Comparisons

Best Sprout Social Alternatives 2025: Top Competitors Compared

Matt
Matt
8 min read

TL;DR - Quick Answer

13 min read

Quick tool comparison. Features, pricing, and what works best for your needs.

Sprout Social costs $249/month per user. For a 3-person team, that's $747/month or nearly $9,000/year.

Good alternatives exist at 80-90% less. Here's which one fits your needs.

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Quick Answer: Which Alternative?

Your SituationBest AlternativeMonthly Cost
Need AI content helpSocialRails$29-99
Want Sprout-like features cheaperAgorapulse$79-199
Run an agencySendible$29-399
Just need schedulingBuffer$15-99
Focus on content workflowsLoomly$32-175
Need 35+ platform integrationsHootsuite$99-249

Sprout Social's Real Cost

Per-user pricing adds up fast:

Team SizeMonthly CostAnnual Cost
1 user$249-499$2,988-5,988
3 users$747-1,497$8,964-17,964
5 users$1,245-2,495$14,940-29,940

Most businesses use 20-30% of Sprout's features. You're paying for social listening, CRM integrations, and enterprise workflows you likely don't need.

Quick Knowledge Check
Test your understanding

What percentage of Sprout Social's features do most small businesses actually use?

💡
Hint: Think about which features you use daily vs. which exist in the menu.

Top 6 Sprout Social Alternatives

1. SocialRails

Best for: Businesses wanting AI content help

Price: $29-99/month flat rate (not per-user)

FeatureIncluded
Unlimited schedulingYes
AI content generationYes
Video templates350+
Team membersUp to 15
Platforms9

Why switch: Get AI tools Sprout doesn't offer. Save $200+/month per user.

Tradeoff: Less advanced social listening.


2. Agorapulse

Best for: Teams wanting Sprout-like features cheaper

Price: $79-199/month (plan-based)

FeatureIncluded
Unified inboxExcellent
Social listeningModerate
ReportingDetailed
Team collabYes

Why switch: Similar inbox and reporting at 60-70% less cost.

Tradeoff: Listening isn't as deep as Sprout's.

See full Agorapulse comparison

3. Sendible

Best for: Agencies managing multiple clients

Price: $29-399/month

FeatureIncluded
White-labelYes (all plans)
Client managementBuilt-in
Bulk schedulingYes
Custom reportingYes

Why switch: White-label on lower tiers. Sprout requires Enterprise.

Tradeoff: Fewer platform integrations than Sprout.


4. Vista Social

Best for: Teams wanting social listening at 90% less

Price: Free/$79-379/month (see Vista Social pricing)

FeatureIncluded
Social listeningIncluded (not add-on)
Sentiment analysisYes
Platforms11 (Reddit, Threads, Bluesky)
Team usersUp to 25

Why switch: Social listening included at $79/month vs Sprout's $249+/user.

Tradeoff: AI credits are limited. Less advanced reporting.

See full Vista Social comparison

5. Loomly

Best for: Teams focused on content workflows

Price: $32-175/month

FeatureIncluded
Post ideasYes
Approval workflowsYes
Content calendarVisual
Asset libraryYes

Why switch: Better content ideation. Simpler interface. 85% cheaper.

Tradeoff: Basic analytics. No social listening.

See full Loomly comparison
Quick Knowledge Check
Test your understanding

You run a 5-person marketing agency. Which alternative saves the most while keeping client management features?

💡
Hint: Look for white-label and client management as key agency features.

5. Buffer

Best for: Solopreneurs and small teams

Price: $15-99/month

FeatureIncluded
Clean interfaceVery simple
Instagram first commentYes
Best times to postYes
Learning curveMinutes

Why switch: 90% cheaper. Does basics well.

Tradeoff: Limited team features. No social listening.


6. Hootsuite

Best for: Teams needing broad platform support

Price: $99-249/month (plan-based)

FeatureIncluded
Platform integrations35+
AI content (OwlyWriter)Yes
Bulk schedulingYes
Social listeningAdd-on

Why switch: Plan-based pricing (not per-user). More platforms than Sprout.

Tradeoff: Listening requires extra payment.

See full Hootsuite comparison

Feature Comparison Table

FeatureSproutSocialRailsAgorapulseSendibleLoomlyBuffer
Starting price$249/user$29 flat$79$29$32$15
AI contentNoYesNoNoNoNo
Social listeningAdvancedBasicModerateBasicNoneNone
InboxExcellentBasicExcellentGoodBasicNone
White-labelEnterprise onlyYesNoYesNoNo
Video toolsNoYesNoNoNoNo

Annual Cost Comparison (3-Person Team)

ToolAnnual CostSavings vs Sprout
Sprout Social$8,964
SocialRails$348-1,188$7,776-8,616 (87-97%)
Agorapulse$948-1,788$7,176-8,016 (80-89%)
Hootsuite$2,988$5,976 (67%)
Sendible$348-2,388$6,576-8,616 (73-96%)
Loomly$384-2,100$6,864-8,580 (77-96%)

Quick Knowledge Check
Test your understanding

A solo marketer needs scheduling and AI content help. Budget: under $50/month. Best choice?

💡
Hint: Match features needed against your actual budget.

When to Stay with Sprout Social

Keep Sprout if you:

  • Handle 100+ customer inquiries daily via social
  • Use social listening for brand monitoring weekly
  • Need Salesforce/HubSpot integration at deep level
  • Have dedicated social team of 5+ people
  • Require executive-level branded reports

Otherwise, you're overpaying.


How to Switch (Step by Step)

Week 1: Prepare

  1. Export scheduled posts from Sprout
  2. Download key analytics reports
  3. Sign up for free trial of new tool

Week 2: Test

  1. Connect social accounts
  2. Schedule test posts
  3. Compare ease of use

Week 3: Migrate

  1. Recreate content calendar
  2. Train team (15-30 min for most tools)
  3. Cancel Sprout before renewal

Bottom Line

Sprout Social is excellent for enterprises. For everyone else, cheaper alternatives deliver 80-90% of the value.

Quick picks:

  • Best value with AI: SocialRails ($29-99/month)
  • Closest to Sprout: Agorapulse ($79-199/month)
  • For agencies: Sendible ($29-399/month)
  • Maximum simplicity: Buffer ($15-99/month)

Create content, post everywhere

Let AI do the work. Ideas, posts, images, carousels. Scheduled in seconds.

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