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How AI Recommends Software, and How to Get on the Shortlist
Kyle Vogt, Founder, Groow GroupPublished · 6 min read
Share of AI recommendations
44 answers per engine
| Company |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deskforge | 81% | 72% | 75% | 58% |
| StackwiseYOU | 63% | 50% | 69% | 36% |
| Opsline | 48% | 46% | 43% | 42% |
| Helmwork | 29% | 24% | 22% | 27% |
| Patchbay IT | 15% | 11% | 13% | 10% |
Software buyers ask AI to compare tools before they talk to sales. Here's how AI picks SaaS and IT providers, and the review sites and pages that matter.
On this page
Key takeaways
- Software buyers ask AI to compare tools early, and the answers shape the shortlist.
- AI looks at review sites, community threads, your pricing and comparison pages, and integration marketplaces.
- Without honest comparison and “alternative to” pages, AI builds its comparison from someone else's.
- Published pricing, or at least starting prices, gives AI something concrete to repeat.
“What's the best IT help desk software for a 200-person company?” “What's a cheaper alternative to the tool we use now?” Software buyers ask AI assistants these questions early, and the answers shape the shortlist long before a demo is booked.
What AI looks at when it recommends software
- Review sites like G2, Capterra and TrustRadius, and analyst reports
- Community threads on Reddit and in technical forums
- Your pricing, comparison and documentation pages
- Integration marketplaces and partner directories
Developer and IT communities carry real weight. A candid Reddit thread where admins compare tools is exactly the kind of source AI likes to summarize.
“Alternative to” and comparison questions
Some of the most valuable questions name a competitor: “best alternative to…” or “X vs. Y.” If you don't have honest, specific comparison pages, AI will build its comparison from someone else's. Fair comparisons that admit where the other tool is stronger tend to be more believable, to buyers and to AI.
Make your pricing readable
“Contact us for pricing” is a common reason a tool gets described vaguely, or not at all, in AI answers about cost. If you can publish pricing or at least starting prices, AI has something concrete to repeat.
What to fix first
- List the category, comparison and “alternative to” questions buyers ask.
- Check each one on every major AI engine and record who's recommended.
- Make sure your review-site profiles are complete, current and actively collecting reviews.
- Publish clear pricing and fair comparison pages.
- Keep your docs public and crawlable, and check that robots.txt doesn't block AI crawlers.
See which tools AI recommends in your category. Run a free AI visibility scan.
About the author
Kyle Vogt, Founder, Groow Group
Kyle founded Groow Group to help businesses show up when customers ask ChatGPT, Google and the other AI assistants who to call. He writes about what actually moves AI and Google visibility, from the checks Groow runs every week.