10 best Sprout Social alternatives in 2026, ranked by team cost

For two people running 10 accounts, Sprout Social's Professional plan costs $7,176 a year (2 × $299 × 12, sproutsocial.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-27). Schedchie's Team plan costs €299.88 (€24.99 × 12). Later and SocialPilot rank next.

Sprout Social is an enterprise suite: a consolidated inbox, monitoring, review management and deep reporting, sold per seat. Its pricing page lists Essentials at $79, Standard at $199, Professional at $299 and Advanced at $399 per seat per month, on annual billing (checked 2026-09-27). Essentials and Standard hold 5 social profiles. Past five, you are on Professional, and every person on the team is another seat.

That is why people look elsewhere. Most of the tools below do less than Sprout. The useful question for each one is which part of Sprout you actually use, and what the rest is costing you.

How we ranked them

The scenario is two people running 10 social accounts, for example two brands on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. For each tool we took the cheapest plan that lets both people log in and holds all 10 accounts, at the cheapest billing basis the vendor prints, and multiplied it out to a year.

Prices stay in the vendor's own currency and are never converted. Where a euro price sits next to a dollar price, the order follows the printed number. Zoho Social and Publer load their paid prices in the browser, so we could not verify a figure for either, and they are ranked last for that reason alone.

Professional is the cheapest Sprout plan that holds 10 profiles: 2 seats × $299 × 12 = $7,176 a year (sproutsocial.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-27).

Sprout Social logo above its listening dashboard with a share-of-voice chart

For that, Sprout's pricing page lists:

a consolidated inbox and collaboration tools, from Standard
keyword and location monitoring and review management, from Standard; Listening and Premium Analytics are add-ons from Standard up
optimal send times and profile- and post-level reporting, from Essentials
message tagging and competitor, tag and paid insights, on Professional
the Sprout API and helpdesk integrations, on Advanced
its Trellis AI agent and a mobile app for iOS and Android on every plan
a 30-day free trial

Those are the features each alternative below is checked against.

The ranking at a glance

Rank	Tool	Plan for 2 people, 10 accounts	Calculation	Per year
1	Schedchie	Team	€24.99 × 12, monthly billing	€299.88
2	Later	Growth (2 social sets, 2 users)	$37.50 × 12, billed yearly	$450
3	SocialPilot	Standard (15 accounts, 3 users)	$42.50 × 12, billed annually	$510
4	Metricool	Advanced, 15 brands	€43 × 12, billed annually	€516
5	CoSchedule	Professional (2 users, 5 profiles) plus 5 extra profiles	($49 + 5 × $5) × 12, billed annually	$888
6	Buffer	Team, 10 channels	10 × $120, billed yearly	$1,200
7	Agorapulse	Standard, 2 users	2 × $79 × 12, billed annually	$1,896
8	Hootsuite	Standard, 2 users	2 × $99 × 12, billed annually	$2,376
9	Zoho Social	not verified	paid prices load in the browser	—
10	Publer	not verified	paid prices load in the browser	—
—	Sprout Social	Professional, 2 seats	2 × $299 × 12, annual billing	$7,176

Sources: later.com/pricing, socialpilot.co/plans, metricool.com/pricing, coschedule.com/pricing, buffer.com/pricing, agorapulse.com/pricing, hootsuite.com/plans, sproutsocial.com/pricing, all checked 2026-09-27. Schedchie: schedchie.com/pricing; X (Twitter) posting on Schedchie is a separate €4.99 add-on for 30 posts.

SocialPilot and Metricool land within a few units of each other, one in dollars and one in euros. Treat them as a tie on price and choose on features.

1. Schedchie – lowest verified price for a team with 10 accounts

Schedchie charges one flat price, whatever the number of accounts. Pro is €7.99 a month for one person with unlimited connected accounts, unlimited scheduled posts and unlimited client groups. Team is €24.99 a month and adds 3 invited members, per-member post approvals and client review links. Billing is monthly; there is no annual plan. For a two-person team the plan is Team, and the price is the same at 10 accounts or 100.

It publishes to twelve platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Google Business Profile and X. X posting is a separate add-on, €4.99 for 30 posts valid for 30 days, on any plan.

Sprout features it has: post approvals on the Team plan (a held post does not publish until it is approved), client review links where a client approves or requests changes without an account, a 30-day activity view, and analytics for Facebook and Instagram basic engagement, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Bluesky and TikTok.

Sprout features it lacks: an inbox, monitoring or listening, review management, optimal send times, AI writing tools, competitor reports, a mobile app and a public API. Its analytics are not as deep as Sprout's, and there are no X analytics.

Pros:

Unlimited accounts and posts on the €7.99 Pro plan; one workspace per client or brand, each with its own calendar.
One composer for all platforms, with per-platform text overrides; calendar and list views; full editing of scheduled posts.
CSV bulk import with media and titles, and recurring posts that create the next occurrence when one publishes.
Instagram Reels (with music), feed posts, carousels and Stories; TikTok video and photo posts; LinkedIn polls and documents; Pinterest board targeting.
A failed post sends an email with one-click retry, and every post shows a success or error result per account.
An MCP server lets an assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude connect to the account.

Cons:

No free plan; a 14-day trial on Pro and Team.
X posting costs extra.
No inbox, AI tools, best-time suggestions, first comment or mobile app.
Team covers 3 invited members; Enterprise (€200 a month) covers 10.

Ideal for: teams whose Sprout bill pays mostly for publishing. If the inbox and reports are why you bought Sprout, Schedchie replaces the calendar and not the rest.

Start a 14-day Schedchie trialCancel anytime — no questions asked.

2. Later – visual planning, inbox and approvals on Growth

Later is built around visual planning for Instagram, TikTok and the other image-first networks. It sells social sets: one set is one profile each on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and Snapchat. There is no X or Bluesky in that list.

Growth has 2 sets (16 profiles) and 2 users for $37.50 a month billed yearly, so our team pays $37.50 × 12 = $450 a year (later.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-27). Two limits matter: 10 accounts fit only if no network has more than two of them, and Growth schedules up to 180 posts per profile per month. Scale ($82.50 a month billed yearly, 6 sets, 4 users) removes the post limit (checked 2026-09-27).

Sprout features it has: a social inbox for Instagram and Facebook conversations and TikTok comments, internal and external approvals (stakeholders comment without a Later account), best time to post, AI content tools on a monthly credit allowance, analytics going back one year on Growth, and a mobile app for iOS and Android.

Sprout features it lacks on Growth: competitive benchmarking, brand mentions and brand health are Scale-only. Its pricing page lists no review management.

Ideal for: Instagram- and TikTok-led brands that want an inbox and approvals at a fraction of Sprout's per-seat price, and can live with a monthly post allowance.

3. SocialPilot – account bundles with users included

SocialPilot sells bundles of accounts with users included, which suits small agencies. Standard holds 15 social accounts and 3 users for $50 a month billed monthly or $42.50 a month billed annually; our team pays $42.50 × 12 = $510 a year (checked 2026-09-27). Extra accounts are $4 a month each.

SocialPilot social inbox listing Facebook accounts and comment threads

Sprout features it has: on Standard, a social media inbox, analytics, team collaboration and manager approval, plus an AI credit allowance. Premium ($85 a month billed annually, 25 accounts, 6 users, checked 2026-09-27) adds client approval, white-label reports and bulk scheduling. Review management is a separate SocialPilot product, and there is a mobile app.

Sprout features it lacks: its plans page lists no listening tool.

Ideal for: small agencies that want an inbox and client approvals for a few clients, with room to grow to 15 accounts before the price changes.

4. Metricool – analytics and competitor tracking by brand

Metricool prices by brand, and a brand is one profile per network. Team and client management, role management and the post approval system are listed from Advanced, which is €43 a month for 15 brands, billed annually: €43 × 12 = €516 a year (metricool.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-27). If one login is enough, Starter covers 5 brands for €16 a month billed annually, €16 × 12 = €192 a year.

Metricool analytics dashboard showing a Facebook page overview with growth charts

Sprout features it has: competitor analysis (5 competitor profiles on the free plan, up to 100 on paid plans), best times in the planner, an inbox, an AI assistant, analytics with unlimited history on paid plans, approvals, and on Advanced a Looker Studio connector and API access.

Sprout features it lacks: its pricing page lists no listening or review management. X is an add-on here too.

Ideal for: people who bought Sprout for the reports. Metricool keeps the analytics and competitor tracking and prices the team by brand, not by seat. The free plan covers 1 brand.

CoSchedule is a marketing calendar first: social posts sit next to projects and tasks on one drag-and-drop calendar. Professional includes 2 users and 5 social profiles for $49 a month billed annually ($59 billed monthly), and extra profiles are $5 a month each. Our 10 accounts: ($49 + 5 × $5) × 12 = $888 a year (checked 2026-09-27). X profiles are billed separately.

Sprout features it has: on Professional, an inbox for all networks with saved replies and AI replies (Starter's inbox covers Facebook and Instagram), basic analytics and reports, an AI social writer and a mobile app. ReQueue reshares your best posts on a schedule.

Sprout features it lacks: listening and review management, neither of which its pricing page lists.

Ideal for: content teams that plan blog posts, campaigns and social on one calendar and need only light engagement tools.

6. Buffer – per-channel pricing, unlimited users on Team

Buffer charges per connected channel. Essentials is $5 per channel per month billed yearly ($60 a year) but includes 1 user. Team is $10 per channel per month billed yearly ($120 a year) with unlimited team members, so our team pays 10 × $120 = $1,200 a year (checked 2026-09-27). Channels above 10 cost less, by an amount the page's calculator shows but does not print.

Buffer logo above an illustrated weekly publishing queue

Sprout features it has: on Team, a community inbox for replying to comments across its supported networks, approval workflows, access levels, branded reports, analytics, an AI Assistant, API access, and iOS and Android apps.

Sprout features it lacks: its pricing page lists no listening and no review management.

Pros and cons in one line: the free plan (3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel) costs nothing for up to three channels, and per-channel pricing is cheap for a few accounts and adds up after that.

Ideal for: small teams with a handful of channels who want a clean publisher with comment replies and approvals.

7. Agorapulse – inbox-first, per user

Agorapulse is the closest to Sprout in shape: inbox first, sold per user. Standard is $79 per user per month billed annually ($99 paid monthly) and includes 10 social profiles, so our team pays 2 × $79 × 12 = $1,896 a year (checked 2026-09-27). Extra profiles are $10 a month each on annual billing.

Agorapulse logo above its social inbox contact list and activity panel

Sprout features it has: unlimited scheduled posts, one inbox for messages and organic comments, basic reports with branded export, and a mobile app for iOS and Android. Professional ($119 per user per month billed annually) adds post and inbox assignments and team performance reports; Advanced ($149 per user per month billed annually, checked 2026-09-27) adds advanced reports, ROI analysis and competitor benchmarking. Listening sits in its product menu; the plans page does not say which plan includes it.

Sprout features it lacks: its pricing page lists no review management, and the 10-profile limit is the same on every self-serve plan.

Ideal for: community and support teams who use Sprout's inbox daily and want the same workflow for less per seat. The free trial is 30 days.

8. Hootsuite – per user, like Sprout

Hootsuite sells per user, as Sprout does. Standard is $99 per user per month billed annually for up to 10 social accounts; our team pays 2 × $99 × 12 = $2,376 a year (checked 2026-09-27). Past 10 accounts, Professional is $199 per user per month billed annually.

Hootsuite Streams view with Instagram post, scheduled and hashtag columns

Sprout features it has: on Standard, an inbox for messages, brand and competitor monitoring, AI post and image generation, and unlimited scheduled posts (footnoted on its page). Professional adds custom reports and inbox automation. Advanced ($399 per user per month billed annually, checked 2026-09-27) adds team approvals and message assignment.

Sprout features it lacks at this price: approvals, which are Advanced-only, and review management, which its plans page does not list.

Ideal for: teams that want monitoring and an inbox from a large vendor and pay per person either way. The trial is 14 days.

Zoho Social loads its paid prices in the browser, so we could not verify a figure; see zoho.com/social/pricing for the current numbers. The free plan covers 1 brand (6 channels) and 1 team member, so it does not fit a two-person team.

Sprout features it has, per its plan table: a monitoring dashboard for listening streams from Professional; an inbox, content approvals, custom reports and 3 team members on Premium; Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk integration. Agency plans cover 10 clients and 5 team members, with a client portal and agency-branded reports.

Sprout features it lacks: we could not confirm plan-level gaps without the prices, so we make no claim either way.

Ideal for: companies already on Zoho CRM or Zoho Desk. Ranked ninth only because its price could not be checked.

10. Publer – broad network support, prices behind a script

Publer also loads its paid prices in the browser; see publer.com/pricing. The free plan connects 3 social accounts (X excluded) with 10 scheduled posts per account at a time.

Sprout features it has: its Business plan lists analytics and reports, best times to post, competitor analysis and API access; approval workflows come with added members, and there is a mobile app. It also publishes to WordPress, Google Business Profile, Telegram and Mastodon.

Sprout features it lacks: its pricing page lists no inbox or listening.

Ideal for: solo users and small teams that post to many network types, including blogs. Ranked tenth only because its price could not be checked.

Conclusion

Sprout Social charges two people $7,176 a year for 10 profiles on Professional (2 × $299 × 12, sproutsocial.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-27). Every alternative here with a verified price costs less for the same team; the choice is which Sprout features you keep.

Publishing only: Schedchie at €24.99 a month for the team, the same at any account count, with approvals and client review links. No inbox, no listening, no AI.
Visual planning with an inbox: Later on Growth, if a monthly post allowance and two sets are enough.
Agency bundles: SocialPilot, with client approval and white-label reports from Premium.
Reports and competitor tracking: Metricool, priced by brand.
Inbox-first work: Agorapulse or Hootsuite, still per user, for a fraction of Sprout's seat price.
Content marketing calendar: CoSchedule.
A handful of channels: Buffer, starting on its free plan.

If you use Sprout mainly to schedule posts, you are paying for an inbox and reports you do not open. If you use the inbox and reports every day, a cheaper tool that drops them costs you more in the end.