How much does an AEO agency cost in 2026?

Published AEO and GEO agency retainers run from about USD 3,000 to over USD 15,000 a month (checked 1 Oct 2026). One-off audits and roadmaps cost from USD 3,500 to USD 7,500. Price depends on pages per month, prompts tracked, mentions work and team size.

Most pricing guides give you bands with no source. This one lists what agencies actually publish, with a link and a date for each. Then it shows why the numbers differ, what you should get for the money and how to work out payback.

The budget question matters because buyers have moved. 94% of business buyers report using AI during their buying process, says Forrester. And 45% of B2B buyers used GenAI in a recent purchase, says Gartner.

What do AEO agencies actually publish?

Besides us, our table has 11 agencies: 6 publish a price and 5 do not. Every row below comes from the agency's own page, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices change, so click through before you budget.

We do not convert EUR to USD. Exchange rates move, and the agencies quote in their own currency.

Why do price ranges on other guides disagree?

Ranges disagree because guides mix different things under one label. Scope, currency, add-ons, minimum terms and software versus service all move the number. Once you split them out, the published prices line up better.

Scope. A "from" price buys the smallest package. Optimist's full service starts at USD 4,000 a month for about 4 to 5 deliverables, but the same page gives a range up to USD 15,000+.

Add-ons. Some fees sit outside the headline price. DerivateX adds a citation budget of USD 1,000 to 3,000 a month on top of the retainer. Reach lists USD 250 per secured link or mention and USD 600 per 10 community posts as add-ons.

Software versus service. Reach sells a platform from USD 100 a month and a done-for-you service from USD 6,000 a month. A guide that blends the two gets a range that fits neither.

Minimum terms. A monthly price means little without the term. LoudFace starts with a 3-month first engagement. Siege Media states a 6+ month minimum. Optimist and Discovered Labs run month to month.

Hidden prices. Five agencies in our table publish no price. Any guide that "averages the market" has to guess for them.

What should a 1M to 10M ARR SaaS expect to get for its money?

At this stage you need a fixed scope you can check each month. Ask for the items below in writing, whatever the price. If an agency cannot list them, you cannot judge what you paid for.

For scale: our platform tracks one category, our own, on ChatGPT and Perplexity. We re-check every question, because AI answers change from one ask to the next. A larger product line needs more questions.

What else do you pay for?

The retainer is only part of the cost. Add tools, your team's time, any setup or diagnostic fee and any mention or citation budget. Then you have the real monthly number.

Two things cut this cost. First, ask whether the agency's own tracking is included, so you do not pay for a tool twice. Second, check if a diagnostic fee is credited: Discovered Labs credits it within 14 days, DerivateX within 30 days.

Is an AEO agency worth the cost?

It is worth it if the pipeline it helps create pays back the fee within your sales cycle. Work out how many closed deals cover the cost. If the number looks unreachable, wait or cut scope.

Here is the maths. Payback deals = total cost ÷ average first-year deal value.

Example with made-up inputs (swap in your own):

• Retainer: USD 5,000 a month for a 3-month first engagement = USD 15,000.
• Your average first-year deal: USD 15,000 (assumption).
• Your win rate on qualified opportunities: 1 in 4 (assumption).
• Payback: 1 closed deal, or about 4 qualified opportunities, from AI and search over the period you measure.

Two cautions. Deals from AI and search can close after the first 90 days, depending on your sales cycle. Judge early months on leading signs: prompts where you now appear, demos that mention AI. And attribution is never perfect. Buyers also check what AI tells them: 69% of B2B buyers prefer to validate AI-generated insights with sales reps.

What does Noudar AI cost?

Noudar AI costs EUR 3,000 for a 90-day program: EUR 1,500 at the start and EUR 1,500 at day 90. If we miss the goals agreed at kickoff, you get a full refund and keep the work. See pricing.

We turn AI visibility into pipeline. The 90 days are done end to end: strategy, content written and published, technical fixes, mentions, weekly AI checks and a monthly pipeline report. AI does the research, checks and first drafts. SEO and AEO experts make every call.

The price reflects that we are new. We have no client case studies yet, so a case study with us is part of the deal. This is our Design-Partner Program, batch 1: 3 spots, open until 31 October 2026.

Not ready to commit? Start with a free AI visibility audit. We check your key buyer questions and re-check each one, because AI answers change from one ask to the next. You see who AI names instead of you, the sources it cites and your top 3 blockers. Results in 12 hours.