Cluo vs Profound: the one you can actually buy
Profound is the most heavily funded AI visibility platform in the category - a US$96M Series C in February 2026 at a US$1 billion valuation - and it is built exclusively for Fortune-class brands. You cannot sign up: pricing is hidden, every button routes to "Get a Demo", and onboarding takes weeks. It also doesn't track Google rankings. Cluo is the opposite answer to the same problem: AU$50 a month, 2-minute self-serve setup, AI search plus daily Google rank tracking and Search Console in one dashboard, built for the businesses Profound's sales team won't call back.
At a glance
| Feature | Cluo | Profound |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | AU$50 flat | Enterprise-only, demo-gated (historically ~US$499+/mo) |
| How you buy | Self-serve, 2 minutes | Sales process, weeks of onboarding |
| Free trial | Available | Single-shot AEO report only |
| AI engines | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude, AI Overviews | 8 engines incl. Claude, Grok, Meta AI, DeepSeek |
| Google keyword tracking | Yes, daily | No |
| Search Console | Yes | No |
| Sentiment scoring | Yes | Yes |
| Target market | SMBs, service businesses, agencies | Fortune 10, enterprise B2B |
| Contract | Cancel anytime | Enterprise contract |
Why can't small businesses buy Profound?
Profound's own pricing page says it: "built for enterprise brands with a global footprint." After the February 2026 Series C (US$96M, Sequoia/Kleiner Perkins/NVIDIA backing, US$1B valuation), the company went all-in on enterprise. If you're not a global brand, the buying process ends at a demo gate. Cluo is transparent pricing and signup this afternoon.
Where does Profound genuinely win?
The widest LLM coverage in the category, real prompt-volume data from millions of actual user queries, Agent Analytics tracking how AI bots crawl your site, and a content workflow that publishes to your CMS. Logo book: Ramp, Indeed, U.S. Bank, MongoDB, DocuSign. If you run AEO for a global brand with dedicated headcount and board-level reporting, Profound is the most credible enterprise pick.
Where does Cluo win?
You can buy it, and it does both jobs. Profound has no Google rank tracking - enterprise customers still need a second tool for traditional SEO. Cluo puts AI rankings and daily Google rankings on one screen at one AU$50 bill. Built for tradies, lawyers, accountants, medical, real estate and in-house teams - the buyers Profound is explicitly not built for.
Choose Profound if...
You run AEO for a global enterprise with dedicated marketing engineering, board-level reporting and budget for five-figure monthly software spend, and you don't need Google rank tracking in the same tool.
Choose Cluo if...
You run a service business, in-house team or SMB agency and want one dashboard for AI and Google rankings, a transparent flat price, and setup measured in minutes not weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Profound cost?
Pricing is hidden behind a sales process. Third-party data references historic tiers from ~US$499/month; current pricing is custom enterprise-only. Profound raised US$96M at a US$1B valuation in February 2026.
Can I try Profound without a demo?
Only a free single-shot AEO report. There is no self-serve product trial. Cluo offers a free trial and 2-minute setup.
Does Profound track Google rankings?
No. Profound is a pure AEO platform. Cluo includes daily Google rank tracking and Search Console alongside AI engines.
Which AI engines does Cluo track?
ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude and Google AI Overviews - all included at AU$50/month.
What is Cluo's contract?
Month to month, cancel anytime, no lock-in.
Updated June 2026. Pricing verified 5 June 2026.
See the Cluo dashboard
AU$50 a month. Cancel anytime. AI search and Google rankings on one screen.