★ Our pick
Pick
Frase
Pick Frase if you want the cheaper option ($49/mo vs $23/mo); and you trust traction signals — they list 10 customers, NeuronWriter lists 0; and you want the better-funded company ($10.9M).
Head-to-head review · Updated June 2026
Frase vs NeuronWriter: which one wins in 2026?
Frase and NeuronWriter 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. Frase is the more-funded incumbent; NeuronWriter is the leaner challenger.
NeuronWriter is cheaper out the gate, but that's not the only thing that matters. The right pick depends on which dimension matters most for you.
The verdict
Pick
NeuronWriter
Pick NeuronWriter if you want the cheaper option ($23/mo vs $49/mo).
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 Frase
Frase has raised $10.9M (Acquired by CopySmith (October 2022)). Founded by Tomas Ratia, Cody Jacques, based in Boston, MA. On their site they list 10 named customers including Andela, ActiveCampaign, Coursera, GitLab. Pricing starts at $49/mo.
AI content optimization tool that helps you research, write, and outrank competitors.
What people praise
- Excellent content brief generation, agencies report saving 180 hours/month on research
- Aggregates People Also Ask, Quora, and Reddit questions for FAQ sections and subtopic discovery
- Real-time SEO scoring with clear keyword and heading coverage targets
- Now includes GEO (generative engine optimization) and AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Where it falls short
- AI-generated drafts often need manual rewriting, reviewers cite awkward phrasing and repetitive output
- Most powerful features locked behind an SEO add-on that costs extra on lower tiers
- Pricier than alternatives like Dashword at the entry tier, especially once add-ons are stacked
- AppSumo LTD buyers complained of accounts being invalidated after a v2 migration without clear notice
The case for NeuronWriter
Founded by Pawel Sokolowski, based in Warsaw, Poland. Pricing starts at $23/mo.
NLP-driven content optimization platform for SEO writers.
What people praise
- Bronze tier at $23/mo undercuts Surfer SEO ($89/mo starter) and Clearscope ($170/mo) for solo content creators while delivering NLP-based optimization.
- NLP-driven content optimization with real-time scoring and SERP competitor analysis matches the quality of pricier tools at one-third the cost.
- G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and AppSumo ratings cluster between 4.7 and 4.9 across 800+ reviews combined, the highest in the SEO content category.
- Content Designer ships one-click full-article generation, AI-generated visuals, and internal linking recommendations in a single workflow.
Where it falls short
- WordPress, Shopify, and Google Search Console integrations are gated to the $69 Gold tier, so the cheapest two plans are essentially standalone.
- AI and analysis features can be slow on large content sets, with reviewers reporting noticeable wait times on long-form articles.
- Learning curve is real - several Capterra reviews flag a 1-2 week onboarding before users get optimization scores right.
- Brand visibility tracking for AI search engines was added recently and is shallower than dedicated GEO tools like Otterly or Profound.
Pricing, tier by tier
Tier 1
Frase
Starter
$49/mo
- 1 site, 1 user seat
- 10 AI articles per month
- 50 audit pages per month
- AI visibility tracking
NeuronWriter
Bronze
$23/mo
- 2 projects
- 25 content analyses
- 15,000 AI credits
- Standard AI templates
Tier 2
Frase
Professional
$129/mo
- 3 seats (+$29/seat)
- 5 domains
- 40 AI articles per month
- 250 audit pages per month
NeuronWriter
Silver
$45/mo
- 5 projects
- 50 content analyses
- 30,000 AI credits
- Standard AI templates
Tier 3
Frase
Scale
$299/mo
- 5 seats (+$29/seat)
- 10 domains
- 100 AI articles per month
- 1,000 audit pages per month
NeuronWriter
Gold
$69/mo
- 10 projects
- 75 content analyses
- 45,000 AI credits
- Advanced and custom templates
Tier 4
Frase
Enterprise
Custom
- SSO and SAML
- White-label portal
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom SLA
NeuronWriter
Platinum
$93/mo
- 25 projects
- 100 content analyses
- 60,000 AI credits
- All Gold features
Tier 5
Frase
—
—
NeuronWriter
Diamond
$117/mo
- 50 projects
- 150 content analyses
- 75,000 AI credits
- All Platinum features
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 Frase
- SEO Content Optimization. Real-time scoring, keyword tracking, and competitive benchmarks while drafting
- GEO Content Optimization. Optimizes content to be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini
- SERP Research. Analyzes the top 10 ranking competitors in around 30 seconds to seed briefs
- AI Search Tracking. Monitors brand visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini
- Content Atomization. Repurposes a single article into LinkedIn, Twitter, newsletter, and Instagram variants
- Programmatic SEO. Generates pages at scale from structured data sets
Only on NeuronWriter
- NLP Content Optimization. Analyzes top-ranking pages and scores draft content against semantic relevance, keyword usage, and structure in real time.
- Content Designer. One-click AI article generation with custom templates, outlines, and AI-generated visuals.
- SERP and Competitor Analysis. Pulls SERP data for target keywords and compares headings, sections, and keyword density across top results.
- Plagiarism Detection. Built-in plagiarism checker with monthly check quotas scaling by plan tier.
- AI Visibility Tracking. Tracks brand mentions across AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
- Internal Linking Recommendations. Suggests internal link opportunities based on semantic similarity across the site's content.
When each one wins
When Frase wins
- You're enterprise and need to call a reference. Frase lists 10 named customers; NeuronWriter lists 0.
- You want the better-funded incumbent. Frase has raised $10.9M, giving it more runway and shipping velocity.
- Excellent content brief generation, agencies report saving 180 hours/month on research
When NeuronWriter wins
- Budget is the constraint. NeuronWriter starts at $23/mo vs Frase's $49/mo, so on a per-seat basis it's the cheaper way in.
- Bronze tier at $23/mo undercuts Surfer SEO ($89/mo starter) and Clearscope ($170/mo) for solo content creators while delivering NLP-based optimization.
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 Frase 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 Frase over NeuronWriter
- Better-funded incumbent. Frase has raised $10.9M, giving it more runway and shipping velocity than NeuronWriter.
- More named customers. Frase lists 10 customers vs NeuronWriter's 0, including Andela, ActiveCampaign, Coursera.
- More verified reviews. Frase has 500 G2 reviews vs NeuronWriter's none on file, so the average rating carries more weight.
- Wider integration ecosystem. Frase integrates with 12 tools; NeuronWriter ships 6.
- What users praise most. Excellent content brief generation, agencies report saving 180 hours/month on research
Reasons to pick NeuronWriter over Frase
- Lower entry price. NeuronWriter starts at $23/mo vs Frase's $49/mo.
- More plan flexibility. NeuronWriter offers 5 pricing tiers vs Frase's 4, so there's a better chance one fits your team size.
- What users praise most. Bronze tier at $23/mo undercuts Surfer SEO ($89/mo starter) and Clearscope ($170/mo) for solo content creators while delivering NLP-based optimization.
- EU data residency. NeuronWriter is HQ'd in Warsaw, Poland, which simplifies GDPR data-processor agreements for European buyers.
Switching from one to the other
From Frase to NeuronWriter
Export your saved queries and prompt panels from Frase (most tools support CSV export). Most NeuronWriter setups can import the same query list in a single CSV upload. Expect 1-2 days of parallel running so you can validate NeuronWriter's data againstFrase's; one to two weeks of full reconciliation before you cancel Frase. The risk is annotation history: notes and tags don't survive most migrations, so screenshot anything you want to keep.
From NeuronWriter to Frase
Same flow in reverse. Export from NeuronWriter, import to Frase. 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
| Frase | NeuronWriter | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at (USD/mo) | $49/mo | $23/mo |
| Founded | 2017 | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Boston, MA | Warsaw, Poland |
| Funding raised | $10.9M | — |
| AI platforms tracked | — | — |
| G2 rating | 4.8 / 5 (500 reviews) | 4.7 / 5 |
| Named customers | 10 | — |
| SOC 2 Type 2 | — | — |
| GDPR | — | ✓ Yes |
| HIPAA | — | — |
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.
Frase — what users praise
- Excellent content brief generation, agencies report saving 180 hours/month on research
- Aggregates People Also Ask, Quora, and Reddit questions for FAQ sections and subtopic discovery
- Real-time SEO scoring with clear keyword and heading coverage targets
- Now includes GEO (generative engine optimization) and AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
- Publishes directly into WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Sanity with SEO fields populated
Frase — what users complain about
- AI-generated drafts often need manual rewriting, reviewers cite awkward phrasing and repetitive output
- Most powerful features locked behind an SEO add-on that costs extra on lower tiers
- Pricier than alternatives like Dashword at the entry tier, especially once add-ons are stacked
- AppSumo LTD buyers complained of accounts being invalidated after a v2 migration without clear notice
- Periodic performance issues and limited support response time mentioned in Trustpilot reviews
NeuronWriter — what users praise
- Bronze tier at $23/mo undercuts Surfer SEO ($89/mo starter) and Clearscope ($170/mo) for solo content creators while delivering NLP-based optimization.
- NLP-driven content optimization with real-time scoring and SERP competitor analysis matches the quality of pricier tools at one-third the cost.
- G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and AppSumo ratings cluster between 4.7 and 4.9 across 800+ reviews combined, the highest in the SEO content category.
- Content Designer ships one-click full-article generation, AI-generated visuals, and internal linking recommendations in a single workflow.
- AppSumo lifetime deal popularity built a loyal base of bootstrapped agencies and freelancers who evangelize the product.
NeuronWriter — what users complain about
- WordPress, Shopify, and Google Search Console integrations are gated to the $69 Gold tier, so the cheapest two plans are essentially standalone.
- AI and analysis features can be slow on large content sets, with reviewers reporting noticeable wait times on long-form articles.
- Learning curve is real - several Capterra reviews flag a 1-2 week onboarding before users get optimization scores right.
- Brand visibility tracking for AI search engines was added recently and is shallower than dedicated GEO tools like Otterly or Profound.
- Backlink prospecting is not included, so SEO teams still need a separate Ahrefs or Semrush subscription for off-page work.
A third option
Both Frase and NeuronWriterare 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.
Other comparisons in this space
Same shape, different pairs. Pick a comparison that shares a tool with this one.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Frase or NeuronWriter?
Honestly: neither one fully solves the problem. Frase and NeuronWriter 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 NeuronWriter 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 Frase and NeuronWriter cost?
Frase starts at $49/mo. NeuronWriter starts at $23/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.
Do Frase and NeuronWriter actually improve your AI visibility, or just measure it?
Both Frase and NeuronWriter 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 Frase and NeuronWriter?
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Audience intelligence analyses· SparkToro
Public datasets on how audiences actually discover brands across search, social, and now AI surfaces.
- 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.