Comparison
CitationDesk vs HubSpot AEO Grader.
Free one-time AI brand-perception grade (ChatGPT · Perplexity · Gemini)
HubSpot AEO Grader and CitationDesk both help you win AI citations. They make different tradeoffs — and CitationDesk is early: its free AI Visibility Score is live now, with continuous tracking in early access. Here's a side-by-side written by the operator who built CitationDesk — including where HubSpot AEO Grader is the better pick.
Quick read
CitationDesk
€0 Free · €49 Pro · €149 Team
Free Citation Readiness Score · open methodology · 4 LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) · self-serve · NL/EU.
HubSpot AEO Grader
Free one-time grade (signup) · $50/mo HubSpot AEO for continuous monitoring
HubSpot’s AEO Grader (formerly the AI Search Grader) is a free tool that scores how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini characterize your brand across five dimensions — sentiment (40 pts), presence quality (20), brand recognition (20), share of voice (10), and market competition (10) — with a written interpretation. Full results require a short form. It is a one-time snapshot, not ongoing monitoring; the paid HubSpot AEO product ($50/mo) adds continuous monitoring and competitor tracking.
Side-by-side
| Feature | CitationDesk | HubSpot AEO Grader |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | €0 Free forever + €49/mo Pro | Free grade + $50/mo HubSpot AEO |
| What you get free | ✓ Readiness score + fixes (no signup) | ~ One-time brand grade (signup required) |
| Free fix generator (llms.txt + schema + robots) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ongoing monitoring | ✓ (€49/mo Pro) | ✓ ($50/mo HubSpot AEO) |
| LLMs covered | 4 (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) | 3 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) |
| Claude tracking | ✓ (primary surface) | ✗ |
| Citation-level provenance (which page quoted) | ✓ | ~ (brand-perception focus) |
| Works without a marketing suite | ✓ | ~ (HubSpot-ecosystem-leaning) |
When CitationDesk is the better pick
CitationDesk is built for continuous, citation-level tracking from a genuinely free tier. The free Citation Readiness Score audits any URL with no signup and returns the actual fixes (llms.txt, schema, robots allowlist) — not just a one-time brand-perception grade. It tracks four LLMs including Claude (which the AEO Grader omits), with an open scoring rubric and a flat €49/mo Pro for ongoing monitoring.
When HubSpot AEO Grader is the better pick
If you already run your marketing inside HubSpot and want a frictionless, free brand-perception snapshot across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini with a HubSpot-native upgrade path, the AEO Grader is the easiest place to start.
Who each is best for
- CitationDesk: Solo operators, indie publishers, content marketers, small SEO teams, AI-native product teams under €5k/mo tooling budget.
- HubSpot AEO Grader: Marketing leaders and brand managers — especially existing HubSpot customers — who want a fast, free read on how AI assistants describe their brand, with a HubSpot-native upgrade path to $50/mo monitoring.
Try CitationDesk free.
Get a free Citation Readiness Score on any URL in 90 seconds. No signup. No credit card.
Compare all 12 AI-visibility tools side by side →
or jump to: vs Otterly · vs Profound · vs AthenaHQ.