Amplitude vs Open-Source AI Visibility Tools: Which is Best for Your Small Business?

Why an ai visibility dashboard Matters for SMEs

You’ve poured time, sweat and marketing budget into your brand. Yet, when customers ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overview, your name is nowhere to be found. Ouch.
That’s where an ai visibility dashboard comes in. It’s your radar. It shows:

• How often AI “mentions” you.
• Which sources feed into AI summaries.
• Where your rivals outrank you.

Small businesses can’t afford to fly blind. Traditional SEO tools track clicks and impressions. But AI search is a different beast. It uses large language models (LLMs) to craft answers. If you’re invisible there, you lose high-intent prospects.

The AI Search Shift

Remember when everyone “Googled” everything? That’s so 2019. Now, six in ten web sessions include an AI-generated summary. ChatGPT, Claude, Bard—they’re rewriting the rules.
If you’re not in those AI responses, you might as well not exist.

Tool Overviews: Amplitude vs Open-Source Dashboards

Let’s cut to the chase. Two paths:

1. Invest in Amplitude AI Visibility.
2. Build or adopt an open-source ai visibility dashboard.

Both aim to answer: What does AI say about my brand? But they differ in cost, control and transparency.

Amplitude AI Visibility at a Glance

Amplitude just launched its AI visibility platform. It plugs into your existing Amplitude account. Here’s what you get:

• Track your AI search score across thousands of prompts.
• See topics where rivals beat you.
• Spot sources—like Wikipedia, Reddit, YouTube—that feed AI.
• Future: auto-generated content and simulated changes.

Strengths:

• Built by a top-tier analytics vendor.
• Easy setup if you already use Amplitude.
• Roadmap promises actionable AI recommendations.

Weaknesses:

• Pricey for small teams.
• Closed-source—limited transparency.
• You depend on Amplitude’s API and uptime.

Open-Source AI Visibility Dashboard

Imagine a toolkit you can inspect, fork or customise. That’s the open-source model. You host it on your server or in the cloud. You call the shots.

Key features:

• Core: track AI mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI.
• Modules: parse AI responses, rank mentions, surface sources.
• Community-driven enhancements.
• Full access to code—audit any function.

Pros:

• Affordable—no licence fees.
• Transparent—you see every line of code.
• Customisable—add integrations or channels you care about.

Cons:

• Requires some technical know-how.
• Community support vs dedicated SLAs.
• You manage hosting and updates.

Quick Feature Comparison

• Cost: Amplitude = licence + usage fees. Open-source = hosting costs only.
• Transparency: Amplitude = closed. Open-source = full access.
• Ease of use: Amplitude = plug-and-play. Open-source = initial setup.
• Integrations: Amplitude = within Amplitude ecosystem. Open-source = any API you connect.

Midway through, you might think: “Which route aligns with my budget and skillset?” Keep reading.

Real-World Example: A Boutique Coffee Shop

Meet Bean & Brew, a five-person café in Bristol. They sell artisan blends and want more online footfall.

Scenario:
– They rank on page two for “best local coffee”.
– But ChatGPT suggestions list only big chains.
– Footfall flatlines.

Solution A: Bean & Brew buys Amplitude AI Visibility. They get an instant ai visibility dashboard. Within days, they see that their Wikipedia mention is weak. They invest in a Wiki update and community blog posts. Their AI score jumps 20%.

Solution B: They spin up an open-source ai visibility dashboard on a small EU VPS. They tweak the prompt library and add Instagram scraping. They identify user-generated posts as top sources. They encourage customers to share tag-worthy content. Their visibility improves over weeks.

Both paths work. One’s faster but costs more. The other’s flexible but demands effort.

How to Choose Your Best Fit

No one-size-fits-all here. Ask yourself:

• What’s my budget?
• How tech-savvy is my team?
• Do I value full transparency or “out-of-the-box” ease?
• Am I comfortable managing hosting and updates?

If you prefer a hands-off, integrated approach and budget isn’t an issue, Amplitude AI Visibility could be ideal. If you want affordability, community power and code access, go open-source.

Explore our features

Beyond Tracking: Integrate Content Creation

Watching AI talk about you is half the battle. The next step? Influence those AI models. That’s where Maggie’s AutoBlog comes in. It’s an AI-powered platform that auto-generates SEO and GEO-targeted blog posts.

• Create prompts tailor-made for LLMs.
• Publish content in minutes.
• Feed relevant data into your ai visibility dashboard.

By pairing your dashboard with Maggie’s AutoBlog, you close the loop: track, create, optimise, repeat.

Tips for a Winning AI Visibility Strategy

1. Audit current mentions. Start with a baseline ai visibility score.
2. Identify top sources. Wikipedia, Reddit, YouTube—where does AI pull from?
3. Fill content gaps. Use Maggie’s AutoBlog to generate focused articles.
4. Simulate changes. Preview how updates shift AI summaries.
5. Measure ROI. Track conversion from AI-driven visitors.

Remember: AI search moves fast. Stay nimble.

Final Thoughts

Whether you pick Amplitude or roll your own open-source solution, the goal’s the same: be seen. In 2026, AI isn’t a side channel—it’s front and centre.

Think of your ai visibility dashboard as your brand’s compass in this new terrain. It points you to opportunities and warns you of threats. And when you pair it with automated content tools like Maggie’s AutoBlog, you’ll not only track but shape your AI narrative.

So, what’s it going to be? A premium, managed platform or a lean, code-first toolkit? Both can work. The best choice is the one that fits your rhythm, budget and growth plans.

Get a personalised demo