The CitationIQ Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about CitationIQ in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
CitationIQ
The Insider’s Guide
AI citation tracking and content alignment reports on one plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI search visibility tools, read from CitationIQ’s own pages.
Made by Nashi Holdings, LLC · checked Oct 23, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from CitationIQ’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on CitationIQ’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 1 of the 157 other AI search visibility tools we grade
CitationIQ measures how a site's content lines up with the questions people ask AI and whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity cite, mention, paraphrase or leave out the brand. Seven report types cover citations, query alignment, section-level content scores, technical access, competitors and query intent. It was created by the search industry veteran Duane Forrester and is sold self-serve with every feature on one plan.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about CitationIQ, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There are seven report types to learn, and agency accounts have to connect their own OpenAI and Anthropic API keys.
- 1
Best for checking page sections against the questions AI gets
CitationIQ, made by search veteran Duane Forrester, checks whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity cite, mention, paraphrase or skip you, then scores your pages section by section against the questions people ask.
- 2
Paid plans start at $167 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $167 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly).
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Citation tracking
Checks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity for your key queries and records whether the brand is cited, mentioned, paraphrased or absent over time.
- 5
Query alignment
Expands seed topics into the query variations people use and scores your content against each with semantic analysis.
- 6
Chunk performance
Scores individual sections of your pages against target queries to show which are ready, which need work and where new content would help.
- 7
A 1.6 GPA, above 1 of 157
That is against the other AI search visibility tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
The plain part of CitationIQ you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
CitationIQ at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $167 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Nashi Holdings, LLC
- Category
- AI Search Visibility (AEO & GEO)
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for checking page sections against the questions AI gets
CitationIQ, made by search veteran Duane Forrester, checks whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity cite, mention, paraphrase or skip you, then scores your pages section by section against the questions people ask. It's $167 a month on yearly billing with no free plan or trial, Google's AI answers aren't covered, and each account stops at 250 queries and 100 pages.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | The Founding Member rate is $167 a month billed yearly ($1,999 a year), or $179 monthly, for 250 queries and 100 pages. That's in this category's dearest tenth, and the standard rate it replaces is $208. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing free at all. No free plan or trial is listed, so the self-serve plan is paid from day one. |
| Features | C | Cited, mentioned, paraphrased or absent on four engines, query expansion, section-level content scores, technical checks and competitor comparisons. The gaps: Google AI Overviews and AI Mode aren't among the engines, and each account stops at 250 queries. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. There are seven report types to learn, and agency accounts have to connect their own OpenAI and Anthropic API keys. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no desktop or phone app. Standard API access is included, reports download as XLSX, and work runs in 36 languages. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who CitationIQ is for
- Fits if you need evidence of AI visibility to show your boss or clients
- Works for agencies with three or more clients, at $149 per client a month
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you're one person with one site, at $167 a month even billed yearly
- Not for you if you want to try it before paying, as there's no trial
- Skip it if Google's AI Overviews or AI Mode are where your buyers see answers
- Watch out: agency accounts must bring their own OpenAI and Anthropic API keys and pay monthly
- Watch out: cancelling forfeits the Founding Member rate for good, and the standard rate is $208
Good to know
Good for
- SEO leads who need evidence of AI visibility for executives or clients
- Content teams deciding which page sections to rewrite for AI answers
- Consultants and agencies reporting on several client brands
Worth knowing
- No free plan or free trial is listed; the self-serve plan is paid from the start.
- Each account manages up to 250 queries and 100 pages.
- Agency accounts must connect their own OpenAI and Anthropic API keys, and are billed monthly only.
- Cancelling forfeits the Founding Member rate for good.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$167
A month to start
CitationIQ is a paid product, starting at $167 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly).
No free plan or trial is listed, so the self-serve plan is paid from day one.
Founding Member
$167
per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly)
Every report, standard API access, 250 queries and 100 pages. Rate locked for life while the account stays active; offered to early accounts. $1,999 a year.
Standard
$208
per month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
The same full access at the standard rate, $2,490 a year. The page says all new accounts currently get the Founding Member rate instead.
Agency Getting Started
$249
per client / month, billed monthly
Full access for one client account, white-label exports, and your own OpenAI and Anthropic API keys required.
Agency Growth
$149
per client / month for 3+ clients, billed monthly
Volume pricing: $199 per client at 2 clients and $149 at 3 or more, applied to every client in the account.
Read from citationiq.com on Oct 23, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Lower monthly rate with annual billing
CitationIQ's pricing page lists the Founding Member rate at $167 a month billed annually ($1,999 a year), against $179 billed monthly.
Stated on citationiq.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI citation tracking and content alignment reports on one plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, reports, site audit, AI search visibility, content optimization.
- Citation tracking
- Checks ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity for your key queries and records whether the brand is cited, mentioned, paraphrased or absent over time.
- Query alignment
- Expands seed topics into the query variations people use and scores your content against each with semantic analysis.
- Chunk performance
- Scores individual sections of your pages against target queries to show which are ready, which need work and where new content would help.
- Technical visibility
- Finds crawl problems, access restrictions and llms.txt issues that keep AI platforms from reading your content.
- Competitive intelligence
- Compares your alignment scores with competitors query by query, showing where you lead or trail.
- Exports in 36 languages
- Queries, URLs and reports can be in 36 languages, and every report downloads as XLSX, white-labeled for agency accounts.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Google Gemini
- Perplexity
CitationIQ is made by Nashi Holdings, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/157
Other AI search visibility tools it is graded above
CitationIQ's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 157 other AI search visibility tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 51 of 157) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $167 a month, against a middle price of $59 for the category: 121 of the 128 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 24 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 158 AI search visibility tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. CitationIQ’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 157
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 157
- CFeaturesAbove 6 of 157
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 157
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 51 of 157
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 131 AI search visibility tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. CitationIQ is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of CitationIQ you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 145 of the 157 other AI search visibility tools grade higher. It costs $2,004 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- The same prompts asked of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers every day, and the answers kept.
- A score built from what the top results for each keyword cover.
- A crawler that checks every page of a site.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google Gemini among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. CitationIQ’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Profound, Peec AI, Scrunch, AthenaHQ and Otterly.AI
The 5 tools CitationIQ is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Profound
Free trial · from $99/mo
AI search visibility tracking with an AI marketing agent built in.
- CitationIQ also covers reports and site audit.
- Profound also covers AI agents and web analytics.
- 2.2GPA
Peec AI
Free trial · from $95/mo
AI search analytics that tracks brand prompts across AI models.
- CitationIQ also covers site audit and content optimization.
- Peec AI also covers web analytics.
- 1.8GPA
Scrunch
Free trial · from $250/mo
AI search monitoring plus pages served to AI agents.
- CitationIQ also covers reports.
- Scrunch also covers web analytics.
- 2.2GPA
AthenaHQ
Free plan · from $245/mo
Credit-based AI search tracking with content optimization agents.
- AthenaHQ has a free plan. CitationIQ does not.
- CitationIQ also covers reports and site audit.
- AthenaHQ also covers AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Otterly.AI
Free trial · from $25/mo
Daily brand and citation tracking across AI search engines.
- CitationIQ also covers content optimization.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is CitationIQ free?
No. CitationIQ is a paid product, starting at $167 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly).
How much does CitationIQ cost?
CitationIQ lists 4 plans. Founding Member: $167 per month, billed annually ($179 billed monthly).
What platforms does CitationIQ work on?
CitationIQ is available on Web.
Does CitationIQ offer any discounts?
CitationIQ publicly lists the following: Lower monthly rate with annual billing.
Does CitationIQ have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. CitationIQ is listed for Web.
Does CitationIQ have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 23, 2026. CitationIQ is listed for Web.
Is CitationIQ open source?
CitationIQ is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 23, 2026.
Does CitationIQ have an API?
Yes. CitationIQ offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does CitationIQ integrate with?
CitationIQ's listing names OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini and Perplexity.
Who makes CitationIQ?
CitationIQ is made by Nashi Holdings, LLC.
What are the alternatives to CitationIQ?
The closest alternatives to CitationIQ in our directory are Profound, Peec AI, Scrunch, AthenaHQ and Otterly.AI.
How does CitationIQ compare with other AI search visibility tools?
CitationIQ's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 157 other AI search visibility tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is CitationIQ good value for money?
ToolGPA grades CitationIQ D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $167 a month, against a middle price of $59 for the category: 121 of the 128 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of CitationIQ?
The plain part of CitationIQ you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from CitationIQ’s own pages on Oct 23, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 23, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CitationIQ's own pages on 23 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Nashi Holdings, LLC. Prices change, so check citationiq.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- CitationIQ, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/citationiq
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "CitationIQ: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 23, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/citationiq
Know someone choosing between AI search visibility tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/citationiq/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI search visibility tools after CitationIQ, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Search Visibility (AEO & GEO) Insider's GuideEvery one of the 158 AI search visibility tools we grade, compared
- geoSurge Insider's GuideFree AI visibility tracking that runs on your own AI subscriptions3.0 GPA
- llms-txt.io Insider's Guidellms.txt generator, validator, API and auto-updating managed files3.0 GPA
- Rankscale AI Insider's GuideCredit-based AI visibility tracker covering 17+ AI engines3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what CitationIQ’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. CitationIQ is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Nashi Holdings, LLC. Prices and plans change: check citationiq.com before you buy.