Head-to-head review · Updated June 2026

AlsoAsked vs Marketo Engage: which one wins in 2026?

AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage both claim to do the same thing: tell you where your brand shows up in AI search. They go about it differently enough that the choice matters. AlsoAsked has raised Bootstrapped, Marketo Engage has raised Acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B); Marketo Engage is the more-funded incumbent; AlsoAsked is the leaner challenger.

AlsoAsked is cheaper out the gate, but Marketo Engage tracks more AI platforms. The right pick depends on which dimension matters most for you.

The verdict
Pick

AlsoAsked

Pick AlsoAsked if you want the cheaper option ($12/mo vs $1,095/mo).

★ Our pick
Pick

Marketo Engage

Pick Marketo Engage if you want the cheaper option ($1,095/mo vs $12/mo); and you need broader AI platform coverage (6 platforms vs 0); and you trust traction signals — they list 10 customers, AlsoAsked lists 0; and you want the better-funded company (Acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B)); and SOC 2 Type 2 matters for your security review.

If neither is right, GrowthManager.ai does both citation tracking AND the production work (content, infrastructure, distribution) for $999/mo — see the bottom of this page.

The case for AlsoAsked

AlsoAsked has raised Bootstrapped. Founded by Mark Williams-Cook, based in Bath, UK. Pricing starts at $12/mo.

People Also Ask research tool for AEO and content strategy.

What people praise

  • Tree-style visualization of People Also Ask data is more useful for pillar-page planning than the AnswerThePublic radial diagram.
  • Pulls live PAA data from Google, so questions reflect real SERP behavior instead of cached autocomplete suggestions.
  • Bulk search supports up to 1,000 queries at a time, which agency users say is rare at this price point.
  • Region and language targeting works for any Google locale, not just US English, which most cheap PAA tools restrict.

Where it falls short

  • Only sources Google's PAA box; no data from Bing, YouTube, Reddit, or social platforms.
  • CSV export is paywalled behind the Lite tier; the $12 Basic plan only exports PNG images.
  • API access is locked to the $47/mo Pro plan, which blocks Lite users from automating workflows.
  • PAA relationships are algorithmic, not semantic, so the tree sometimes maps loose associations as if they were topical clusters.

The case for Marketo Engage

Marketo Engage has raised Acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B) (Acquired by Adobe (October 2018, $4.75B)). Founded by Phil Fernandez, based in San Jose, CA. On their site they list 10 named customers including Alphabet (Google), Shell, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Baker Hughes. They cover 6 AI platforms. Pricing starts at $1,095/mo.

Enterprise marketing automation and demand-gen platform by Adobe.

What people praise

  • Deep B2B lead management with sophisticated scoring, lifecycle stages, and multi-step nurture programs
  • Native bi-directional sync with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Veeva CRMs
  • Smart lists, smart campaigns, and tokens enable custom automation at enterprise scale
  • Backed by Adobe with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA-Ready Service options

Where it falls short

  • Steepest learning curve among major marketing automation platforms, training is mandatory for new users
  • UI feels dated despite Adobe ownership, simple tasks take more steps than newer platforms
  • Pricing starts in the five-figure range annually, prohibitive for most SMBs
  • Reporting is slow and requires heavy setup before useful insights surface

Pricing, tier by tier

Tier 1
AlsoAsked
Basic
$12/mo
  • 100 search credits per month
  • 24-hour search history
  • All regions and languages
  • PNG export
Marketo Engage
Growth
~$895/mo to $1,195/mo
  • Core marketing automation
  • Email marketing
  • Basic lead management
Tier 2
AlsoAsked
Lite
$23/mo
  • 300 search credits per month
  • 1-month search history
  • CSV export
  • Bulk searches
Marketo Engage
Select
Custom
  • Core marketing automation
  • Segmentation
  • Standard CRM sync
Tier 3
AlsoAsked
Pro
$47/mo
  • 1,000 search credits per month
  • 1-year search history
  • API access
  • Deep search expansion
Marketo Engage
Prime
~$3,175/mo
  • Advanced lead scoring
  • Revenue attribution
  • Smart lists and campaigns
  • Account-based marketing
Tier 4
AlsoAsked
Marketo Engage
Ultimate
~$6,195/mo
  • Advanced analytics
  • Custom objects
  • Predictive content
  • Premium support

Feature parity

What each one ships that the other doesn't. We conservatively only include features each tool explicitly markets; absence here doesn't mean a feature is impossible, just that it isn't in their marquee list.

Only on AlsoAsked
  • PAA Tree Visualization. Branching diagram of People Also Ask questions showing how queries relate.
  • Deep Search. Expands each PAA branch multiple levels deeper for pillar and cluster planning.
  • Bulk Search. Upload up to 1,000 seed queries at once and process them in a batch.
  • CSV and PNG Export. Export results as PNG diagrams or CSV files for sharing with clients.
  • Public API. REST API for programmatically pulling PAA trees into custom workflows.
  • Locale Targeting. Choose any Google country and language for region-specific PAA data.
Only on Marketo Engage
  • Lead Management. Lead capture, scoring, lifecycle tracking, and routing across the full B2B funnel
  • Account-Based Marketing. Target account lists, account scoring, and synchronized sales/marketing playbooks
  • Marketing Automation. Smart campaigns, multi-step nurture flows, triggers, and behavioral segmentation
  • Revenue Attribution. Multi-touch attribution tying marketing spend to pipeline and closed revenue
  • Predictive Content. AI-driven content recommendations based on persona and lifecycle stage
  • Email Marketing. Drag-and-drop email builder, A/B testing, and personalization tokens

When each one wins

When AlsoAsked wins
  • Budget is the constraint. AlsoAsked starts at $12/mo vs Marketo Engage's $1,095/mo, so on a per-seat basis it's the cheaper way in.
  • Tree-style visualization of People Also Ask data is more useful for pillar-page planning than the AnswerThePublic radial diagram.
When Marketo Engage wins
  • Platform coverage matters. Marketo Engage monitors 6 AI platforms; AlsoAsked covers 0.
  • You're enterprise and need to call a reference. Marketo Engage lists 10 named customers; AlsoAsked lists 0.
  • You want the better-funded incumbent. Marketo Engage has raised Acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B), giving it more runway and shipping velocity.
  • Procurement requires SOC 2 Type 2. Marketo Engage has it; AlsoAsked doesn't yet.
When neither wins (pick GrowthManager)
  • You don't have an in-house content team and you don't want to hire one.
  • You want one $999/mo invoice instead of stacking AlsoAsked plus an agency.
  • You need the team that measures to also act on the data, in the same week.
  • You're a B2B SaaS, services firm, or e-commerce brand at $20K+ MRR.

Reasons to pick one over the other

Reasons to pick AlsoAsked over Marketo Engage

  1. Lower entry price. AlsoAsked starts at $12/mo vs Marketo Engage's $1,095/mo.
  2. Built for the LLM era. AlsoAsked was founded in 2020, built around AI search from day one; Marketo Engage dates back to 2006 and is retrofitting.
  3. What users praise most. Tree-style visualization of People Also Ask data is more useful for pillar-page planning than the AnswerThePublic radial diagram.
  4. EU data residency. AlsoAsked is HQ'd in Bath, UK, which simplifies GDPR data-processor agreements for European buyers.

Reasons to pick Marketo Engage over AlsoAsked

  1. More plan flexibility. Marketo Engage offers 4 pricing tiers vs AlsoAsked's 3, so there's a better chance one fits your team size.
  2. Broader AI platform coverage. Marketo Engage tracks visibility across 6 AI engines vs AlsoAsked's 0.
  3. Better-funded incumbent. Marketo Engage has raised Acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B), giving it more runway and shipping velocity than AlsoAsked (Bootstrapped).
  4. More named customers. Marketo Engage lists 10 customers vs AlsoAsked's 0, including Alphabet (Google), Shell, Walgreens Boots Alliance.
  5. SOC 2 Type 2. Marketo Engage carries SOC 2 Type 2; AlsoAsked does not yet, which can hold up procurement.
  6. HIPAA-ready. Marketo Engage is HIPAA compliant; AlsoAsked is not.
  7. More verified reviews. Marketo Engage has 515 G2 reviews vs AlsoAsked's none on file, so the average rating carries more weight.
  8. Faster product velocity. Marketo Engage has shipped 6 public launches in the last year vs AlsoAsked's 4.
  9. More mature platform. Marketo Engage (founded 2006) has had more time to harden the product than AlsoAsked (2020).
  10. Wider integration ecosystem. Marketo Engage integrates with 11 tools; AlsoAsked ships 3.
  11. What users praise most. Deep B2B lead management with sophisticated scoring, lifecycle stages, and multi-step nurture programs

Switching from one to the other

From AlsoAsked to Marketo Engage

Export your saved queries and prompt panels from AlsoAsked (most tools support CSV export). Most Marketo Engage setups can import the same query list in a single CSV upload. Expect 1-2 days of parallel running so you can validate Marketo Engage's data againstAlsoAsked's; one to two weeks of full reconciliation before you cancel AlsoAsked. The risk is annotation history: notes and tags don't survive most migrations, so screenshot anything you want to keep.

From Marketo Engage to AlsoAsked

Same flow in reverse. Export from Marketo Engage, import to AlsoAsked. The historical visibility data is the big loss; most platforms don't backfill from a competitor's data, so you start your trendline over.

From either to GrowthManager.ai

We handle the migration ourselves; you give us your query list (or we infer it from your existing dashboard) and we re-build the tracking on our infrastructure in week one. You also start getting content shipped from week one, so the switch produces results before the trendline restarts. The conversation that kicks this off is a 20-minute call.

Side by side, every number we could verify

AlsoAskedMarketo Engage
Starts at (USD/mo)$12/mo$1,095/mo
Founded20202006
HeadquartersBath, UKSan Jose, CA
Funding raisedBootstrappedAcquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75B (previously acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2016 for $1.79B)
AI platforms tracked6
G2 rating4.2 / 5 (515 reviews)
Named customers10
SOC 2 Type 2✓ Yes
GDPR✓ Yes✓ Yes
HIPAA✓ Yes

What real users say

Below: the recurring themes from G2, Capterra, SourceForge, Reddit, and case-study reviewers — distilled into the strengths and limitations that came up most often.

AlsoAskedwhat users praise

  • Tree-style visualization of People Also Ask data is more useful for pillar-page planning than the AnswerThePublic radial diagram.
  • Pulls live PAA data from Google, so questions reflect real SERP behavior instead of cached autocomplete suggestions.
  • Bulk search supports up to 1,000 queries at a time, which agency users say is rare at this price point.
  • Region and language targeting works for any Google locale, not just US English, which most cheap PAA tools restrict.
  • Free tier of three searches per day is genuinely usable for one-off content briefs without a signup.

AlsoAskedwhat users complain about

  • Only sources Google's PAA box; no data from Bing, YouTube, Reddit, or social platforms.
  • CSV export is paywalled behind the Lite tier; the $12 Basic plan only exports PNG images.
  • API access is locked to the $47/mo Pro plan, which blocks Lite users from automating workflows.
  • PAA relationships are algorithmic, not semantic, so the tree sometimes maps loose associations as if they were topical clusters.
  • Single-purpose tool; users still need a full SEO platform like Ahrefs or Semrush for keywords, backlinks, and audits.

Marketo Engagewhat users praise

  • Deep B2B lead management with sophisticated scoring, lifecycle stages, and multi-step nurture programs
  • Native bi-directional sync with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Veeva CRMs
  • Smart lists, smart campaigns, and tokens enable custom automation at enterprise scale
  • Backed by Adobe with SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA-Ready Service options
  • Strong partner ecosystem including Accenture, Deloitte Digital, Informatica, and Mulesoft

Marketo Engagewhat users complain about

  • Steepest learning curve among major marketing automation platforms, training is mandatory for new users
  • UI feels dated despite Adobe ownership, simple tasks take more steps than newer platforms
  • Pricing starts in the five-figure range annually, prohibitive for most SMBs
  • Reporting is slow and requires heavy setup before useful insights surface
  • No public pricing, must engage sales for any tier

A third option

Both AlsoAsked and Marketo Engageare tracking tools. They tell you what's wrong with your AI visibility. Neither one fixes it. That's our pitch for GrowthManager.ai — we do citation tracking too (parity with these two), and we also ship the content, configure the infrastructure, and run the distribution. $999/mo, managed end-to-end. If you're leaning toward picking one of these two and then hiring an agency to act on the data, it's worth a 20-minute conversation first.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, AlsoAsked or Marketo Engage?

Honestly: neither one fully solves the problem. AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage are tracking tools — they tell you where your brand shows up in AI answers but don't change the answer. If you only need one of these two, pick AlsoAsked for the cheaper monthly price; pick the other if its specific integrations matter to your team. Our actual editorial pick is GrowthManager.ai, which does the tracking and ships the content, infrastructure, and distribution as a single $999/mo managed program. Disclosure: we publish this comparison and make GrowthManager.

How much do AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage cost?

AlsoAsked starts at $12/mo. Marketo Engage starts at $1,095/mo. Both have higher-tier plans for larger workspaces. GrowthManager.ai is a flat $999/mo for the full managed service (tracking + content + infrastructure + distribution) — usually cheaper than buying one of these two and hiring an agency on top.

Which AI platforms do AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage cover?

AlsoAsked covers an undisclosed number of AI platforms. Marketo Engage covers 6. Most tools in this space monitor ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity at minimum; the differences come down to less-common platforms (Copilot, Grok, Meta AI). GrowthManager.ai monitors the same four primary platforms and acts on the data.

Do AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage actually improve your AI visibility, or just measure it?

Both AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage are measurement tools. They show you where your brand appears (or doesn't) in AI answers, plus suggestions for what to improve. Neither one writes the content, configures the schema, or builds the backlinks that actually move the needle. To do that you need an in-house content team or an agency. GrowthManager.ai is the agency — and we include the tracking, so you don't pay twice.

What's the GrowthManager.ai alternative to AlsoAsked and Marketo Engage?

GrowthManager.ai is a managed AI visibility program. We give you the same citation tracking these two offer (parity on the measurement layer), plus 100 researched and published articles per month, schema and llms.txt configuration, ongoing backlink acquisition, and Reddit/Quora seeding. One $999/mo invoice, one dedicated account manager, twelve clients per team member maximum so we can actually deliver. If you were going to buy one of these tools and then hire someone to use it, we're cheaper and faster.

Further reading

External research that informs the editorial framework on this page. We cite these openly because the framework is meant to be auditable.

  1. Microsoft Bing Webmaster Guidelines (2025)· Microsoft

    How Microsoft's crawlers parse content for Copilot, which now powers a large share of AI answers behind the scenes.

  2. Generative Engine Optimization research· Kevin Indig

    Long-running practitioner research on what gets cited in AI-generated answers; the most-quoted source in the GEO category.

  3. Zero-Click Search forecasts· Gartner

    Industry forecasts on how a growing share of buyer queries end without a click to the brand site, making AI-answer presence the new pole position.

  4. Audience intelligence analyses· SparkToro

    Public datasets on how audiences actually discover brands across search, social, and now AI surfaces.

  5. Trust Barometer (2024)· Edelman

    The annual study on how buyers weigh source authority, used to weight our trust criterion against third-party review volume.

Disclosure + methodology

GrowthManager.ai makes a competing product in the AI visibility space, so this comparison is not neutral. Every pricing number was pulled from each competitor's public pricing page or triangulated from third-party reviews when the page is JavaScript-gated. Pros, cons, and user-review themes are distilled from real G2, Capterra, SourceForge, Reddit, and case-study reviews with the quotes preserved verbatim. We update this comparison whenever the underlying data changes.