Sprout Social Review
By Itai Varochik | Last updated January 15, 2026
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Our Verdict
Sprout Social is the best social media platform for teams that need CRM and listening.
GetASearch Score: 8.5/10
Rating: 4.5/5 (1432 reviews)
Pros
- Best social CRM features
- Advanced social listening
- Beautiful reporting and analytics
Cons
- Most expensive option
- Overkill for small teams
Score Breakdown
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Features | 9.5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8.5/10 |
| Value for Money | 6.5/10 |
| Customer Support | 9.0/10 |
| Overall | 8.5/10 |
What is Sprout Social?
Sprout Social is a comprehensive social media management platform designed for businesses, agencies, and enterprise teams that need to manage publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening at scale. Founded in 2010 in Chicago and publicly traded on NASDAQ (SPT), Sprout Social serves over 30,000 brands including Grubhub, Glassdoor, Shopify, and Edelman. The platform consolidates management of all major social networks - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp - into a unified dashboard. The Smart Inbox aggregates messages, comments, mentions, and reviews from all connected profiles into a single stream, enabling social media teams to respond to customer inquiries without switching between platforms. Messages can be tagged, assigned to team members, and tracked through to resolution, turning social media into a functional customer service channel. Publishing capabilities include a visual content calendar, optimal send time recommendations powered by ViralPost® AI, campaign management with tagging and reporting, and an asset library for storing approved brand content. The approval workflow system allows managers to review and approve posts before they go live, critical for regulated industries like financial services and healthcare. Content suggestions and RSS feed integration help teams maintain consistent posting schedules. Analytics in Sprout Social go beyond vanity metrics. The platform provides cross-network performance reports, competitive analysis comparing your profiles against competitors, paid social performance tracking (for Facebook and Instagram ads), and custom report building with automated delivery scheduling. The Premium Analytics add-on unlocks deeper analysis including sentiment trends, share of voice tracking, and audience demographic insights. Social listening, available as an add-on module, monitors brand mentions, industry keywords, and competitor activity across social media and the broader web. This capability helps brands identify emerging trends, track campaign sentiment, detect potential PR crises early, and discover user-generated content opportunities. Sprout Social pricing starts at $199/user/month for the Standard plan, making it one of the more expensive options in the category. The Professional plan ($299/user/month) adds competitive reports, custom workflows, and optimal scheduling. The Advanced plan ($399/user/month) includes sentiment analysis, chatbot automation, and digital asset management. Enterprise pricing is custom. All plans include a 30-day free trial.
Integrations: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Shopify
Analytics: The Industry Benchmark
Sprout Social's analytics are the most comprehensive in the social media management space. Competitive Analysis, Paid Performance reports, and custom report builders.
Social CRM: Know Your Audience
Sprout's Social CRM creates customer profiles from social interactions - tracking every message, mention, and engagement with your brand.
Sprout Social Features
| Feature | Available | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing | Yes | Content calendar and scheduling |
| Analytics | Yes | Comprehensive social reporting |
| Social CRM | Yes | Customer relationship management |
| Listening | Yes | Social media monitoring |
| Advocacy | Yes | Employee advocacy platform |
Key Specifications
| Best For | Enterprise social media |
| Free Plan | No |
Sprout Social Pricing
- Standard: $249/mo
- Professional: $399/mo
- Advanced: $499/mo
Best For
- Mid-to-large marketing teams
- Brands needing social CRM
Not Ideal For
- Small businesses on a budget
- Solo social media managers
Final Verdict
Sprout Social is the best social media platform for teams that need CRM and listening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sprout Social so expensive?
Sprout Social is an enterprise tool. The $249/seat price includes social CRM, competitive benchmarking, and compliance tools.
Sprout Social vs Hootsuite - when to choose Sprout?
Choose Sprout for superior analytics and social CRM. Choose Hootsuite for more affordable team plans and wider platform support.