Updated September 20266 tools reviewed

6 Best Sprout Social Alternatives in 2026
Powerful Social Media Tools Without the $249/mo

Sprout Social at $249/mo is enterprise-priced. Its analytics and social listening are excellent, but most teams don't need — or can't afford — that level. These alternatives offer 70-80% of Sprout's functionality for less.

The 6 Best Sprout Social Alternatives

#1

Hootsuite

Most Similar
4.4

Most Similar Sprout Social Alternative

Best for: Teams switching from Sprout Social who want comparable team management, social listening, and multi-platform scheduling at 60% lower cost

$99/mo

Pros

  • Social listening included on Pro
  • Large app integration marketplace
  • Strong team management features

Cons

  • $99/mo — still expensive vs Buffer
  • Analytics less powerful than Sprout Social
#2

Metricool

Best Analytics
4.5

Best Analytics Sprout Social Alternative

Best for: Data-driven social media teams wanting Sprout Social-level analytics at 90% lower cost — Metricool's competitor benchmarking is exceptional

Free · $22/mo

Pros

  • Competitor analytics and benchmarking
  • Paid social analytics (Meta + Google Ads)
  • SmartLinks and free plan included

Cons

  • Less strong team collaboration than Sprout
  • No social listening like Sprout
#3

Agorapulse

Best for Teams
4.5

Best Team Sprout Social Alternative

Best for: Social media agencies and teams wanting Sprout Social's collaboration and approval workflows at half the price

Free · $49/mo

Pros

  • Team collaboration with approvals
  • Unified social inbox for all platforms
  • Free plan for 1 user

Cons

  • Less powerful analytics than Sprout Social
  • Social listening requires add-on
#4

Buffer

Simplest
4.4

Best Simple Sprout Social Alternative

Best for: Teams that only use Sprout Social for scheduling and don't use the listening or CRM features — massive cost saving for simple use cases

Free · $6/mo

Pros

  • 97% cheaper than Sprout Social ($6/mo vs $249/mo)
  • Clean, simple scheduling interface
  • Free plan for 3 channels

Cons

  • No social listening or CRM contacts
  • Analytics very basic compared to Sprout
#5

Later

Best Visual
4.4

Best Visual Sprout Social Alternative

Best for: Instagram and TikTok brands that primarily use Sprout Social for visual scheduling and don't need the full enterprise suite

Free · $18/mo

Pros

  • Best visual content planning for Instagram
  • Linkin.bio and landing page builder
  • Much cheaper than Sprout Social

Cons

  • Less powerful for LinkedIn and Twitter
  • No social listening
#6

Brandwatch (formerly Falcon.io)

Enterprise
4.4

Best Enterprise Alternative to Sprout

Best for: Enterprise brands wanting even more powerful social listening, consumer intelligence, and influencer management than Sprout Social provides

Custom pricing

Pros

  • Best social listening and trend analysis
  • Consumer intelligence with AI
  • Used by Fortune 500 brands

Cons

  • More expensive than Sprout Social
  • Overkill for most teams

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Sprout Social so expensive?

Sprout Social is enterprise software with enterprise pricing — $249/mo per seat for Standard, going up to $499/mo+ for Advanced. It's designed for in-house social media teams at mid-to-large companies with full-time social media managers.

Is Hootsuite a good Sprout Social alternative?

Yes — Hootsuite covers scheduling, team management, and social listening at $99/mo vs Sprout's $249/mo. Sprout Social's analytics and CRM contact features are better, but for most use cases Hootsuite is comparable.

What is the best Sprout Social alternative for small agencies?

Agorapulse ($49/mo) is the best small agency alternative — it includes client management, approval workflows, and a unified inbox. For very small agencies (1-2 people), Buffer or Metricool save significant cost.

Does Metricool have social listening like Sprout Social?

Metricool doesn't have real-time social listening (monitoring brand mentions across the web) like Sprout Social. It has strong analytics and competitor benchmarking. For social listening, Mention ($29/mo) or Brand24 ($79/mo) are dedicated tools at a fraction of Sprout's cost.

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