10 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for 2026
10 Best Social Media Analytics Tools for 2026
The best social media analytics tool depends on your needs. Sprout Social offers the most polished reporting for stakeholders. Buffer provides the best value for small teams. Brandwatch leads for enterprise social listening. For affordable all-in-one scheduling with analytics, Posta delivers strong value.
This guide compares 10 analytics tools by features, pricing, and ideal use case.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | Executive reporting | $249/mo | No (30-day trial) |
| Hootsuite | All-in-one management | $99/mo | No (30-day trial) |
| Buffer | Budget-friendly basics | $6/channel/mo | Yes |
| Posta | Affordable AI-powered | €12/mo | Yes (7-day trial) |
| Later | Visual content creators | $25/mo | No |
| Iconosquare | Instagram/TikTok depth | €29/mo | No (14-day trial) |
| Brandwatch | Enterprise listening | Custom quote | No |
| Sprinklr | Enterprise CXM | Custom quote | No |
| Rival IQ | Competitor analysis | $239/mo | No (14-day trial) |
| Metricool | Budget analytics | $18/mo | Yes |
1. Sprout Social
Best for: Teams that need presentation-ready reports for stakeholders
Sprout Social excels at turning raw data into polished reports that executives actually want to read. The platform combines scheduling, engagement, and analytics in one interface, but its reporting capabilities are the standout feature.
Why Choose Sprout Social
- Executive-ready reports — Clean, professional visualizations that don't need reformatting
- Cross-network analytics — Compare performance across all platforms in one view
- Competitive benchmarking — See how you stack up against competitors
- AI-powered listening — Sentiment analysis and spike alerts (add-on)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $249/user/mo | 5 profiles, core analytics |
| Professional | $399/user/mo | Competitive reports, optimal send times |
| Advanced | $499/user/mo | Message spike alerts, chatbots |
Limitations
Per-seat pricing adds up fast with larger teams. Social listening and premium analytics are expensive add-ons to base plans.
2. Hootsuite
Best for: Teams wanting a mature all-in-one platform with broad network support
Hootsuite is one of the most established social media management platforms, offering scheduling, engagement, and analytics in a unified dashboard. It's built for teams managing multiple accounts who need everything in one place.
Why Choose Hootsuite
- Broad channel support — Connects to more networks than most competitors
- Customizable reports — Build reports focused on your specific KPIs
- AI recommendations — Best-time-to-post suggestions based on your data
- App ecosystem — Integrations with Canva, Slack, and hundreds of other tools
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | $99/mo | 1 user, 10 accounts |
| Team | $249/mo | 3 users, 20 accounts |
| Enterprise | Custom | 5+ users, advanced features |
Limitations
Advanced analytics and social listening require higher-tier plans. The interface can feel dated compared to newer tools.
3. Buffer
Best for: Small businesses and creators who want simplicity at low cost
Buffer built its reputation on straightforward scheduling, and its analytics follow the same philosophy—clear, essential metrics without overwhelming complexity. It's ideal for teams that need basic performance tracking without enterprise features.
Why Choose Buffer
- Clean interface — Easy to understand, minimal learning curve
- Generous free plan — 3 channels with basic analytics included
- Per-channel pricing — Pay only for what you use
- AI assistant — Help with captions and content ideas
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 channels, basic analytics |
| Essentials | $6/channel/mo | Engagement tools, full analytics |
| Team | $12/channel/mo | Collaboration features |
Limitations
Analytics are basic compared to specialized tools. Limited competitive benchmarking and no social listening.
4. Posta
Best for: Small businesses wanting AI-powered scheduling with solid analytics at affordable prices
Posta combines AI-driven scheduling optimization with straightforward analytics across all major platforms. It's designed as an affordable alternative to enterprise tools—delivering core features without the complexity or cost.
Why Choose Posta
- AI-powered scheduling — Automatically finds optimal posting times for your audience
- Cross-platform analytics — Track performance across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and more
- Multi-workspace support — Manage multiple brands or clients separately
- GDPR-compliant — Built in the Netherlands with privacy by design
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | €12/mo | 5 accounts, unlimited posts, basic analytics |
| Professional | €29/mo | 15 accounts, AI credits, advanced analytics |
| Agency | €79/mo | 50 accounts, 3 workspaces, team features |
Limitations
Newer platform, so some advanced features are still in development. Best suited for those who want simplicity over complexity.
5. Later
Best for: Visual-first brands focused on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest
Later started as an Instagram scheduler and still excels at visual content planning. Its analytics focus on the metrics that matter for image and video-heavy platforms.
Why Choose Later
- Visual calendar — Drag-and-drop planning with feed preview
- Link in bio analytics — Track clicks and conversions from your bio link
- Best-time suggestions — Data-driven posting recommendations
- Mobile-first — Manage everything from your phone
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $25/mo | 1 social set, 30 posts/profile |
| Growth | $45/mo | 3 users, 150 posts/profile |
| Advanced | $80/mo | 6 users, unlimited posts |
Limitations
Analytics data history limited on lower tiers. Less robust for non-visual platforms like LinkedIn.
6. Iconosquare
Best for: Brands and agencies needing deep Instagram and TikTok analytics
Iconosquare specializes in granular, channel-specific insights. If Instagram or TikTok is your primary platform, its depth of analytics exceeds most all-in-one tools.
Why Choose Iconosquare
- Deep Instagram analytics — Story analytics, hashtag tracking, competitor monitoring
- TikTok insights — Detailed performance metrics for short-form video
- Competitor benchmarking — Compare your performance against rivals
- White-label reports — Agency-friendly branded reporting
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Single | €29/mo | 3 profiles, core analytics |
| Teams | €49/mo | 10 profiles, collaboration |
| Agency | €79/mo | 25 profiles, white-label |
Limitations
Supports fewer networks than all-in-one platforms. Euro pricing may require conversion.
7. Brandwatch
Best for: Enterprise teams needing deep social listening and consumer intelligence
Brandwatch goes beyond measuring your own content—it monitors conversations across the entire social web. For brands that need to track sentiment, identify trends, and understand market movements at scale, it's a category leader.
Why Choose Brandwatch
- Powerful social listening — Track brand mentions, sentiment, and trends across millions of sources
- AI-driven insights — Automated trend detection and audience segmentation
- Historical data — Access years of social conversation data
- Consumer intelligence — Understand market movements beyond your own channels
Pricing
Custom quotes only. Positioned for enterprise budgets—expect significant investment.
Limitations
Complex platform requiring significant onboarding. Cost makes it inaccessible for small businesses.
8. Sprinklr
Best for: Large enterprises with complex multi-brand portfolios
Sprinklr positions itself as a unified customer experience platform, combining social media, advertising, and customer service analytics. It's built for global organizations managing dozens of brands across 30+ channels.
Why Choose Sprinklr
- Unified analytics — Paid, owned, and earned media in one view
- Enterprise governance — Compliance and brand consistency at scale
- AI assistance — Content creation, sentiment analysis, workflow automation
- Global scale — Supports 30+ social channels and multiple languages
Pricing
Custom enterprise quotes only. Significant investment in both cost and implementation time.
Limitations
Notoriously complex—requires dedicated training and onboarding. Overkill for anything but large enterprise needs.
9. Rival IQ
Best for: Marketers focused on competitive intelligence and benchmarking
Rival IQ specializes in one thing: understanding how you compare to competitors. If competitive analysis is central to your strategy, its focused approach beats the competitor features in broader tools.
Why Choose Rival IQ
- Deep competitor tracking — Monitor rival content, posting patterns, and engagement
- Post-level diagnostics — See which competitor content performs best and why
- Automated alerts — Get notified when competitors go viral or boost posts
- Facebook Ads analysis — Track competitor ad strategies
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | $239/mo | 10 companies tracked |
| Engage | $329/mo | 20 companies, social posting |
| Engage Pro | $519/mo | 40 companies, advanced features |
Limitations
Limited companies tracked on lower tiers. Less useful if competitive analysis isn't your priority.
10. Metricool
Best for: Budget-conscious teams wanting solid analytics without high costs
Metricool offers surprisingly robust analytics at a fraction of enterprise pricing. It includes competitor tracking, downloadable reports, and even ad analytics—features usually reserved for expensive tools.
Why Choose Metricool
- Competitor tracking — Monitor rival performance at no extra cost
- Professional reports — PDF and PowerPoint exports
- Ad analytics — Track paid campaign performance
- Affordable pricing — Strong features at budget-friendly rates
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 1 brand, 50 posts/month |
| Starter | $18/mo | 5 brands, 2,000 posts/month |
| Advanced | $45/mo | 15 brands, 5,000 posts/month |
Limitations
X/Twitter analytics costs extra. Free plan has limited historical data.
How to Choose the Right Tool
For Solo Creators and Small Businesses
Start with Buffer for free basics or Posta for AI-powered scheduling with analytics. Metricool offers excellent value if you need competitor tracking on a budget.
For Growing Teams
Hootsuite provides a mature all-in-one solution. Later is ideal if visual content is your focus. Iconosquare delivers depth for Instagram-heavy strategies.
For Agencies
Sprout Social makes client reporting effortless. Posta's Agency plan offers multi-workspace management at competitive rates.
For Enterprise
Brandwatch for social listening and consumer intelligence. Sprinklr for unified customer experience management across global brands.
Key Questions to Ask
- What platforms do I need? — Some tools excel at specific networks
- Who needs access? — Per-seat pricing adds up fast
- What reporting do stakeholders expect? — Some tools produce better client/executive reports
- Is competitor analysis important? — Not all tools include benchmarking
- What's my actual budget? — Be realistic about ongoing costs
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best free social media analytics tool?
Buffer offers solid free analytics for up to 3 channels, including post performance and audience insights. Native platform analytics (Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, etc.) are also free and provide detailed data for individual platforms. Metricool's free plan includes competitor tracking, which is unusual at no cost.
Do I need a separate analytics tool or is native platform data enough?
Native analytics work well for single-platform management—Instagram Insights and LinkedIn Analytics are quite detailed. Third-party tools become valuable when you manage multiple platforms and need cross-channel reporting, want competitor benchmarking, or need to create professional reports for clients or stakeholders.
What's the difference between analytics tools and social listening tools?
Analytics tools measure your own performance—engagement rates, follower growth, reach, and content performance. Social listening tools monitor broader conversations happening across the web, including brand mentions, sentiment analysis, and industry trends in content you didn't create. Brandwatch and Talkwalker are social listening specialists.
How much should I spend on social media analytics?
Small businesses can start with free tools (Buffer, native analytics) or plans under €50/month (Metricool, Posta). Mid-sized teams typically spend €100-300/month for tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Enterprise needs—social listening, competitive intelligence, global governance—can cost €500+/month with platforms like Brandwatch or Sprinklr.
The right analytics tool depends on your specific needs, not which one has the most features. Start with a free trial, run your actual reports, and choose the platform that fits your workflow. Posta offers a 7-day free trial if you want AI-powered scheduling with straightforward analytics at an affordable price.