How much does AEO cost?
Published AEO prices we checked on 26 Sep 2026 ran from free self serve trackers to agency retainers of $10,000 a month and more, and almost every agency price was monthly. KailxLabs publishes fixed prices: a $1,500 AI visibility baseline, a $4,995 answer ready build or AI shopping readiness, and programs from $2,000 a month. What drives the cost is how many buyer questions are measured, on how many AI apps, how often, and how much work happens off your own site.
What do providers charge?
Three kinds of provider sell AEO. Prices below are as published on the date shown, with the source on each row.
| Provider type | Published price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Self serve trackers | Free to $999 a month. Siftly lists $0, $79, $249 and $599 a month; Searchable lists $125, $400 and $999 a month; AthenaHQ plans start at $295 a month.Pricing pages of each vendor, read 26 Sep 2026 | A dashboard of what AI says. You do the fixes. |
| Fixed monthly programs | GrowthManager.ai lists one plan at $999 a month. AEO Engine lists $1,597 and $2,997 a month, and Enterprise from $10,000 a month.Pricing pages of each vendor, read 26 Sep 2026 | A set number of articles or pages a month, often with outreach. |
| Agency retainers | Optimist says its work starts at $3,000 a month. Single Grain is listed at a $10,000 a month minimum.Optimist site, vendor claim; Single Grain price as listed by 95 Projects, third party; both read 26 Sep 2026 | Strategy, content, digital PR and reporting, scoped per client. |
Across the 108 AEO and GEO agency lists we parsed, every agency price shown was monthly. No list credited any agency with a one time fixed price build.
KailxLabs review of 108 agency listicles from 50 search result pages · 26 Sep 2026
What drives the price?
Six things decide what a fair AEO price is. Ask any provider how each one is handled before you compare numbers.
How many questions
Fewer than 50 buyer questions is exploratory under the IAB's August 2026 framework. Fifty covers research, comparison, recommendation and buying intent.
How many AI apps
ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity each cite different sources, so each one is its own measurement.
How many runs
Answers change from run to run. Asking each question several times costs more than one answer per question, and it is the only way to report a range.
Work off your site
Earning a place in the lists, reviews and directories AI reads is slower, human work. It is usually the largest part of a monthly fee.
Product data
Ecommerce adds feeds, product facts and checkout choices for each AI shopping program you qualify for.
Who does the work
A senior person approving every change costs more than a tool and a writer. Ask who touches your account.
What should you never pay for?
Some line items look like AEO and do little. These are the ones to strike from a proposal.
| Line item | Why to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Schema or llms.txt sold as the lever | Google says no special schema is needed for its AI features and that Search does not use llms.txt. Both are hygiene. Read the evidence. |
| A score from one answer per question | The IAB's August 2026 framework says a single response is not a measurement. Ask for repeated runs and ranges. |
| AI written articles at volume | Google's August 2026 spam update case studies pointed at scaled, AI and programmatic content. Volume is not the goal. |
| Seeded threads or scripted reviews | Google lists chasing inauthentic mentions as a myth and bans review incentives. Yelp says asking for reviews can hurt a business. |
| A promised rank or position | Nobody controls what an AI says. We never promise a fixed spot or a rank. |
Our prices, published.
Programs run month to month after the first 90 days. The baseline fee is credited in full if you start a program within 30 days.
| Offer | Price | For |
|---|---|---|
| Free AI read | Free | Anyone who wants a first look |
| AI visibility baseline | $1,500 one time | Every serious buyer. The first step. |
| Answer ready build | $4,995 one time | Local businesses and smaller brands whose site blocks the answer |
| AI shopping readiness | $4,995 one time | Ecommerce brands |
| Local program | $2,000 a month | One location in a specialty where AI answers differ from Google |
| Growth program | $3,500 a month | Ecommerce, SaaS and mid market national brands |
| Scale program | $6,500 a month and up | National brands, franchises, larger SaaS and retail |
AEO cost questions, answered.
Why do most AEO agencies charge a monthly retainer?
Because the work that moves AI answers is ongoing: earning mentions in the lists and reviews AI reads, keeping facts current, and measuring again as the apps change. A one time build fixes your own site; a program keeps working off it.
Is a cheaper tracker enough?
A tracker tells you what AI says. It does not change it. If you have a team to ship the fixes and the tracker repeats each question on the real apps, a tool can be enough. If not, you are paying to watch the problem.
What does the KailxLabs baseline include for the price?
A measured read of 50 buyer questions on four to six AI apps: who AI names instead of you, the sources behind them, and the fix list. Five working days. Credited in full if you start a program within 30 days.
Can any agency guarantee a spot in ChatGPT?
Nobody controls what an AI says. We never promise a fixed spot or a rank. Be wary of any price that comes with a promised position.
- 26 Sep 2026: page published with market prices read that day.
Talk to the founder.
20 minutes with Kailesk Khumar. You leave knowing where AI names you today, and what it would take to become the answer.
- A live look. We ask five of your buyer questions on ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity while you watch.
- The reasons. The three biggest reasons AI names a rival instead of you.
- The plan. A clear next step and its price, whether or not you hire us.
Pick a time that suits you. The calendar invite arrives straight away. Prefer a link? Book on Cal.com.