# Klevu vs Searchspring: 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; three named Searchspring. Page: https://gtm-ai-index.com/marketing/ecommerce-search-and-merchandising/klevu-vs-searchspring/

| | First-choice share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels | Models naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klevu | 10% | #3 of 11 | 16% | 43 | 13 of 14 |
| Searchspring | 8% | #4 of 11 | 24% | 34 | 12 of 14 |

## The direct prompt, model by model

- Grok 4.1 Fast: klevu first (first choices: Klevu) (alternatives: Algolia, Searchspring)
- DeepSeek V4 Flash: searchspring first (first choices: Coveo, Searchspring) (alternatives: Algolia, Klevu)
- MiniMax M2.5: searchspring first (first choices: Clerk.io, Searchspring) (alternatives: Experro, Klevu, Nosto)
- Muse Glimmer 30B: searchspring first (first choices: Searchspring) (alternatives: Clerk.io, Coveo)
- Claude Haiku 4.5: neither first, one named (first choices: BigCommerce B2B Edition) (alternatives: Bloomreach Discovery, Nosto, OroCommerce, Searchspring)
- Gemini 3.5 Flash: neither first, one named (first choices: Hawksearch) (alternatives: Algolia, Klevu, Searchspring)
- 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)
- 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)
- Mistral Small: neither named (first choices: Experro) (alternatives: Clerk.io, Hawksearch)
- 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 Searchspring

- "Searchspring (now part of Athos Commerce):
   - Red flags: Long onboarding (4+ weeks, sometimes billable during setup)." (Grok 4.1 Fast, negative prompt, hard negative)
- "Avoid mid-market tools like Constructor or Searchspring if budget is the main constraint" (Perplexity Sonar, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "enterprise-focused, custom pricing almost always $1,000+/month" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, budget prompt, hard negative)
- "Searchspring is the standout choice — it's purpose-built for mid-market retailers and B2B commerce" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, direct prompt, first choice)
- "The most B2B-aligned mid-market pick: Searchspring / Klevu under Athos Commerce" (Muse Glimmer 30B, paraphrase prompt, first choice)
- "Searchspring / Athos Commerce is the most cited mid-market fit" (Muse Glimmer 30B, direct prompt, first choice)

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.