---
title: "Sprout Social alternatives for 2026"
canonical: "https://weekbird.app/alternatives/sprout-social"
language: "en"
type: "alternative"
updated: "2026-10-11T16:44:47.683Z"
---

# Sprout Social alternatives for 2026

Weekbird is a Sprout Social alternative for small teams: $24, $49 or $149 a month per plan, with unlimited posts. Sprout Social bills per seat, from $99 a month ($79 billed yearly) for 5 profiles. Hootsuite, Buffer, Metricool and Publer follow, with prices checked on each vendor's page on 10 October 2026.

## 1. Weekbird: a Sprout Social alternative priced per plan

Weekbird costs $24, $49 or $149 a month ($228, $468 or $1,428 a year), with unlimited posts on every plan. You write one post and adjust a version for each channel; Weekbird checks each version against that network's limits before you schedule it. Team and Agency add approval links that reviewers open without an account, and an Inbox for comments, replies and Google Business Profile reviews.

Sprout Social does more. Weekbird has no social listening, no mobile app, no direct messages in the Inbox and no helpdesk integrations. Analytics stay per network.

**Best for:** small teams and agencies that schedule and approve posts and do not need listening. See Weekbird pricing.

## 2. Hootsuite: listening included, priced per user

Hootsuite costs $99, $199 or $399 per user a month billed yearly. Social listening and competitor monitoring come with the product, and Professional removes the account cap. Approvals need Advanced at $399.

**Best for:** teams that want listening without buying an add-on. More in Hootsuite alternatives.

## 3. Buffer: priced per channel, with a free plan

Buffer charges $6 per channel a month on Essentials and $12 on Team ($5 and $10 billed yearly). Team adds unlimited users and approval workflows. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each.

**Best for:** a handful of channels and a tight budget.

## 4. Metricool: priced by brand, with ads reporting

Metricool sells tiers of brands. Advanced costs $67 a month for up to 15 brands ($53 billed yearly) and adds team management and post approvals. It reports on Facebook, Google and TikTok ads next to organic posts, and keeps unlimited analytics history from Starter. X costs extra.

**Best for:** marketers who report on organic and paid results together.

## 5. Publer: priced per account

Publer charges $5 per account a month on Professional and $10 on Business ($4 and $8 billed yearly), with every tenth account free. Business adds approvals, an API and MCP access; extra members cost more.

**Best for:** one owner with many accounts.

## Questions

### What is the best Sprout Social alternative?

It depends on what you use Sprout Social for. For scheduling with client approvals at one price per plan, Weekbird. For listening, Hootsuite. For a few channels on a budget, Buffer. For organic and ads reporting, Metricool.

### Is there a free Sprout Social alternative?

Buffer, Metricool and Publer have free plans. Buffer's covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each; Metricool's covers 1 brand and 20 posts a month. Weekbird and Sprout Social have no free plan.

### How does Sprout Social pricing compare with Weekbird?

Sprout Social charges per seat, from $79 to $399 a month billed yearly. Weekbird charges per plan: $24, $49 or $149 a month, with unlimited posts. Approval links start on Weekbird Team at $49.

### Can I import my Sprout Social queue into Weekbird?

No. Weekbird has no import from other tools. Connect your channels and schedule the next week again.

### Who should stay on Sprout Social?

Teams that need listening, review management, helpdesk integrations or a mobile app.

## Plan next week in one sitting

[See Weekbird plans](https://weekbird.app/)

## Sprout Social

Last verified: 2026-10-10

## Sprout Social: plans

| Plan | Monthly price | Price per month (billed annually) | Currency | Billing unit | Seats or brands | Channels | Users | Limits | Source | Observed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials | 99 | 79 | USD | per-user | n/a | 5 social profiles | 1+ seats | AI: 100 AI agent credits per seat/month; Mobile app | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Standard | — | 199 | USD | per-user | n/a | 5 social profiles | per seat | AI: 100 credits/seat/month; Inbox: Consolidated inbox and collaboration tools; 10 brand keywords per group, review management | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Professional | — | 299 | USD | per-user | n/a | Unlimited social profiles | per seat | AI: 100 credits/seat/month; Inbox: Message tagging; Competitor, tag and paid insights | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Advanced | — | 399 | USD | per-user | n/a | Unlimited social profiles | per seat | AI: 100 credits/seat/month; Inbox: Sentiment in Smart Inbox; API: Sprout API and helpdesk integrations; 20 brand keywords per group | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | USD | — | custom | custom | custom | SSO, priority support | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |

## Sprout Social: strengths

| Claim | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Listening and Premium Analytics available as add-ons; Listening has Sentiment tracking and Spike Alerts. | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Native iOS and Android mobile app on every plan. | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Review management and Helpdesk integrations (Zendesk-style) on higher plans. | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Enterprise SSO and onboarding. | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Inbox (Standard): Consolidated inbox and collaboration tools | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| API or MCP (Advanced): Sprout API and helpdesk integrations | [Source](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |

## Hootsuite

Last verified: 2026-10-10

## Hootsuite: plans

| Plan | Monthly price | Price per month (billed annually) | Currency | Billing unit | Seats or brands | Channels | Users | Limits | Source | Observed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Standard | — | 99 | USD | per-user | n/a | 10 social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: Wisdom AI included (no credit counts published); Approvals: No; Inbox: Single inbox | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) | 2026-10-10 |
| Professional | — | 199 | USD | per-user | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: No; Inbox: Inbox with automated replies and workflows; Custom performance reports, trend forecasting to 90 days | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) | 2026-10-10 |
| Advanced | — | 399 | USD | per-user | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: Yes (review and approve content); Inbox: Assignment and auto-routing | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) | 2026-10-10 |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | USD | — | custom | Unlimited | Custom | Approvals: Yes; SSO, advanced listening, advanced analytics | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) | 2026-10-10 |

## Hootsuite: strengths

| Claim | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Social listening and competitor monitoring are in the product; advanced listening on Enterprise. | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) |
| Unlimited accounts from Professional. | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) |
| Purchase as many user seats as needed with SSO and compliance on Enterprise. | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) |
| Inbox (Standard): Single inbox | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) |
| Approvals (Advanced): Yes (review and approve content) | [Source](https://www.hootsuite.com/plans) |

## Buffer

Last verified: 2026-10-10

## Buffer: plans

| Plan | Monthly price | Price per month (billed annually) | Currency | Billing unit | Seats or brands | Channels | Users | Limits | Source | Observed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 0 | 0 | USD | per-channel | 1 account | Up to 3 channels | 1 | Posts: 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 threaded post; AI: AI Assistant included; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox included, AI replies 5/week; Analytics: Basic analytics, 30-day history; API: 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |
| Essentials | 6 | 5 | USD | per-channel | n/a | Per channel purchased | 1 user | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant, unlimited AI replies; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox, unlimited saved replies; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 3 API keys, 7,500 requests/30 days | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |
| Team | 12 | 10 | USD | per-channel | n/a | Per channel purchased | Unlimited | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant; Approvals: Content approval workflows and access levels; Inbox: Community inbox; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 5 API keys, 15,000 requests/30 days | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |

## Buffer: strengths

| Claim | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Free plan covers 3 channels with AI Assistant and community inbox. | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Pricing is per channel, so a single channel costs $5/month annual. | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Publishes to Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, Google Business Profile, Pinterest and YouTube Shorts with community engagement on most of them. | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Includes a public API on every plan, including Free. | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Inbox (Free): Community inbox included; AI replies 5/week | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| API or MCP (Free): 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Analytics (Free): Basic analytics, 30-day history | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |
| Approvals (Team): Content approval workflows and access levels | [Source](https://buffer.com/pricing) |

## Metricool

Last verified: 2026-10-10

## Metricool: plans

| Plan | Monthly price | Price per month (billed annually) | Currency | Billing unit | Seats or brands | Channels | Users | Limits | Source | Observed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 0 | 0 | USD | per-brand | 1 brand | All networks except LinkedIn and X | n/a | Posts: 20 posts/month; AI: AI social media assistant; Analytics: 30 days; API: Metricool MCP; 5 competitor profiles | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Starter (up to 5 brands) | 25 | 20 | USD | per-brand | up to 5 brands | Networks per brand | n/a | Posts: Unlimited publishing\*; Analytics: Unlimited; X is an add-on, 100 competitors, PDF and PPT reports, Flows | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Starter (up to 10 brands) | 45 | 36 | USD | per-brand | up to 10 brands | Networks per brand | n/a | Posts: Unlimited publishing\*; Analytics: Unlimited | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Advanced (up to 15 brands) | 67 | 53 | USD | per-brand | up to 15 brands | Networks per brand | Team and client management | Approvals: Post approval system; API: Metricool API (Zapier, Make); Role management, report templates, Data Studio connector | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Advanced (up to 25 brands) | 107 | 85 | USD | per-brand | up to 25 brands | Networks per brand | Team and client management | Approvals: Yes | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Advanced (up to 50 brands) | 210 | 159 | USD | per-brand | up to 50 brands | Networks per brand | Team and client management | Approvals: Yes | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |
| Custom | Contact sales | Contact sales | USD | — | custom | custom | custom | White-label: White Label; Dedicated account manager, custom AI credits | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) | 2026-10-10 |

## Metricool: strengths

| Claim | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Free plan includes MCP and AI assistant. | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| Unlimited analytics history on Starter and above. | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| Ads reporting (Facebook, Google, TikTok Ads) alongside organic. | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| Brand tiers go to 50 brands for $159/month annual, cheaper than most agency plans. | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| API or MCP (Free): Metricool MCP | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| Analytics (Free): 30 days | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |
| Approvals (Advanced (up to 15 brands)): Post approval system | [Source](https://metricool.com/pricing/) |

## Publer

Last verified: 2026-10-10

## Publer: plans

| Plan | Monthly price | Price per month (billed annually) | Currency | Billing unit | Seats or brands | Channels | Users | Limits | Source | Observed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 0 | 0 | USD | flat | 1 workspace | 3 social accounts (no X) | 1 | Posts: 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 drafts; Analytics: 24-hour post history | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |
| Professional | 5 | 4 | USD | per-channel | Unlimited workspaces | Starts at 1 account (slider) | Plan owner included; extra members priced separately | Posts: Unlimited scheduling & drafts; Eternal post history, X integration, every 10th account free | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |
| Business | 10 | 8 | USD | per-channel | Unlimited workspaces | Starts at 1 account (slider) | Plan owner included; extra members priced separately | AI: Unlimited AI prompts; Approvals: Collaboration and approval workflows (with additional members); Analytics: Analytics insights and reports; API: Publer API and MCP; Competitor analysis, best times, recycling | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Contact sales | USD | — | custom | custom | custom | Bank/wire payment, 1:1 onboarding, unlimited daily posting | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) | 2026-10-10 |

## Publer: strengths

| Claim | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Per-account pricing from $4/month annual with every 10th account free. | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| Business includes API and MCP access. | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| Supports Mastodon, Bluesky, Telegram, WordPress and Google Business updates. | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| Free plan with 3 accounts. | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| Analytics (Free): 24-hour post history | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| Approvals (Business): Collaboration and approval workflows (with additional members) | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |
| API or MCP (Business): Publer API and MCP | [Source](https://publer.com/pricing) |

## Feature comparison

| Feature | Weekbird | Sprout Social | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Inbox for comments, replies and reviews | Comments and replies from Facebook Pages, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and X, and Google Business Profile reviews, in one list. | Inbox (Standard): Consolidated inbox and collaboration tools | [Source 1](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Public API and webhooks | REST API and signed webhooks for published posts, approvals and channel events. | API or MCP (Advanced): Sprout API and helpdesk integrations | [Source 1](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |

## Switching reasons

| Text | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Every plan is billed per seat ($79 to $399 per user per month), so cost climbs quickly as more teammates need a login, which small teams and agencies cite as their reason to look elsewhere. | [https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews](https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews) |
| Social listening and premium analytics are sold as separate add-ons on top of seat prices, and reviewers report that important features sit behind the more expensive tiers. | [https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| The Essentials and Standard plans are capped at 5 social profiles, so teams managing more accounts must move to Professional at $299 per seat for unlimited profiles. | [https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/](https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/) |
| Plans require annual billing, and some reviewers describe difficulty exiting the contract once it has renewed. | [https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews](https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews) |
| Some users who pay for Sprout mainly for reporting say its analytics figures are not reliable enough, and reviewers mention data-accuracy concerns in reports. | [https://www.reddit.com/r/SocialMediaManagers/comments/1kufcro/sprout\_social\_versus\_other\_tools/](https://www.reddit.com/r/SocialMediaManagers/comments/1kufcro/sprout_social_versus_other_tools/) |
| Reviewers find the Smart Inbox and overall product complex, with one team reporting missed comments and DMs and a steep learning curve. | [https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews](https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews) |
| Some users report scheduled posts that failed to go live and social accounts becoming unlinked. | [https://www.getapp.com/marketing-software/a/sprout-social/](https://www.getapp.com/marketing-software/a/sprout-social/) |
| Reviewers say the mobile app is less capable than the desktop product. | [https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews](https://www.trustradius.com/products/sprout-social/reviews) |

## Who should stay

Teams that use social listening with sentiment tracking, need review management and helpdesk integrations, or want a native mobile app on every plan.

## Migration steps

| Text |
| --- |
| List your channels and the posts scheduled in Sprout Social for the next two weeks. |
| Connect the same channels in Weekbird. |
| Schedule next week's posts again in Weekbird; it has no import from Sprout Social or any other tool. |
| On Team or Agency, send approval links to the people who sign off. |
| Let Sprout Social publish its last scheduled post, then cancel. |