Social media management tools are really effective for automating your online presence on different social platforms.
But with so many players on the market, it can be difficult to choose the best social media management tool.
To help you make up your mind, we will compare 5 popular platforms, Sprout Social, Publer, Buffer, Hootsuite, Agorapulse, and Later and highlight their main differences.
Discover your ideal tool for business needs through our detailed analysis! Here’s what the comparison between Sprout Social alternatives includes:
- Main features
- Pricing and Plans
- Ease of setup
- Ease of use
- Quality of support
- Platform availability
- Reviews
Let’s get started!
Why Look for a Sprout Social Alternative?
Here are some reasons why you might want to consider a different and better alternative than Sprout Social.
No Free Plan
One of the first drawbacks of Sprout Social is its lack of a free plan. In fact, users only benefit from a 30-day trial period to test the tool’s various functions.
Publer offers a forever-free plan, allowing you to connect up to 3 social accounts. This plan not only provides access to various free features but also includes integrations with apps like Canva and Unsplash.
Not Affordable for Big Teams
Now you are probably thinking that if Sprout Social doesn’t provide a free option, its paid plans must be exceptional, covering all the needs of marketing agencies.
Indeed, Sprout Social offers fundamental features for social media management, including content calendars, detailed analytics, and content creation tools.
However, the primary concern is the pricing. The starting cost for the Standard package is $249 per month, making Sprout Social one of the most expensive tools for social media management.
Also, the Sprout Social Standard plan provides 5 social networks for a single user. To handle more social media, the Professional package at $399 per month is required. It means that only large companies can afford such tools. Meanwhile, smaller to medium-sized marketing agencies can opt for more affordable alternatives like Publer.
Publer’s Business plan, beginning at $21 per month, provides similar functionality to Sprout Social. This plan covers 3 social networks, with the option to add more for an extra $7 per platform each month.
For marketing agencies seeking a budget-friendly solution tailored to their needs, Publer stands out as one of the most economical options available.
Better Quality of Support
Another downside of Sprout Social is its customer service, which doesn’t consistently meet top standards. Some users have complained about the slow onboarding process and poor communication from sales representatives.
When comparing the quality of support on platforms like G2, Sprout Social scores 8.7 out of 10, whereas Publer achieves a higher rating of 9.5 out of 10. This difference is primarily attributed to Publer’s strong commitment to customer service, with the company striving to deliver exceptional support for a seamless user experience.
Customer service is one of the top Publer’s priorities, and the company strives to provide the best possible support to ensure a seamless experience. All users benefit from premium support available 24/5 (even if you opt for Publer’s free plan).
Publer is the Obvious Sprout Social Alternative. Here is Why:
Sprout Social Vs. Publer
We made two comparative tables for Sprout Social vs. Publer based on ease of use, ease of setup, quality of support, and overall reviews on G2. These tables will help you find the best partner for your business.
| Sprout Social | Publer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.9 | 9.5 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.8 | 9.4 |
| Quality of Support | 8.7 | 9.5 |
| Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.8 out of 5 |
Sprout Social Vs. Publer: Top Features, Channels, Price
We help you make the choice way easier. Below you will find which channels are supported for each platform, the main features, and the starter price per each tool.
| Sprout Social | Publer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✕ | ✓ add 3 social channels |
| Bulk scheduling & CSV upload | ✓ | ✓ |
| Publish from RSS feed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hashtag suggestions | ✕ | ✓ |
| Watermark photos | ✕ | ✓ |
| AI Image generation | ✕ | ✓ |
| AI Content generation | ✓ | ✓ |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| WordPress | ✕ | ✓ |
| Telegram | ✕ | ✓ |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| Google My Business | ✓ | ✓ |
| YouTube | ✓ | ✓ |
| ✓ | ✓ | |
| TikTok | ✓ | ✓ |
| Starts at $249/month | Starts at $12/Month |
4 Other Sprout Social Alternatives
Here are some other social media management tools that provide more features, or less expensive than Sprout Social. Let’s have a look at them.
Buffer
| Sprout Social | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.9 | 9.2 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.8 | 9.2 |
| Quality of Support | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.3 out of 5 |
| Starts at $249/month | Starts at $6/month for 1 channel |
Sprout Social vs. Buffer Takeaway
For the following reasons, Buffer stands out compared to Sprout Social:
- Free Plan: Buffer offers a free plan that is unavailable with Sprout Social.
- Better Pricing Model: Buffer’s pricing structure is more favorable and flexible than Sprout Social’s.
- Ideal for Smaller Teams: Buffer is well-suited for smaller social media teams, making it a practical choice.
- User-Friendly Interface: Buffer boasts an uncomplicated user interface that enhances usability compared to Sprout Social.
Hootsuite
| Sprout Social | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.9 | 8.4 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Quality of Support | 8.7 | 8.0 |
| Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 |
| Starts at $249/month | Starts at €99/month |
Sprout Social vs. Hootsuite Takeaway
Hootsuite is a superior competitor to Sprout Social for these reasons:
- Better Pricing: Hootsuite offers a more advantageous pricing structure than Sprout Social.
- Team-Centric Dashboards and Enhanced Collaboration Features: Hootsuite provides dashboards tailored for teamwork, along with extra features for collaboration.
- Extensive Integration Options: With over 150 integrations, Hootsuite offers a wider range of connectivity compared to Sprout Social.
- Enhanced Campaign Optimization and Landing Page Building: Hootsuite provides better capabilities for campaign optimization and includes a landing page builder, giving it an edge over Sprout Social.
Agorapulse
| Sprout Social | Agorapulse | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.8 | 9.1 |
| Quality of Support | 8.7 | 9.2 |
| Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 |
| Starts at $249/month | Starts at €69/month/user |
Sprout Social vs. Agorapulse Takeaway
Agorapulse takes the lead over Sprout Social due to the following key aspects:
- More affordable: Agorapulse offers a pricing model that’s more favorable and flexible, allowing businesses to choose plans that align with their needs and budget.
- Extensive Publishing Options: Agorapulse provides a wide array of options for scheduling and publishing content across various social media platforms.
- Effective Inbox for Swift Response with Saved Replies: Agorapulse’s inbox feature provides quick responses.
- Permanent Customer Support: Agorapulse stands out with its 24/7 customer support availability.
Later
| Sprout Social | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.9 | 9.5 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.8 | 9.4 |
| Quality of Support | 8.7 | 9.5 |
| Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Price | Starts at $249/month | Starts at $30/month |
Sprout Social vs. Later Takeaway
Later stands out as a strong alternative to Sprout Social for these reasons:
- Visual Planner for Visual Branding: With Later’s visual planner, users can shape their brand’s visual identity effectively, ensuring a consistent and appealing look across social media platforms.
- User-Friendly Interface: Later’s interface is very easy to use and doesn’t require extensive training.
- Competitive Pricing: Later provides an affordable solution that doesn’t compromise on vital features.
Final Words
With 5 great Sprout Social alternatives to try, the best way to figure out which one suits your needs is to test them yourself.
Most of the social media tools that we’ve discussed today offer a free trial or a free plan so you can easily compare Sprout Social to its competitors and find the perfect solution for your business.
Moreover, it’s hard to be objective in this case, but Publer is the only solution on this list that offers extensive features (even in the Free plan).
Plus, it’s the most affordable if you are a social media influencer, small business, or even midsize.
Start your free trial and find out what differentiates Publer from the competition!
Other comparisons that may interest you:
Denisa Lamaj
