The verdict
On the data we hold, Profound comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.
What the data says
- Both cover 2 of the 2 features we compared.
- Only Profound has a free plan to start on.
- Both have an API and an MCP server, so either works with AI employees.
- In our SEO ranking, Profound places 7 and SurferSEO 1 of 15.
Side by side
| 6 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Not known yet | €49/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Brand sentiment analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Optimisation recommendations | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Profound
- Free trialLimited AI Marketer credits and 50 prompts tracked daily for 7 days on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews.Free
SurferSEO
- AI Search AnalyticsTracks AI visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, AI Overviews and Perplexity; EUR 82 per month billed yearly.€984/yr
- DiscoveryCreate or optimise 120 documents and track 10 pages; EUR 49 per month billed yearly.€588/yr
- Standard360 documents, integrations and team collaboration; EUR 99 per month billed yearly.€1,188/yr
- ProStandard plus more AI prompts, internal linking and cannibalization reports; EUR 182 per month billed yearly.€2,184/yr
- Peace of MindUnlimited documents, dedicated success manager and API access; EUR 299 per month billed yearly.€3,588/yr
Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.
Who each is for
Choose Profound if…
Marketing, content and PR teams at established brands that run answer engine optimisation next to classic SEO and need to see, fix and track how AI assistants describe their brand.
Choose SurferSEO if…
Content teams, SEO specialists, agencies and founders who publish articles for search and want data-based guidance on what to write and how to optimise it for Google and AI search.
Other options worth a look
Tool·Client acquisitionCombines backlink analysis, keyword research, rank tracking and technical audits built on an extensive web index.SEO
From €27/moFree plan
Tool·Client acquisitionUnify keyword research, backlink analysis, technical audits and rank tracking in one dashboard.SEO
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Tool·Client acquisitionMonitor how your brand appears inside AI search results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI and Copilot.SEO
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Tool·Client acquisitionTrack how your brand appears in AI search answers and measure your share of voice.SEO
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Tool·Client acquisitionMonitor how your brand appears in AI search and serve optimised pages to AI crawlers.SEO
From $250/mo
Tool·Client acquisitionMonitor how your brand appears in AI search answers across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other engines.SEO