--- title: Elmo vs LLMtel | AI Visibility Tool Comparison · Elmo description: Compare Elmo and LLMtel for AI visibility tracking. Feature-by-feature breakdown, pricing, and key differences. canonical: https://www.elmohq.com/ai-visibility-tools/elmo-vs-llmtel updated: "2026-10-20" --- [AI Visibility Tool Directory](https://www.elmohq.com/ai-visibility-tools) # Elmo vs LLMtel Elmo is an open-source, self-hostable alternative to LLMtel, an AI visibility tracking tool. Both measure how AI answer engines describe your brand, but Elmo ships every line of code, runs on your own infrastructure, and is free to self-host — so your data stays yours and each metric is independently verifiable. The short version LLMtel doesn't list Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, or Claude among its engines and has no API or MCP server. Elmo has all of that, and it's free to self-host. LLMtel appears to be a very early-stage product with limited adoption. ## Elmo Open SourceSelf-HostedWhite-Label Open-source AEO platform. Self-host for free, forever. Track AI visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Overviews with full transparency. ## LLMtel AI Visibility TrackingFree Tier One-click checks across 13+ chatbots with a before-and-after score ## LLMtel at a glance ![Screenshot of LLMtel homepage](https://nynjceth7hnajxhe.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/screenshots/llmtel.jpg) [Visit llmtel.com](https://www.llmtel.com/) ## About LLMtel LLMtel asks 13 or more AI chatbots what they know about a brand, campaign, or keyword and returns a report of which tools mention it and how well that matches the intended positioning. Its workflow is built around proving campaign impact: follow the step-by-step fixes — add a Wikipedia page, adjust meta tags, improve site structure — then re-run the check for a before-and-after score. Separate tracks exist for brand managers, agencies, PR, startups, and enterprise. Popularity grade: F - Queries 13+ chatbots in one check rather than a fixed engine set - Built around before-and-after scoring to evidence a campaign - Free check from an email address, no card ## Feature comparison | Feature | Elmo | LLMtel | | ----------------------- | ---- | ------ | | Core Tracking | | | | Multi-LLM Tracking | Yes | Yes | | AI Visibility Score | Yes | Yes | | Citation Analytics | Yes | No | | Competitor Benchmarking | Yes | Yes | | Brand Mention Tracking | Yes | Yes | | AI Engines | | | | ChatGPT | Yes | Yes | | Google AI Overviews | Yes | No | | Google AI Mode | Yes | No | | Gemini | Yes | Yes | | Perplexity | Yes | Yes | | Microsoft Copilot | Yes | No | | Claude | Yes | No | | Grok | Yes | No | | DeepSeek | Yes | No | | Meta AI | Yes | No | | Any Model | Yes | No | | Real UI Answers | Yes | No | | Bring Your Own Keys | Yes | No | | Platform | | | | White-Label / Agency | Yes | Yes | | Open Source | Yes | No | | Content Generation | No | No | | Advanced Analytics | | | | Prompt Volume Estimates | No | No | | Sentiment Analysis | Yes | No | | Query Fan-Out | Yes | No | | AI Crawler Analytics | No | No | | Geographic Tracking | No | No | | Social Media Tracking | No | No | | Shopping Tracking | No | No | | Multi-Language | No | No | | Actionable Insights | | | | Action Recommendations | Yes | Yes | | Content Gap Analysis | Yes | No | | AI Site Audits | No | Yes | | AI Keyword Research | Yes | No | | Reporting & Integration | | | | Email Alerts | No | No | | API Access | Yes | No | | TypeScript SDK | Yes | No | | Python SDK | Yes | No | | MCP Access | Yes | No | | BI Connectors | No | No | We last checked LLMtel against its own site in Oct 2026. Spot an error? [Suggest a correction](https://github.com/elmohq/elmo/issues/new?title=Correction+for+LLMtel\&body=What%27s+wrong%2C+and+where+can+we+see+the+correct+information+%28a+pricing+page%2C+docs%2C+or+changelog%29%3F%0A%0A) or [edit the data on GitHub](https://github.com/elmohq/elmo/blob/main/apps/www/src/lib/competitors/data.ts). ## Key differences ### Only in Elmo - Citation Analytics - Google AI Overviews - Google AI Mode - Microsoft Copilot - Claude - Grok - DeepSeek - Meta AI - Any Model - Real UI Answers - Bring Your Own Keys - Open Source - Sentiment Analysis - Query Fan-Out - Content Gap Analysis - AI Keyword Research - API Access - TypeScript SDK - Python SDK - MCP Access ### Both offer - Multi-LLM Tracking - AI Visibility Score - Competitor Benchmarking - Brand Mention Tracking - ChatGPT - Gemini - Perplexity - White-Label / Agency - Action Recommendations ### Only in LLMtel - AI Site Audits ## Why choose Elmo over LLMtel? ### Open source and transparent Every line of code is open. You can verify exactly how your visibility data is collected, calculated, and presented. No black boxes. ### Self-host for free, forever Run Elmo on your own infrastructure. The core platform is free and always will be, and Elmo Cloud is there if you would rather not run it yourself. ### Your data, in your stack Pull every metric, sentiment included, into your own code with the REST API and TypeScript and Python SDKs, or ask Claude Code and Cursor about it over MCP. Export, fork, or migrate at any time. ### Built to last Bootstrapped and sustainable. No investors pushing towards dark patterns. We'll outlast the companies taking too much VC money. ## Frequently Asked Questions - What is the difference between Elmo and LLMtel? Elmo is an open-source, self-hostable AI visibility platform, while LLMtel is a closed-source AI visibility tracking tool. Both track how AI answer engines describe your brand, but Elmo gives you the full source code and runs on your own infrastructure, so you can verify every metric and keep your data in-house. - Is Elmo a free, open-source alternative to LLMtel? Yes. Elmo is a free, open-source alternative to LLMtel. You can self-host the full platform at no cost, read every line of code, and track your AI visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews without per-seat or per-prompt fees. - Is LLMtel open source? No, LLMtel is a hosted product without public source code. Elmo is fully open source, so you can read how each metric is calculated, self-host it on your own infrastructure, and take your data with you. - How do Elmo and LLMtel compare on sentiment analysis, API access, and MCP? Elmo includes all three: a 0 to 100 sentiment score for every AI answer that mentions you, a REST API with TypeScript and Python SDKs, and an MCP server so assistants like Claude Code and Cursor can query your data. We have not found LLMtel offering sentiment analysis, API access, or an MCP server. - Can I self-host Elmo instead of LLMtel? Yes. Elmo is designed to be self-hosted — deploy it on your own infrastructure in minutes with the CLI. You keep full ownership of your data and prompts, with no per-seat pricing and no third-party dashboard holding your visibility history. ## Ready to track your AI visibility? Deploy Elmo in minutes and start monitoring how ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Overviews talk about your brand. [Deploy Elmo](https://www.elmohq.com/docs/getting-started)[View on GitHub](https://github.com/elmohq/elmo)