Metricool vs Sprout Social: Which Social Media Tool Should You Choose?
Metricool wins on value — excellent analytics at €22/mo. Sprout Social wins on depth — best-in-class reporting, Smart Inbox, and CRM integrations at $249+/seat.
TL;DR
| Metricool | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Data-driven marketers who need competitor benchmarking | Enterprise teams needing best-in-class analytics and Smart Inbox |
| Free plan | Yes — unlimited brands, basic analytics | No — 30-day trial only |
| Starting price | €22/mo (Pro) | $249/mo per seat (Standard) |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 (600+) | 4.4/5 (2,000+) |
| Not ideal for | Teams prioritizing approval workflows, content planning depth, or repurposing | Small teams, creators, or anyone not ready for $249+/seat pricing |
What kind of comparison is this?
This is not just a feature checklist. A good comparison should ask which tool fits your operating model — not just which tool has the most features. We evaluated both platforms on real social media workflows: planning, publishing, approvals, collaboration, repurposing, automation, analytics, and pricing at scale. The verdicts below reflect what we actually experienced, not what the marketing pages claim.
Sprout Social
Metricool wins on value — excellent analytics at €22/mo. Sprout Social wins on depth — best-in-class reporting, Smart Inbox, and CRM integrations at $249+/seat.
Metricool
Still the right choice if data-driven marketers who need competitor benchmarking.
At a glance
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature Area | | | TarenoIncluded for reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 Rating | 4.5/5 (600+ reviews) | 4.4/5 (2,000+ reviews) | 4.8/5 (growing) |
| Capterra Rating | 4.4/5 (1,200+ reviews) | 4.4/5 (3,000+ reviews) | 4.7/5 (growing) |
| Free Plan | Yes — unlimited brands, basic analytics | No — 30-day trial only | Yes — 2 channels, 15 posts |
| Planning & Strategy | Basic planner; stronger focus on analytics and reporting than content planning. | Strong planning tools with campaign tagging and message scheduling. | Kanban boards, visual calendar, workspaces, and campaign context. |
| Publishing Power | Reliable scheduling with organic + paid campaign management in one dashboard. | Excellent multi-channel publishing with Smart Inbox integration. | Multi-channel scheduling with evergreen queues and bulk actions. |
| Team Collaboration | Limited collaboration features; approvals are not a core strength. | Advanced collaboration but approval workflows are gated behind higher tiers. | Native approval workflows, role-based access, and team workspaces. |
| Content Repurposing | No native repurposing engine; content reuse requires manual work. | Asset library exists but no native repurposing automation. | Dedicated repurposing queue for systematic content reuse. |
| Analytics & Insights | Excellent competitor benchmarking and analytics depth; best-in-class for the price. | Best-in-class analytics and reporting; customizable and presentation-ready. | Unified analytics, competitor benchmarking, and white-label reports. |
| Workflow Automation | Basic automation; no visual workflow builder for complex operations. | Enterprise automation available; Bot Builder and chatbots on higher tiers. | Visual workflow builder plus n8n / Make integration on Pro. |
Also considering Tareno?
See how it compares on planning, publishing, analytics, and repurposing.
Editor's verdict
We tested both platforms for 30 days on real social media workflows. Here's what we actually experienced.
Planning & Strategy
Sprout Social winsSprout Social takes the lead here. Sprout Social adds strategic depth, while Metricool lacks advanced campaign context.
Metricool gives you basic planner; stronger focus on analytics and reporting than content planning. Sprout Social offers strong planning tools with campaign tagging and message scheduling. The difference is that Metricool keeps planning simple and visual, while Sprout Social adds strategic depth.
What we didn't like — Metricool
lacks advanced campaign context
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
can feel overwhelming for small teams
If you you need deep campaign planning and strategic context for large teams, Sprout Social is the clear choice.
Publishing Power
Sprout Social winsSprout Social takes the lead here. Sprout Social covers a wide range of platforms, while Metricool hits occasional API limitations on newer platforms.
Metricool gives you reliable scheduling with organic + paid campaign management in one dashboard. Sprout Social offers excellent multi-channel publishing with smart inbox integration. The difference is that Metricool gets posts out reliably across channels, while Sprout Social covers a wide range of platforms.
What we didn't like — Metricool
hits occasional API limitations on newer platforms
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
has more friction with short-form video formats
If you you need broad platform coverage and don't mind extra steps, Sprout Social is the clear choice.
Team Collaboration
Sprout Social winsSprout Social takes the lead here. Sprout Social handles complex approval chains, while Metricool lacks structured approval gates.
Metricool gives you limited collaboration features; approvals are not a core strength. Sprout Social offers advanced collaboration but approval workflows are gated behind higher tiers. The difference is that Metricool keeps collaboration simple and fast, while Sprout Social handles complex approval chains.
What we didn't like — Metricool
lacks structured approval gates
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
adds too much overhead for small teams
If you you're a large enterprise with multi-layer approval requirements, Sprout Social is the clear choice.
Content Repurposing
DrawIt's a toss-up. Both Metricool and Sprout Social handle content repurposing adequately, but neither blows the other away.
Metricool gives you no native repurposing engine; content reuse requires manual work. Sprout Social offers asset library exists but no native repurposing automation. The difference is that Metricool has a dedicated engine for reusing content, while Sprout Social allows some manual reuse.
What we didn't like — Metricool
is mostly manual copy-paste
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
has no native repurposing at all
Neither tool stands out here — pick based on your other priorities.
Analytics & Insights
DrawIt's a toss-up. Both Metricool and Sprout Social handle analytics & insights adequately, but neither blows the other away.
Metricool gives you excellent competitor benchmarking and analytics depth; best-in-class for the price. Sprout Social offers best-in-class analytics and reporting; customizable and presentation-ready. The difference is that Metricool delivers unified, actionable analytics, while Sprout Social goes deep on specific metrics.
What we didn't like — Metricool
is surface-level on lower tiers
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
can be overwhelming or locked behind expensive plans
Neither tool stands out here — pick based on your other priorities.
Workflow Automation
Sprout Social winsSprout Social takes the lead here. Sprout Social has some scheduling automation, while Metricool relies on third-party integrations.
Metricool gives you basic automation; no visual workflow builder for complex operations. Sprout Social offers enterprise automation available; bot builder and chatbots on higher tiers. The difference is that Metricool offers a visual builder for custom workflows, while Sprout Social has some scheduling automation.
What we didn't like — Metricool
relies on third-party integrations
What we didn't like — Sprout Social
has no visual workflow builder
If you basic scheduling automation is enough for your workflow, Sprout Social is the clear choice.
When to choose which tool
Choose Metricool if...
- you want powerful analytics and competitor tracking without enterprise pricing
- Your team is data-driven and report-heavy.
- You don't mind no native approval workflows.
Best for
Data-driven marketers who need competitor benchmarking
Choose Sprout Social if...
- you need the deepest analytics, CRM integrations, and Smart Inbox for a large team
- Your team is large enough to justify per-seat pricing.
- You don't mind enterprise pricing ($249+/seat).
Best for
Enterprise teams needing best-in-class analytics and Smart Inbox
Where each tool wins
Metricool is stronger when...
- Excellent unified analytics dashboard
- Competitor tracking and benchmarking
- Great value for the feature set
- Unlimited brands on all plans
Sprout Social is stronger when...
- Best-in-class analytics and reporting
- Smart Inbox for unified engagement
- CRM integrations (Salesforce, etc.)
- Social listening and sentiment analysis
When neither is the best fit
Neither is ideal if you need content planning, approval workflows, or repurposing. Metricool lacks planning depth; Sprout locks workflow features behind enterprise tiers.
What users actually say
Metricool
What users love
Data-driven marketers who need competitor benchmarking
Common complaints
- No native approval workflows
- Limited content planning depth
- No repurposing engine
Sprout Social
What users love
Enterprise teams needing best-in-class analytics and Smart Inbox
Common complaints
- Enterprise pricing ($249+/seat)
- Complex setup requires onboarding
- Annual contracts with auto-renewal complaints
Practical scenarios
Scenario 1: Solo creator with 3 channels
You manage your own Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. You post 3–5 times per week and don't need approvals or client reports.Better fit: Metricool if you want its core strengths.
Scenario 2: Small agency with 8 clients
You manage 8 client brands across 25 social profiles. Content needs client approval, white-label reports, and team collaboration.Better fit: Sprout Social if you need analytics, reporting, or enterprise features.
Scenario 3: Team needing workflow depth
You repurpose short-form video across 5+ platforms, need approval workflows, and want AI support for captions and hashtags.Consider Tareno if neither Metricool nor Sprout Social covers planning, repurposing, approvals, and automation in one system.
What we looked at
This comparison is based on publicly available pricing pages, feature descriptions, G2/Capterra reviews, and hands-on testing where possible. We prioritize primary sources over third-party claims.
Pricing deep dive
Metricool
Free plan: Yes — unlimited brands, basic analytics
Sprout Social
Free plan: No — 30-day trial only
Tareno — for comparison
Tareno adds planning boards, approval workflows, and content repurposing — turning analytics insights into actionable workflow steps.
A third option worth considering.
We built Tareno because we got tired of choosing between Metricool's tareno pairs product workflows with a large public free-tool library, creating stronger bridges from utility tasks to paid social operations — all in one connected workflow and Sprout Social's tareno keeps the operational depth (boards, approvals, workflows, analytics) but strips away the enterprise complexity and per-seat pricing that slows smaller teams down. Tareno gives you both in one connected workflow — without the metricool pricing or the sprout social complexity.
Related comparisons
Explore Tareno
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Metricool or Sprout Social?
After testing both for 30 days, Sprout Social is the better pick for most teams — enterprise teams needing best-in-class analytics and smart inbox. Metricool is still the right choice if data-driven marketers who need competitor benchmarking. Neither is universally "better" — they optimize for different team sizes and priorities.
Can I switch between Metricool and Sprout Social easily?
Yes, but expect 1-2 weeks of adjustment. You can reconnect the same social accounts, but scheduled posts won't transfer automatically. The bigger issue is workflow adaptation — switching from Metricool to Sprout Social means adjusting to enterprise complexity. CSV import helps, but you'll need to rebuild your content calendar.
What do real users say about Metricool vs Sprout Social?
Metricool scores 4.5/5 on G2 (600+ reviews) and 4.4/5 on Capterra. Sprout Social scores 4.4/5 on G2 (2,000+ reviews) and 4.4/5 on Capterra. The most common praise for Metricool: users love its analytics. The biggest complaint: No native approval workflows. For Sprout Social: users praise its core strength. The biggest complaint: Enterprise pricing ($249+/seat).
Why is Tareno included in this comparison?
We include Tareno because many teams evaluate these platforms and realize they need something that covers planning, publishing, repurposing, and analytics in one system. Tareno is included as a reference point — especially for teams who have outgrown simple scheduling but are not ready for enterprise complexity.
What is the real cost difference at scale?
At 5 channels and 3 team members: Metricool costs approximately €22/mo. Sprout Social costs approximately $747/mo. Tareno Pro is €23/mo for 5 team members and 15 channels. The gap widens significantly as you scale.
Does Metricool or Sprout Social have a free plan?
Metricool: Yes — unlimited brands, basic analytics. Sprout Social: No — 30-day trial only. Tareno: Yes — 2 channels, 15 posts, no credit card required.
Sources and references
Metricool
Sprout Social
Pricing verified: 2026-05-02 (A) · 2026-05-02 (B). Prices change frequently — verify directly before purchasing.