Supported AI Models
Overview of the AI answer engine providers and models available for monitoring in AEO Optima.
Overview
AEO Optima supports monitoring across 10+ AI answer engine providers, giving you comprehensive coverage of the AI visibility landscape. Each provider offers distinct strengths, and tracking multiple providers simultaneously gives you the most complete picture of how AI engines represent your brand.
Major Providers
The following table lists the major AI answer engine providers supported by AEO Optima, along with their key characteristics.
| Provider | Product | Description | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | ChatGPT | The most widely used AI assistant, serving hundreds of millions of users globally. Models include GPT-4o, GPT-4o Mini, o1, and o3. | Essential for tracking mainstream AI visibility. ChatGPT is often the first AI tool consumers try. |
| Anthropic | Claude | Known for detailed, nuanced, and well-reasoned responses with strong safety alignment. Models include Claude Opus 4, Sonnet 4, and Haiku 3.5. | Growing market share and reputation for high-quality, thoughtful answers. |
| Gemini | Integrated with the Google Search ecosystem, leveraging Google's vast web index. Models include Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2.0 Flash. | Strong factual grounding and tight integration with Google products. | |
| Perplexity | Perplexity | A real-time web search engine combined with AI synthesis. Includes source citations in responses. Models include Sonar Pro and Sonar. | Excellent for tracking citation-based visibility since responses link to sources. |
| xAI | Grok | Known for fast, concise responses with a broad knowledge base. Models include Grok 3 and Grok 3 Mini. | Cost-efficient monitoring option with rapid response times. |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek | AI models with strong reasoning and analytical capabilities. Models include DeepSeek Chat and Reasoner. | Budget-friendly option that provides solid coverage without high per-query costs. |
| Mistral AI | Mistral | A European AI provider offering high-performance models with a focus on efficiency. Models include Mistral Large and Medium. | Useful for tracking visibility in EU compliance contexts and European market coverage. |
| Qwen | Qwen (Alibaba) | AI models developed by Alibaba with strong multilingual capabilities. Models include Qwen 2.5 series. | Strong performance in Asian markets, making it valuable for international coverage. |
| Meta | Llama | Open-source foundation models available through various hosting providers. Models include Llama 4 variants. | Wide deployment across third-party platforms means broad indirect influence on AI responses. |
| Microsoft | Copilot | AI assistant integrated into Microsoft 365, Edge, and other Microsoft products. Powered by GPT models. | Captures AI visibility within the Microsoft product ecosystem used by enterprise audiences. |
Dynamic Model Registry
AEO Optima maintains a dynamic model registry containing hundreds of specific models from dozens of providers. This registry is synchronized daily via an automated process, ensuring that newly released models become available for monitoring without any manual intervention.
How It Works
- The platform maintains a centralized registry of all available AI models across supported providers
- A daily synchronization job runs automatically to detect and add new models from each provider
- Each model entry includes metadata such as provider, display name, context window, capabilities, pricing, and availability status
- Models are marked as "Available" and optionally "Recommended" to help guide selection
- When you configure your LLM settings, you select from the models available in this registry, grouped by provider
What This Means for You
- No manual updates needed — When a provider releases a new model (e.g., a new version of GPT or Claude), it appears in your configuration options automatically after the next daily sync.
- Accurate cost tracking — The registry includes up-to-date pricing data for each model, ensuring your usage and cost reports reflect current rates.
- Broad coverage — With hundreds of models available, you can monitor niche or specialized models in addition to the major flagship products.
- Always current — Model names, capabilities, and pricing are kept up to date without any action from you.
Tip: You do not need to monitor every available model. Start with 2-4 major providers that are most relevant to your audience, and expand coverage as needed. Quality of insight matters more than quantity of models.
Gateway Access
AEO Optima supports OpenRouter as a gateway provider, allowing you to access all supported models through a single API key.
Benefits of Gateway Access
- Single API key — One OpenRouter API key gives you access to models from all supported providers. No need to create accounts with each provider individually.
- Simplified billing — Usage across all providers is consolidated into a single billing relationship through OpenRouter.
- Automatic model availability — As OpenRouter adds support for new models, they become available in AEO Optima through the same gateway key.
Direct BYOK Access
Alternatively, you can use direct BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) to connect provider-native API keys. For example, you can use your own Anthropic API key specifically for Claude models, or your own OpenAI API key for GPT models.
Direct BYOK is useful when:
- You have existing API agreements with specific providers
- You want to use provider-specific features or pricing tiers
- Your organization requires direct billing relationships with each provider
Tip: You can mix gateway and direct BYOK access. For example, use a direct OpenAI key for GPT models (if you have a volume discount) and an OpenRouter gateway key for all other providers.
Choosing Which Models to Monitor
Selecting the right set of models depends on your audience and goals. Here are some guidelines:
| Goal | Recommended Models |
|---|---|
| General consumer visibility | ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic) |
| Citation and source tracking | Perplexity |
| Enterprise audience coverage | Copilot (Microsoft), ChatGPT (OpenAI) |
| Budget-conscious monitoring | Grok (xAI), DeepSeek |
| International market coverage | Qwen (Alibaba), Mistral AI |
| Maximum coverage | All major providers |
Start with the models your target audience is most likely to use, and expand from there based on the data you collect.