# Klevu vs Clerk.io: which do AI models recommend for ecommerce search, October 2026

GTM AI Recommendation Index, October 2026 Edition, Ecommerce search and merchandising. One of fourteen models named Klevu first on the direct prompt; one named Clerk.io. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/marketing/ecommerce-search-and-merchandising/klevu-vs-clerk-io/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klevu | 10% | #3 of 11 | 16% | 43 | 13 of 14 |
| Clerk.io | 2% | #6 of 11 | 6% | 16 | 9 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Grok 4.1 Fast: klevu first (first choices: Klevu) (alternatives: Algolia, Searchspring)
- MiniMax M2.5: clerk.io first (first choices: Clerk.io, Searchspring) (alternatives: Experro, Klevu, Nosto)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Hawksearch) (alternatives: Algolia, Klevu, Searchspring)
- Mistral Small: neither first, one named (first choices: Experro) (alternatives: Clerk.io, Hawksearch)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Coveo, Searchspring) (alternatives: Algolia, Klevu)
- Qwen 3.7 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: BigCommerce) (alternatives: Algolia, Klevu)
- Kimi K2: neither first, one named (first choices: Algolia, Bloomreach Discovery) (alternatives: Clerk.io, Constructor, Searchspring)
- GLM 4.7 FlashX: neither first, one named (first choices: Shopify Plus with B2B Suite) (alternatives: Algolia, Bloomreach Discovery, Clerk.io, Searchspring)
- GPT-6 Luna: neither first, one named (first choices: Algolia) (alternatives: Coveo, Hawksearch, Klevu)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: neither first, one named (first choices: Searchspring) (alternatives: Clerk.io, Coveo)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither named (first choices: BigCommerce B2B Edition) (alternatives: Bloomreach Discovery, Nosto, OroCommerce, Searchspring)
- GPT-5.4 mini: neither named (first choices: Hawksearch) (alternatives: BigCommerce, Bloomreach Discovery, Constructor)
- Perplexity Sonar: neither named (first choices: Coveo) (alternatives: Algolia, Bloomreach Discovery, Constructor, Doofinder)
- Llama 4 Maverick: neither named

## What the models said about Klevu

- "Klevu's G2 review sample is very small, so individual complaints—including one about renewal terms—aren't enough to establish a general pattern" (GPT-6 Luna, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Klevu has less robust analytics and recommendations compared to other tools... may not scale well or support large catalogs" (Claude Haiku 4.5, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Limited advanced merchandising — Strong on search basics, but users note gaps in complex merchandising features." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, negative prompt, soft negative)
- "Often top for mid-market B2B/B2C hybrids... "Mid-market value champion" with 32% conversion lifts" (Grok 4.1 Fast, direct prompt, first choice)
- "Klevu: Best AI-First Option for Modern B2B ... Klevu is the gold standard" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "I recommend Klevu as the best onsite product search engine" (Mistral Small, paraphrase prompt, first choice)

## What the models said about Clerk.io

- "avoid highly customizable API-first tools like Algolia or Clerk.io unless they have pre-built themes" (Qwen 3.7 Flash, budget prompt, soft negative)
- "If you want to stop managing 4 different vendors: Choose Clerk.io or Nosto." (GLM 4.7 FlashX, comparative prompt, first choice)
- "Clerk.io (Top Pick for Mid-Market)" (MiniMax M2.5, direct prompt, first choice)
- "Clerk.io is also worth considering if you want a unified platform that includes email and audience automation." (Mistral Small, direct prompt, alternative)

Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category. Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category. Published under CC BY 4.0; the output is the models' output, and nothing here is a recommendation by the index.