AthenaHQ vs AnswerLine
AthenaHQ measures AI visibility in a dashboard and sells recommendations on top. AnswerLine returns the raw answers and sources as JSON — the input a product like it is built on.
Model and coverage
| AthenaHQ | AnswerLine | |
|---|---|---|
| Product shape | AEO/GEO dashboard: prompt and response analysis, sources and competitor insights, content recommendations and an agent. | An API: POST a prompt, get the engine's answer text, markdown and cited sources as JSON. |
| AI engines | Lists ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot and Grok on its Starter plan. | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok, Google AI Mode, Google Search, and Google News; Google Search includes its AI Overview. |
| API access | Listed as a paid add-on on Starter; included on Enterprise. | It is the product. Plus TypeScript and Python SDKs, an n8n node and a hosted MCP server. |
Pricing
| AthenaHQ | AnswerLine | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free tier with 300 credits; Starter $295/month for 3,600 credits (1 credit = 1 AI response). | 100 free requests on any engine, no card; then a prepaid USD balance topped up from $1. |
| Per response | $295 / 3,600 responses ≈ $0.082 each on Starter. | Each engine has a fixed price per request; at the Starter tier a ChatGPT answer costs a fraction of a cent. See [/pricing](/pricing/). |
| Scaling | Enterprise: custom credit allocation. | No allocation to negotiate: top up any amount from $1, and bigger tiers, reached by 30-day spend, lower the price per request. |
When each fits
AthenaHQ fits marketers who want the visibility score computed and the next action suggested. An API fits teams building the measurement themselves — internal trackers, agency reports, or a feature inside another product.
Where a dashboard charges for the monthly bundle whether or not you consume it, a per-request model charges only for the prompts you actually run — and returns the raw answer and source list your own metrics need.