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“The team loved it from the start. Planable helps us overview the entire marketing efforts.“
Looking for alternatives to Sprout Social that justify the cost at scale? Most teams switch for the same reasons: per-user pricing that punishes growth, an interface that adds friction to simple approvals, and a tool built for enterprise reporting rather than day-to-day workflow.
I’ve spent over a decade inside social media management platforms and know where the pain hides: bloated dashboards, clunky approval chains, and per-seat costs that make adding a team member feel like a budget meeting.
For this review, I logged into the leading Sprout Social competitors, connected multiple profiles, and stress-tested the workflows social teams actually live by: content approvals, multi-profile management, and client collaboration at scale.
I also scored UI simplicity, platform reliability, and how honestly pricing scales as your team grows. Here’s what I’ve found:
My top Sprout Social alternatives at a glance
Sprout Social competitor
Best for
Starting price
1. Planable
Agency & client approval workflows
$33/month
2. Sociality.io
Analytics-driven teams & enterprise reporting
$83/month
3. Agorapulse
All-in-one social inbox management
$79/month
4. Hootsuite
Advanced social listening & monitoring
$99/month
5. Statusbrew
Advanced reporting & analytics
$129/month
6. Zoho Social
Affordable analytics & Zoho CRM users
$275/month
7. SocialPilot
Cost-effective bulk scheduling
$85/month
1. Planable
Best for
Agency & client approval workflows
Starting price
$33/month
2. Sociality.io
Best for
Analytics-driven teams & enterprise reporting
Starting price
$83/month
3. Agorapulse
Best for
All-in-one social inbox management
Starting price
$79/month
4. Hootsuite
Best for
Advanced social listening & monitoring
Starting price
$99/month
5. Statusbrew
Best for
Advanced reporting & analytics
Starting price
$129/month
6. Zoho Social
Best for
Affordable analytics & Zoho CRM users
Starting price
$275/month
7. SocialPilot
Best for
Cost-effective bulk scheduling
Starting price
$85/month
The best Sprout Social alternatives reviewed for 2026
1. Planable
Best for: Agencies & client approval workflows
Why I picked Planable
I’ve placed Planable at the top of this list for a simple reason: it directly solves the biggest collaboration and approval headaches in social media marketing.
While Sprout is a powerful all-in-one, its approval process can be cumbersome. Planable is built from the ground up to make content review visual, simple, and fast.
With Planable you to create posts (for social, blogs, and even newsletters) and shows them exactly as they will appear live.
Explore Sprout Social vs. Planable social media calendars side by side
Your team and clients can then leave comments and, most importantly, approve content with a single click, all in one place. For agencies or in-house teams who need to move fast without sacrificing quality, Planable is a game-changer.
Planable’s standout features:
Universal Content: Plan and collaborate on social media posts, blog articles, and newsletters.
Visual-first calendar: See content in a grid, feed, calendar, or list view, exactly as it will appear live.
Multi-level approval workflows: Create custom approval stages (e.g., internal review, client review) to ensure nothing goes live by mistake.
Multi-level content approval workflow in Planable with team and client levels and drag-and-drop collaborators
Real-time collaboration: Tag team members and leave comments directly on the post preview.
Customizable reports & analytics: Generate white-label reports with your agency’s branding to demonstrate ROI and performance to clients.
Social inbox: Manage comments and messages across social platforms from one unified dashboard, so your team never misses client engagement.
Planable social inbox for Facebook post with comments, reply editor, and post management dashboard
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google My Business, and Pinterest.
Planable pros and cons
Pros
Cons
Unmatched simplicity with a beautiful, highly visual interface
Advanced analytics and reporting features are only available on paid plans
Streamlines client and team feedback into one centralized workspace
No social listening capabilities
More affordable than Sprout Social, with a generous free plan to get started
No competitor analysis features
Versatile platform for managing all written content, not just social media posts
Pros
Unmatched simplicity with a beautiful, highly visual interface
Streamlines client and team feedback into one centralized workspace
More affordable than Sprout Social, with a generous free plan to get started
Versatile platform for managing all written content, not just social media posts
Cons
Advanced analytics and reporting features are only available on paid plans
No social listening capabilities
No competitor analysis features
Pricing: Planable is priced per workspace, not per user, which is a meaningful advantage for larger teams. Paid plans start at around $33/month and unlimited users can be added to a workspace without extra per-seat charges.
Analytics & Reporting is available as an add-on at $14/workspace/month, and the Social Inbox (engagement) is available at $9/workspace/month, giving teams the flexibility to pay only for what they actually need.
There’s also a free plan that includes all features but caps you at 50 total posts (the limit doesn’t reset).
Planable vs. Sprout Social at a glance
Planable’s approval system is more visual and supports multiple approval levels, unlike Sprout’s. With Planable, clients can approve posts with one click, making agency workflows faster and clearer.
Planable supports all written content, not just social posts: blogs, newsletters, and posts can all be reviewed and collaborated on in one dashboard; something Sprout Social doesn’t offer.
Unlike Sprout Social, Planable scales affordably for growing teams and agencies. At $33/user/month (annually) versus Sprout’s $249/month, adding team members doesn’t break your budget.
Overall, Planable is the best Sprout Social alternative especially for agencies managing client approvals and content workflows across multiple brands.
2. Sociality.io
Best for: Analytics-driven teams & enterprise reporting
Why I picked Sociality.io
If your main reason for leaving Sprout Social is analytics and reporting, Sociality.io is one of the strongest alternatives to consider.
It’s built for teams that need stakeholder-ready exports, competitor benchmarking, and cross-platform performance insights they can actually use to make decisions, while keeping workflows secure and scalable as teams grow.
Sociality.io’s standout features:
Unified Publish module: Plan and publish content with a full calendar, scheduling, and approval workflows in one place.
Unified inbox with ownership tracking: Manage conversations with assignment workflows and internal ownership tracking so nothing slips through the cracks.
Cross-network analytics dashboards: Build post-level and time-series performance dashboards across all connected platforms.
Competitor benchmarking: Analyze competitor performance with filtering and historical views to put your own metrics in context.
Branded report exports: Export reports to PPT, PDF, and Excel, schedule them, and deliver them automatically to stakeholders.
Social listening add-on: Monitor brand mentions, keywords, and sentiment with the Listen module.
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and X.
Pricing: The Business plan ($83/month, billed annually) and Enterprise tier include unlimited users (no per-seat pricing), making costs far more predictable than Sprout Social as teams scale.
Pros
Cons
No per-seat pricing on Business and Enterprise tiers, so costs stay predictable as your team scales
Social listening is offered as a paid add-on rather than included by default
Exceptional reporting depth with branded exports and automated stakeholder delivery
May be overkill for solo users with very basic scheduling needs
Strong competitor analysis and benchmarking capabilities
More lightweight and affordable tools exist for simple scheduling use cases
Pros
No per-seat pricing on Business and Enterprise tiers, so costs stay predictable as your team scales
Exceptional reporting depth with branded exports and automated stakeholder delivery
Strong competitor analysis and benchmarking capabilities
Cons
Social listening is offered as a paid add-on rather than included by default
May be overkill for solo users with very basic scheduling needs
More lightweight and affordable tools exist for simple scheduling use cases
Sociality.io vs. Sprout Social at a glance
Sociality.io is built for analytics-driven teams that rely on reporting, benchmarking, and scale, while Sprout Social is often chosen for publishing + unified inbox + reporting in one suite.
Sprout Social’s biggest drawback is high per-seat pricing as teams scale, while Sociality.io’s Business and Enterprise tiers include unlimited users (no per-seat pricing on Sociality.io).
Sociality.io supports branded exports to PPT/PDF/Excel and scheduled delivery for stakeholder reporting, which is a major workflow win for reporting-heavy teams.
3. Agorapulse
Best for: All-in-one social inbox management
Why I picked Agorapulse
If your main frustration isn’t just publishing but managing the flood of incoming comments and DMs, I’d point you toward Agorapulse. While Planable is my top pick for planning content, Agorapulse is a powerhouse for managing it.
Marketers favor this tool for its advanced social media inbox, which includes smart labels, filters, and saved replies. It’s an all-in-one tool that truly excels at community management and engagement, ticking many of the same boxes as Sprout Social but at a significantly lower price.
Agorapulse’s standout features:
Smart social inbox: A unified inbox to manage all your comments, DMs, and mentions.
Advanced labeling: Label conversations and track crucial feedback from your audience.
Social media listening: Monitor keywords and brand mentions across the web.
Scheduling & reporting: A full suite of tools for publishing and analytics.
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Google My Business.
Pricing: Starts at $79/user/month with 10 profiles included, but per-user costs scale quickly for growing agency teams.
Pros
Cons
A straightforward, easy-to-navigate interface
Does not support Pinterest
Customer support is frequently reported to be faster and more responsive than Sprout’s
Key collaboration tools are only available on higher-tier plans
Excellent, clean inbox management compared to many competitors
Advanced collaboration features require subscribing to more expensive plans
Pros
A straightforward, easy-to-navigate interface
Customer support is frequently reported to be faster and more responsive than Sprout’s
Excellent, clean inbox management compared to many competitors
Cons
Does not support Pinterest
Key collaboration tools are only available on higher-tier plans
Advanced collaboration features require subscribing to more expensive plans
Agorapulse vs. Sprout Social
Agorapulse requires less onboarding: it has a straightforward interface and comprehensive knowledge base.
Agorapulse provides custom-built reports with the metrics of your choice and allows you to access the social channel data for up to 24 months back, while Sprout Social asks to pay extra for personalized metrics.
According to the users, Agorapulse’s support team is much faster and more helpful than the one at Sprout Social.
4. Hootsuite
Best for: Advanced social listening & monitoring
Why I picked Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the original “all-in-one” tools and has a lot in common with Sprout Social. I’ve included it here because it offers a similarly comprehensive view of your entire social media presence, with a particular strength in social listening.
Its “Streams” feature, while a bit dated in its UI, is still one of the most effective ways to monitor multiple keywords, hashtags, and mentions in real-time. It’s a robust alternative for larger teams that need deep monitoring capabilities.
Hootsuite’s standout features:
Publishing calendar: Schedule and publish posts across multiple platforms.
Social media monitoring (Streams): Stay on top of trends, mentions, and competitor activity.
Actionable insights: Track campaign results with in-depth reports.
Smart recommendations: Get suggestions on the best times to post for peak engagement.
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube.
Pricing: Entry plan at $99/month (per seat) for 10 accounts, but essential features like custom analytics and approval workflows require the $249/month Advanced plan or costly Enterprise tier.
Pros
Cons
Starting plan ($99/mo) is significantly cheaper than Sprout Social’s ($249/mo)
Still relatively expensive for smaller teams
Powerful monitoring and reporting features
User experience (UX) can feel clumsy and outdated compared to modern tools
Offers content suggestions and inspiration for new campaigns
Pros
Starting plan ($99/mo) is significantly cheaper than Sprout Social’s ($249/mo)
Powerful monitoring and reporting features
Offers content suggestions and inspiration for new campaigns
Cons
Still relatively expensive for smaller teams
User experience (UX) can feel clumsy and outdated compared to modern tools
Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social at a glance
Same as Sprout Social, Hootsuite has many built-in reports, including a side-by-side comparison of the key metrics and competitors’ benchmarks reporting feature.
Both tools offer content suggestions and inspiration to find new ideas for social campaigns.
Hootsuite is cheaper than Sprout Social ($99 vs. $249) and provides more features in its most affordable plan.
5. Statusbrew
Best for: Advanced reporting & analytics
Why I picked Statusbrew
For teams that are data-driven and find Sprout’s reporting powerful but too expensive, Statusbrew is an excellent alternative. I was impressed by its focus on creating sophisticated, easy-to-read report templates.
It allows you to benchmark your performance directly against competitors and even includes features like AI sentiment analysis to give you a deeper understanding of your brand’s reputation. It delivers much of the same analytical value as Sprout but at a much better price point.
Statusbrew’s standout features:
Advanced reporting: Create custom-built, sophisticated reports and templates.
Unified inbox: Manage all social engagements in one place.
AI sentiment analysis: Automatically analyzes comments to gauge brand reputation.
Social CRM: Keep track of contacts and conversation history.
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Business Profile, WhatsApp, and Pinterest.
Pricing: Starts at $129/month for 10 profiles and 3 users, with additional team members at $30/user/month.
Pros
Cons
Delivers high-end reporting features at a much better price than Sprout Social
Third-party integrations are not as extensive as Sprout Social’s
Low learning curve, making it easy to onboard new teams
Users report a quick and helpful support team
Pros
Delivers high-end reporting features at a much better price than Sprout Social
Low learning curve, making it easy to onboard new teams
Users report a quick and helpful support team
Cons
Third-party integrations are not as extensive as Sprout Social’s
Statusbrew vs Sprout Social at a glance
Unlike Sprout’s tiered support model, Statusbrew includes fast onboarding and training support at no extra cost.
Statusbrew offers same core functionality as Sprout, but with a simpler interface that gets teams productive faster with minimal training.
Statusbrew has simple yet powerful properties like filters, tags, automations, and team collaboration.
6. Zoho Social
Best for: Affordable analytics & Zoho CRM users
Why I picked Zoho Social
If you’re already in the Zoho ecosystem (using Zoho CRM or Zoho Desk), this is a no-brainer. But even if you’re not, Zoho Social is a powerful analytics tool at an unbeatable price. It offers extensive, in-depth analytical reports on audience, engagement, and content performance.
While it handles scheduling and monitoring, its true strength lies in its data-driven recommendations and deep integration with other business tools. For small or medium-sized businesses with a data-first approach, it’s a fantastic value.
Zoho’s standout features:
In-depth analytics: Extensive custom reports on audience, performance, and more.
Social media scheduling: A full calendar with posting capabilities.
Social listening dashboard: Track mentions and relevant conversations.
CRM Integration: Seamlessly connects with Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk.
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and Google My Business.
Pricing: Agency plan at $275/month (billed annually) for 10 brands (140 channels) and 5 team members.
Pros
Cons
Offers a free-forever plan for up to seven social media accounts
Team workflows are basic and lack multi-level approval features
Provides extensive analytics at a fraction of the cost of Sprout Social
User interface prioritizes functionality over visual appeal
Deep integration with the full Zoho suite of products
Pros
Offers a free-forever plan for up to seven social media accounts
Provides extensive analytics at a fraction of the cost of Sprout Social
Deep integration with the full Zoho suite of products
Cons
Team workflows are basic and lack multi-level approval features
User interface prioritizes functionality over visual appeal
Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social at a glance
Small businesses can use this Zoho Social for free for up to six social media channels.
Like as Sprout Social, Zoho offers extensive in-depth analytical reports on audience, engagement, and content performance.
Zoho has integrations with other Zoho products like CRM and Zoho Desk.
7. SocialPilot
Best for: Cost-effective bulk scheduling
Why I picked SocialPilot
For agencies and small businesses that need efficiency and value above all else, I recommend SocialPilot. Its standout feature is the ability to bulk schedule up to 500 posts at once, a massive time-saver. It’s a robust, cost-effective alternative to Sprout Social that covers all the necessities: scheduling, a social inbox, analytics, and even an AI assistant for generating captions.
While it may not be the flashiest tool, it’s a workhorse that delivers serious value for the price.
SocialPilot’s standout features:
Bulk scheduling: Schedule up to 500 posts at once with a single upload.
AI assistant: Automatically generate captions and hashtags.
Content library: Store and reuse approved content for consistent posting.
Social inbox & review management: Manage comments and even Google and Facebook reviews.
Integrations: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google My Business, Bluesky, TikTok, and YouTube.
Pricing: Starts at $25.50/month for solo users; agencies typically need the $85/month Premium plan (25 accounts, 6 users) or $170/month Ultimate plan (50 accounts, unlimited users).
Pros
Cons
Powerful bulk scheduling capabilities
Approval workflow is basic compared to dedicated tools
Content library is excellent for storing and reusing evergreen content
User interface is functional but less visually modern than other competitors
Pros
Powerful bulk scheduling capabilities
Content library is excellent for storing and reusing evergreen content
Cons
Approval workflow is basic compared to dedicated tools
User interface is functional but less visually modern than other competitors
SocialPilot vs. Sprout Social at a glance
SocialPilot is a cost-effective tool, whereas Sprout Social is one of the most extensive ($85 vs. $299) social media management tools on the market.
Sprout Social lacks a White Label dashboard, a vital feature that SocialPilot offers.
Unlike Sprout, SocialPilot doesn’t offer social listening and competitor analysis.
My selection criteria for this guide
To build this list, I didn’t just browse feature pages. As a long-time professional in this space, I evaluated each tool based on a core set of criteria vital for teams looking to move away from Sprout Social.
Usability: Is the interface intuitive, or does it have a steep learning curve like Sprout? I prioritized tools that are easy to use.
Core functionality: How well does it handle the essentials? I focused on platforms that excel in scheduling, collaboration, and reporting.
Collaboration & approval: This is a major pain point. I gave special weight to tools (like Planable) that actively simplify the review and approval process.
Cost & value: Does the price align with the features? The primary driver for leaving Sprout is cost, so I focused on tools that offer a strong return on investment.
Customer support: When you have a problem, how hard is it to get help? I factored in user reports on the speed and quality of support.
What is a social media management software?
Social media management software (SMMS) is a platform designed to help individuals, agencies and brands manage their presence across multiple social networks from a single dashboard. At its core, it’s a tool for efficiency and control.
Instead of logging into Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter separately, you use one platform to write, schedule, and publish all your content. But modern tools go far beyond that, incorporating features for community management (like a unified social inbox), social listening (monitoring keywords), and, crucially, collaboration and approval workflows for teams.
Features & benefits of Sprout Social alternatives
When you’re searching for an alternative, these are the key features and benefits you should be looking for:
Content scheduling & publishing: The ability to plan and automate content publishing weeks or months in advance.
Visual content calendar: A “command center” view of all your scheduled content, often with drag-and-drop functionality.
Collaboration & approval workflows: The single most important feature for teams. This allows you to invite clients or managers to review, comment on, and approve content before it goes live, eliminating errors and messy email chains.
Unified social inbox: A single feed that pulls in all your comments, DMs, and mentions from every platform so you can respond efficiently.
Reporting & analytics: Tools to measure your performance, track key metrics (like engagement and reach), and create reports to prove your ROI.
How to choose the right alternative to Sprout Social
Choosing the right social media management tool comes down to identifying your single biggest problem.
Step 1. Identify your core pain point: Why are you really leaving Sprout Social?
If it’s price: Look at SocialPilot or Zoho Social for the best value.
If it’s complexity: Look for a tool with a reputation for simplicity, like Planable or Agorapulse.
If it’s a clunky approval process: If your primary bottleneck is the chaotic, back-and-forth email process of getting content approved, your choice is clear. I built my entire agency workflow around Planable for this exact reason.
Step 2. Count your users and platforms: Be realistic about how many team members and social accounts you need. Don’t pay for 10 users if you’re a team of two.
Step 3. Use the free trial: I can’t stress this enough. I’ve tested all these tools. You should, too. A tool can look perfect on paper, but you’ll only know if it fits your workflow by using it for a few days.
FAQs
What is the best Sprout Social alternative?
It depends on your business needs. Planable is the best alternative for agencies and marketing teams whose primary focus is on content collaboration and client approvals. For all-in-one inbox management, I’d recommend Agorapulse, and for pure value, SocialPilot is a strong contender.
Why are Sprout Social alternatives so popular?
The main reasons are price and complexity. Sprout Social is a powerful, enterprise-grade tool, but its high per-user pricing ($249/user/mo) and steep learning curve make it inaccessible or inefficient for many small businesses, agencies, and in-house teams.
Is there a free Sprout Social alternative?
Yes. Several tools offer “free-forever” plans. Planable offers a free plan to get started with 50 scheduled posts, and Zoho Social also has a free plan that supports up to seven social channels. These are excellent for individuals or freelancers just starting out.
Horea is a software reviewer and tester, content writer, and tech geek. He loves to fiddle with MarTech solutions to find what each software is best for and help you decide which one might be your best fit. His content is allergic to fluff and eats research for breakfast. If you’re on the fence about whether you should commit to a particular platform, Horea probably already wrote about it.
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