Comparison
Spyglasses vs Semrush
Most teams asking this question should use both. Semrush is an SEO suite: keyword research, rank tracking and site audits, with an AI Visibility Toolkit you can add on. Spyglasses is an AI visibility platform for PR firms, agencies and brands that need to know how AI answers describe them and what to change. If you already pay for Semrush and only need light prompt tracking, its toolkit may be enough. If AI search, earned media or client reporting is the job, add Spyglasses.
Key takeaways
- Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit costs $99/mo for 25 prompts tracked daily, and 50 more prompts cost $60/mo.
- Semrush One bundles its SEO and AI tools at $199, $299 and $549 a month, with 50, 100 and 200 tracked prompts.
- Spyglasses starts at $29/mo for 25 prompts tracked daily on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, with Claude and Perplexity as add-ons.
- Spyglasses doesn't do keyword research, rank tracking or backlinks. That's a deliberate choice: it focuses on AI answers, citations and earned media.
- Spyglasses' placement value score (AIPVS) can use your Semrush Authority Score as its baseline through the API, so the two tools work together.
Which one does which job
These tools overlap less than their feature lists suggest. Most of the time, the question is whether you need one or both.
Add Spyglasses if…
AI search is the job. Track prompts daily, see which pages AI cites, and find out why it skipped yours.
You run PR or comms. Score placements with AIPVS and AIPQS, build Media Lists, and see which coverage AI cites.
You report to clients. Agency plans include white-label reports, a client portal and prospecting reports.
You want to fix pages for AI citation. The Citation Optimizer scores a page against the searches AI runs and drafts a rewrite.
Semrush alone may be enough if…
You need a full SEO suite. Keyword research, rank tracking and site audits are the core of Semrush.
You already pay for Semrush. The AI Visibility Toolkit adds 25 tracked prompts for $99/mo, in the tool your team already knows.
Your AI tracking needs are light. A few dozen prompts and a trend line may be all you need for now.
You want one login for SEO and AI. Semrush One bundles the SEO and AI Visibility toolkits in one plan.
Using both
Many teams keep Semrush for SEO and add Spyglasses for AI visibility and earned media. Spyglasses' placement value score can use the Semrush Authority Score as its baseline through the API, so outlet rankings line up across both tools.
Feature by feature
What each tool includes today. Semrush details come from its pricing page and its AI Visibility Toolkit help article.
| Feature | Spyglasses | Semrush |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | ||
| Main job | SpyglassesAI visibility, citations and earned media | SemrushSEO suite, with an AI Visibility Toolkit |
| Keyword research and rank tracking | SpyglassesNoNot offered, by design | SemrushYesCore of the suite |
| Site audit | SpyglassesYesAI Site Readiness audit | SemrushYesSite Audit, plus an AI-ready Site Audit in Semrush One |
| AI tracking | ||
| AI platforms | SpyglassesChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews daily; Claude and Perplexity as add-ons | SemrushSemrush names Google AI Mode and ChatGPT among its tracked platforms |
| Entry price for AI tracking | Spyglasses$29/mo for 25 prompts | Semrush$99/mo for 25 prompts (AI Visibility Toolkit); 50 more for $60/mo |
| Larger plans | SpyglassesAgency Core $199/mo for 250 prompts. | SemrushSemrush One: $199, $299 and $549/mo for 50, 100 and 200 prompts, plus the SEO toolkit |
| Agencies and PR | ||
| PR placement scoring | SpyglassesYesAIPVS and AIPQS | SemrushNoNot in the AI Visibility Toolkit |
| Media Lists and Coverage groups | SpyglassesYesIncluded | SemrushNoNot in the AI Visibility Toolkit |
| White-label reports | SpyglassesYesOn agency plans | SemrushYesWith the Pro Report add-on ($20/mo) |
| Fixing and connecting | ||
| Page rewrites for AI citation | SpyglassesYesCitation Optimizer | SemrushPartlyContent optimization tools on Pro+ |
| MCP server for AI assistants | SpyglassesYesIncluded | SemrushYesMCP access on Semrush One Starter and up |
| Uses Semrush Authority Score | SpyglassesYesAs the AIPVS baseline, through the API | SemrushSemrush's own metric |
Prices are monthly billing. Semrush also sells annual billing at a lower monthly rate.
Sources: Semrush pricing, Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit help article. Checked .
From our own tracking
What AI says today
We ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews to compare Spyglasses and Semrush every day. Most answers frame the two as tools that work together.
Who each option is better for
Across ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, the answers we track split it this way:
to
| Option | Better for |
|---|---|
| Spyglasses |
|
| Semrush |
|
“If Semrush is your SEO operating system, Spyglasses is an AI-visibility/AI-search intelligence layer.”
“Semrush asks: How visible are we across search…? Spyglasses asks: How does AI discover, interpret and cite us—and what specifically can we change to become more visible in AI answers?”
One tracked prompt, run every night on three platforms for a month. That's a small sample, and AI answers change from day to day. How we collect AI answers →
Ask an AI yourself
Answers change from day to day. Open the same question in your assistant of choice and see what it says right now.
Compare Spyglasses ( spyglasses.io ) and SEMrush — features, pricing, and who they're best for
Ask ChatGPT
Ask Claude
Ask Perplexity
Ask CopilotSpyglasses pricing
Every plan tracks prompts daily on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews, with unlimited users. Pay monthly, or pay less each month when you're billed quarterly or yearly.
Brand
One brand, tracked daily
$29/mo
Or $26/mo billed quarterly, $24/mo billed yearly
- prompts, daily
- 25
- credits a month
- 30
- Daily Prompt Tracking on ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
- Site audit and Citation Optimizer included
- Unlimited users
Agency Core
Agencies with a few clients
$199/mo
Or $179/mo billed quarterly, $159/mo billed yearly
- prompts, daily
- 250
- credits a month
- 300
- Everything in Brand
- White label and client portal
- Media Lists, Coverage groups and prospecting
Claude and Perplexity daily tracking are add-ons on any plan.
Credits pay for one-off work like AI Visibility Reports and page rewrites. Each plan includes a monthly batch.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Spyglasses and Semrush.
Do I need both Semrush and Spyglasses?
Many teams use both. Semrush covers SEO: keyword research, rank tracking and site audits. Spyglasses covers AI visibility: how AI answers describe your brand, which pages they cite, and what earned media is worth in AI search.
Is Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit enough?
It can be. If you already use Semrush, track a small set of prompts and don't need PR scoring or client-ready AI reports, the toolkit is a simple add-on at $99/mo for 25 prompts. If AI search is a service you sell or a channel you're accountable for, Spyglasses goes further with page rewrites, placement scores and white-label reports.
Does Spyglasses do keyword research or backlinks?
No. Spyglasses focuses on AI answers, citations and earned media. Keep an SEO suite like Semrush for keyword research, rank tracking and backlinks.
Can Spyglasses use my Semrush data?
Yes. The placement value score (AIPVS) accepts a Semrush Authority Score as its baseline through the Spyglasses API, so your outlet rankings line up with the numbers your team already uses.
How much does each cost?
Spyglasses starts at $29/mo for 25 prompts tracked daily. Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit is $99/mo for 25 prompts, and Semrush One plans with both SEO and AI tools are $199, $299 and $549 a month. Semrush prices checked October 2, 2026.
Is Spyglasses the same as SEO SpyGlass or Visibility.ai?
No. Spyglasses (spyglasses.io) is an AI visibility platform. It isn't SEO SpyGlass, Link-Assistant's desktop backlink tool, and isn't related to Visibility.ai.
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