Best Sprout Social alternatives in 2026
Quick answer
The best Sprout Social alternatives in 2026 for teams and agencies are Sendible, a flat price with unlimited users (from $35 a month, approvals from $99); SocialPilot, $50 a month for 3 users with approvals; and Vista Social, the closest full suite, at a flat $99 a month for 2 users and 15 profiles. Sprout Social charges per seat, from $99 per seat a month billed monthly, so three people on a flat plan pay much less.
Sprout Social is priced per seat on every plan: Essentials is $99 per seat a month billed monthly, and approvals start on Professional at $399 per seat. The tools below are priced per plan with users included, per channel or per brand bundle, and one is per user at a lower rate. All prices on this page are billed monthly unless a line says otherwise.
| Tool | Best for | Networks | AI writing | Free plan | Price from | API | MCP server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendible | Agencies: unlimited users, flat price | 10, incl. Threads and Bluesky | AI Assist, unlimited credits | No (14-day trial) | $35 a month flat, unlimited users, billed monthly | None documented | None found |
| SocialPilot | Small teams and agencies on a budget | 10, incl. Threads and Bluesky | AI Assistant, credits by plan | No (14-day trial) | $30 a month flat (1 user), billed monthly | Enterprise only | Every plan |
| Vista Social | A full suite at a flat price | 13, incl. Reddit; X is an add-on | AI credits on every plan | Not listed (14-day trial) | $99 a month flat, 2 users, billed monthly | Not listed | Every paid plan |
| Agorapulse | Inbox-first teams, lower per-user price | 11, incl. Bluesky and Reddit | AI writing assistant on every plan | None listed (30-day trial) | $99 per user a month, billed monthly | Reports API on Custom | Yes, drafts only (beta) |
| Metricool | Agencies with many brands | 11; X is an add-on | AI assistant, credits per brand | Yes: 1 brand | $25 a month for 5 brands, billed monthly | Advanced plan | Every plan, incl. Free |
| Buffer | Small teams with a few channels | 11, incl. Mastodon and Bluesky | AI Assistant on every plan | Yes: 3 channels, 1 user | $6 per channel a month, billed monthly | Every plan | Yes, hosted |
| Loomly | Approvals on the cheapest plan | 10, no X | AI Assistant; limited on Starter | No (free trial) | $65 a month flat, 3 users, billed monthly | Not listed | Not listed |
| Refract | Agencies: client links, approvals, white-label | 12 live. Coming soon: Instagram, Facebook, Threads and X. | A version per network from one note | No (14-day free trial) | $12 a month flat (Creator, 1 seat), billed monthly | Every plan | Every plan |
| Tool | How the price grows | Cheapest plan for 3 people | Cheapest plan for 3 people with approvals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social | Per seat | $297 (Essentials, 3 × $99, 5 profiles) | $1,197 (Professional, 3 × $399) |
| Sendible | Flat, unlimited users | $35 (Core, 6 profiles) | $99 (Plus, 18 profiles) |
| SocialPilot | Flat, users included | $50 (Standard, 3 users, 15 accounts) | $50 (Standard) |
| Vista Social | Flat, users included | $199 (Advanced, 3 users, 30 profiles) | $199 (Advanced) |
| Agorapulse | Per user | $297 (Standard, 3 × $99, 10 profiles) | $447 (Professional, 3 × $149) |
| Metricool | Per bundle of brands | $67 (Advanced, 15 brands, unlimited members) | $67 (Advanced) |
| Buffer | Per channel | $36 for 3 channels, $120 for 10 (Team, unlimited members) | Same (Team) |
| Loomly | Flat, users included | $65 (Starter, 3 users, 12 accounts) | $65 (Starter) |
| Refract | Flat, seats included | $29 (Business, 3 seats, 15 accounts) | $29 (Business) |
Why people look for Sprout Social alternatives
- Every seat pays the full plan price. Sprout Social is priced per seat: Essentials is $99, Standard $249, Professional $399 and Advanced $499 per seat a month, billed monthly. A team of three on Essentials pays $297 a month.
- Approvals start on Professional. The message approval workflow is on Professional, $399 per seat a month, so three people with approvals pay $1,197 a month. Approval by reviewers outside Sprout is on Advanced.
- The lower plans hold 5 profiles. Essentials and Standard include 5 social profiles; unlimited profiles start on Professional.
- The API is on Advanced only, at $499 per seat a month.
- Flat plans change the math. Most tools below include users in a flat plan (Sendible includes unlimited users on every plan), charge per channel (Buffer) or per bundle of brands (Metricool). Agorapulse is also per user, at a lower rate.
1. Sendible
What it is
A scheduler for agencies priced per plan by workspaces and profiles, with unlimited users on every plan, client dashboards and an optional white-label dashboard.
Best for
Agencies and teams that add people often and want the price to stay flat.
What stands out
- Unlimited users on every plan, with no per-seat fee.
- Approvals and assignments from Plus, plus client-only dashboards where clients preview and approve posts.
- Unlimited AI credits for AI Assist on every plan.
Limits
- Teams that need approvals on the cheapest plan: Core has none, and allows 1 workspace and 6 profiles.
- Developers: no public API is documented on its site; Zapier works on every plan.
- White label on a small budget: it is a paid add-on on Elite and Enterprise.
Networks
Instagram, Facebook Pages, TikTok business and personal, X, LinkedIn profiles and company pages, Google Business Profile, YouTube, WordPress, Threads and Bluesky.
Price from
Core: $35 a month billed monthly, a flat price for 1 workspace, 6 profiles and unlimited users. Plus: $99 for 3 workspaces and 18 profiles, with approvals. Premium: $199. Elite: $299. Enterprise: $750. Yearly billing saves 15%. 14-day free trial, no card.
Website
2. SocialPilot
What it is
A scheduler with flat plans that include a set number of users and accounts, cheap add-ons, client management and an MCP server on every plan.
Best for
Teams of two to six and small agencies that want approvals without per-seat pricing.
What stands out
- Extra users cost $5 a month and extra accounts $4, on top of a flat plan.
- Client approvals and white-label reports from Premium, $100 a month.
- An MCP server on every plan that can create, schedule or save drafts for review, within each user's role.
Limits
- Teams on Essentials: it has 1 user and no analytics, inbox or approvals.
- Developers: the API is on Enterprise only.
- Teams that want a free plan: there is a 14-day trial.
Networks
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Google Business Profile and Bluesky.
Price from
Essentials: $30 a month billed monthly, a flat price for 7 accounts and 1 user. Standard: $50 for 15 accounts and 3 users, with approvals and the inbox. Premium: $100 for 25 accounts and 6 users, with client approvals. Ultimate: $200 with unlimited users. About 15% off billed yearly. 14-day free trial, no card.
Website
3. Vista Social
What it is
A suite for scheduling, an inbox and reviews, priced per plan with users and profiles included; listening and employee advocacy are add-ons.
Best for
Teams and agencies that want many networks and approvals in one suite.
What stands out
- Post approvals on the cheapest plan; multi-stage and client approvals on Advanced.
- Reddit, Snapchat and Tumblr on the network list, plus review sites.
- An MCP server on every paid plan, with more than 100 tools for scheduling, inbox replies, approvals and reports.
Limits
- Small budgets: plans start at $99 a month.
- X: it is a $29 a month add-on.
- Teams that want to know the price of an extra user: it is not published.
Networks
Facebook pages and groups, Instagram, LinkedIn pages and profiles, X (add-on), Threads, TikTok business and creator, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr, Bluesky and Google Business.
Price from
Professional: $99 a month billed monthly, a flat price for 15 profiles and 2 users. Advanced: $199 for 30 profiles and 3 users. Scale: $449 for 70 profiles and 4 users, with white label. 20% off billed yearly. X is a $29 a month add-on. 14-day free trial, no card.
Website
4. Agorapulse
What it is
A suite for teams and agencies built around a shared inbox for comments and messages, with publishing, reporting and listening, priced per user.
Best for
Community managers who want the closest like-for-like replacement.
What stands out
- A shared inbox, and white-label reports on every plan.
- An AI writing assistant on every plan, with a brand context you set once.
- An MCP server (beta) that only creates drafts, so a person schedules and publishes.
Limits
- Growing teams: it is still per user, $99 a month each on Standard billed monthly.
- Approvals on the cheapest plan: they start on Professional, $149 per user.
- More than 10 profiles: each extra profile costs $15 a month.
Networks
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, LinkedIn pages and profiles, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business, TikTok, Bluesky and Reddit.
Price from
Standard: $99 per user a month billed monthly, 10 profiles ($79 billed yearly). Professional: $149 per user, with approvals. Advanced: $199 per user. 30-day free trial, no card.
Website
5. Metricool
What it is
A planner and analytics tool priced per bundle of brands (one set of accounts each), with ads reporting.
Best for
Agencies that report on many small brands.
What stands out
- Advanced covers 15 brands with unlimited team members, roles, approvals and the API.
- Analytics and Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads reporting next to the calendar.
- An MCP server on every plan, including Free.
Limits
- Teams on Starter: it has no team members.
- X: it is a $10 a month add-on per account.
- Developers on a budget: the API is on Advanced, not Starter.
Networks
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (add-on), Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn (paid plans) and Google Business Profile.
Price from
Starter: $25 a month billed monthly for up to 5 brands. Advanced: $67 for 15 brands, with team members and approvals; $107 for 25 and $210 for 50. Free plan: 1 brand, 20 posts a month.
Website
6. Buffer
What it is
A simple scheduler priced per channel, with an AI Assistant, a public API and a hosted MCP server.
Best for
Small teams that post to a handful of channels and want no seat math.
What stands out
- Unlimited team members and approvals on Team, at $12 per channel a month.
- A free plan with 3 channels and the AI Assistant.
- A public API on every plan and an official MCP server.
Limits
- Many channels: the price grows with each one; 10 channels on Team is $120 a month.
- Teams on Essentials: it has 1 user and no approvals.
- Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups: they are reminder-only.
Networks
Bluesky, Facebook pages, Google Business Profiles, Instagram business and creator, LinkedIn pages and profiles, Mastodon, Pinterest, Threads, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and X, plus Start Page.
Price from
Essentials: $6 per channel a month billed monthly, 1 user. Team: $12 per channel, unlimited members and approvals. Lower rates from the 11th channel. Free plan: 3 channels, 1 user. 14-day trial of paid plans.
Website
7. Loomly
What it is
A content calendar with approval workflows, priced per plan with users and accounts included.
Best for
Teams of three whose main need is review and approval before posting.
What stands out
- Approval workflows and roles on Starter.
- Three users and 12 accounts in one flat price.
- Snapchat, Threads and Bluesky on the network list.
Limits
- X: it isn't on Loomly's list of supported networks.
- Growing teams: the next plan, Beyond, is $332 a month billed monthly.
- Developers: no API or MCP server is listed on its site.
Networks
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky.
Price from
Starter: $65 a month billed monthly, a flat price for 12 accounts and 3 users ($49 billed yearly). Beyond: $332 a month for 60 accounts and unlimited users. Free trial, no card.
Website
8. Refract
Refract is our product.
What it is
A social media scheduler where you write one note and an AI agent for each network writes a version that fits it. You approve each version and Refract schedules it. Per-network voice rules learn from your edits, and Studio makes images and video in each network's shape.
Best for
Small agencies that want seats included in a flat price, clients who connect their own accounts by link, and approval without a seat.
What stands out
- Flat plans with seats included: Business is $29 a month billed monthly for 3 seats; Agency is $59 for 10 seats.
- A workspace per client; client connect links, where a client connects their own accounts from a link; and white-label (your logo, colour and domain on client pages and emails) on Agency and up.
- Approvals on Business and up; a client can approve a post from a link, without an account or a seat.
- One note becomes a version for each network, and the API, MCP server and webhooks are on every plan.
Limits
- Teams whose main network isn't in Refract's list of live networks below: pick another tool on this list for now.
- Teams that work from a social inbox: Refract has no inbox for comments and messages.
- Teams that want a free plan: there is only the 14-day free trial.
- Instagram, Facebook, Threads and X aren't available yet.
Networks
Posts to 12 networks today: TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, WordPress, Discord, Tumblr, Slack, Pixelfed and DEV. Coming soon: Instagram, Facebook, Threads and X.
Price from
Creator $12 a month ($10 a month billed yearly); Business $29 a month ($24 a month billed yearly); Agency $59 a month ($49 a month billed yearly); Agency Plus $119 a month ($99 a month billed yearly). Unlimited scheduled posts on every plan, a 14-day free trial, and the API, MCP server and webhooks on every plan.
Website
How we chose.
We ranked each tool on what a team or agency leaving Sprout Social weighs: how the price grows (per seat, flat with users included, per channel or per brand bundle), what three people pay a month with and without approvals, client features such as approvals and white-label, the networks it publishes to, and AI writing. Every fact about another tool comes from that tool's own pricing page, docs or help center, listed under sources, and was checked on November 3, 2026. We did not use reviews or ratings.
Sendible ranks first because unlimited users on every plan removes seat math entirely, and approvals come on Plus at $99 a month. SocialPilot is second: three users and approvals for $50. Vista Social is third as a full suite (inbox and reviews) at a flat price. Agorapulse is fourth: the nearest like-for-like with its shared inbox, but still per user. Metricool and Buffer follow for agencies with many brands and small teams with few channels.
Loomly is seventh: it has approvals and three users on its cheapest plan, but no X. Refract is last: its agency features (client connect links, approvals, white-label) are priced flat with seats included, but it posts to 12 networks today and has no social inbox for replying to comments and messages. Coming soon: Instagram, Facebook, Threads and X. ContentStudio was a close call; it left the list because its cheaper plans hold one or two users.
We left out Hootsuite: it is also priced per seat, from $99 per user a month billed yearly, with approvals from Advanced at $399, so it doesn't lower the cost. No tool paid to be on this list.
Questions and answers.
Is Sprout Social priced per user?
Yes. Every Sprout Social plan is priced per seat, from $99 per seat a month on Essentials billed monthly ($79 billed yearly) up to $499 on Advanced.
What is the cheapest Sprout Social alternative for a team of three?
Billed monthly, Sendible's Core is $35 with unlimited users, Buffer's Team is $36 for 3 channels with unlimited members, and SocialPilot's Standard is $50 for 3 users with approvals. Sprout Social's Essentials costs $297 for three seats.
Which Sprout Social alternative has unlimited users?
Sendible includes unlimited users on every plan. Buffer's Team, Metricool's Advanced and SocialPilot's Ultimate also have unlimited users or members.
Which alternative is best for agencies?
Sendible, for unlimited users, client dashboards and optional white label. SocialPilot adds client approvals and white-label reports on Premium at $100 a month. Refract has client connect links, approval links and white-label on Agency and up, if your clients are on the networks it supports.
Does Sprout Social have an API or an MCP server?
Its API is on Advanced only. Its MCP server, documented as a ChatGPT connection, reads TikTok analytics and cannot create posts.
Sources
- Sprout Social pricing
- Sprout Social: ChatGPT connection
- Sendible pricing
- Sendible for software integrators
- SocialPilot plans
- SocialPilot pricing (Markdown)
- SocialPilot MCP server
- Vista Social pricing
- Vista Social MCP
- Agorapulse pricing
- Agorapulse MCP integration
- Metricool pricing
- Metricool MCP FAQ
- Buffer pricing
- Buffer MCP server
- Loomly pricing
- Loomly supported platforms
- ContentStudio pricing
- Hootsuite plans