CitePulse vs LLMrefs (2026): which should you pick?

Pick CitePulse if

• Fits if you report on one brand and want a single score per AI engine
• Works for high-volume teams that want to run scans on their own model API keys, from Scale

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you run several brands, as each self-serve plan covers one and more need Enterprise
• Tight if you scan a lot, since scans pause when the monthly allowance runs out until the next cycle
• Pricey if you need the API or full competitor tracking, which start on Professional at $80 a month billed yearly
• Watch out: free trials of paid plans are offered, but the page doesn't say how long they last
• Not for you if you want site audits or content workflows, which sit on the custom Enterprise plan

Pick LLMrefs if

• Fits if you already track SEO keywords and want the same lists checked in AI answers
• Works for agencies, since projects and seats are unlimited on one plan

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need daily data, as it refreshes about once a week per keyword
• Not for you if you need SSO, white-label reports or an enterprise tier, as none are listed
• Skip it if you need a price you can count on, as $79 is marked limited time only
• Watch out: no integrations are listed beyond the API and CSV export

CitePulse

• Every self-serve plan covers one brand; several brands, site auditing and Content Lab workflows are listed under the custom Enterprise plan.
• Scans pause when the monthly allowance runs out, until the next billing cycle or an upgrade.
• Starter tracks a single competitor and has no API access; the API starts at Professional.
• The pricing page offers free trials on paid plans but does not say how long they last.

LLMrefs

• There is one plan; the $79 price is labeled limited time only, with no end date or regular price given.
• Dashboard data refreshes at least once a week per keyword, not daily.
• The pricing page lists no enterprise tier, SSO or white-label options.

CitePulse

AI visibility scans

Each scan asks the configured AI engines your target prompts and analyzes whether the brand is mentioned, cited, trusted and recommended.

Citation Visibility Index

A single score per engine and overall, tracked over time alongside citation share, mention depth and answer coverage.

Competitor tracking

Shows which competitors the answers recommend instead; Starter follows 1 competitor and Professional and Scale track them fully.

Free readiness check

Checks a page's structured data, AI crawler access, retrieval signals and answer readiness in about 30 seconds, with no signup.

Coverage matrix and mention depth

Scale adds a heatmap of which engines answer which prompts and a deeper read of how the brand is mentioned.

Bring your own keys

Scale can run scans on the team's own model provider API keys to control cost; other plans use keys managed by CitePulse.

LLMrefs

Keyword-based tracking

Import SEO keyword lists; LLMrefs generates fan-out prompts for each keyword from real AI conversations and aggregates the answers.

Share of voice rankings

Ranks brands against competitors per keyword by share of voice and average position, weighted across every prompt.

Source and citation lists

Shows and filters the URLs AI engines cite when answering about your products, to find content and outreach targets.

Countries and languages

Geo-targeted tracking in 50+ countries and 20+ languages, filterable by engine and country.

Agency projects

Unlimited projects and seats under one subscription, with client dashboards and keywords spread across projects.

Free AI SEO tools

An AI crawlability checker, a Reddit threads finder and an llms.txt generator come with the plan.

CitePulse

• Free$0

  5 scans a month, 1 brand, all tracked engines, CVI scoring and basic reporting for 1 team member.

• Starter$40

  per month for 50 scans, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)

  1 brand, 1 competitor tracked, scans run on keys managed by CitePulse, and email support.

• Professional$80

  per month for 200 scans, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)

  1 brand with full competitor tracking, advanced analytics, API access, 5 team members and priority support.

• Scale$200

  per month for 1,000 scans, billed annually ($250 billed monthly)

  1 brand, mention depth analysis, a coverage heatmap, 15 team members and the option to bring your own model API keys.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Several brands, site auditing, Content Lab workflows, custom reporting, API access and rollout support. Sold through sales.

LLMrefs

• All in One$79

  per month for 500 prompts

  All AI engines, weekly reports, citations, 50+ countries, unlimited projects and users, CSV export and API. Marked limited time only.

CitePulse

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with annual billing

  CitePulse's pricing page lists annual billing at 20% off: Starter $40, Professional $80 and Scale $200 a month, against $50, $100 and $250 monthly.

LLMrefs

No public discounts listed.