Sprout Social Pricing: Is It Worth the Cost? – Complete Beginner’s Guide

Managing multiple social media accounts effectively is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a small business owner, or managing a large-scale enterprise, the right social media management tool can make or break your online presence.

One such tool is Sprout Social, an advanced social media management platform offering a range of features designed to simplify social media tasks like scheduling posts, tracking engagement, and analysing performance.

However, the question that often arises is: Is Sprout Social worth its premium price tag? In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the various pricing plans Sprout Social offers, evaluate who they are most suited for, and weigh the costs against the benefits. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of whether Sprout Social fits your business needs or if you’re better off with a more budget-friendly alternative.

What is Sprout Social?

Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management platform designed to help businesses of all sizes manage their social media presence efficiently. From scheduling posts and monitoring social media channels to analysing performance and managing customer engagement, Sprout Social covers it all.

Sprout Social stands out with its advanced analytics, team collaboration features, and customer support options. However, these features come at a cost, which may not make it the best option for everyone. Let’s break down the pricing and plans to help you understand if it’s the right choice for you.

Sprout Social Pricing Plans: What’s on Offer?

Sprout Social offers four pricing plans, each designed for different business types. Whether you’re an individual, a small business, a growing agency, or a large enterprise, there’s a plan that caters to your needs. But here’s the catch – all of them are priced at a premium rate. Here’s a closer look at each plan:

1. Standard Plan – ₹18,500/month (5 Social Profiles, 1 User)

The Standard Plan is the entry-level offering from Sprout Social. It is ideal for small businesses or individuals just starting their social media journey.

What You Get:

• 5 social profiles across different platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)
• One user seat
• Content scheduling and publishing
• Social inbox for managing all your interactions in one place
• Mobile apps for managing accounts on the go

What’s Missing:

• Advanced analytics and reporting – vital for evaluating your social media performance.
• Team collaboration tools – you can only have one user seat, making it unsuitable for businesses with a team.
• Hashtag tracking and keyword analysis – key tools for tracking trends and improving engagement.

This plan is best suited for individuals or small businesses that don’t need advanced analytics or the ability to collaborate with a team. However, the ₹18,500/month price tag can feel a bit steep when considering the limited features.

2. Professional Plan – ₹31,000/month (Unlimited Social Profiles, 1 User)

The Professional Plan is designed for agencies or businesses with multiple social media accounts. It offers unlimited social profiles, which means you can manage more platforms under one subscription.

What You Get:

• Unlimited social profiles – ideal for agencies handling multiple clients or brands.
• Robust analytics and reporting – to track your social media performance across channels.
• Custom workflows and approvals – streamline your team’s efforts with organised approval processes.
• Message tagging – to sort and categorise your conversations easily.

What’s Missing:

• Advanced team collaboration features – only one user seat is included, and you’ll have to pay for additional users.
• Sentiment analysis and social listening – critical features for understanding your audience and tracking brand reputation.

While this plan offers a lot more flexibility for agencies, the ₹31,000/month price still feels high for businesses that don’t need unlimited profiles or extensive analytics. The missing team collaboration tools and lack of social listening are notable drawbacks.

3. Advanced Plan – ₹37,000/month (Unlimited Social Profiles, 1 User)

The Advanced Plan is geared towards businesses or brands with more complex needs, such as multi-location brands or companies requiring detailed performance reports.

What You Get:

• Everything in the Professional Plan plus:
• Advanced reporting and team productivity reports
• Message spike alerts – to track sudden surges in engagement
• Customer care reports and feedback – to improve customer service through data
• AI-powered message response suggestions – streamline responses and improve customer interactions

What’s Missing:

• Priority customer support – which is available only with the Enterprise plan.
• Social listening and influencer marketing tools – key for staying ahead of trends.

While this plan adds several advanced features, it remains priced at a hefty ₹37,000/month, making it a costly choice for businesses that don’t need all the bells and whistles.

4. Enterprise Plan – Custom Pricing (Unlimited Social Profiles, Custom Users)

The Enterprise Plan is designed for large corporations or agencies with highly specific needs, requiring personalised solutions and extensive team collaboration.

What You Get:

• Custom pricing – based on your business needs, ensuring you only pay for what you need.
• 24/5 priority customer support
• Onboarding and consulting services – to get you up and running smoothly.
• Customisable workflows and additional features – to suit large operations.

What’s Missing:

• 24/7 support – a feature that many competitors offer, which may be essential for large businesses.

The Enterprise Plan is best suited for large businesses that need personalised support and are willing to pay top dollar for advanced features. However, custom pricing means that businesses need to directly contact Sprout Social for pricing, which can make it hard to plan expenses in advance.

Sprout Social: Who is It For?

1. Small Businesses and Solopreneurs:

For small businesses and solopreneurs, Sprout Social might not be the best fit, considering the high cost of the entry-level plan. While the Standard Plan is affordable compared to the higher-tier options, it still offers limited features, and the price is steep for a business that’s just starting to build its social media presence.

2. Agencies and Multi-Location Brands:

For agencies handling multiple clients or multi-location brands, the Professional and Advanced Plans are great options. They offer unlimited profiles, robust reporting, and collaboration features that can help you scale your social media efforts efficiently.

3. Enterprises:

Larger businesses or enterprises looking for tailored solutions, priority support, and extensive customisation will find the Enterprise Plan to be the best fit. However, the lack of 24/7 support could be a dealbreaker for some, especially considering the high cost.

Pros and Cons of Sprout Social

Pros:

• Comprehensive social media management – covers scheduling, publishing, engagement, and analytics.
• Advanced analytics and reporting – great for businesses that need to track performance.
• Team collaboration tools – ideal for businesses with multiple team members.
• Unlimited social profiles (in higher plans) – suitable for agencies and large businesses.

Cons:

• High pricing – the plans are expensive, especially for small businesses.
• Limited user seats in lower-tier plans – additional seats cost extra, raising the total cost.
• No 24/7 support – only available in the Enterprise Plan, which can be a problem for global businesses.

Alternatives to Sprout Social

If Sprout Social’s pricing feels too steep for your budget, there are more affordable alternatives available, with SocialPilot being a standout option. SocialPilot offers a robust set of features at a fraction of the cost, starting at just ₹1,800/month.

Why SocialPilot is a Great Alternative:

• Affordable pricing – starting at ₹1,800/month for 15 social profiles.
• Similar features – team collaboration, scheduling, analytics, and social inbox.
• No extra fees for additional users – unlike Sprout Social.

If your business needs a more budget-friendly solution that still delivers powerful social media management features, SocialPilot could be the ideal choice.

Conclusion: Is Sprout Social Worth It?

In conclusion, Sprout Social is a premium social media management tool that offers excellent features for businesses that need advanced analytics, team collaboration, and robust reporting. However, its high pricing makes it better suited for large businesses, agencies, or enterprises.

For small businesses or solopreneurs on a tight budget, Sprout Social may not be the most cost-effective option. In that case, SocialPilot offers a solid alternative with similar features at a much lower cost.

If you have a larger budget and need the comprehensive suite of features Sprout Social offers, then it could be the right fit for your business. However, always weigh the pricing against the features you actually need before making a decision.

Take the time to explore both Sprout Social and its alternatives to make sure you’re getting the best value for your money.