Top Sprout Social Alternatives & Competitors based on 387 Reviews
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| Brand | Pricing |
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Sprout Social offers three main pricing tiers: Standard ($249/month/user), Professional ($349/month/user), and Advanced ($499/month/user). Each tier provides increased features such as additional users, reporting capabilities, and premium support. |
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Buffer provides four pricing plans: Free (limited features), Essentials ($15/month), Team ($65/month), and Agency ($99/month). Each plan varies by the number of social accounts, scheduling capabilities, and access to analytics. |
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Hootsuite has three plans: Professional ($49/month), Team ($129/month), and Business ($599/month). The pricing varies based on the number of users and social profiles, with higher tiers offering more advanced features like enhanced reporting and support. |
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Later offers a free plan with limited features, as well as four paid plans: Starter ($12.50/month), Growth ($20.83/month), Advanced ($33.33/month), and Plann ($41.67/month). Pricing is tiered based on features like social profiles, posts per month, and analytics. |
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Why should you be looking for a Sprout Social alternative?
Users often seek alternatives to Sprout Social due to specific feature needs, ease of use, budget constraints, and support options. High costs and complex interfaces can drive businesses to explore other tools. Top alternatives include Buffer, known for its simplicity and affordability; Hootsuite, offering extensive integrations and features for larger teams; and Later, which excels in visual content planning. This comparison will delve into essential factors such as features, pricing, and target users to help businesses choose the best fit for their social media management needs.
Quick Overview of Top Sprout Social Competitors
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Buffer – Cheapest Sprout Social Alternative
- User-friendly interface suitable for small businesses and individuals.
- Offers basic scheduling, publishing, and engagement features at a lower price point.
- Strong analytics capabilities for tracking engagement and performance.
- Integrates well with various social networks and websites for seamless posting.
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Hootsuite – Best Sprout Social Competitor for Comprehensive Features
- Robust features that support extensive social media management across multiple platforms in one dashboard.
- Offers advanced analytics, team collaboration tools, and automated posting.
- Integrates with over 150 apps, providing vast customization options.
- Well-known for its comprehensive training resources and support for large teams.
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Later – Best Sprout Social Alternative for Visual Planning
- Focuses on visual content scheduling, particularly suited for Instagram users.
- Drag-and-drop functionality for easy content organization and planning.
- Built-in media library for storing and managing images and videos.
- Offers a unique "Linkin.bio" feature to enhance traffic from social posts to websites.
Sprout Social Alternatives: Feature by Feature Comparison
| Feature | Buffer | Hootsuite | Later | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Media Scheduling | Simple scheduling interface with visual calendar. Allows for scheduling tailored to audience engagement times. | Comprehensive content calendar, supports bulk scheduling. Integrates with Instagram Stories scheduling. | Focused on visual content planning with an easy drag-and-drop calendar. Allows scheduling for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Rich scheduling options with optimal post timing suggestions. Advanced analytics post-scheduling. |
| Content Planning | Content planner for visual organization. Easy calendar view for better management. | Hootsuite’s content library centralizes assets, making it easier to find and share content across platforms. | Visual content calendar designed for media-rich content, particularly beneficial for Instagram marketers. | Comprehensive content planning tools with the ability to draft, collaborate, and schedule posts seamlessly. |
| Analytics & Reporting | Basic analytics available, focusing on post engagement and performance. | Advanced reporting tools with extensive metrics and performance tracking across multiple networks. | Post performance analytics focused on Instagram. Visual reports easy to read but more limited in other social networks. | Robust analytics that offer deep insights into social media performance and engagement metrics. |
| Collaboration Tools | Team member access for managing social media accounts with customizable permissions. | Strong collaboration features, enabling comments, reviews, and assignments within teams. | Limited team collaboration features; primarily designed for individual users or small teams. | Excellent collaboration capabilities with support for team interactions and planning workflows. |
| User Interface | Clean and intuitive design; perfect for beginners. | Slightly complex with many features; can be overwhelming for new users. | Highly visual and user-friendly, great for visual content planners. | Intuitive user interface that balances advanced features and ease of use. |
| Integration with Other Tools | Integrates with essential tools like Canva, Zapier, and Google Analytics, but fewer social integrations compared to Hootsuite. | Extensive integration capabilities with over 150 apps, including advanced CRM options. | Integrates with key platforms like Shopify and Instagram, focusing on e-commerce and content scheduling. | Integrates with numerous tools and platforms for comprehensive data and workflow management. |
| Customer Support | Email support with a rich knowledge base and helpful resources. | 24/7 customer support with live chat options available for immediate assistance. | Email support and guides; lacks live chat but has strong community support. | Comprehensive customer support, with dedicated assistance for enterprise users. |
| Mobile App | Mobile app for social media management and scheduling on-the-go. | Feature-rich mobile app offering full functionality comparable to the web version. | Mobile app designed primarily for Instagram scheduling and content management. | Fully functional mobile app with rich features to manage social presence anytime. |
| Pricing | Competitive pricing with a focus on simplicity and user-friendliness, with a significant free tier. | Higher-level pricing tiers can be expensive, but offers a wide array of features. | Affordable tier pricing, particularly attractive for small businesses focused on Instagram. | Priced at a premium due to extensive analytics and features, appealing mostly to larger organizations. |
| Unique Features | Streamlined interface tailored for individual users and small teams. Unique "Pablo" tool for image creation. | Advanced security features for enterprise users and detailed user roles. Comprehensive social listening tools. | Visual Instagram planner featuring a unique link in bio feature for content promotion. | Specialized for in-depth reporting and client management, heavily focused on customer engagement. |
This table lays out the key features of Buffer, Hootsuite, and Later in contrast to Sprout Social, highlighting unique aspects that could benefit different types of users depending on their social media management needs.
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Integration Capabilities for each Sprout Social competitor
| Alternative | Supported Integrations | Compatibility Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Shopify, Salesforce, YouTube, Zendesk, Bitly, Vimeo, Canva | Robust integration with CRM and analytics tools, ideal for businesses looking for comprehensive data management. |
| Buffer | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, WordPress, Shopify, Zapier, Canva, Feedly, Google Analytics, Bitly | Focuses on content scheduling with strong support for visual content and integration via Zapier for custom workflows. |
| Hootsuite | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Slack, Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce, Trello, Zendesk, Google Drive | Strong focus on team collaboration and support for various workplace tools, making it suitable for larger teams. |
| Later | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Shopify, Google Analytics, Canva, Bitly, Tailwind, Zapier | Primarily centered around visual content scheduling, with e-commerce integrations to enhance sales support via Shopify. |
Pros and Cons of each Sprout Social Alternative
Here’s a comparison of Buffer, Hootsuite, and Later in relation to Sprout Social, highlighting specific strengths and weaknesses for typical use cases:
| Alternative | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | – User-friendly interface for easy navigation and scheduling – Affordable pricing plans suitable for small businesses – Strong focus on post scheduling and analytics |
– Lacks advanced social listening tools – Limited functionalities for team collaboration compared to Sprout Social – Fewer integrations with third-party apps |
| Hootsuite | – Comprehensive social media management tools, including scheduling, monitoring, and analytics – Strong reporting capabilities with customizable dashboards – Supports a wide range of social networks |
– More complex interface can be overwhelming for new users – Higher pricing tiers may be costly for smaller businesses – Limited customer support for lower-tier plans |
| Later | – Visual content calendar ideal for platforms like Instagram – Simple drag-and-drop interface enhances usability – Offers a free tier with basic features for beginners |
– Primarily focused on visual scheduling; less robust for other social media platforms – Lacks detailed analytics and reporting compared to Sprout Social – Limited functionality for engagement and monitoring |
This table provides a clear overview of the pros and cons of each alternative compared to Sprout Social.
Sprout Social vs Competitors: Traffic & Marketing Comparison
Traffic Comparison:
When analyzing organic traffic data, Hootsuite emerges as the top performer, significantly overshadowing its competitors with peaks reaching over 200 million visits in mid-2023. Sprout Social follows with variable traffic around 20 million visits, while Buffer and Later contend closer to 14-18 million visits. Notably, Sprout Social’s traffic fluctuates dramatically with some months showing a drop, indicating potential seasonal effects. Overall, Hootsuite is the dominant player, while Later has the lowest traffic trends relative to its competitors.
Top Performing Keywords:
Sprout Social excels with dominant rankings in crucial keywords such as "social media management tools," "social media monitoring software," and "best social listening tools," frequently occupying the number 1 position. Buffer also ranks well with keywords like "manage social media accounts" and "social media management." Hootsuite focuses on similar terms but shows strength with broader visibility, particularly on social media management strategies. Later, while appearing less dominant, also targets specific phrases effectively, although generally, it ranks lower in strategic keywords.
Conclusions on Visibility and Reach:
In terms of online visibility, Hootsuite takes the lead due to its strong traffic figures and keyword rankings across various categories, especially in social media software. Sprout Social stands out in keyword strength, ranking high in essential terms tied to social media management. Buffer and Later, while competitive, show lower traffic and less keyword depth. Hootsuite’s comprehensive strategy and peak traffic data solidify its position as the frontrunner in brand visibility and reach in the social media management landscape.
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Other “Sprout Social” Alternatives & Competitors that you can find for free
Here are five alternatives and competitors to Sprout Social, along with their key features, strengths, and value propositions:
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Zoho Social
- Key Features: Multi-platform management, social media publishing, monitoring, analytics, and collaboration tools.
- Strengths: Integrated with Zoho’s suite of business applications; affordable pricing for small to medium-sized businesses; advanced reporting capabilities.
- Value Proposition: Zoho Social offers an all-in-one solution that seamlessly integrates with the broader Zoho ecosystem, catering especially to businesses looking for a holistic approach to CRM and social media management.
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SocialBee
- Key Features: Content categorization, scheduling, evergreen content, audience targeting, analytics, and engagement tools.
- Strengths: Focus on content recycling and evergreen posting; user-friendly interface; customizable posting schedules for different categories.
- Value Proposition: SocialBee emphasizes maximizing content lifespan and efficiency, allowing users to strategically build and maintain a consistent online presence with less effort.
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Sendible
- Key Features: Multi-platform scheduling, content library, collaboration, reporting, and client management tools, personalized inbox for mentions and messages.
- Strengths: Excellent for agencies managing multiple clients; flexibility in scheduling and content creation; integration with various social media networks and content platforms.
- Value Proposition: Sendible specializes in helping agencies streamline social media management for numerous clients, offering powerful collaboration tools and customization options.
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Agorapulse
- Key Features: Social media scheduling, monitoring, reporting, inbox for interactions, competitor analysis, and team collaboration.
- Strengths: User-friendly interface; strong focus on engagement and interaction; comprehensive reporting and analytics; good customer support.
- Value Proposition: Agorapulse provides a robust toolkit aimed at enhancing social media engagement and simplifying community management while ensuring analytics drive decision-making.
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Monday.com
- Key Features: Customizable workflows, project management tools, team collaboration, social media scheduling via integrations, and analytics.
- Strengths: Highly customizable and adaptable platform; friendly user interface; facilitates cross-team collaboration beyond just social media tasks.
- Value Proposition: While primarily a project management tool, Monday.com can be tailored to manage social media efforts, providing businesses with a unified solution for project tracking and social media management.
These options provide a variety of features and strengths, catering to different business needs and preferences in social media management.
