Free AI Search Grader Alternatives for Local Business

HubSpot's AI Search Grader is a free brand check, but it looks at your brand as a whole, not at a question like "best plumber in Prior Lake." If you own one local business, free alternatives such as PickCheck or BrightLocal's Local AI Visibility Checker fit that job better, and paid trackers fit teams that watch many questions every week.

Last updated October 19, 2026

PickCheck is a free AI recommendation checker for local service businesses, made by Hive Asset Group, LLC.

Disclosure: PickCheck is our tool, so we list it here. We tried to be fair to the others.

Quick comparison

Tool	Free?	Price	Local or city queries?	Best for
PickCheck (our tool)	Yes, free scan of about 30 seconds	Fix Kit $29 one time. Monitor $19/month	Yes. You enter town and trade	One local owner who wants a quick look
HubSpot AI Search Grader	Yes, free, no account	Free	Partly. You enter a location, but it is a brand check, not a "best [trade] in [town]" test	Marketing and brand teams
BrightLocal Local AI Visibility Checker	Yes, free. Your email is needed for the PDF report	Free checker	Yes. Built around your location and local competitors	Local businesses that want a report
Ahrefs Free AI Visibility Checker	Yes, free, no signup	Free checker	Not stated on the page	SEO teams, brand-level view
LLM Pulse Brand Mention Checker	Yes, free. Email needed, one report per email	Paid plans from EUR 49/month	Not stated. You can pick a country or region	Brands that may upgrade to weekly tracking
RightBlogger AI Visibility Checker	Yes, a few checks a day, no account	Paid AI Brand Monitor (price not checked)	Not stated	Bloggers and site owners
Otterly.AI	Free trial for new users	From $29/month	Not built for town-and-trade checks	Marketing teams and agencies
Peec AI	Free trial button on its pricing page	Starter $95/month. Pro $245. Advanced $495. Enterprise custom	Not built for town-and-trade checks	SEO teams and agencies
Profound	Free 7-day trial	Enterprise: custom	Not built for local checks	Large brands

Facts are as each vendor's own page showed when we checked. "Not stated" means the page does not say, not that the tool cannot do it.

The tools

HubSpot AI Search Grader (what you are comparing against)

HubSpot says the grader is free, with no account needed. It gives a score across five parts: sentiment, presence quality, brand recognition, share of voice and market position. It queries GPT-5.4 mini, Perplexity and Gemini, and HubSpot says the result is ready in under two minutes.

HubSpot says it is for marketing leaders, brand managers, SEO professionals and content strategists. You enter a company name, location, industry and product or service. It is still a brand check. It does not ask "who is the best plumber in Prior Lake?"

1. PickCheck (our tool)

PickCheck is our tool, so weigh that. You type your town and trade. In about 30 seconds it shows whether an AI assistant recommends your business and who it names instead. The scan is free.

PickCheck tests one web-connected AI assistant. It does not test ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity by name. After the scan, the Fix Kit is $29 one time, a step-by-step plan. Monitor is $19 a month for repeat checks. We cannot promise any result from either.

2. BrightLocal Local AI Visibility Checker

BrightLocal says its free checker shows how your location appears in Google AI Mode or ChatGPT, and you can check up to 5 prompts. It shows the local competitors that came up. You enter your email and location and get a PDF report. It is a strong match for local owners who want a report.

3. Ahrefs Free AI Visibility Checker

Ahrefs says its free checker needs no signup and shows how your brand appears in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google AI Overviews. The page does not mention local or city checks.

4. LLM Pulse Brand Mention Checker

LLM Pulse says its free checker returns a report to your inbox in about two minutes, and you get one free report per email. It is a one-time snapshot. Plans for ongoing tracking start at EUR 49 a month. You can pick a country or region, but the page does not describe city-level results.

5. RightBlogger AI Visibility Checker

RightBlogger says you can run a few checks a day without an account. The free checker asks ChatGPT and Perplexity three questions and shows whether your site comes up. A paid AI Brand Monitor tracks more questions and engines. Local checks are not described on the page.

6. Otterly.AI

Otterly.AI is a paid tracker for marketing teams and agencies. Its pricing page lists ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot on every plan, with Google AI Mode, Gemini and Claude as add-ons. Plans start at $29 a month, and new users get a free trial.

7. Peec AI

Peec AI is a paid tracker with Starter, Pro, Advanced and Enterprise plans. Its pricing page shows $95, $245 and $495 a month for the first three, as of October 19, 2026. Enterprise is custom.

8. Profound

Profound is aimed at larger brands. Its pricing page shows a free 7-day trial and custom Enterprise pricing. Most single-location shops will not need this much.

When PickCheck fits, and when it does not

It fits when:

You own one local business and want a free look in about 30 seconds.
You want to see which businesses an AI assistant names instead of yours.
You want a plain step-by-step plan ($29 Fix Kit) and not a dashboard.

It does not fit when:

You need to check ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity by name. PickCheck does not test them by name.
You want to track dozens of questions every week, or many locations or clients. Use a tracker such as Otterly.AI or Peec AI.
You want a brand-wide sentiment score. HubSpot's grader is built for that.
You want a PDF report on your location. BrightLocal offers that.

Each tool asks the AI in its own way, so results can differ. Compare more than one. No tool, including ours, can promise you will be recommended or rank higher. See more free AI visibility checkers, a simple AI visibility checklist, or learn how to see if an AI assistant recommends your business.

Free, about 30 seconds. Enter your town and trade.

Run the free scan

FAQ

Is HubSpot's AI Search Grader free?

Yes. HubSpot says there is no cost and no account is needed for the one-time check.

What is a good free alternative to HubSpot's AI Search Grader for a local business?

PickCheck and BrightLocal's Local AI Visibility Checker are built around local businesses. Ahrefs, LLM Pulse, and RightBlogger also have free checkers, but their pages do not describe city-level checks.

Does HubSpot's AI Search Grader work for city searches?

You can enter a location along with your company name, industry and product or service. It checks your brand as a whole, so it is not the same as asking "best plumber in Prior Lake."

Does PickCheck check ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity?

No. PickCheck tests one web-connected AI assistant. It does not test those engines by name.

Do I need a paid tool?

Not at the start. Run a free scan to see where you stand. Move to a paid tracker if you need to watch many questions over time.

Free AI Search Grader Alternatives for Local Businesses (2026)