Metricool vs Sprout Social 2025: Which One Should You Pick?
TL;DR - Quick Answer
10 min readSee which tool is better for you. We compare pricing, features, and ease of use.
Quick answer: Metricool is 90% cheaper with good analytics (free-$54/month). Sprout Social is enterprise-grade with superior features ($249/month).
Massive price difference. See our Metricool review and Sprout Social review.
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Pricing Side-by-Side
Metricool Pricing
Sprout Social Pricing
Sprout charges per user seat on top of base price.
🤔 Quick Knowledge Check
You're a solo creator managing 3 accounts with a limited budget. Which tool?
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Solo Creator (1 brand)
Small Business (5 brands, 2 users)
Agency (15 brands, 5 users)
Sprout Social is 10-20x more expensive in every scenario.
Features That Matter
Analytics
Metricool:
- Full dashboard
- Competitor analysis
- Hashtag tracking
- Good reporting
- Visual insights
Sprout Social:
- Premium analytics
- Custom reports
- Trend analysis
- Team performance
- ROI tracking
Winner: Sprout Social is more powerful. But Metricool is 90% cheaper.
Social Listening
Metricool:
- Competitor tracking
- Hashtag monitoring
- Basic listening
Sprout Social:
- Full social listening
- Sentiment analysis
- Brand monitoring
- Crisis alerts
- Industry trends
Winner: Sprout Social. Enterprise-grade listening.
🤔 Quick Knowledge Check
You need real-time crisis monitoring and sentiment analysis for a Fortune 500 brand. Which tool?
Team Features
Metricool:
- Basic collaboration
- User roles
- Shared access
- Team reports
Sprout Social:
- Advanced workflows
- Approval systems
- Task assignment
- Team analytics
- Permissions
Winner: Sprout Social. Built for large teams.
Social Inbox
Metricool:
- Basic inbox
- Message management
- Comment tracking
Sprout Social:
- Smart Inbox
- Message tagging
- Response times
- Team assignment
- Automated responses
Winner: Sprout Social. Much more sophisticated.
Platform Support
Metricool: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business, Twitch
Sprout Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business, WhatsApp
Winner: Tie. Both cover major platforms.
Pros and Cons
Metricool Pros
- ✅ Free plan available
- ✅ Excellent value
- ✅ Good analytics
- ✅ Easy to use
Metricool Cons
- ❌ Basic social listening
- ❌ Limited team features
- ❌ Simple workflows
- ❌ Not enterprise-ready
Sprout Social Pros
- ✅ Enterprise-grade features
- ✅ Advanced listening
- ✅ Premium analytics
- ✅ Team workflows
Sprout Social Cons
- ❌ Extremely expensive
- ❌ Per-seat pricing
- ❌ Overkill for SMBs
- ❌ Complex setup
Who Should Use Which?
Pick Metricool if you:
- Are an SMB or creator
- Budget is under $100/month
- Need good analytics
- Want free option
- Don't need enterprise features
Pick Sprout Social if you:
- Are an enterprise
- Budget is $500+/month
- Need advanced listening
- Require team workflows
- Have compliance needs
The Real Question
Do you need Sprout Social's features?
Most businesses don't. Sprout is for:
- Fortune 500 companies
- Agencies with enterprise clients
- Brands needing crisis management
- Teams with complex approval needs
Everyone else? Metricool does 80% of the job at 10% of the cost.
🤔 Quick Knowledge Check
You're a marketing team of 3 managing 10 accounts. Budget is $200/month. Best choice?
Best Alternative: SocialRails
If Sprout is too expensive but you need more than Metricool:
Try SocialRails free →Quick Answers
Is Metricool or Sprout Social cheaper? Metricool. Free plan vs Sprout's $249/month minimum.
Which has better analytics? Sprout Social is more powerful. Metricool is good enough for most.
Which has social listening? Sprout Social has enterprise listening. Metricool has basic tracking.
Is Sprout worth 10x the price? Only for enterprises. Most businesses get 80% value from Metricool.
Can small businesses use Sprout? Technically yes, but it's financially impractical for most SMBs.
Summary
Metricool: Best for SMBs and creators who need solid analytics without the enterprise price.
Sprout Social: Best for enterprises who need advanced listening, workflows, and have the budget.
Best alternative: SocialRails at $29-99/month with AI content and video templates.
Create content, post everywhere
Let AI do the work. Ideas, posts, images, carousels. Scheduled in seconds.
Start your free trialRelated
Tool Reviews & Pricing:
- Metricool Review 2025
- Sprout Social Review 2025
- Metricool Pricing Breakdown
- Sprout Social Pricing Breakdown
Find Alternatives:
- Best Metricool Alternatives
- Best Sprout Social Alternatives
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- Cheaper Than Sprout Social
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More Sprout Social Comparisons:
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- Loomly vs Sprout Social
Guides & Resources:
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