AthenaHQ is fast, well-funded, and built to get any startup a GEO read in a couple of minutes. That speed is real and it's a strength. The question is what happens after the scan, and whether the read understands crypto. That's where citeOS goes a different direction. If you're after an AthenaHQ alternative for a crypto brand, this is it.
AthenaHQ leans into speed and engine breadth, and for a generalist startup that's a sensible pitch. Two things matter more for a crypto team than raw engine count. First, does the tool actually understand your category, the difference between a DeFi answer and a payments answer, which outlets a crypto engine trusts. Second, once it finds the gap, who closes it. We chose to go narrow on crypto and deep on execution, instead of wide and hands-off.
| citeOSby Emergence Media | AthenaHQGEO platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0 free scan · $299 audit · $749/mo foundingsee pricing | Intro plan around $95, scaling to roughly $295/mocredit-metered tiers |
| Built for | Crypto teams, Web3 categories specifically | Startups and marketers, any industry |
| Free entry | ✓ Public scan, no signup | ✓ Fast free scan, signup-based |
| What's measured | One score: AI citations + PR placements + content | GEO visibility across enginesmeasurement-first |
| Engine coverage | The 5 that matter for crypto: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Google AI Mode | Markets a broader engine count |
| Crypto outlet data | ✓ 500+ ranked crypto outlets, scored | — No outlet database, no PR side |
| Execution layer | ✓ We ship the fixes, the PR, and the content | — Recommendations, your team executes |
| Speed | Scan in about a minute, full audit in 24–48h | ✓ Very fast scan, a core selling point |
| Methodology | ✓ Published weights, reproducible | Proprietary scoring |
| Best-fit buyer | Web3 teams who want the gap closed, with PR attached | Generalist startups wanting a quick GEO read across engines |
If you're not in crypto, a couple of AthenaHQ's strengths probably outweigh ours. Here's the real split.
No. No relationship with AthenaHQ and nothing earned if you choose them. We wrote it because buyers comparing the two asked us to.
We evaluated it the way a buyer would, including the free scan. Pricing and positioning here reflect what was public as of mid-2026, so check their site for current details.
If you want the fastest possible GEO read across a broad set of engines, you operate outside crypto, and you'll handle execution yourself, AthenaHQ is a strong choice. Pick citeOS when you're a crypto team that wants depth in the vertical and the work done for you.
Our published scoring system: 20 buyer-style prompts × 5 engines = 100 observation points per audit, across 500+ ranked crypto outlets. The methodology is public.
Scan your brand across all five engines and see where the crypto answers go instead of to you. No card, no signup, about a minute.
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