSpot AEO Graderisn't the right fit, these are the tools buyers most often compare it with. Each links to our full comparison.
Why teams look for HubSpot AEO Grader alternatives
- •The Grader is a one-time snapshot with no tracking over time
- •Both the Grader and HubSpot AEO cover only ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
- •HubSpot AEO includes 25 prompts and charges $50/mo per brand
- •Neither tool ships fixes to your site or measures each change
- GetCited
Best for teams that want AI visibility tracking plus the fixes: technical audit, content, reviews and off-site authority, self-serve from $99/mo or as a managed service.
- Otterly.AISaaS Monitoring
Small teams and agencies that want cheap, self-serve AI visibility tracking and will make the fixes themselves.
- Peec AISaaS Monitoring
In-house SEO teams and agencies that want polished self-serve AI search analytics on 3 models of their choice.
- SemrushSEO Suite + AEO Add-on
Teams already on Semrush or Adobe that want AI visibility inside their existing SEO suite.
- SE RankingSaaS Platform
SMBs and agencies that want an affordable SEO suite with AI prompt tracking included.
The Verdict
“HubSpot's AEO Grader is a good free first read on AI visibility, and HubSpot AEO is a low-cost way to keep tracking 25 prompts on three engines. Neither diagnoses individual buyer questions or ships fixes. When you are ready to act, GetCited adds daily monitoring across up to 10 engines, a 400+ check audit, fixes shipped to your CMS or GitHub and a before-and-after on every change, and our 12 free tools are a no-login next step.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HubSpot AEO Grader?+
Is HubSpot AEO Grader really free?+
How much does HubSpot AEO cost?+
Which AI engines does the HubSpot AEO Grader check?+
Is the HubSpot AEO Grader accurate?+
Does HubSpot AEO Grader track progress over time?+
HubSpot AEO vs Otterly.AI or Peec AI: what is the difference?+
What are the alternatives to the HubSpot AEO Grader?+
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