Looking for the best social listening tool in 2024? Here's a quick rundown of the top 10:
- Sprout Social: Powerful analytics, pricey
- Brandwatch: Deep insights, complex setup
- Mention: Real-time alerts, limited enterprise features
- Agorapulse: Unified inbox, limited language support
- Digimind: AI-powered, unclear pricing
- YouScan: Image recognition, API limits
- Brand24: User-friendly, limited historical data
- Hootsuite: Comprehensive, API dependent
- BuzzSumo: Content discovery, data limits
- Talkwalker: Extensive coverage, expensive
Quick Comparison:
| Tool | Best For | Standout Feature | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | Big companies | In-depth analytics | $199-$499/mo |
| Brandwatch | Data-loving marketers | AI insights | $800-$3000+/mo |
| Mention | SMBs | Instant alerts | $24-$166+/mo |
| Agorapulse | Social media pros | Easy to use | $69-$149+/mo |
| Digimind | Market researchers | Competitor tracking | Custom |
Choose based on your needs, budget, and team size. Most offer free trials, so test before you commit.
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Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a powerhouse in social media management. Here's what you need to know:
Features:
- Covers all major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and WhatsApp
- AI-powered social listening
- In-depth analytics
- Bulk scheduling and content library
- Team collaboration tools
- Competitor analysis
Pricing:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $249 | $199 | 30 days |
| Professional | $399 | $299 | 30 days |
| Advanced | $499 | $399 | 30 days |
The Good:
- Top-notch support (8.7/10 on G2)
- User-friendly (8.8/10 on G2)
- Regular updates (100+ per year)
The Not-So-Good:
- Pricier than some alternatives
- Advanced listening costs extra ($999/month)
- Per-user pricing can add up
What Users Say:
"Sprout's team was incredibly helpful in allowing us to run a pilot... onboarding our 100's of social accounts and ensuring we knew how to use all of the most relevant features for our small team to accomplish our social goals." - Holly S., Mid-Market
By the Numbers:
- ROI payback: ~13 months for enterprise users
- G2 scores: 8.0 for Social Analytics and Monitoring/Listening
Sprout Social packs a punch, but it comes at a cost. Think about your team size and budget before diving in.
2. Brandwatch
Brandwatch isn't your average social media tool. It's a social listening powerhouse that digs deep into consumer intelligence.
What's in the box?
- Social listening across major platforms
- Consumer sentiment analysis
- Image analysis
- Custom classifiers for tailored insights
How much?
| Edition | Price | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $800 | 10,000 |
| Enterprise | $3,000+ | Unlimited |
No free version, but you can take it for a test drive.
The good stuff:
- Killer analytics and data viz
- Flexible UI
- Proprietary data crawlers for wide coverage
The not-so-good stuff:
- Steep learning curve
- Pricier than some alternatives
- Not an all-in-one social media solution
Brandwatch has made a name for itself among big players. In fact, over a third of its Consumer Intelligence reviews come from enterprise users.
How does it stack up against Sprout Social? Brandwatch holds its own in features but can be trickier to use. It does shine in feature updates and roadmap direction.
One media pro said: "Brandwatch is my go-to for social listening. It's top-notch for social media monitoring, but not the best for traditional media."
Is Brandwatch right for you? If you're after deep social analytics and have the budget and tech skills, it's worth a look. But if you need an all-in-one solution or are watching your wallet, you might want to shop around.
3. Mention
Mention tracks your brand's online presence across platforms. Here's the scoop:
What It Does:
- Monitors social media, news, forums, and blogs
- Tracks web mentions
- Analyzes sentiment (higher-tier plans)
- Tags mentions automatically (higher-tier plans)
Pricing:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Alerts | Mentions | Social Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 | 1,000 | 3 |
| Solo | $24 | 2 | 5,000 | 5 |
| Pro | $83 | 5 | 10,000 | 10 |
| ProPlus | $166 | 7 | 20,000 | 15 |
| Company | Custom | 10+ | 100,000+ | Unlimited |
The Good:
- Easy to use
- Fast performance
- Beginner-friendly
- Tracks influencers
- Filters by language
The Not-So-Good:
- Some bugs reported
- Limited customization
- Basic reporting on cheaper plans
Mention shines in simplicity and affordability. Mark Barrera, Senior Director SEO, says:
"It is a great monitoring tool and at a great price. … brand that is needed to respond in real time to any conversations."
But it's not perfect. Maddy Osman, SEO Content Strategist, points out:
"Compared to related tools, it doesn't catch every single mention. Pricing doesn't scale well for a freelancer wanting to use it across a few clients."
Mention's visual dashboards make it easy to spot trends. It's a solid pick for teams who need quick insights and want to work together smoothly.
4. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a social media management tool that helps teams handle their social presence. Here's the scoop:
What It Does:
- Manages comments, messages, and reviews in one place
- Schedules and plans content
- Keeps an ear out for brand mentions
- Tracks how well your social campaigns are doing
- Helps teams work together smoothly
Works With:
Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Google Business Profile
How Much It Costs:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Profiles | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 | Basic inbox, 10 scheduled posts |
| Standard | $69 | 10 | No limit on posts, draft posts |
| Professional | $99 | 15 | Better brand listening |
| Advanced | $149 | 20 | Bulk posting, detailed reports |
| Custom | Ask Sales | No limit | One-on-one support |
Good Stuff:
- Easy to use
- Smooth approval process
- Great customer help (9.2/10 on G2)
- Flexible post scheduling
Not-So-Good Stuff:
- Cheaper plans don't have all the bells and whistles
- Can get expensive for big teams
Agorapulse shines with its clean look and custom reports. It's great for businesses that want to track ROI and have teams work together.
"Agorapulse brought order to our social media. It made posting easier, gave us useful data, and helped us listen to what people are saying." - Someone in Transportation
The Inbox Assistant lets you set up rules to sort messages and assign them to team members. This makes work flow better. You can also search for specific words, places, hashtags, and usernames to keep tabs on what's being said about you.
Just keep in mind: if you want the listening tools, you'll need to pay at least $119 a month.
5. Digimind
Digimind is a social listening and market intelligence platform. It helps brands track online chatter, understand consumer behavior, and spot market trends. Here's the scoop:
What It Does:
- Protects your brand
- Keeps tabs on competitors
- Uncovers consumer insights
- Tracks trends
- Finds influencers
- Analyzes campaigns
Digimind processes billions of content pieces. It gives you fresh analysis in easy-to-read formats. Plus, it looks at Google search behavior to give you a full picture of your online rep.
How Much? Digimind uses custom pricing. No free tier, but some users say it starts around €15,000 per year. Price depends on how much you use it.
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Custom | Ask for a quote | Based on what you need |
Where It Stands: In Social Media Monitoring, Digimind is 43rd with 21 customers. Compare that to Sprout Social at 4th place with 16,485 customers.
What Users Say: People like Digimind's features:
"Digimind Social is fantastic for tracking social networks. It's affordable and worth every penny." - David Mendoza, Digital Project Manager, Squareball Digital
But some users hit snags:
- Tricky interface
- Too much data at once
- Slow help desk
- Not enough customization
Who It's For: Digimind works for businesses of all sizes that want deep social listening and market intel. It's great if you want to stay ahead of industry changes and find the right people to work with.
6. YouScan
YouScan is an AI-powered social media listening tool that helps businesses track what people are saying about them online. Here's the scoop:
What It Does:
- Scans 500+ million social posts daily
- Covers 500,000 media sources
- 95% accurate for text and image sorting
- Lets you dig through 5 billion old social posts
- Can "see" what's in images
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian, Central Asian languages
Cost:
- Starter 3 Plan: $299/month
- Bigger plans: You'll need to ask them
No free version, but you can test it out with a demo account.
Users love how easy YouScan is to use:
"YouScan helps us track our reputation and find new leads. It's more useful than we first thought." - A marketing pro who uses YouScan
Cool Stuff:
-
Image Search: Find specific things in photos, like people on boats with beers.
-
Engagement Chart: See what parts of photos get people talking.
-
Custom Dashboards: Make your own reports to track campaigns and competitors.
-
Smart Alerts: Get emails or texts when important stuff pops up.
-
Plays Nice with Others: Works with CRM and Helpdesk tools.
Not So Great:
- Picking date ranges can be tricky
- Might take a day to grab lots of old posts
- Can't download Excel or PDF files with all the links
Big names like McDonald's, PepsiCo, Nestle, and Google use YouScan. It's good for brands, agencies, and market researchers.
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7. Brand24
Brand24 is a social listening tool that tracks online mentions of your brand. It helps you monitor conversations, analyze sentiment, and manage your online reputation.
Key Features:
- Real-time brand mention tracking
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer finder
- Custom alerts
- Multiple language support
Pricing:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Mentions | Keywords | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $49 | 2,000 | 3 | 1 |
| Team | $99 | 5,000 | 7 | Unlimited |
| Pro | $149 | 25,000 | 12 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | $249 | 100,000 | 25 | Unlimited |
All plans offer a 14-day free trial, no credit card needed.
What Makes Brand24 Stand Out:
1. Presence Score
Brand24 uses a unique metric to measure online visibility. Most brands score under 20, while big names can hit 80+.
2. Context Cloud
This feature shows you the most common terms linked to your brand mentions. It's like a quick snapshot of what people are saying.
3. Discussion Volume Chart
Want to know when people are talking about you? This chart tracks mention frequency over time, helping you spot trends and spikes.
4. Quick Alerts
Get notified fast about important mentions, like negative comments on popular blogs. It's like having a reputation watchdog.
User Feedback:
94% of users are happy with Brand24, based on 283 reviews. And 94% would recommend it to others.
Market Standing:
In the social media monitoring world, Brand24 is #16 with 217 customers. For context, Sprout Social is #4 with 16,485 customers.
Drawbacks:
- Not an all-in-one social media tool
- Less historical data than some rivals
- Might need extra tools for a full social strategy
Brand24 is a good fit for medium-sized businesses that want to keep tabs on their online presence and respond quickly to customers. It's priced competitively and packed with features, making it a solid choice for companies just starting with social listening.
8. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform with social listening features. It helps businesses track and analyze social media conversations across multiple channels.
Key Features:
- Real-time brand mention and trend monitoring
- Customizable dashboard for keyword tracking
- Sentiment analysis
- Competitor monitoring
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Pricing:
| Plan | Monthly Cost | Social Profiles | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | $99 | 10 | 1 |
| Team | $249 | 20 | 3 |
| Business | $739 | 35 | 5 |
| Enterprise | Custom | 50+ | 5+ |
All plans are billed annually. 30-day free trial available.
What Makes Hootsuite Stand Out:
1. Unified Social Inbox
Manage messages from different platforms in one place.
2. Listening Streams
Spot trending topics and relevant conversations.
3. Analytics
Get custom reports and compare industry performance.
4. Integration Ecosystem
Works with tools like Grammarly and Canva for better content.
Market Position:
Hootsuite is big. It supports over 1 billion users in 140+ countries. More than 800 Fortune 1000 companies use it.
User Feedback:
Hootsuite gets mixed reviews:
- Ease of use: 8.4/10 on G2 (lower than some competitors)
- Customer support: 8.0/10 (one of the lower scores)
- Product direction: 7.5/10 (users aren't thrilled about future updates)
Drawbacks:
- Pricing can be confusing
- Lower-tier plans have few users
- Limited customer support hours
Hootsuite is a full-package social media tool with social listening features. It's best for medium to large businesses managing multiple social profiles who want an all-in-one solution.
9. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a content research powerhouse. It's the go-to tool for marketers who want to uncover hot topics, spy on competitors, and find influencers. Here's the scoop:
What Can BuzzSumo Do?
- Find popular content across the web and social media
- Spot trends to create timely content
- Discover and reach out to influencers
- Keep tabs on brand mentions and industry news
How Much Does It Cost?
BuzzSumo offers four plans:
1. Content Creation: $199/month
- 1 user
- 2 alerts
- 2 years of data
2. PR & Comms: $299/month
- 5 users
- 5 alerts
- 2 years of data
3. Suite: $499/month
- 10 users
- 10 alerts
- 5 years of data
4. Enterprise: $999/month
- 30 users
- 50 alerts
- 5 years of data
All plans come with unlimited searches. Pay annually and save 20%.
Why BuzzSumo Stands Out
1. HUGE Content Database
With 5 billion articles, you'll never run out of content ideas.
2. Real-Time Trend Spotting
See what's hot right now and create content that rides the wave.
3. Influencer Gold Mine
Find and connect with the right people to spread your content.
4. Competitor Intel
See what's working for your rivals and stay one step ahead.
What Users Say
People love how easy BuzzSumo is to use:
"BuzzSumo is a must have for anyone designing sites or blogs to ensure you have trending content." - Digital Marketing Strategist (Verified Reviewer)
But it's not all roses:
"The free plan has very limited resources, making it difficult to test all features before purchasing." - Marketing Assistant (Verified Reviewer)
The Not-So-Great Stuff
- Newbies might find the interface tricky at first
- Phone support is limited (but email and live chat are available)
- Free trial doesn't show off all the features
BuzzSumo is perfect for content marketers, social media pros, and publishers who want to crank up engagement and stay ahead of the curve.
10. Talkwalker
Talkwalker is a big name in social listening. They offer tools for social media monitoring, brand management, and marketing analytics. Here's the scoop:
Key Features:
- Monitors 30+ social networks, 150 million websites, and 100 data partners
- AI-powered analysis of customer sentiment and behavior
- Image and video recognition for brand logos
- Crisis management and competitive intelligence tools
Pricing:
- Basic: $9,600/year (10,000 monthly results)
- Corporate and Enterprise: Custom pricing (100,000+ monthly results)
- Free version and trial available
Market Position:
- 569 social media monitoring customers
- 0.05% market share (Sprout Social: 1.39%)
- Ranks 12th in category (Sprout Social: 4th)
Standout Features:
- Blue Silk™ GPT: AI tool claiming 40% faster analysis
- Yeti AI Assistant: Helps with queries and quick insights
- Image and Video Recognition: Spots brand logos in visual content
"It could be overwhelming until you do. It's pretty expensive. Good, but expensive. … to keep track of who is talking about you online." - Verified User, Marketing Consultant
Bottom Line: Talkwalker is great for big brands needing deep social listening. Its AI and visual recognition are impressive, but the price tag might make smaller businesses think twice.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Let's break down the top social listening tools:
| Tool | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | User-friendly, strong analytics | Limited languages, pricey |
| Brandwatch | Extensive data, advanced insights | Complex setup, expensive |
| Mention | Tracks 1B+ sources, real-time alerts | Limited enterprise features |
| Agorapulse | Unified inbox, mobile app | Limited language support |
| Digimind | AI-powered, multilingual | Integration limits, unclear pricing |
| YouScan | Image recognition, data visualization | API limits, unclear pricing |
| Brand24 | User-friendly, affordable | Limited historical data |
| Hootsuite | Comprehensive, scalable | API dependent, limited languages |
| BuzzSumo | Content discovery, competitor analysis | Historical data limits |
| Talkwalker | Extensive coverage, AI analysis | Expensive, data overload |
Each tool has its sweet spot. Sprout Social? Great for small to medium businesses. Brandwatch? Enterprise-level analytics.
Pricing matters. Sprout Social starts at $199/month. Brand24? More budget-friendly at $119/month.
User ratings tell a story:
- Sprout Social: 4.4/5 (3,456 reviews)
- Brand24: 4.6/5 (293 reviews)
- Mention: 4.3/5 (439 reviews)
Brand24 edges out the competition in user satisfaction.
Mention tracks over a billion sources. That's a LOT of data.
Into visuals? YouScan's image recognition tech is a game-changer for tracking product appearances.
But remember, these tools aren't perfect. Brandwatch's Will McInnes puts it well:
"Social data is just one piece of the puzzle. To get a complete picture, brands need to combine social insights with other data sources."
Bottom line? Use these tools as part of your strategy, not your entire strategy.
Wrap-up
Social listening tools are crucial for businesses to monitor their online presence. Here's what you need to know:
1. Tool variety
Each tool has its strengths. Some are user-friendly, others offer deep analytics.
2. Price range
Brand24 starts at $119/month. Brandwatch offers enterprise-level features at a higher price.
3. User ratings
Brand24: 4.6/5 (293 reviews) Sprout Social: 4.4/5 (3,456 reviews)
4. Data sources
Mention tracks over 1 billion sources.
5. Standout features
YouScan's image recognition tech tracks product appearances visually.
When picking a tool, think about:
- Your specific needs
- Budget
- Ease of use
- Integration options
These tools are just one part of your strategy. As HubSpot's Marketing Manager says:
"I use HubSpot's Marketing Hub as a marketing manager on the HubSpot team. I've found that this all-in-one social media marketing software makes it easy to monitor interactions, conversations, and audiences across platforms."
Before you commit:
- Try a free trial
- Check customer support
- Consider scalability
Remember: Choose a tool that fits YOUR needs and budget.
FAQs
How much does HubSpot social listening tool cost?
HubSpot's social listening tool comes with their Marketing Hub. It's not cheap - $890 per month to start. But you get more than just social listening:
- Social media management
- Interaction tracking
- Audience engagement tools
Here's a quick look at some key features:
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| CRM Integration | Use your contact database to target audiences |
| Social Inbox | Handle interactions across platforms |
| Publishing Tools | Post to social media from HubSpot |
| Custom Reporting | Make your own social performance reports |
HubSpot costs more than some other options. For example:
- Sprout Social: $89/month
- Hootsuite: $49/month
But here's the thing: HubSpot isn't just about social media. It's a full marketing suite.
"HubSpot Marketing gives you tools for daily social interactions and engagement. Plus, you can target specific audiences using your CRM contacts database." - HubSpot Marketing Platform Overview
When picking a social listening tool, think about what you need, what you can spend, and how it fits your marketing plan.
