LLMrefs is an AI search analytics platform founded in 2024 that takes a keyword-first approach to AI visibility tracking. Instead of asking users to define prompts manually, LLMrefs uses a 4.5 million conversation dataset to generate prompts based on what people actually ask AI. LLMrefs covers 11 AI engines, one of the widest coverages available.
If you're evaluating AI visibility tools, here's a detailed breakdown of how LLMrefs works, what LLMrefs costs, and how LLMrefs compares to Mentionable.
How does LLMrefs track AI visibility?
LLMrefs flips the typical AI visibility workflow. You enter keywords (not prompts), and LLMrefs automatically generates relevant prompts based on its 4.5M ChatGPT conversation dataset. You track what people actually ask, not what you think they ask.
LLMrefs covers 11 AI engines: ChatGPT (including GPT-5), Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, and DeepSeek. That breadth is one of the widest available among AI visibility platforms.
LLMrefs' keyword-based tracking lets you enter keywords and generates "fan-out prompts" based on real conversations. Tracking a keyword like "email marketing" gives visibility across dozens of actual prompts people use.
The ChatGPT Prompts Database is free to access, containing 4.5M real conversations from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI chatbots. You can explore what people ask in any category before committing to paid tracking.
LLMrefs also offers geo-targeting across 20+ countries and 10+ languages, plus citation and sentiment analysis.
How much does LLMrefs cost in 2026?
LLMrefs offers a free tier plus paid plans. The free tier gives access to the ChatGPT prompts database (no tracking included). LLMrefs Pro costs $79/month for 50 keywords, 11 AI engines, and 500 prompts per month. LLMrefs Enterprise has custom pricing.
| Plan | Price | Keywords | Prompts | AI Engines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | N/A | N/A (database access only) | N/A |
| Pro | $79/month | 50 | 500/month | 11 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | 11 |
The free database access requires no credit card. For actual visibility tracking, LLMrefs Pro at $79/month is competitive given the 11-engine coverage.
What does LLMrefs do well?
LLMrefs' 4.5M prompt dataset means tracking is based on queries people actually use, not assumptions or guesses. That data-driven approach reduces the risk of tracking irrelevant prompts.
LLMrefs covers 11 AI engines including ChatGPT (GPT-5), Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek. Few AI visibility tools match that breadth of coverage.
LLMrefs' keyword-first workflow is efficient. Enter keywords, get auto-generated prompts. Less manual prompt research, more automated discovery based on real conversation patterns.
The free ChatGPT prompts database is genuinely valuable for research. Exploring what people actually ask in any category, before committing to paid tracking, helps validate whether AI visibility matters for a specific niche.
LLMrefs vs Mentionable: full feature comparison
LLMrefs and Mentionable both track AI visibility, but LLMrefs uses keyword-driven automation with maximum LLM breadth while Mentionable uses URL-based prompt generation with a broader feature stack.
| Feature | LLMrefs | Mentionable |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $79/month (Pro) | €79/month (Growth) |
| Free tier | Prompts database (no tracking) | 4-day free trial (full tracking) |
| AI engines/LLMs | 11 (ChatGPT, AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Copilot, Meta AI, DeepSeek) | Up to 7 (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Grok, Copilot, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overview), user picks 3-4 depending on plan |
| Prompt generation | Keyword-first, auto-generated from 4.5M dataset | URL-first, AI scans website to generate 15-20 prompts |
| Prompt limit | 500 prompts/month (Pro) | 40-80 prompts (tracked continuously) on Growth and Pro |
| Competitor intelligence | Not specified | Auto-extracted, normalized, ranked per LLM and per prompt |
| Source/citation tracking | Citation analysis included | Tracks all cited domains, highlights your site vs competitors |
| Content opportunities | Not available | AI-powered gap analysis with clustered content recommendations |
| AI traffic analytics | Not available | Tracking pixel identifies traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc. |
| Sentiment analysis | Included | Positive/neutral/negative per prompt per LLM |
| MCP integration | Not available | Available (Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT via public MCP server) |
| One-shot white-label GEO audit | Not available | Available on Agency plan (6-section client-ready report) |
| Geo-targeting | 20+ countries, 10+ languages | Not available |
| Prompts database | 4.5M real conversations (free) | Not available |
| Best for | Keyword researchers, broad LLM coverage | Solopreneurs, growing brands, and agencies needing client-ready deliverables |
Why choose Mentionable over LLMrefs?
LLMrefs excels at keyword-driven prompt discovery with its 4.5M conversation dataset and 11-engine coverage. Mentionable takes a different approach: instead of starting with keywords, Mentionable scans your website and builds your tracking automatically. For users who want a broader feature stack beyond tracking, Mentionable fills the gaps.
- URL-first setup vs keyword research. LLMrefs requires entering keywords to generate prompts. Mentionable scans the user's URL and auto-generates relevant prompts with no keyword research needed.
- Competitor intelligence built in. Mentionable automatically extracts and ranks every competitor mentioned alongside your brand across the tracked LLMs. LLMrefs does not offer normalized competitor intelligence.
- Content opportunities and AI traffic analytics. Mentionable identifies content gaps with clustered recommendations and tracks which LLMs send visitors to the user's site. These features are not available in LLMrefs.
- MCP integration. Mentionable is an AI visibility tracker with an MCP server. Users can query their visibility data directly from Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT, or Claude Code.
- One-shot white-label GEO audit (Agency). Mentionable Agency includes a 6-section client-ready GEO audit: competitor podium, prompt coverage heatmap, top citation sources, quality backlinks, AI-generated diagnostic, and recommended content plan. A packaged deliverable for consultants and agencies.
Start tracking your AI visibility across 7 LLMs with Mentionable's 4-day free trial, no credit card required.
Which tool fits your needs?
LLMrefs makes sense if:
- You want the widest LLM coverage available (11 AI engines)
- You prefer keyword-first prompt generation based on real conversation data
- You want to explore the free 4.5M prompts database before committing
- You need geo-targeting across 20+ countries and 10+ languages
- You have budget for $79/month and need broad, data-driven tracking
- You want to track what people actually ask AI, not guess at prompts
Mentionable makes sense if:
- You want to pick from 7 major LLMs starting at €79/month (Growth)
- You want AI-generated relevant prompts from your website URL, not keyword research
- You need competitor intelligence, source tracking, and content opportunities in one tool
- You want AI traffic analytics to see which LLMs actually send visitors
- You prefer continuous prompt tracking over monthly prompt volume limits
- You want MCP access to query your AI visibility data from Claude Desktop, Cursor, or ChatGPT
- You are an agency or consultant needing a one-shot white-label GEO audit
- You are a solopreneur or growing brand looking for a complete AI visibility stack starting at €79/month
LLMrefs and Mentionable take fundamentally different approaches to AI visibility. LLMrefs excels at data-driven prompt discovery with its 4.5M conversation dataset and offers the widest LLM coverage available (11 engines). Mentionable provides a broader feature stack (competitor intelligence, source tracking, content opportunities, AI traffic analytics) with a simpler URL-based setup, at a lower entry price. LLMrefs fits users who prioritize breadth of LLM coverage and keyword-driven research. Mentionable fits solopreneurs and growing brands who want a complete, easy-to-use AI visibility platform.
