KIME vs AthenaHQ: which GEO platform to pick

AthenaHQ is the better pick if you track one main region and want 11 engines, unlimited seats and enterprise security on one plan. KIME is the better pick if you sell in more than one country, want API access without add-ons, or plan to run ChatGPT ads. Both are full GEO platforms with tracking and execution; the difference is where each puts its limits.

KIME publishes this comparison. AthenaHQ figures verified 4 November 2026 from athenahq.ai and docs.athenahq.ai; KIME figures verified 4 November 2026 from kime.ai.

KIME vs AthenaHQ at a glance

What each platform is

AthenaHQ is a GEO platform from San Francisco, led by a former Google Search product manager and backed by Y Combinator. It covers visibility and citations, prompt and competitive intelligence, site health, and an Action Center for content creation, citation outreach and commerce optimization.

KIME is a GEO platform from Copenhagen used by more than 400 marketing teams. It tracks your prompts daily across up to 10 AI engines, explains how each model sees your brand in AI Perception, and executes the work through AWX. It also builds and runs ChatGPT ad campaigns.

1. Pricing

AthenaHQ plans

• Essential: free. 300 credits, 5 engines, unlimited users

• Starter: $295/mo. 3,600 credits, 11 engines, unlimited seats, prompts and competitors. API and extra credits are paid add-ons

• Enterprise: custom. Multi-region and multi-language, SSO, BI dashboards, SLA

• Annual billing is advertised at 17% off; annual prices are not shown

KIME plans

• Explorer: €99/mo. 50 prompts, 2 AI engines, 3,000 AI responses a month, 5 seats

• Core: €399/mo. 200 prompts, 3 AI engines, 18,000 AI responses a month, 10 seats

• Agency Starter: €499/mo. 200 prompts, unlimited client and pitch workspaces

• Enterprise: custom. All 10 engines

• 7-day free trial on Explorer and Core, no sales call. 15% off with annual billing

AthenaHQ's paid entry is $295 a month. KIME's is €99, and at €399 Core adds unlimited countries and API access that AthenaHQ Starter does not include.

2. AI engine coverage

AthenaHQ gives every engine on its first paid plan. KIME lets you pick 2 or 3 of the first seven below Enterprise.

3. Markets are the thing to understand about AthenaHQ Starter

AthenaHQ Starter covers a single region. Multi-region and multi-language tracking is part of Enterprise. KIME includes unlimited countries and languages on every plan, with prompts run in each market's language. If you sell in Denmark, Sweden and Germany, AthenaHQ means an Enterprise contract; KIME means Explorer or Core.

4. Where AthenaHQ is genuinely ahead

• A free plan to start with

• 11 engines on Starter, including Mistral

• Unlimited seats, prompts and competitors on Starter

• Publishing integrations: WordPress, Webflow, Contentful, Sanity, Framer, Wix and Payload CMS, plus GA4 and Shopify revenue attribution

• Security: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR and NIST CSF Tier 3. KIME publishes no compliance posture

• Reviews: 4.9 from 39 reviews on G2

5. Where KIME is ahead

• Unlimited countries on every plan

• Lower paid entry: €99 against $295

• API and MCP included on every plan

• ChatGPT ads you can run: Campaign Builder and Ads Manager connect to your OpenAI Ads account

• AI Perception breaks sentiment into eight named drivers per model

Summary comparison

When to choose AthenaHQ

• You track one main region

• You want 11 engines and unlimited seats on one plan

• You want to start on a free plan

• You need SOC 2 Type II

When to choose KIME

• You sell in more than one country or language

• You want API and MCP access without add-ons

• You want to run ChatGPT ads

• You want a paid plan under $295

KIME is younger, has fewer reviews and publishes no compliance posture. If those matter most, weigh them.

The complementary case

Running both is rarely worth it; they cover the same ground. The test: if your constraint is engines and seats in one region, choose AthenaHQ. If it is markets, ads and price, choose KIME.

Frequently asked questions

What is KIME?

KIME is a GEO platform from Copenhagen that tracks brand visibility daily across up to 10 AI engines, executes improvements through AWX and runs ChatGPT ad campaigns. Plans start at €99 a month.

Is AthenaHQ better than KIME?

For single-region teams that want many engines and unlimited seats, AthenaHQ is a strong choice. For multi-market teams, or teams running ChatGPT ads, KIME is the better fit.

How much does AthenaHQ cost?

Essential is free with 300 credits. Starter costs $295 a month with 3,600 credits. Enterprise is custom.

How many AI engines does AthenaHQ track?

Eleven: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, DeepSeek, Meta AI and Mistral. The free plan covers five.

Does AthenaHQ have a free trial?

AthenaHQ has a free plan instead. KIME offers a 7-day trial on Explorer and Core.

Does AthenaHQ track multiple countries?

Multi-region and multi-language tracking is part of AthenaHQ Enterprise. Every KIME plan includes unlimited countries.

Does KIME have AI crawler analytics?

No. KIME offers a free AI Website Health audit and GA4-based AI Traffic. AthenaHQ checks AI crawler access but does not document server-log analytics.

Which is better for agencies?

AthenaHQ offers discounted licenses and pitch workspaces for agencies, without a published price. KIME Agency Starter costs €499 a month with unlimited client and pitch workspaces.

Can I use KIME and AthenaHQ together?

You can, but they cover the same ground, so most teams pick one.

Sources. AthenaHQ, verified 4 November 2026: athenahq.ai/pricing, athenahq.ai/platform, athenahq.ai/integrations, athenahq.ai/enterprise, athenahq.ai/agency, athenahq.ai/about, docs.athenahq.ai, g2.com/products/athenahq/reviews. KIME, verified 4 November 2026: kime.ai/pricing, kime.ai/agency-pricing, kime.ai/ai-perception, kime.ai/agentic, kime.ai/chatgpt-ads-manager, docs.kime.ai/features/ai-traffic.

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