If Sprout Social feels like it’s not giving you enough bang for your buck, you’re not stuck with it. Many social media managers are on the lookout for Sprout Social alternatives that offer more features, cost less, and help them work more efficiently.
While Sprout Social is a solid option, it might not be the best fit if you’re managing less common platforms like Google My Business, need content recycling, or require a more affordable solution. The high cost might also be a deal-breaker for smaller businesses or agencies with tight budgets.
This post highlights some top Sprout Social alternatives, including RecurPost, Agorapulse, Hootsuite, and Buffer, so you can find the right tool that fits your needs. These tools offer better platform coverage, simpler interfaces, and more flexibility, all without the hidden costs or complicated setup that can make Sprout Social feel like a hassle.
1. RecurPost
RecurPost is one of the best Sprout Social alternatives in 2025, offering powerful automation and robust scheduling at a fraction of Sprout Social’s price. It’s built for small businesses, solopreneurs, and agencies that need reliable tools without paying for enterprise-level features they’ll never use.
RecurPost makes content recycling simple, supports more social platforms, and provides agency-ready tools like white-label reporting—all with a much smaller learning curve. If you’re looking for a smarter, budget-friendly alternative to Sprout Social, RecurPost checks all the boxes.
Key Features
- Evergreen Content Recycling: Keep your top-performing content active without manual reposting, something Sprout Social doesn’t offer.
- Category-Based Scheduling: Organize posts by topic and assign specific time slots to each category to maintain a balanced content calendar.
- AI Content Generator: Create captions, image prompts, and post variations tailored to your brand voice.
- Multi-Platform Publishing: Schedule posts to Facebook Pages, Groups, Profiles, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, Pinterest, and Google Business Profile—broader support than Sprout Social.
- Visual Calendar & Bulk Uploading: Plan weeks of content at once or upload CSV files to save time.
- Unified Social Inbox: View and respond to DMs and comments from multiple platforms in one place.
- White-Label Reports: Share branded, easy-to-read analytics reports with clients or internal teams.
- Team Collaboration & Workspaces: Create client-specific workspaces, assign roles, and manage approvals with less back-and-forth.
Pricing Plans
Starter
Personal
Agency
for individuals or non-business users
for small business owners
for agencies managing multiple clients
Pros
- Offers post-recycling, Google Business Profile support, and multi-platform scheduling at a lower cost
- Better fit for small businesses and agencies than Sprout Social’s higher-tier pricing
- Easier to use and faster to onboard compared to Sprout Social
Cons
- UI isn't as polished as Sprout Social
- No direct publishing to Instagram Stories
- Lacks enterprise-level features like employee advocacy tools or advanced analytics dashboards
2. Buffer
Buffer is a user-friendly Sprout Social alternative known for its clean interface and simple scheduling tools. It’s great for solo marketers, startups, and small teams who want to schedule content and track engagement without navigating a complex system.
While Buffer doesn’t offer advanced features like unified inboxes or team collaboration tools found in Sprout Social, its ease of use and flexible pricing make it one of the most accessible options for beginners or teams focused on publishing and basic analytics.
Key Features
- Queue-Based Scheduling: Set time slots for each profile and add posts to your queue. Buffer handles the rest.
- Post Previews: See how your content will look before it goes live on each platform.
- Link Shortening & Tracking: Use Buffer’s URL shortener to monitor link performance.
- Basic Analytics: Get engagement insights on your posts to help refine your content strategy.
- Browser Extension: Share content from anywhere on the web with a single click.
- Mobile App: Manage scheduling and publishing from iOS or Android devices.
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan: 3 social accounts, 10 scheduled posts per channel
- Essentials ($6/month per channel): Publishing tools and basic analytics
- Team ($12/month per channel): Includes collaboration and permissions
Pros
- Simple setup and clean interface
- Great free plan for individuals and very small teams
- Easy post previews and intuitive scheduling
Cons
- Limited analytics compared to Sprout Social
- No unified social inbox or in-depth reporting
- Lacks content recycling and category-based planning features
3. SocialPilot
SocialPilot is one of the top Sprout Social alternatives for growing teams and agencies. It offers bulk scheduling, white-label reporting, and detailed client management features, all at a significantly lower price than Sprout Social.
SocialPilot is especially useful for teams managing many accounts. It includes advanced post customization for each platform and makes collaboration smoother with built-in workflows and approvals.
Key Features
- Bulk Scheduling: Upload up to 500 posts at once using CSV files, ideal for high-volume planners.
- Custom Post Previews: Tailor your content separately for each platform from one dashboard.
- Client Management: Invite clients to review posts without giving them full access to your account.
- White-Label Reports: Share clean, branded analytics reports with clients or stakeholders.
- Social Inbox: Manage conversations from Facebook and Instagram without switching tabs.
- Team Workflows: Assign roles, manage approvals, and streamline collaboration.
Pricing Plans
- Professional ($30/month): 10 social accounts, basic tools
- Small Team ($50/month): 20 accounts, collaboration, analytics
- Agency ($100/month): 30 accounts, white-label reports, bulk tools
- Agency+ ($200/month): 50 accounts, client management, priority support
Pros
- Offers post previews, bulk uploading, and more platform support than Sprout Social
- More affordable for agencies managing dozens of accounts
- Easy collaboration and approval system built for teams
Cons
- Interface is less modern than newer tools
- Social inbox supports fewer platforms than Sprout Social
- Some features are locked behind higher-tier plans
4. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the most well-known Sprout Social competitors and has been around longer than most. It’s a solid option for businesses that need detailed reporting, broad platform integrations, and social listening tools in one place.
While Hootsuite can handle complex workflows, it’s not as affordable or easy to learn as tools like RecurPost or SocialPilot. Its pricing has also pushed many small businesses to seek alternatives.
Key Features
- Multi-Platform Scheduling: Publish to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.
- Streams Dashboard: Monitor mentions, comments, and DMs in real time from a customizable panel.
- Social Listening & Monitoring: Get Track brand mentions, hashtags, and keywords across channels.
- Detailed Analytics: Access engagement metrics, content performance, and custom reports.
Pricing Plans
- Professional ($199/month): 10 social accounts
- Team ($249/month): 10 accounts, collaboration tools
- Enterprise (Custom pricing): Custom limits, SSO, dedicated support
Pros
- Offers one of the most comprehensive feature sets in the space
- Strong in analytics, collaboration, and third-party app support
- Trusted by large brands and agencies
Cons
- One of the most expensive Sprout Social alternatives
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Content recycling is not supported natively
5. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a powerful Sprout Social alternative built for teams that prioritize collaboration, detailed reporting, and streamlined community management. It combines publishing, engagement, listening, and analytics into one user-friendly tool, especially useful for agencies and in-house marketing teams.
Compared to Sprout Social, Agorapulse provides better value for mid-sized teams and offers a stronger unified inbox and more detailed competitor tracking tools.
Key Features
- Unified Social Inbox: Reply to all comments, mentions, and messages from Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube in one place.
- Publishing Calendar: Plan and schedule posts with drag-and-drop simplicity, including post rescheduling.
- Social Listening: Monitor keywords, hashtags, and brand mentions across multiple platforms.
- Competitor Analysis: Track and compare how other brands perform on social.
- Reporting & Analytics: Create visual performance reports with team activity logs and response times.
- Collaboration Tools: Assign roles, manage post approvals, and leave internal notes for team members.
Pricing Plans
- Standard ($99/month): 10 social profiles
- Advanced ($149/month): 20 profiles, competitor tracking
- Custom (Enterprise): Unlimited profiles, priority support, custom features
Pros
- Strong unified inbox, especially for teams managing active communities
- Better internal collaboration tools than most Sprout Social competitors
- Includes built-in competitor analysis
Cons
- Plans are expensive compared to tools like RecurPost and SocialPilot
- No evergreen content recycling
- Interface can feel cluttered with too many features for smaller teams
6. Statusbrew
Statusbrew is a lesser-known but feature-rich Sprout Social alternative designed for brands and agencies that focus heavily on customer engagement and team workflows. It supports deep integrations, role-based access control, and detailed analytics, making it suitable for teams that need tight collaboration and governance.
Unlike Sprout Social, Statusbrew puts more emphasis on social inbox management and customizable workflows, making it a go-to option for support-heavy or customer service-focused teams.
Key Features
- Unified Social Inbox: Consolidate DMs, mentions, and comments from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter) into one dashboard.
- Approval Workflows: Create custom workflows for content creation, review, and publishing.
- Custom Roles & Permissions: Its Manage who can view, edit, or publish across specific profiles.
- Publishing & Scheduling: Visual calendar with team collaboration tools and bulk scheduling.
- Analytics & Reporting: Track performance metrics, engagement rates, and user response times.
- Integrations: Native integrations with Slack, Zendesk, Bit.ly, HubSpot, and more.
Pricing Plans
- Lite ($69/month): 5 social profiles, 1 user
- Standard ($129/month): 10 profiles, 3 users, team tools, basic reports
- Premium ($229/month): 15 profiles, 6 users, advanced reporting, integrations
- Enterprise (Custom pricing): Custom features, unlimited team seats
Pros
- Advanced team and approval features are not available in Sprout Social’s lower-tier plans
- Deep third-party integrations and flexible workflows
- Scalable for both marketing and support teams
Cons
- Higher starting price compared to other tools like RecurPost
- The user interface is more complex for beginners
- Content recycling and post variations are missing
7. SocialBee
SocialBee is a content-centric Sprout Social alternative built for small businesses, solopreneurs, and agencies who want to automate social media without getting overwhelmed. Its biggest strength is its category-based scheduling, which helps maintain a balanced content mix across platforms.
SocialBee stands out for its value in content recycling, post variations, and concierge services, ideal for users who want both DIY and DFY (done-for-you) social media options. It’s more affordable and focused on automation compared to Sprout Social.
Key Features
- Category-Based Scheduling: Organize posts into content buckets and assign them to specific time slots.
- Evergreen Content Recycling: Automatically requeue your top-performing posts so your profiles stay active.
- Post Variations: Create multiple versions of the same post for better engagement across platforms.
- Concierge Services: Get optional help with content creation, strategy, and engagement.
- Analytics Dashboard: Track engagement, clicks, and posting frequency across platforms.
- Integrations: Works with Canva, Bit.ly, Zapier, and more to streamline workflows.
Pricing Plans
- Bootstrap($24/month): 5 social profiles, 1 workspace
- Accelerate ($40/month): 10 profiles, category scheduling, post variations
- Pro ($82/month): 25 profiles, team collaboration, concierge add-ons
Pros
- Affordable with a strong focus on evergreen automation
- Post variation and category features are not available in Sprout Social
- Optional managed services for content and strategy
Cons
- Limited analytics compared to Sprout Social
- Social inbox and listening tools are not as advanced
- Interface has a slight learning curve for new users
8. Sendible
Sendible is a Sprout Social alternative tailored for agencies and marketing teams that manage multiple brands. It offers strong white-label options, deep platform integrations, and client-friendly workflows, making it one of the better choices for agencies needing both performance and presentation.
While its pricing is more moderate than Sprout Social, it still offers a robust set of tools—from social listening to brand monitoring that rival higher-tier platforms.
Key Features
- Smart Queue & Scheduling: Schedule recurring content with variation options and optimized time slots.
- White-Label Dashboard: Present a fully branded platform to clients, including logos and domain.
- Integrated Social Inbox: Manage conversations across platforms with built-in sentiment analysis.
- Content Suggestions: Discover trending content relevant to your industry.
- Client Management Tools: Assign accounts, roles, and access levels across teams and clients.
- Canva Integration: Create and edit visual content without leaving the dashboard.
Pricing Plans
- Creator ($29/month): 6 profiles, 1 user
- Traction ($89/month): 24 profiles, 4 users, collaboration tools
- Scale ($199/month): 49 profiles, 7 users, advanced reports
- Expansion ($299/month): 100 profiles, 20 users, white-label dashboard
Pros
- Offers more white-label flexibility than Sprout Social
- Strong collaboration tools built for agencies
- Built-in content discovery and suggestions
Cons
- Interface feels a bit dated compared to newer platforms
- Limited automation beyond scheduling
- Listening and analytics are not as deep as Sprout Social’s enterprise tools
9. Zoho Social
Zoho Social is a budget-friendly Sprout Social alternative that fits well with small businesses and startups, especially those already using the Zoho suite. It provides all the essentials like scheduling, monitoring, and analytics while offering deep CRM integration for lead tracking.
While it doesn’t have Sprout Social’s enterprise polish or extensive team features, Zoho Social stands out for its pricing and value, especially when paired with Zoho CRM or other Zoho tools.
Key Features
- Smart Scheduling: Automatically choose the best time to post based on when your audience is most active.
- Monitoring Dashboard: Track mentions, keywords, and interactions in real time.
- Custom Reports: Create tailored reports based on selected metrics and export in various formats.
- CRM Integration: Seamlessly connect with Zoho CRM to track leads from social interactions.
- Collaboration Tools: Assign roles, discuss drafts internally, and approve content in teams.
- Mobile App: Schedule and monitor posts on the go with full access via mobile.
Pricing Plans
- Standard ($15/month): 1 brand, 11 social channels
- Professional ($40/month): Analytics, bulk scheduling
- Premium ($65/month): Team collaboration, brand monitoring
Pros
- Integrates well with Zoho’s full business suite
- More affordable than Sprout Social for startups and solopreneurs
- Includes lead tracking via CRM, a unique feature in this price range
Cons
- UI feels clunky compared to more modern competitors
- Analytics are limited compared to Sprout Social
- No content recycling or white-label reporting
10. Sprinklr
Sprinklr is an enterprise-grade Sprout Social alternative built for global brands managing social, marketing, and customer experience across dozens of channels. It’s far more advanced than most tools in this list, offering everything from social publishing to customer support, sentiment analysis, and competitive intelligence.
Sprinklr is ideal for Fortune 500 companies, but it comes with a steep learning curve and premium pricing. For small or mid-sized teams, it may be overkill.
Key Features
- Omnichannel Publishing: Schedule and publish across over 30 platforms, including social, messaging, review sites, and forums.
- AI-Powered Listening & Sentiment Analysis: Track brand mentions, tone, trends, and competitor activity in real time.
- Customizable Workflows: Create complex approval and publishing workflows suited for large teams and multiple departments.
- Unified Customer Experience Platform: Manage marketing, advertising, support, and research from a single dashboard.
- Advanced Reporting & Dashboards: Get granular insights on campaign performance, customer behavior, and engagement metrics.
- Security & Compliance: Enterprise-grade data privacy, user control, and compliance management.
Pricing Plans
- Custom Pricing Only: Typically tailored for large enterprises (Starts from several hundred to thousands per month, depending on scale)
Pros
- Unmatched functionality for large enterprises
- AI-driven insights and deep customer intelligence
- All-in-one solution covering publishing, support, ads, and research
Cons
- Too expensive for small and mid-sized businesses
- The interface is complex and requires training
- Overkill for teams that only need basic publishing and analytics
11. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a high-end Sprout Social alternative focused on social listening, consumer intelligence, and deep analytics. It’s used by global brands and research teams who need to monitor trends, analyze sentiment, and track competitors across millions of online sources.
Unlike Sprout Social, Brandwatch isn’t built for content scheduling as its main strength. Instead, it excels at helping brands understand audience behavior, brand perception, and online conversations in real time.
Key Features
- Consumer Intelligence Platform: Collects and analyzes data from blogs, news, forums, and social media.
- AI-Powered Sentiment Analysis: Understand customer mood and tone in multiple languages.
- Competitor & Trend Monitoring: See what’s driving conversation in your industry and how competitors are performing.
- Custom Dashboards & Reports: Build detailed visual reports based on your KPIs and brand goals.
- Data Enrichment & Export: Combine social insights with CRM or BI tools for a bigger picture.
- Influencer Identification: Discover key voices shaping public opinion about your brand or niche.
Pricing Plans
- Custom Pricing: Typically, for large organizations, depending on feature scope (Often requires a demo and onboarding package)
Pros
- Far deeper analytics and listening tools than Sprout Social
- Ideal for tracking sentiment, crisis response, and competitor benchmarking
- Custom dashboards help visualize data clearly for executive teams
Cons
- Not designed for content scheduling or publishing workflows
- Premium price point, not suited for small businesses
- It can be overwhelming without a dedicated analyst or research team
12. Later
Later is a visual-first Sprout Social alternative designed for brands, influencers, and small teams that focus heavily on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. It shines when it comes to planning, previewing, and scheduling visual content, but lacks deeper team and analytics features found in Sprout Social.
Later is great for marketers who care about how their grid looks and want drag-and-drop simplicity, especially for Instagram-focused strategies.
Key Features
- Visual Content Calendar: Drag and drop posts onto a calendar with a real-time grid preview for Instagram.
- Link in Bio Tool: Build a clickable landing page that mirrors your Instagram feed.
- Hashtag Suggestions & Saved Captions: Boost engagement by using smart hashtag tips and reusing successful captions.
- Media Library: Organize your photos and videos by labeling, tagging, and grouping assets.
- Analytics Dashboard: Track performance of posts, stories, and engagement over time.
- Team Collaboration Tools: Share drafts, assign roles, and leave internal comments on planned content.
Pricing Plans
- Starter ($18.75/month): 1 user, 1 social set (up to 8 platforms)
- Growth ($37.50/month): 2 users, analytics, best time to post
- Advanced ($82.50/month): 4 users, full analytics, team tools
Pros
- Strong for planning and publishing visual content, especially for Instagram and Pinterest
- Simple interface and visual tools help save time
- Affordable entry pricing for creators and small teams
Cons
- Weak in social listening and advanced analytics compared to Sprout Social
- Limited support for complex workflows and large teams
- Not ideal for brands focused on platforms like LinkedIn or long-form content
13. Planable
Planable is a Sprout Social alternative focused on content collaboration, built to simplify the feedback and approval process. It’s especially popular with creative teams and agencies that want clients and stakeholders to preview, comment on, and approve content visually before it goes live.
Unlike Sprout Social, Planable doesn’t try to do everything. Its strength lies in content planning and real-time collaboration rather than publishing automation or analytics.
Key Features
- Real-Time Collaboration: Leave comments, tag teammates, and resolve feedback directly on post previews..
- Visual Feed Preview: View how your social media grid or feed will look before scheduling.
- Multi-Level Approvals: Set up custom approval layers for internal and client-facing content.
- Multiple Content Types: Plan organic, paid, and story content across platforms.
- Drag-and-Drop Calendar: Schedule content with an intuitive layout that makes planning faster.
- Unlimited Workspaces: Organize content for different clients or brands under one dashboard.
Pricing Plans
- Free Plan: 1 workspace, 50 posts per month
- Basic ($33/user/month): Unlimited posts, basic approval
- Pro ($49/user/month): Advanced collaboration, multiple approvals
- Enterprise (Custom pricing): Tailored features and support
Pros
- Designed for smooth content review and client collaboration
- Visual-first workflow helps align creative and marketing teams
- Clean interface with real-time updates
Cons
- No deep analytics or listening tools like Sprout Social
- Not built for community management or inbox features
- Lacks post recycling and bulk scheduling options
14. NapoleonCat
NapoleonCat is a Sprout Social alternative that puts a strong emphasis on customer service and team collaboration. It’s best for businesses that manage multiple social profiles and care as much about replying to followers as they do about posting new content.
NapoleonCat offers automation for inbox responses, multilingual support, and detailed performance reporting, making it a solid pick for support-heavy teams or brands targeting global audiences.
Unlike Sprout Social, Planable doesn’t try to do everything. Its strength lies in content planning and real-time collaboration rather than publishing automation or analytics.
Key Features
- Social Inbox with Auto-Moderation: Automate replies to common questions and moderate spam across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Multilingual Support: Translate messages automatically to engage with followers globally.
- Customizable Reports: Build client-ready reports with engagement metrics, response times, and content performance.
- Team Collaboration Tools: Assign messages or comments to specific team members and track actions.
- Scheduling & Publishing: Plan posts across major platforms with real-time previews and a shared calendar.
- Analytics: Track KPIs like engagement, reach, and follower growth with platform-specific insights.
Pricing Plans
- Standard ($89/month): 5 profiles, 2 users
- Pro ($109/month): 5 profiles, 2 users, automation, and reports
- Expert ($139/month): 5 Profile, 2 users
Pros
- Excellent for handling social media customer support at scale
- Auto-replies and moderation save time and improve response rates
- Reports are easy to customize for different stakeholders
Cons
- Higher cost per user than tools like RecurPost
- Content recycling and category scheduling aren’t available
- Limited third-party integrations compared to Sprout Social
15. Tailwind
Tailwind is a Sprout Social alternative designed specifically for visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. It combines scheduling with design tools and AI-based recommendations, making it a favorite for eCommerce brands, bloggers, and creators who focus on visual marketing.
While it doesn’t offer as many features as Sprout Social across all social platforms, Tailwind excels in helping users grow visually-driven content strategies with less manual effort.
Key Features
- Smart Scheduling: Automatically selects the best posting times based on audience engagement patterns.
- Drag-and-Drop Visual Planner: Preview your Instagram grid and Pinterest boards to ensure a cohesive look.
- AI-Powered Caption & Hashtag Suggestions: Get optimized suggestions to increase reach and engagement.
- Design Tools (Tailwind Create): Create branded, ready-to-post images in minutes using templates and your style guide.
- Content Plans & Ghostwriter AI: Pre-made content ideas and AI-written posts to reduce creative workload.
- Pinterest & Instagram Analytics: Measure pin engagement, repins, saves, and post performance.
Pricing Plans
- Pro ($29.99/month): 1 account per platform, basic tools
- Advanced ($54.99/month): 2 accounts per platform, AI tools
- Max ($99.99/month): 3 accounts per platform, full features
- Forever Free Plan: Limited posts per month, 1 user, 1 account per platform
Pros
- Great for Instagram and Pinterest-heavy strategies
- Offers design and scheduling in one place
- Helpful AI tools for captions, hashtags, and content ideas
Cons
- Weak for platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter
- No social inbox or customer engagement features
- Not suited for teams needing deep analytics or reporting
What is Sprout Social?
Sprout Social is a social media management platform built for businesses, agencies, and enterprise teams. It supports publishing, analytics, monitoring, and customer engagement across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and more.
Its strengths lie in team collaboration, in-depth reporting, and social inbox management. But with pricing starting at $199/month, limited support for some profile types (like Facebook Groups and Google Business Profiles), and no native content recycling, many teams are now exploring Sprout Social alternatives that offer better flexibility, more features, and lower cost.
Why Look for Sprout Social Alternatives in 2025?
Here’s why more teams are exploring Sprout Social alternatives in 2025:
- Pricing barriers: Sprout Social starts at $199/month for just 5 social accounts. Most alternative Sprout Social tools offer lower entry points and better value for small businesses and agencies.
- Limited profile support: Sprout Social does not support Facebook Groups, Google Business Profile, or tweet variations features that many tools like Sprout Social now include.
- No content recycling: There’s no native support for evergreen post recycling, which means more manual scheduling and less efficiency.
- Lack of flexibility: Direct publishing to Instagram Stories, AI caption generation, and post variation tools are missing. While many Sprout Social competitors now include them.
- Steep learning curve: Sprout’s UI is polished, but feature complexity and higher-tier restrictions can slow down onboarding for new teams.
- White-label limitations: Branded reporting is only available on higher-tier plans. In contrast, many Sprout Social alternatives like RecurPost offer this feature even on mid-tier plans.
If you’re a growing brand, agency, or solo marketer, there’s a good chance one of the newer social media management tools will save you time, cut costs, and give you more freedom.
How to Choose the Best Sprout Social Alternative
Choosing a tool just because it’s popular or packed with features can leave you overpaying for things you don’t use. Here’s how to find the best Sprout Social alternative for your actual needs:
- Define your top needs: Is your team struggling with high costs, missing automation, a lack of platform support, or poor collaboration tools? Pinpoint what Sprout Social competitors should offer that Sprout doesn’t.
- Review supported platforms: If you use Facebook Groups, Pinterest, or Google Business Profile, make sure your chosen Sprout Social alternative supports them. Many newer tools offer a wider reach.
- Evaluate content workflow: Managing multiple clients or 50+ profiles? You’ll need more than basic scheduling. Look for Sprout Social alternatives with bulk uploading, post recycling, white-label reports, and approval workflows.
- Assess analytics depth: Need to show ROI? Choose a social media analytics tool that goes beyond surface-level metrics, preferably with exportable reports and scheduled delivery.
- Check CRM and integrations: If you use tools like HubSpot, Zoho CRM, or Slack, go for a platform that plugs in easily. Many Sprout Social alternatives offer broader integration at no extra cost.
- Match features to budget: Solopreneur? Try free Sprout Social alternatives like Zoho Social or SocialBee. Agency? Platforms like RecurPost and SocialPilot give more for less.
- Always test first: Most Sprout Social competitors offer 14 to 30-day free trials. Use this time to check how intuitive the dashboard is, whether support is responsive, and if the tool matches your workflow.
Free vs. Paid Sprout Social Alternatives
One of the first questions when moving away from Sprout Social is whether a free tool can meet your needs or if stepping into a paid plan is worth the added investment. The good news: there are powerful options in both categories, depending on what you’re managing and how far you want to scale.
Free Alternatives
A handful of social media tools on this list still offer real, usable free plans that handle core scheduling and publishing, something Sprout Social no longer provides. These are ideal for freelancers, creators, or small teams working on a tight budget.
What You Get for Free:
- Buffer: Connect up to 3 social profiles and schedule up to 10 posts per profile. Great for solo creators managing a few channels with a clean interface and fast setup.
- Zoho Social: Supports 1 brand with up to 6 social channels, including Google Business Profile. Unlimited post scheduling makes it one of the most generous forever-free tools out there.
- Later: Offers a limited forever-free plan with 1 user and 1 profile per platform. Includes basic visual planning for Instagram and scheduling for key platforms like Facebook and Pinterest.
These free tools work well for light posting, personal brands, and side projects that don’t require collaboration or heavy data tracking.
Limitations of Free Plans: Free tiers often cap how many posts you can queue, limit the number of connected profiles, and strip out team features, analytics, or integrations. You may also see branded tool tags on your posts or reports. If you’re working with clients, managing multiple accounts, or need bulk uploads and approvals, you’ll likely need to upgrade.
Paid Alternatives
If you need stronger scheduling, team workflows, deeper analytics, or white-label client features, paid plans bring serious capability. Tools like RecurPost, SocialPilot, Sendible, Agorapulse, and Statusbrew are all designed to support business growth without Sprout Social’s steep monthly price.
Advantages of Paid Plans: Expect bulk scheduling, role-based team access, branded reports, social inboxes, and advanced scheduling features like content recycling and AI assistance. These extras save time and boost performance, especially when you’re handling multiple clients or channels. Most paid plans still cost less than Sprout Social, even while matching or exceeding its feature set.
Value Consideration: Start where you are. Tools like Buffer and Zoho Social offer affordable entry plans for individuals and small teams. RecurPost, Sendible, and Agorapulse scale quickly, offering robust client features and approval workflows. If you’re managing large teams or complex campaigns, Statusbrew or Sprinklr may be a better fit. Look closely at how many users, accounts, and scheduled posts you’re getting for the price and whether the tool aligns with your day-to-day workflow.
Social Media Management Features Comparison
Sprout Social Alternatives by Business Type
Different teams have different goals and pressures. Whether it’s tighter budgets, multi-client demands, or visual-first strategies, the right tool depends on your day-to-day grind and how you measure growth. Here’s how the top Sprout Social alternatives stack up for different types of users:
- Small Businesses: Buffer and Zoho Social are smart choices. Buffer keeps things light with a clean dashboard and pay-per-channel pricing, perfect for brands scaling slowly. Zoho Social gives a broader platform support and team features, all at a small business price point.
- Agencies: RecurPost and Sendible shine here. RecurPost supports evergreen scheduling, team workspaces, and white-label reporting at a fraction of Sprout’s cost. Sendible offers strong client management with approval workflows, custom dashboards, and native blog publishing, ideal for busy agency teams juggling multiple brands.
- Enterprises: Sprinklr and Brandwatch step in when scalability and data matter most. They support advanced integrations, smart automation, and multi-brand coordination across departments. Both tools offer deeper control than Sprout Social for companies that need more than standard scheduling.
- Freelancers & Solopreneurs: Buffer’s free plan covers up to three profiles and keeps it simple. Zoho Social offers a generous forever-free plan with core scheduling tools. For creators managing evergreen content, RecurPost’s entry plan adds AI support and smart content loops at a low monthly price.
- Content Creators & Visual Brands: Later and Tailwind lead the pack for Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok-focused users. Later’s drag-and-drop scheduler and media library make visual planning a breeze. Tailwind adds AI writing, smart timing, and product-promotion tools tailored for visual storytelling and eCommerce.
- Marketing Teams & Coordinators: Planable and CoSchedule bring team visibility and structure. Planable gives creatives a visual workspace to collaborate on post mockups with comment threads. CoSchedule combines content, tasks, and social scheduling into one calendar ideal for planning-heavy teams.
No tool is one-size-fits-all. But matching features to daily workflow makes sure your platform works with you, not against you, as your business grows.
