What is the difference between Sprout Social and Metricool?

Sprout Social is best for Enterprise teams needing social media management and intelligence, while Metricool is best for Marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one. Sprout Social starts at $249/mo and Metricool starts at Free.

Is Sprout Social or Metricool cheaper?

Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. Metricool starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Sprout Social?

Yes, Metricool offers a free tier (Free for 1 brand).

Sprout Social vs Metricool

Sprout Social is enterprise social media platform with publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening, while Metricool is all-in-one social media management with analytics, scheduling, and competitor analysis. The biggest difference up front: Metricool is free, while Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. Sprout Social is built for enterprise teams needing social media management and intelligence, whereas Metricool targets marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one.

At a glance

	Sprout Social	Metricool
Best for	Enterprise teams needing social media management and intelligence	Marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one
Starting price	$249/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Ad Manager	—	✓
Advocacy	✓	—
Analytics	✓	✓
Competitor Analysis	—	✓
Listening	✓	—
Publishing	✓	—
Scheduling	—	✓

Sprout Social

Strengths

Includes Publishing as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Includes Listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Pricing starts at $249/mo, which includes the full social media management feature set
Established product with 16+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $249/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Enterprise-focused design means the interface can feel heavy for smaller teams
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in social media management
Overkill for freelancers or small teams who need something lightweight

Try Sprout Social → Full review

Metricool

Strengths

Built-in analytics show open rates, click rates, and conversion data in real time
Includes Scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Free for 1 brand — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes competitor analysis alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in social media management
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Metricool → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Metricool is completely free (Free for 1 brand), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Sprout Social offers Advocacy, Listening and Publishing that Metricool lacks. Metricool brings Ad Manager, Competitor Analysis and Scheduling that Sprout Social does not have. Both share Analytics.

Team fit: Sprout Social is geared toward enterprise teams, while Metricool is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Sprout Social's biggest strengths are: includes publishing as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows. includes listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows. Metricool's biggest strengths are: built-in analytics show open rates, click rates, and conversion data in real time. includes scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows.

Watch out for: With Sprout Social, users commonly note that starts at $249/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Metricool, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Sprout Social if...

You need a tool built for enterprise teams needing social media management and intelligence
You specifically need Advocacy and Listening
You care about includes listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Your team size fits the enterprise profile Sprout Social is designed for

Choose Metricool if...

You need a tool built for marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one
Budget is a hard constraint — Metricool is free, Sprout Social is not
You specifically need Ad Manager and Competitor Analysis
You care about includes scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Metricool is designed for