Sprout Social alternatives: cheaper suites and free options
Sprout Social starts at $79 per seat a month billed yearly for 5 profiles. Alternatives with more profiles, flat team pricing or a free plan, from vendor pages.
The best Sprout Social alternative depends on what's pushing you away: for the same kind of suite with more profiles, try Agorapulse; for a team on one flat price, try SocialPilot, Sendible or Vista Social; and if you only need to schedule, start free on Zoho Social or Buffer.
What this means for you
Sprout Social charges for each person, and its two cheapest plans stop at 5 social profiles. A small team with a handful of brands can outgrow it quickly, and every extra person adds a full seat. The tools below either include more profiles, charge one price for the whole team, or let you start for free.
The details
What Sprout Social costs today. Essentials is $99 per seat a month, or $79 billed yearly, for up to 5 profiles. Standard is $249 or $199 per seat, still for 5 profiles. Professional is $399 or $299 per seat with unlimited profiles, and Advanced is $499 or $399 per seat, adding the Sprout API. There is no free plan; the trial lasts 30 days and needs no card. More on the Sprout Social tool page and in the full Sprout Social review.
| Seats | Essentials, billed yearly | Professional, billed yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $79 a month | $299 a month |
| 3 | $237 a month | $897 a month |
| 5 | $395 a month | $1,495 a month |
You want the same kind of suite with more room
- Agorapulse: inbox, publishing and reporting from $79 per user a month billed yearly, the same as Sprout Essentials, but for 10 profiles instead of 5. Data retention grows from 6 months on Standard to 24 on Advanced.
- Statusbrew: flat plans with an inbox and moderation rules. Standard is $129 a month billed yearly for 3 users and 10 profiles; Premium is $229 for 6 users, 15 profiles, approvals and listening.
- Hootsuite: the other big per-seat suite, at $99 per user billed yearly for 10 accounts. See Hootsuite vs Sprout Social and our Hootsuite alternatives.
You have a team: one price for everyone
- SocialPilot: Standard is $42.50 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts, 3 users, an inbox, analytics and approvals; Premium is $85 for 25 accounts and 6 users.
- Sendible: unlimited users on every plan, from $29.75 a month billed yearly for 6 profiles. Approvals start on Plus at $84.15.
- Vista Social: Professional is $79.17 a month billed yearly for 15 profiles and 2 users, the price of one Sprout seat.
- Planable: built around approvals, from $33 per workspace a month billed yearly with unlimited users. Basic allows 60 posts a month; required approvals need Pro at $49.
For three people, SocialPilot Standard costs $42.50 a month against $237 for three Sprout Essentials seats, with 15 accounts instead of 5.
You only need to schedule
- Zoho Social: free for one brand with 6 channels and 1 team member; paid plans from $10 per brand a month billed yearly.
- Buffer: free for 3 channels, then $5 per channel a month billed yearly.
- PlanPost: one price for the account, from $16.58 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts and 1,000 posts a month, with an API. There's a free plan for 2 accounts and 30 posts a month, the 7-day trial on paid plans needs a card, and it covers 7 networks, without Pinterest or Google Business Profile.
Not sure which fits? The scheduler picker matches tools to your networks and team.
What to do next
- Business owners: If you're the only person posting, try Zoho Social's or Buffer's free plan before paying for a suite.
- Marketers and agencies: Count your seats and profiles, then price Agorapulse, SocialPilot or Sendible against your Sprout renewal.
- Developers: If you need an API, note that Sprout includes it only on Advanced; check each tool's page for its API plan.
Questions people ask
Is there a free alternative to Sprout Social?
Yes. Zoho Social's free plan covers one brand with 6 channels, and Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each. Sprout Social has no free plan, only a 30-day trial without a card.
What is the cheapest alternative to Sprout Social for a team?
Tools that charge one price for several people. Sendible includes unlimited users from $29.75 a month billed yearly, and SocialPilot Standard covers 3 users and 15 accounts for $42.50. Three seats on Sprout Social Essentials cost $237 a month billed yearly.
Which alternative is closest to Sprout Social?
Agorapulse and Hootsuite: both are full suites with an inbox, publishing and reporting, priced per user. Agorapulse costs the same $79 per user billed yearly as Sprout Essentials but includes 10 profiles instead of 5.
Sources
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