5 Best Otterly AI Alternatives for Local Businesses (2026)

If you run one local business and want a quick, free look at whether an AI assistant recommends you, start with a free checker such as PickCheck, HubSpot's AI Search Grader, or BrightLocal's Local AI Visibility Checker. If you are a brand or agency that needs to track many prompts across many AI engines every week, a paid tracker like Otterly.AI, Peec AI, or Profound is the better fit.

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	Best for	Engines it checks (vendor-stated)	Free option	Starting price	Local-business fit
PickCheck (our tool)	One local business that wants a free town-and-trade check	One web-connected AI assistant (not a named engine)	Yes, free scan of about 30 seconds	Fix Kit $29 one time. Monitor $19/month	High for a single owner. Not built for many prompts or many engines
Otterly.AI (the tool we compare against)	Marketing teams and agencies tracking brand mentions over time	ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot on every plan. Google AI Mode, Gemini and Claude are paid add-ons	Free trial for new users	Lite $29/month (15 prompts). Standard $189. Premium $489. Enterprise custom	Medium. Built for brand tracking, not a town-and-trade check
Peec AI	SEO teams and agencies tracking prompts daily	You choose 3 models per plan from a longer list that includes ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews and AI Mode	Free trial button on its pricing page	Starter $95/month (50 prompts). Pro $245. Advanced $495. Enterprise custom	Low to medium. Priced for teams
Profound	Larger brands that need many engines and enterprise features	Trial: ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews. Enterprise: up to 9 engines	Free 7-day trial (50 prompts daily)	Enterprise: custom pricing	Low. Built for enterprise
HubSpot AI Search Grader	A free brand check across three engines	ChatGPT (GPT-5.4 mini), Perplexity, Gemini	Yes, free, no account	Free	Medium. Brand level, not town-and-trade
BrightLocal Local AI Visibility Checker	Local businesses that want a report against local rivals	Google AI Mode or ChatGPT, up to 5 prompts	Free checker (email needed for the PDF report)	Free checker. Paid tracker from $31/month billed yearly	High. Made for local search

Prices and engines are what each vendor's own page showed when we checked. Plans change.

The five alternatives are PickCheck, BrightLocal, HubSpot, Peec AI and Profound. Otterly.AI is the reference tool. For a shorter take, see the short version of this comparison.

The five alternatives

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. If you need many engines or many prompts, pick a tracker below. After the scan, the Fix Kit is $29 one time. Monitor is $19 a month for repeat checks.

2. BrightLocal Local AI Visibility Checker

BrightLocal says its free checker shows how your location appears in Google AI Mode or ChatGPT. You choose one of the two and enter up to 5 prompts, then get a PDF report that shows the local competitors that came up. Its paid tracker starts at $31 a month billed yearly.

This is a strong pick if you want a local report. The free checker asks for your email.

3. HubSpot AI Search Grader

HubSpot says its grader is a free one-time check with no account. It queries ChatGPT (GPT-5.4 mini), Perplexity and Gemini and scores how they describe your brand, including sentiment and share of voice.

It looks at your brand as a whole. You enter a company name, location, industry and product or service, but it is not a "best plumber in Prior Lake" style test.

4. Peec AI

Peec AI is a paid tracker for marketing teams and agencies. Its pricing page shows Starter at $95 a month for 50 prompts, Pro at $245 for 150 prompts and Advanced at $495 for 350 prompts, with unlimited users and daily tracking. Enterprise is custom.

It is a better pick than PickCheck if you need to watch many prompts every day. Prices as shown on peec.ai/pricing, October 19, 2026.

5. Profound

Profound is aimed at larger brands. Its pricing page shows a free 7-day trial that runs 50 prompts a day on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. Enterprise plans are custom and can cover up to 9 engines.

Most single-location shops will not need this much. If you are a big brand with a team, it may be the best of the five. See also a Profound alternative for local clients.

The reference tool: Otterly.AI

Otterly.AI tracks brand mentions and links. 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 are Lite at $29 a month (15 prompts), Standard at $189 (100 prompts) and Premium at $489 (400 prompts), and new users get a free trial. It is a good fit for marketing teams and agencies.

How to pick

You own one local business and want a free look today: run a free scan (PickCheck, BrightLocal or HubSpot). Start with a check of whether an AI assistant recommends your business.
You want a report against local rivals: try BrightLocal's checker.
You want a brand check across a few engines: try HubSpot's grader.
You track many prompts every week for yourself or clients: look at Otterly.AI or Peec AI.
You are a large brand and need many engines and enterprise features: look at Profound.
You want free first, paid later: scan first, then decide if you need ongoing checks. If you are new to the idea, read what AI visibility means, or see more AI visibility tools.
Each tool asks the AI in its own way, so results can differ. Compare more than one.

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

Run the free scan

No tool, including ours, can promise you will be recommended by an AI assistant. AI answers change from run to run.

FAQ

What is a good free alternative to Otterly.AI?

For one local business, free checkers like PickCheck, HubSpot's AI Search Grader, and BrightLocal's Local AI Visibility Checker are good starting points. They check a small number of questions, not hundreds.

Which Otterly.AI alternative is best for a local business?

It depends on the goal. PickCheck and BrightLocal are built around local businesses. A paid tracker is a better pick if you need many prompts across many engines.

Does PickCheck check ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity?

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

How much do these tools cost?

Free options exist. Otterly.AI lists plans from $29 a month. Peec AI lists Starter at $95, Pro at $245 and Advanced at $495 a month. Profound has a free 7-day trial and custom enterprise pricing. PickCheck's scan is free, the Fix Kit is $29 one time, and Monitor is $19 a month. Check each vendor's page for current prices.

Do I need a paid tracker?

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