Sprout Social vs Later
What’s Better For You in 2024?
What is Sprout Social?
Founded in 2010, Sprout Social was designed to help brands and businesses manage and grow their social media presence. Known for its powerful features like analytics, reporting, and customer engagement, it has become a leader in the social media management space.
Best Suited For: Sprout Social excels with medium to large businesses requiring a comprehensive social media solution. It’s perfect for marketing teams or those who need advanced social listening, detailed insights, and robust team collaboration.
Other Sprout Social Comparisons
What is Later?
Later is focused on simplifying the content planning and scheduling process. It’s especially popular among small to medium-sized businesses and content creators for its user-friendly, visually-focused interface.
Best Suited For: Later is ideal for businesses, influencers, or creators managing Instagram, Pinterest, or other visual platforms. Its easy-to-use design is perfect for smaller teams or individuals who don’t require extensive analytics but want an organized way to schedule and manage content.
Overview
Managing multiple social media accounts for your brand or business can be overwhelming. Between content creation, scheduling, and engagement, time is often in short supply. The pressure to maintain a consistent online presence without compromising quality is real. As a result, many businesses seek tools to streamline the process. But which one should you choose?
Having tested several social media management tools, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to find the right fit. Sprout Social and Later are two of the most popular options, each offering unique features that cater to different needs. In this comparison, we’ll dive into the strengths and weaknesses of both tools to help you decide which one aligns best with your goals, budget, and workflow.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which tool can make your social media marketing more efficient, effective, and less stressful. Let’s get started!
Sprout Social vs Later: User Rating
| Rating Categories | Sprout Social | Later |
| Star Rating (Out of 5) | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Meets Requirements (Out of 10) | 8.9 | 8.5 |
| Ease of Use (Out of 10) | 8.2 | 8.7 |
| Ease of Setup (Out of 10) | 8.1 | 8.9 |
| Ease of Admin (Out of 10) | 8.5 | 8.8 |
| Quality of Support (Out of 10) | 8.4 | 8.6 |
| Business Partnership (Out of 10) | 8.6 | 7.9 |
| Product Direction (% positive) | 7.8 | 8.2 |
- G2 Rating: 4.4/5 (Based on 3,600+ reviews)
- “Powerful tool for social media management with great analytics.”
- “Interface is easy to use, but pricing is high for small teams.”
- Capterra Rating: 4.4/5 (Based on 500+ reviews)
- “Perfect for teams with complex needs but takes time to learn.”
- “Excellent customer support and integration capabilities.”
Later:
- G2 Rating: 4.5/5 (Based on 300+ reviews)
- “Drag-and-drop calendar is super easy to use, ideal for Instagram.”
- “Great value for the price, lacks advanced features like social listening.”
- Capterra Rating: 4.4/5 (Based on 350+ reviews)
- “Simple and intuitive, great for creators and small businesses.”
- “Wish it had more reporting tools, but overall fantastic for scheduling.”
Sprout Social vs Later: Feature Comparison
| Features | Sprout Social | Later |
| Pricing (per month in USD) | 99$ | 16$ |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms Supported | All major platforms | Instagram, with limited support for others |
| Bulk Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| RSS feeds | No | Yes |
| Recurring Posts | No | No |
| Social Inbox | Yes | No |
| AI Content Generation | No | No |
| Hashtag Storage | No | Yes |
| Caption Customization | No | Yes |
| AI Images | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
| White Label Reports | Yes | No |
| URL Shortener | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Workspaces | No | No |
| Team Management |
a. Scheduling and Automation
- Sprout Social: Offers powerful scheduling and automation tools, including custom approval workflows and post recycling. It’s ideal for larger teams and businesses that need a high level of automation for complex workflows. However, it can feel overwhelming for small teams or solo users.
- Later: Known for its simplicity, Later’s drag-and-drop interface makes scheduling easy, especially for Instagram posts. While it lacks the depth of automation features like Sprout Social, it’s perfect for users who want to plan visually without overwhelming complexity.
b. Supported Social Media Platforms
- Sprout Social: Supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok, making it a strong choice for businesses managing multiple platforms at once. It integrates well across all these channels, helping you stay organized.
- Later: Primarily focuses on visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, making it best for users who focus on image-heavy content. It supports fewer platforms than Sprout Social but is highly optimized for visual content management.
c. Analytics and Reporting
- Sprout Social: Offers comprehensive analytics and reporting, allowing businesses to track performance, audience engagement, and ROI. It’s the ideal choice for teams needing in-depth insights and competitor analysis. However, these advanced features may be unnecessary for smaller businesses or casual users.
- Later: Offers simpler analytics, such as post performance and engagement metrics. While not as detailed as Sprout Social’s reports, they are sufficient for small businesses or individuals just starting out with social media marketing.
d. User Interface and Experience
- Sprout Social: The interface is clean and professional but may feel overwhelming at first due to the platform’s many features. Once users get the hang of it, the layout becomes intuitive and easy to navigate, particularly for larger teams managing multiple accounts and campaigns.
- Later: Later stands out for its simplicity and visual approach. The drag-and-drop functionality is intuitive, and the content calendar makes scheduling a breeze. It’s the perfect choice for users who prioritize ease of use over complex features.
e. Pricing Comparison
Sprout Social Pricing:
- Free Plan: None.
- Starter Plan: $199/month for 5 social profiles and basic features.
- Professional Plan: $299/month for Unlimited social profiles, advanced analytics, and more complex workflows.
Later Pricing:
- Free Plan: Includes up to 10 posts per month per profile.
- Starter Plan: $16.67/month for 30 posts per month per profile.
- Agency Plan: $30/month for 150 posts per profile and additional features.
Which One Is More Affordable?
For budget-conscious users, Later is the clear winner. Its free plan and low-cost paid options make it accessible for small businesses or individuals. Sprout Social, while offering more advanced features, comes at a higher price, making it better suited for larger teams or agencies with complex needs.
Pros and Cons of Using Sprout Social
Pros
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- Comprehensive toolset
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- Supports multiple platforms
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- Strong analytics and reporting capabilities
Cons
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- Higher price point
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- Lacks some features like AI images
Pros and Cons of Using Later
Pros
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- Affordable pricing
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- User-friendly interface
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- Strong emphasis on visual content planning
Cons
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- Predominantly designed for Instagram
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- Lacks advanced analytics
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- No social inbox
Ideal Use Cases
- Sprout Social: Best for larger teams, businesses with complex social media needs, and those who need detailed reporting and team collaboration tools.
- Later: Ideal for small businesses, content creators, or influencers focused on Instagram and Pinterest, looking for a simple, visual approach to scheduling.
Conclusion: Sprout Social vs Later
After testing both tools, it’s clear that Sprout Social and Later cater to different types of users. Sprout Social offers powerful analytics, multi-platform support, and team collaboration features, making it ideal for larger businesses or teams with complex social media needs. However, its high pricing and steep learning curve may be barriers for smaller businesses or individual users.
On the other hand, Later excels in simplicity, affordability, and ease of use. It’s perfect for small businesses, creators, and visual content-focused campaigns, particularly on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. While it doesn’t offer as many advanced features, Later’s user-friendly design and budget-friendly pricing make it a solid choice for those just starting or on a tight budget.
While Sprout Social and Later both have their strengths, RecurPost is an alternative worth considering. It offers a robust scheduling platform with features like content recycling, multiple account management, and analytics—all at an affordable price. RecurPost’s flexible pricing plans make it ideal for small businesses or individuals who need efficient social media management without the high cost.
Recurpost Vs. Later Vs. Sprout Social
| Feature | RecurPost | Later | Sprout Social |
| Pricing (per month in USD) | $25 | Approx. $12.50 | Approx. $99 |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk Scheduling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI Content Generation | Yes | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team Management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Platform Support | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, YouTube, TikTok | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+ |
| Caption Customization | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| URL Shortener | Yes | No | Yes |
| White Label Reports | Yes | No | Yes |
How RecurPost Addresses Common Pain Points
Having used both Sprout Social and Later, I encountered several common pain points. Thankfully, RecurPost offers solutions that address these issues:
- Time-Consuming Content Creation: RecurPost’s content recycling feature allows you to automatically repost evergreen content, saving time on creating fresh posts.
- Maintaining Consistency: With RecurPost’s scheduling and content calendar, you can plan posts in advance, ensuring a consistent social media presence.
- High Tool Costs: RecurPost offers affordable pricing with a free plan and low-cost paid options, making it perfect for budget-conscious users.
Lack of Automation: RecurPost automates content posting, reducing manual effort and ensuring posts go live on time.
Why Choose RecurPost?
- Affordable and Accessible: With a free plan and low-cost options, RecurPost provides a budget-friendly solution without sacrificing features.
- Content Recycling: Automatically reuse your best-performing posts to save time and maintain consistent activity.
- Multi-Platform Management: Supports platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
- Simplicity: RecurPost’s easy-to-use interface is ideal for users who don’t want to deal with a steep learning curve.
RecurPost offers the perfect balance of affordability, features, and ease of use, solving the pain points often faced with Sprout Social and Later.