Sprout Social and Metricool both emphasize analytics and reporting, but at wildly different price points. Sprout Social is an enterprise platform with customer care workflows and sentiment analysis starting at $199/seat. Metricool is a mid-market analytics tool with competitor tracking and reports starting at $0/month.
In this comparison, we break down Sprout Social vs Metricool across pricing, features, platform support, user reviews, and real-world fit — so you can decide whether the enterprise premium delivers enough value. Looking at more tools? Browse all social media scheduling alternatives.
Sprout Social vs Metricool at a Glance
Here's a quick side-by-side overview before we dive deeper:
| Category | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $199/mo per seat | $0/mo (free plan) |
| Free Plan | No (30-day trial) | Yes (1 brand, 50 posts/mo) |
| Platforms Supported | 8+ | 9+ |
| Unlimited Scheduling | Yes (all plans) | Yes (Starter+, Fair Use) |
| AI Tools | AI Assist | AI social media assistant |
| Competitor Analysis | Yes (Professional+) | Yes (5-100 competitors) |
| Team Collaboration | All plans | Advanced plan ($54/mo) |
| Approval Workflows | Advanced plan ($399/seat) | Advanced plan |
| Social Inbox | Smart Inbox (all plans) | No |
| Social Listening | Yes (add-on) | No |
| Analytics | Group to Custom reports | 3 months to Unlimited |
| Canva Integration | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| G2 Rating | 4.4/5 (5,731 reviews) | 4.5/5 (83 reviews) |
| Trustpilot Rating | 2.2/5 (75 reviews) | 4.2/5 (519 reviews) |
| Best For | Enterprises, customer care teams | Analytics-driven teams and agencies |
Sprout Social Overview
Sprout Social is an enterprise-focused social media management platform known for its deep analytics, customer care workflows, and polished interface. It combines publishing, engagement, analytics, and listening into a unified platform.
Sprout Social supports 8+ platforms: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads.
Key features:
- Smart Inbox with sentiment analysis
- AI Assist for text and reply generation
- Advanced analytics with custom reports
- Competitor and paid insights (Professional+)
- Team productivity and customer care reports
- Review management
- API and helpdesk integrations (Advanced+)
Sprout Social targets enterprises and customer care teams that need deep reporting, sentiment tools, and structured collaboration. See what users say about Sprout Social on G2 and Trustpilot.
Metricool Overview
Metricool is a social media analytics and scheduling platform built around data. It combines publishing tools with deep competitor analysis, reporting, and a link-in-bio builder — making it a strong choice for data-driven teams and agencies.
Metricool supports 9+ platforms: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, Google Business Profile, and Twitch.
Key features:
- Competitor analysis (5-100 profiles)
- Customizable PDF and PPT reports
- AI social media assistant
- Link-in-bio builder (multiple profiles)
- Google Drive and Canva integration
- Unlimited analytics history (Starter+)
- Looker Studio connector and API (Advanced)
Metricool targets agencies and analytics-focused teams that need deep reporting, competitor tracking, and brand-based pricing. Read real user reviews of Metricool from G2 and Trustpilot.
Pricing Comparison
The pricing difference is extreme. Sprout Social's per-seat enterprise model vs Metricool's per-brand model means Metricool can be 10-20x cheaper for comparable analytics features.
Sprout Social Pricing
Sprout Social uses per-seat pricing in USD. We break this down further in our Sprout Social pricing guide.
| Plan | Price | Social Profiles | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $199/mo per seat | 5 | Keyword monitoring, AI text, review management |
| Professional | $299/mo per seat | Unlimited | Message tagging, competitor insights, paid insights |
| Advanced | $399/mo per seat | Unlimited | Sentiment analysis, API, helpdesk integrations, spike alerts |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | White-glove onboarding, SSO, priority support |
Example costs:
- 1 seat on Standard = $199/month
- 3 seats on Professional = $897/month
- 5 seats on Advanced = $1,995/month
Metricool Pricing
Metricool uses per-brand pricing that scales with the number of brands you manage. See the full Metricool pricing breakdown for details.
| Plan | Price | Brands | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 1 | 50 posts/mo, 5 competitors, 3-month analytics |
| Starter | From $22/mo | Up to 10 | Unlimited posts, 100 competitors, PDF/PPT reports, Canva |
| Advanced | From $54/mo | Up to 50 | Team management, approvals, API, Looker Studio |
| Custom | Custom | Unlimited | White label, dedicated manager |
Example costs:
- 5 brands on Starter = $22/month
- 15 brands on Advanced = $54/month
- 50 brands on Advanced = $172/month
Price Verdict
Metricool is dramatically cheaper. A single Sprout Social Standard seat ($199/month) costs more than running Metricool's Advanced plan for 50 brands ($172/month). For a 3-person team needing analytics and competitor tracking, you'd pay $897/month on Sprout Social Professional vs $54/month on Metricool Advanced.
Sprout Social's pricing is only justifiable if you specifically need sentiment analysis, the Smart Inbox, customer care reports, or enterprise compliance tools.
Feature Comparison
Scheduling & Publishing
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited scheduling | Yes (all plans) | Yes (Starter+, Fair Use) |
| Best time to post | Yes (Optimal Send Times) | No |
| Content calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Post queue management | Yes | Yes |
| Draft saving | Yes | Yes |
Winner: Sprout Social — unlimited scheduling on all plans with Optimal Send Times. Metricool's "unlimited" scheduling on Starter+ is subject to a Fair Use Policy.
AI Tools
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| AI caption generation | Yes (AI Assist) | Yes (AI assistant) |
| AI image generation | No | No |
| AI reply suggestions | Yes (Advanced) | No |
| AI post enhancement | Yes (Enhance Post) | Yes |
Winner: Sprout Social — AI Assist includes reply enhancement on the Advanced plan, useful for customer care teams. Metricool's AI assistant covers captions and post ideas.
Analytics & Reporting
This is where both tools shine — but at very different price points.
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Basic analytics | All plans | All plans |
| Analytics history | Group to Custom | 3 months (free) to Unlimited |
| Competitor analysis | Professional+ ($299/seat) | Yes (5 free, up to 100) |
| Custom reports | Advanced only ($399/seat) | Advanced ($54/mo) |
| PDF/PPT reports | Advanced only | Yes (Starter+) |
| Paid ad insights | Professional+ | No |
| Customer care reports | Advanced | No |
| Team productivity reports | Advanced | No |
| Looker Studio connector | No | Yes (Advanced) |
| API access | Advanced ($399/seat) | Advanced ($54/mo) |
Winner: It depends. Metricool wins on pure analytics value — more competitor profiles (100 vs Sprout Social's benchmarking), unlimited history, PDF/PPT reports from $22/month, and Looker Studio integration. Sprout Social wins on enterprise-specific analytics — paid ad insights, customer care metrics, and team productivity reports. The question is whether those enterprise features justify 10x the price.
Team Collaboration
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple users | All plans | Advanced plan |
| Approval workflows | Advanced plan | Advanced plan |
| User permissions | Professional+ | Advanced plan |
| DM assignment | Yes | No |
| Message tagging | Professional+ | No |
| Client management | No | Advanced plan |
Winner: Sprout Social for inbox-heavy teams — DM assignment and message tagging. Metricool for agencies — client management and brand-based organization at $54/month vs $299-$399/seat.
Social Inbox & Engagement
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Unified inbox | Yes (Smart Inbox) | No |
| Social listening | Yes (add-on) | No |
| Sentiment analysis | Yes (Advanced) | No |
| Review management | Yes (all plans) | No |
| Message spike alerts | Yes (Advanced) | No |
Winner: Sprout Social — Smart Inbox, sentiment analysis, review management, and spike alerts are all exclusive to Sprout Social. Metricool doesn't offer any inbox or engagement tools.
Integrations & Creative Tools
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Canva integration | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| Google Drive import | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| Link in Bio | No | Yes (multiple profiles) |
| Looker Studio | No | Yes (Advanced) |
| Helpdesk integrations | Yes (Advanced) | No |
Winner: Metricool — Canva, Google Drive, Looker Studio, and link-in-bio builder. Sprout Social has helpdesk integrations (Zendesk, Salesforce) for customer care teams.
Platform Support
| Platform | Sprout Social | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| X/Twitter | Yes | Yes (add-on on some plans) |
| Yes | Yes (Starter+) | |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | No | Yes |
| Twitch | No | Yes |
Winner: Metricool — supports 9+ platforms including Google Business Profile and Twitch. Sprout Social supports 8+ platforms.
What Real Users Say
Sprout Social Reviews
G2: 4.4/5 (5,731 reviews) — Users praise the ease of use, post scheduling, and analytics. Top complaints include missing features on lower plans, expensive pricing, and limited features for the cost.
Trustpilot: 2.2/5 (75 reviews) — Low rating with complaints about aggressive sales tactics, rising prices, and the tool feeling outdated relative to newer alternatives.
Metricool Reviews
G2: 4.5/5 (83 reviews) — Users highlight multi-platform support, centralized management, and ease of use. Complaints mention poor customer support, scheduling issues, and the platform being expensive at scale.
Trustpilot: 4.2/5 (519 reviews) — Notably high Trustpilot rating. Users consistently praise Metricool's customer service responsiveness, ease of use, and intuitive interface. Metricool replies to 100% of negative reviews.
Review Verdict
Metricool wins on user satisfaction. It scores higher on G2 (4.5 vs 4.4) and dramatically higher on Trustpilot (4.2 vs 2.2). Sprout Social has a much larger G2 review base (5,731 vs 83), but Metricool's Trustpilot score (4.2/5 from 519 reviews) is one of the highest in the social media scheduling space.
Who Should Use Sprout Social?
If Sprout Social is on your shortlist, check out our best alternatives to Sprout Social for other options.
Sprout Social is the better choice if you:
- Run a customer care team that needs sentiment analysis and care reports
- Need review management built into the platform
- Want paid ad insights alongside organic analytics
- Need team productivity reporting and message spike alerts
- Have the budget for $199-$399+/month per seat
- Need helpdesk integrations with Zendesk or Salesforce
Who Should Use Metricool?
If Metricool sounds right, you may also want to see our top alternatives to Metricool before committing.
Metricool is the better choice if you:
- Want deep analytics at a fraction of the enterprise price
- Need competitor analysis tracking up to 100 profiles
- Want PDF/PPT report generation for clients starting at $22/month
- Need Canva and Google Drive integration built in
- Want API access and Looker Studio for custom dashboards
- Manage multiple brands and want per-brand pricing
- Want a free plan to get started
A Better Alternative to Both
If Sprout Social is overkill and Metricool's creative tools feel limited, there's a middle ground.
PostPlanify gives you scheduling, AI tools with image generation, and team features — at a flat monthly rate.
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool | PostPlanify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $199/mo/seat | $0/mo (free) | $19/mo flat |
| AI Caption Generation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI Image Generation | No | No | Yes |
| Canva Integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive Import | No | Yes | Yes |
| Competitor Analysis | $299/mo/seat | Yes (free+) | No |
| Approval Workflows | $399/mo/seat | $54/mo | $99/mo (Premium) |
| Unlimited Team Members | Enterprise only | Advanced plan | $99/mo (Premium) |
| Platforms Supported | 8+ | 9+ | 9 |
PostPlanify starts at $19/month for 3 accounts with unlimited scheduling and AI tools included. The Premium plan at $99/month includes unlimited accounts, unlimited team members, approval workflows, and analytics. See all plans on the PostPlanify pricing page.
FAQ
Is Metricool cheaper than Sprout Social?
Yes, dramatically. Metricool has a free plan and paid plans starting at $22/month. Sprout Social starts at $199/month per seat. For analytics and competitor tracking, Metricool delivers comparable features at 10-20x lower cost.
Does Sprout Social have a free plan?
No. Sprout Social offers a 30-day free trial but no free plan. Metricool offers a free plan with 1 brand, 50 posts per month, 5 competitor profiles, and 3 months of analytics.
Which has better analytics — Sprout Social or Metricool?
Both are analytics-focused but in different ways. Metricool offers more competitor profiles (up to 100), unlimited analytics history, PDF/PPT reports, and Looker Studio integration at far lower prices. Sprout Social offers paid ad insights, customer care reports, and team productivity metrics that Metricool doesn't have. For most teams, Metricool provides better analytics value.
Can I switch from Sprout Social to Metricool?
Yes. You can reconnect your social accounts to Metricool and start scheduling. The main trade-off is losing the Smart Inbox, sentiment analysis, review management, and helpdesk integrations. You'll gain more competitor profiles, Looker Studio integration, and dramatic cost savings.
Which supports more social media platforms?
Metricool supports 9+ platforms (including Google Business Profile and Twitch). Sprout Social supports 8+ platforms. Metricool has slightly wider coverage.
Does Metricool have a social inbox?
No. Metricool does not offer a unified social inbox, sentiment analysis, or review management. It focuses on analytics, competitor tracking, and reporting. If inbox management is a core need, Sprout Social's Smart Inbox is far superior.
Which has better customer support — Sprout Social or Metricool?
Based on Trustpilot ratings, Metricool (4.2/5 from 519 reviews) has significantly better customer support satisfaction than Sprout Social (2.2/5 from 75 reviews). Metricool responds to 100% of negative reviews within 48 hours.
Is Sprout Social worth the price over Metricool?
Only if you need the Smart Inbox, sentiment analysis, customer care reports, paid ad insights, or helpdesk integrations. For analytics, competitor tracking, and scheduling, Metricool delivers at a fraction of the cost. For a balanced option with AI image generation, PostPlanify starts at $19/month.
