Astute marketers know that brands can’t simply “wing it” when it comes to implementing a social listening strategy. Consider this: nearly one-third of firms report spending more than $100,000 on social media analytics tools that monitor likes, mentions, and even unfollows. There are a variety of free and paid tools to help you keep tabs on what your audience is saying about your brand and your industry – and as this statistic shows, more and more brands find social listening a worthy investment. In fact, social listening data is so precious, it’s often the basis for content and advertising strategies.
Because there is a growing demand, there are, predictably, a massive amount of these tools currently available. We’ve compiled a list of 50 of the best social listening tools, including tools designed for social media listening and broad social listening tools (tools for listening across social media and the web at large) to help you find the right tools for keeping your finger on the pulse of your community. There is a tool on this list for every brand, from cash-strapped start-ups to engagement-hungry influencers to powerful, global brands.
Based on your needs, select either social media listening tools or broad social listening tools to review our picks below:
Social media listening tools
1. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a 360-degree social media marketing solution that offers a host of features – listening tools being one of them! In addition to supporting engagement, publishing, and collaboration, Agorapulse also enables brands to key in and take immediate action on relevant conversations happening on the most important social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.
Key Features:
- Allows users to assign content to teammates
- Includes retweet, reply, and DM/PM messaging
- Enables endless saved searches
Cost: $89 – $450/mo
2. BoardReader
BoardReader is an ultra-straightforward tool that does one thing, but it does that one thing really well. The tool acts as a ‘crawler’ which aggregates data from all reaches of the Internet – social media being its main source – and allows anyone to search the database by author, date, and subject. Although BoardReader is a bit of a one-trick pony, it does enable fast mention searches at absolutely no cost to the user.
Key Features:
- Searches can be limited to certain domains
- Users are able to specify time limits within each individual search
- Allows users to set up BoardReader crawl schedules
Cost: Free
3. Buffer Reply
Buffer Reply helps your team manage social conversations across platforms from a single dashboard, ensuring that no comments and discussions are overlooked while avoiding duplication of efforts between team members. With Buffer Reply, you’ll get the right conversations to the right team members promptly so you can maximize customer support and engagement. Coming from one of the leading social media management tools – Buffer – you can have confidence that Buffer Reply is a top-notch solution.
Key Features:
- Assign conversations to team members
- Avoid duplicating responses with collision detection (so you can see who else on your team is viewing a conversation)
- Leave notes so other team members can pick up on conversations later
Cost: $50 – $225/mo (+$25 for each additional team member)
4. Determ
Famous for its cutting-edge mention-monitoring technology, with 100 million online sources monitored 24/7 and over one billion articles and posts gathered each month, Determ provides more opportunities to gather insight. It automates monitoring, measurement, and reporting. What is more, it allows you to correlate media coverage, public sentiment, and competitor strategies with brand reputation.
Key Features:
- Free trial
- Real time results and alerts
- Media monitoring reports
Cost: 49€/month (Solo), 99€/month (Lite), custom plans also available
5. Falcon.io
Branding and marketing experts searching for an all-in-one social media management system that takes the task of social listening seriously need look no further than Falcon.io. This software automatically adapts to the changing needs of the user so that brands can cash in on both outside and inside trends that may be tough to predict.
Key Features:
- Includes an Influencer tab that automatically identifies the top 25 influencers at any given time
- Trend data spotting allows for fast and easy benchmarking
- Includes specialized tools geared towards reputation
Cost: Contact for a quote
6. Followerwonk
Brands focusing on upping their Twitter game should check out Followewonk, a software which boasts a collection of helpful listening-based tools. Followewonk digs deep into the inner-workings of the social media platform, empowering brands to access real-time data by way of bio searches, tracking, benchmarking, and follower sorting.
Key Features:
- Includes actionable visualizations to more easily assess your data
- Reports automatically generate and are easy to share
- Includes features that help brands identify and track competition
Cost: Free – $79/month
7. Hootsuite
If you’re a marketing professional, chances are you’ve either heard of or used Hootsuite. That said, if you’re not tapping into its social listening features, you’re missing out. Hootsuite offers tailored and fully-automated insights across all major platforms (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). Hoostuite’s powerful analytics capabilities enable users to make the most informed decisions based on changing industry trends – now matter how every-evolving they may be.
Key Features:
- Comes in four different plan levels
- Provides user certification and education opportunities
- 30-day free trial
Cost: $29 – $599/mo+
8. Iconosquare
Similar to social media software like Hootsuite and Buffer, Iconosquare is an all-in-one system that teams analytics-based listening features with workflow and scheduling solutions. Iconoqsquare even allows users to manage multiple profiles from one dashboard, serving as a fitting solution for companies with numerous brands (and social media accounts) in their portfolios.
Key Features:
- Free trial
- Provides insights for 100+ industries
- Available as an app on Andriod and iOS
Cost: $29 – $59/mo+
9. Kred
Powered by PeopleBrowsr, Kred is an exclusive community of influencers, content creators, CEOs, and brands who have already established themselves in the viral space. ‘Verified’ Kred members benefit from added visibility (as well as plenty of ‘clout’!), but they also get access to an organic set of social listening tools powered by the powerful folks in the Kred community itself. This allows users to benchmark – and network – all at once.
Key Features:
- Verification grants users priority in influencer searches
- Membership comes with customizable domain options
- Users get access to a host of apps powered by the Kred API
Cost: Free
10. Likealyzer
Advanced marketing solution manager, Meltwater, offers a powerful social media listening software in Likealyzer. This AI-based software gives users an up-to-the-minute look at their Facebook rank and mentions, all within a simple data point system that is designed for rapid improvement.
Key Features:
- Includes built-in content recommendations
- Easy-to-share reports
- Automated research to easily identify competitors
Cost: Free
Mentionmapp Analytics delivers social network analysis and insights that are geared towards identifying online relationships and targeted conversations. One of its most impressive features is ‘Social Media Investigations,’ a built-in tool that separates real social media profiles from fakes so that brands can have added confidence in their metrics.
Key Features:
- Twitter network analysis visualization tool
- Includes information security insights
- Identifies strong vs. weak engagement
Cost: Free – $27/mo
Pinterest users can gain valuable insight from the social media platform’s business-specific tool, Pinterest Analytics. Pinterest Analytics delivers plenty in the way of social listening-based metrics, including presence analysis, user account insights, best pins, and even aggregated audience insights. Note: users must create a Business account prior to signing up for this service.
Key Features:
- Reveals organic, paid, and earned engagement
- Allows users to identify the most successful Pinterest accounts
- Behavior-related tools included
Cost: Free
13. Postific
Described as the “leading social media dashboard to manage and measure your social networks,” Postific is a comprehensive solution designed for brands who need to gain insight on multiple social media accounts at the same time. In addition to acting as a scheduler and calendar, Postific also tracks post engagement and analyzes all results to fuel educated content decision-making.
Key Features:
- Support up to 10 different social media networks at the same time
- Tracks click-through stats
- Automated social listening alerts
Cost: $7.99 – $97/mo
14. Quintly
Quintly is a social media analytics tool designed specifically for enterprises in need of advanced analytics insights. In addition to providing a validation-based tool on its handy dashboard, Quintly also aggregates high-quality data that rests solely on audience trends, like engagement and mentions.
Key Features:
- Built for brands, agencies, and media
- Auto-generated reports that are easy to share
- Customizable metrics delivered in flexible dashboards
Cost: Starting at $300/mo
Available on Hootsuite Apps, the Reddit Keyword Monitor acts as a helpful extension that scours Reddit for all posts and comments about brands, businesses, and competitors. The app allows users to set keywords and phrases – and share results with partners working across the Hootsuite network.
Key Features:
- Keywords across Reddit can be monitored
- Free for all Hootsuite Enterprise members
- Includes quick response and engagement features
Cost: $6.99
16. Social Aider
Social Aider has established itself as the “budget friendly social media tool,” a Hootsuite alternative that does everything from scheduling to content creation and beyond. The software delivers valuable, listening-based insights on unlimited social accounts, no matter which plan is selected.
Key Features:
- Includes content scheduling features
- Content creation with Social Aider AI
- Handles an unlimited amount of projects
Cost: $143/year
17. SocialGimp
An Instagram analysis tool, SocialGimp provides hashtag management and benchmarking insights to brands, marketers, and digital analysts. The tool is fully responsive and works on any device. Currently, SocialGimp is still in the start-up phase – which might make for some kinks – but it also means that it’s completely FREE to new users.
Key Features:
- Includes secure log-in through Instagram (no credentials need be revealed to SocialGimp)
- Image analysis features
- KPIs on an intuitive dashboard
Cost: Free
18. Sprout Social
It’s often lauded as being of the most successful multi-faceted social media management systems around, but many don’t know that Sprout Social also offers plenty in the way of social listening, too. In fact, Sprout Social enables brands to track mentions, engagement, and other important activity across platforms – as they happen in real-time.
Key Features:
- Free trial
- Smart inbox allows for mentions organization, filtering, and custom tagging
- Income message analysis
Cost: $99 – $249/per user/mo
19. SocialOomph
SocialOomph markets itself as being a social post scheduling service, but in reality, it’s so much more. This software empowers brands to craft post queues consisting of expertly-analyzed keywords based on audience engagement, trends, and more. Even better, SocialOomph allows users to add associates to each account for a more deliberate and collaborative content creation experience.
Key Features:
- Free sign-up
- Post flood control alerts
- Bulk uploading capabilities
Cost: Free – $55/mo
20. Social Searcher
Just as its name suggests, Social Searcher is a tool that scours social media for targeted keywords and other materials, such as mentions and specialized media. Searches only take seconds to conduct and each one comes with detailed statistics, users, and sentiments, all factors that can reveal much about the health of a brand’s strategy.
Key Features:
- Email alert options
- Premium monitoring
- Advanced search configuration options available
Cost: Free – 19.49€
21. SumAll
Automated social media software, SumAll, brings powerful AI into all social media tasks, including scheduling, analytics, and more. In terms of social listening, SumAll takes a brand’s entire social media presence and aggregates mentions and engagement to deliver some of the most insightful audience-based reports around.
Key Features:
- Social media, ad, and sales data tracking
- Automated post features
- Free service
Cost: Free
22. Tailwind – Pinterest Listening and Monitoring
Similar to the aforementioned Pinterest Analytics, Tailwind is a social media monitoring service tailored specifically to the Pinterest network. All in one place, users can monitor all pinning activity, browse top keywords (up-to-the-minute), define benchmarks, search trending topics, and much more.
Key Features:
- Single dashboard system
- All tools social listening-based
- Includes category-level performance analysis
Cost: $9.99 – $799.99/mo
23. TweetDeck
TweetDeck, Twitter’s very own branded social listening tool, provides real-time tracking of keywords, trends, and even mentions. The dashboard application features a range of customizable columns that can be designed by topic to better track, DMs, lists, favorites, search results, and more.
Key Features:
- Integrates directly into the Twitter interface
- Two-step security verification process
- Free to use
Cost: Free
24. TweetReach
A much more comprehensive answer to TweetDeck, TweetReach is a social listening and analysis software designed to study a vast array of metrics behind tweets and Twitter accounts. Users can take advantage of a variety of tools to smartly design their engagement strategies, including post-level metrics and insights, as well as topic-specific trackers.
Key Features:
- Profile analytics
- Hashtag reporting
- Campaign and event monitoring
Cost: $49 – $199/mo
25. Congruent Digital – Tweet Indexation Rate Tool
The Tweet Indexation Rate Tool is a no-nonsense, search-based tool created by Congruent Digital to quickly and accurately deliver tweet indexation rates to brands big and small. Included in the search are results of the Moz Page Authority, as well as the number of root domains currently linked to the specific Twitter account. For more information on Tweet indexation, click here.
Key Features:
- Free service
- Simple sign-up
- Provides real-time access to search results
Cost: Contact for a quote
26. Union Metrics
Social intelligence marketing tool, Union Metrics, specializes in providing the industry’s top brands and marketers all the social listening data they need to make strong moves. Features include profile analysis, keyword listening, campaign reporting, competitive analysis, and research.
Key Features:
- Free and paid plans
- Uses historical data to make strong predictions
- Real-time analysis
Cost: $49 – $199/mo
27. Viralwoot
A social media scheduler and analytics platform, Viralwoot is an all-in-one social media management tool that also happens to strongly support brands in the area of social listening. Viralwoot provides features that focus on individual brands’ media presence and virality, while at the same time, emphasizing competition tracking for better benchmarking.
Key Features:
- Free and paid plans
- Uncovers trends as they happen
- Influencer management tools
Cost: $10 – $49/mo
28. Visiospark
Visiospark’s Free Social Media Counts Checker is a tool that delivers the precise social count from popular networks. All users need to do is enter a URL, click ‘submit,’ fill up the captcha, click ‘export’ to a spreadsheet – and, voila, they have a reliable social count in seconds!
Key Features:
- Free tool
- Video demo
- Searches all top social networks
Cost: Free
Who Unfollowed Me? fills the social listening gap in a big way. While most of its competitors focus on engagement, this simple tool enables users to see who in their audience is jumping ship. In addition to the ‘unfollowing’ feature, Who Unfollowed Me? also tracks new followers, connections, and account histories.
Key Features:
- Pending follow requests tool
- Lists muted followers
- Lists blocked followers
Cost: Free- $6.99/mo
30. Zoho Social
Zoho provides real-time social media monitoring through its ultra-flexible social tracking dashboard. On it, users can track brand mentions, tweets, users, and much more. In addition to the social listening features, users also reap the benefits of Zoho’s superior scheduling and easy engagement features.
Key Features:
- Social media conversation search tools
- Profile and hashtag analysis
- Advanced Twitter search features
Cost: $10 – $300/mo
31. Zuum Social
Zuum Social creates stellar social media reports in just minutes, featuring analysis on vital insights such as virality, engagement, audience location, media, and much more. Currently, Zuum Social is offering Free Facebook reports which include graphics and charts that are always up-to-date and highly-personalized.
Key Features:
- Historical trend metrics
- Open reports with PPT or Google Slides
- Free and paid plans
Cost: Free – $1,119/mo
Broad social listening tools
32. Awario
Awario is an easy-to-use app that helps users integrate real-world mentions from all around the web into their broader marketing strategies. Mentions from all different reaches of the Internet are made searchable, including those on social networks (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.), as well as those posted to blogs, forums, and news sites.
Key Features:
- Real-time reporting
- Market research alerts
- Social customers service options
Cost: $29 – $299/mo
33. Brand24
In recent years, Brand24 has positioned itself as one of the premier online reputation management systems, providing tools that empower brands to track key online and social mentions. In addition to its tracking features, the software also provides tools to strengthen visibility and awareness, like automated sentiment analysis and instant notifications for quick decision-making.
Key Features:
- Provides instant access to online mentions
- Hashtag reach/volume features
- World-class customer support
Cost: $49 – $399/mo
34. Brandwatch
Brandwatch provides a range of products to brands, but one of their most powerful is Audiences, a program that gives insight on audience engagement, locations, global trends, important marketing moments, and much more. Brandwatch Audiences also connects brands with influencers who have the power to speak to target audiences.
Key Features:
- Comparative audience tools
- Automated relevant content features
- Search demographics, trends, target audiences, and more
Cost: Contact for a quote
35. BuzzSumo
The well-reviewed BuzzSumo is a content analytics tool that looks to all of the reaches of the web to find the deepest, most relevant brand mentions. Additionally, BuzzSumo includes a vast array of other content-based features, including a writing tool, an easy-to-use dashboard, and advanced filtering options.
Key Features:
- Influencer feature
- Shared workflow
- Word and point pattern tracker
Cost: $79 – $499/mo+
36. Crowdfire
The Crowdfire Mentions feature is a special mention tracker designed to deliver every mention, comment, and reply, directly into marketers’ inboxes. Additionally, the tracker allows brands to send swift replies, and not only with text – GIFS, images, and even videos are supported, too!
Key Features:
- Content features included
- Real-time analytics
- Lightning-fast publishing options
Cost: Free – $74.98/mo
37. Cyfe
Cyfe describes itself as an “all-in-one business dashboard” that is specifically designed to boost social media engagement, web analytics, marketing strategies, support, infrastructure, and monitoring, in general. Personalized dashboards fit any level of business, from startup to finance and everything in between.
Key Features:
- Pre-built widgets
- Historical data analysis
- Data mashup features
Cost: Free – $89/mo+
38. Google Alerts
Brands in need of a free and simple mentions-based search tool should look no further than Google Alerts. Though the search tool doesn’t analyze or aggregate results like some of the all-encompassing paid options, it is one of the fastest ways to determine trends and general keyword virality using timely alerts.
Key Features:
- Alert suggestions
- Customized alert options
- General monitoring options
Cost: Free
39. Google Trends
Yet another free and simple-to-use Google product, Google Trends is a reliable search tool that reveals trending keywords and topics by geographical location. Newbies can take advantage of Google Trend Lessons, a free service sponsored by its News Initiative program.
Key Features:
- Google data visualization
- Latest story and insights mentions
- Search by term or topic
Cost: Free
40. IFTTT
IFTT for Business bridges the gap between apps and devices so that they communicate more efficiently. In terms of social listening, this means that IFTTT aggregates audience engagement levels and insights across all different parts of web and other applications for heightened visibility and awareness.
Key Features:
- Built-in growth charts
- ‘New and Noteworthy’ engagement feature
- Developer and Business plans available
Cost: Free
41. Keyhole
Keyhole is the premier hashtag analytics software built for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The software comes in five different versions – Campaign Monitoring, Influencer Marketing, Brand Monitoring, Event Monitoring, and Market Research – all of which are tailor-made for brands in need of the most specific mentioning insight options possible.
Key Features:
- Fast reports
- Influencer marketing
- Real-time data
Cost: $179 – $999/mo
42. Mention
Mention is an online monitoring tool built for both social media as well as blogs, web/new sites, and more. The software provides real-time monitoring through live brand updates, competitive analysis, social media publishing, custom insights, and automated reports.
Key Features:
- Monitors 1 billion sources daily
- Connects all social media accounts
- Mention monitoring tools
Cost: Free – $600/mo+
43. NUVI Listen
Brands searching for an ultra-intuitive social listening solution need look no further than NUVI Listen, a real-time monitoring software that supports all different types of industries and trends. Additionally, NUVI allows users to create and monitor campaigns with visualizations that display goals and strategies in sleek ways.
Key Features:
- Crisis communication for crucial mentions
- Automated reporting
- Instant alerts
Cost: Contact for a quote
44. Omgili
Omgili, short for Oh My God I Love It, enables brands to search mentions on a variety of more niche platforms, including message boards, answer boards, forums, and other user-generated arenas.
Key Features:
- Simple search tool
- Free to use
- Scans 100,000+ sites
Cost: Free
45. Reputology
Reputology, an app available on the Hootsuite Apps platform, is described as the “industry’s best review monitoring and management platform.” Users receive automated mentions from a range of different platforms, from popular social networks to message boards and beyond.
Key Features:
- Tracks multiple locations on one dashboard
- Single sign-on available
- Assigns reviews to other users
Cost: Free
46. Sendible
Sendible is known for being the #1 social media management tool for agencies. Like other similar full-service software on the market, Sendible can schedule and optimize, but it can also monitor mentions and trends from all across the Internet. With Sendible, marketers reap the benefits of automated listening-based reports to share with the entire team.
Key Features:
- Built-in editor
- Post-scheduling features
- Customized dashboards
Cost: $29 – $299/mo
47. SharedCount
Social listening tools don’t get much simpler than SharedCount, a free search bar that is designed to track URLs, likes, shares, and more. Just drop in the URL or upload your file for instant counting and analysis.
Key Features:
- 99.98% success rate
- Data can be exported to Excel, Google Sheets, and more
- Integrates with other applications
Cost: $40 – $640/mo
48. SocialMention
SocialMention is a super-simple social listening tool that allows you to quickly search for any keyword, phrase, brand name, or topic to pull up a list of mentions across blogs, microblogs, videos, images, questions, bookmarks, and more. Mentions are also rated by strength, sentiment, passion, and reach, giving you even more useful insights into online conversations.
Key Features:
- Rates mentions for strength, reach, sentiment, and passion
Easily search for specific terms across blogs, images, videos, questions, etc.
Analyzes top keywords, hashtags, and users
Cost: Free
49. Sprinklr
Social listening and image recognition software, Sprinklr, has a whole lot to offer with its tools, which are designed to provide broad and historical data to its users at any time, anywhere. Sprinklr’s unique dashboard includes mentions, hashtags, top words, and links all used to support its helpful analytics modules.
Key Features:
- 300 billion historical conversations available
- Crisis management tools
- Competitive analysis tools
Cost: Contact for a quote
Talkwalker is a social media analysis software designed to improve marketing campaigns spanning all different industries. Tools include competitive analysis, access to the Influencer Network, and sentiment reporting.
Key Features:
- Message amplification tools
- Readership analysis
- Share of voice tools
Cost: $9,600/year+
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