Ahrefs vs AthenaHQ:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ahrefs had more branded searches than AthenaHQ among AI search visibility tools worldwide. Ahrefs had about 301,000 branded searches, while AthenaHQ had 3,000. Ahrefs made up 27.2% of all AI search visibility tool searches we track, and AthenaHQ accounted for 0.27%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI search visibility tools, Ahrefs appeared in four of the five answers and AthenaHQ in none.
Who do people search for more?
Ahrefs, about 100 searches for every 1 for AthenaHQ
Who does AI mention more?
Ahrefs, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, AthenaHQ in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Ahrefs, the only one of the two named
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Top AI search visibility tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ahrefs was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. AthenaHQ did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Peec AI1st
Otterly.AI2nd
Semrush3rd
Profound4th- Ahrefs5th
SE Ranking6th
Searchable7th
AirOps–
AthenaHQ–
Scrunch–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Semrush4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ahrefs4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Peec AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Otterly.AI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Profound3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SE Ranking2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Searchable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- AirOps0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- AthenaHQ0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Scrunch0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI search visibility tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI search visibility tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI search visibility tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI search visibility tool for brand mentions in AI answers?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai search visibility tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best ai search tool”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Ahrefs or AthenaHQ more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ahrefs and AthenaHQ by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten AI search visibility tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ahrefs, AthenaHQ. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Semrush | Ahrefs | SE Ranking | Peec AI | Profound | AirOps | Searchable | Otterly.AI | AthenaHQ | Scrunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 58.2% | 31.8% | 5.2% | 0.91% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.75% | 0.24% | 0.27% | 0.31% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.3% | 27.9% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 0.99% | 1.4% | 0.65% | 0.26% | 0.23% | 0.28% |
| Dec 2025 | 65.4% | 23.9% | 4.8% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.26% | 0.29% | 0.28% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.3% | 31.3% | 5.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.92% | 0.35% | 0.33% | 0.31% |
| Feb 2026 | 57.3% | 31.3% | 5.1% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 0.76% | 0.36% | 0.37% | 0.31% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.6% | 27.6% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.46% | 0.32% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 61.9% | 27.7% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.66% | 0.38% | 0.32% | 0.27% |
| May 2026 | 54.3% | 29.7% | 8.9% | 2.3% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.87% | 0.51% | 0.33% | 0.29% |
| Jun 2026 | 60.8% | 27.2% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 0.78% | 0.57% | 0.39% | 0.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 61% | 27.3% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.55% | 0.32% | 0.33% |
| Aug 2026 | 61.4% | 27.5% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.49% | 0.26% | 0.33% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.8% | 27.2% | 4.5% | 2.2% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.94% | 0.52% | 0.27% | 0.27% |
How has the Ahrefs and AthenaHQ comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ahrefs was ahead of AthenaHQ in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ahrefs’ share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide moved from 31.8% to 27.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AthenaHQ’s share of searches among AI search visibility tools worldwide held steady at 0.27%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.8K to 3K.
How did search popularity change for AI search visibility tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, AthenaHQ rose from 10th to 9th among AI search visibility tools worldwide.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Ahrefs worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ahrefs’ and AthenaHQ’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among AI search visibility tools
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