Categories Branding, Tech & Tools

8 Best Brandwatch Alternatives For Better Marketing Intelligence and Brand Insights

If you’re looking for a Brandwatch alternative, chances are you have already leveled up your social media monitoring game. Maybe Brandwatch is not fully meeting your requirements, or you’re seeking a better tool that fits your budget or business needs.

I get it; as a social media marketer, I’ve been through the trial and error of finding the right tool to track brand mentions, consumer insights, and market trends effectively.

But here’s the thing: You don’t need to settle for anything less than the perfect fit for your social media marketing strategy.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the 8 best alternatives that you can use in place of Brandwatch, which are not only affordable but also packed with advanced analytics, social listening capabilities, and more. Ready to discover your new social media monitoring tool? Let’s dive in!

Top Brandwatch Alternatives at a Glance

Finding the right tool can be tricky, but don’t worry; I’ve got you covered! Please go through this quick comparison to help you choose the perfect tool for your needs!

Tool Starting Price Best for Key Features
Talkwalker Custom Social Listening & Analytics
  1. Real-time Social Listening
  2. Advanced Analytics
  3. Sentiment Analysis
Sprinklr Custom Enterprise Social Media Management
  1. Social Media Management
  2. Advanced Analytics
  3. Customer Experience Tools
Brand24 Starts at $149/month Brand Monitoring & Mentions
  1. Social Media Monitoring
  2. Brand Mentions Tracking
  3. Influencer Tracking
Sprout Social Starts at $249/month Social Media Scheduling & Engagement
  1. Social Media Scheduling
  2. Social Media Analytics
  3. Team Collaboration
Hootsuite $99/month Social Media Management & Scheduling
  1. Social Media Scheduling
  2. Social Media Monitoring
  3. Multi-Account Management

8 Best Brandwatch Alternatives You Must Try

1. Talkwater

Talkwater is a social media listening and consumer intelligence tool that does everything Brandwatch can. It provides all the essential features, like tracking brand mentions and competitor performance, but what really sets it apart is its handling of customer feedback.

Unlike Brandwatch, which focuses mainly on third-party reviews, Talkwalker allows you to integrate direct surveys, support tickets, and online reviews to gather richer, more actionable insights. This has been invaluable for refining my social media strategy.

Talkwalker AI Insights dashboard

Another highlight is Talkwalker’s ability to track social media trends in 187 languages, making it perfect for global brands. However, its interface can be a bit overwhelming for new users, so be prepared to spend some time learning the ropes!

Both tools have custom pricing, but Brandwatch is on the higher end, and its interface isn’t as intuitive as Talkwater’s. If you’re looking for more actionable insights and easy integration with other tools, Talkwater might be your pick.

Best for:

Global brands, PR teams, Agencies, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.3/5 (G2)

Younes B. – 5 Stars

I have been using Talkwalker for more than 3 years now. I like the depth the tool can go into bringing results. Even when a nano influencer or small media website mentions your brand, Talkwalker’s web crawlers don’t disappoint you and show you the results. In almost real-time.

The email alerts are a huge time saver too. I don’t bother signing in unless it is necessary.

Key features:

  • Social listening across 187 languages
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Visual listening
  • Competitor analysis
  • Trend monitoring

Pros:

  • Unlike Brandwatch, Talkwalker pulls customer feedback from reviews, surveys, and support tickets, providing deeper insights into audience perceptions.
  • Talkwalker is more intuitive and easier to navigate for beginners, whereas Brandwatch’s interface can feel overwhelming for new users.
  • It allows you to track competitors’ mentions and performance, which Brandwatch also offers but in a less streamlined way.

Cons:

  • Talkwalker can be pricier than Brandwatch, making it less ideal for small businesses or startups on a tight budget.
  • This tool lacks social media publishing and scheduling tools, so it’s not a one-stop shop for social media management.

Pricing:

Talkwater offers four pricing plans: Listen, Analyze, Business, and Premium. All Plans have Custom pricing.


2. Sprinklr

Sprinklr is a social media management and customer experience platform. This tool shines for its social listening capabilities and its integration with customer service, marketing, and advertising in a single dashboard. I’ve used it for managing complex campaigns across multiple social networks, but the interface can be a bit overwhelming for smaller teams or businesses.

Brandwatch Conversation Insights graph

On the other hand, Brandwatch offers more in-depth social media analytics and competitive analysis. It’s fantastic for businesses needing advanced market intelligence and sentiment analysis.

In short, Sprinklr is great for large teams needing a comprehensive customer experience platform, while Brandwatch is better for deep brand monitoring and social listening at scale. It depends on whether you need full-service management or analytics-driven insights.

Best for:

Large enterprises, Customer service teams, Agencies, Brand Managers, and C-suite executives

Rating:

4.0/5 (G2)

Annie S. – 4 Stars

Sprinklr is very easy to pick up and manage whether you have experience with a social platform or this is your first time. My favorite part of working with them is my customer success manager, Siddharth. He is always so helpful, quick to reply, and provides great insights into how other top brands are using the platform. We use the platform daily for posting, comms management, and reporting.

Key features:

  • Unified social media management
  • Track brand mentions, keywords, and conversations
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Competitor benchmarking
  • Customer feedback collection

Pros:

  • It helps in addressing customer service in the social landscape, social listening, social analytics, and social media publishing.
  • Sprinklr integrates with social media networks, paid media and customer service platforms.
  • The platform is designed for large teams with features like role-based access, approval workflows, and collaboration tools.

Cons:

  • Social listening does not always match the total mentions, as Brandwatch does.
  • Sprinklr is tailored for large enterprises and agencies and might be an overkill for smaller teams.
  • Both tools have a high learning curve and pricing.

Pricing:

Sprinklr segregates its services into four different categories and offers custom pricing.

3. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is an excellent tool for social media management and engagement. It offers features such as publishing, reporting, ad management, listening, monitoring, and team collaboration. It’s specially designed for teams looking for an easy-to-use tool for managing social media marketing activities.

SproutSocial Listening dashboard

However, when it comes to social listening and market intelligence, Brandwatch takes the lead, offering deeper sentiment analysis and more robust brand monitoring features.

Sprout excels at scheduling posts and analyzing engagement, making it ideal for content-focused community managers and marketers. However, if you need a more detailed view of your brand’s web presence, Brandwatch is the better choice for consumer insights and competitive analysis.

In short, use Sprout Social for engagement and content management and Brandwatch for deep social listening and brand intelligence.

Best for:

Community managers, Agencies, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.4/5 (G2)

Becky M. – 5 Stars

The analytics are very robust and overall so simple to navigate. Love that you can separate paid vs. organic performance as well as compare from one time period to another. The granularity of Smart Inbox is very helpful for community managers who oversee multiple accounts across multiple brands/products as you can break messages down by message type, platform, source and tags. Customer support always responds in a timely manner and provides thorough step by step instructions/details to deliver seamless resolution. Also love that you can search messages in Smart Inbox and posts in reporting by keyword.

Key features:

  • Comprehensive monitoring and analytics
  • Paid and organic performance tracking
  • Social inbox
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Custom reports

Pros:

  • Unlike Brandwach, Sprout Social is slightly easier to navigate and more intuitive, especially for teas with limited experience.
  • All-in-one social media management tool.
  • Sprout Social is more accessible and affordable than Brandwatch.

Cons:

  • Brandwatch has detailed Social listening and reporting capabilities.
  • Brandwatch is ideal for crisis management and reputation monitoring, while Sprout Social, although excellent for engagement, doesn’t specialize in managing brand crises or in-depth brand intelligence.

Pricing:

Sprout offers pricing plans starting from Standard ($249/month for 5 social profiles), Professional ($399/month/unlimited social profiles), Advanced ($499/month for everything in professional plus Helpdesk assist), and Enterprise (Custom). There is also a 30-day free trial.


4. Brand 24

While looking for a perfect Brandwatch alternative, I came across Brand24–a brand monitoring and reputation management tool for businesses working with global influencers. Brand24’s AI-powered social listening allows you to track brand mentions in 108 languages, which is freaking awesome, making it versatile for international players.

Brand24 Analytics dashboard

The influencer scoring feature gives you valuable insights into how influential a brand mention really is. While Brand24 is excellent for tracking competitor mentions and hashtags and automating performance reports, it lacks the deep, advanced analytics and market intelligence that Brandwatch provides. Brandwatch is the better choice for larger enterprises needing comprehensive social media analysis and brand reputation management.

If you’re looking for a cost-effective and user-friendly tool for real-time monitoring and global reach, Brand24 is a fantastic option. However, Brandwatch is the better choice for businesses with more complex needs.

Best for:

Global brands, SMBs, Marketing teams, Agencies, and Reputation management professionals

Rating:

4.6/5 (G2)

Lye Siong T. – 5 Stars

This tool provide the necessary configuration to allow you to gather and analyse mentioned from the internet. You can filter by date, source, location and others.

I’ve also seen the platform is being improved with new features such as advanced analytics.

Key features:

  • AI-enabled social listening
  • 108 language support
  • Influencer scoring
  • Hashtag tracking
  • Real-time alerts

Pros:

  • Brand24 is much more cost-effective than Brandwatch, making it suitable for SMBs and startups.
  • Unlike Brandwatch, Its dashboard is easy to navigate and doesn’t require extensive training.
  • It assigns influencer scores, which helps assess the relevance of influencers.

Cons:

  • Brandwatch offers more advanced analytics, including deeper consumer intelligence and market trends.
  • Brand24 doesn’t have as many integrations with third-tools compared to Brandwatch.
  • Brandwatch provides more customizable and in-depth reports tailored to your specific needs.

Pricing:

Brand24 offers four pricing plans: Individual ($149 for 2k mentions/monthly), Team ($199 for 10K mentions/monthly), Pro ($299 for 40K mentions/monthly), and Enterprise ($499 for 100K mentions/monthly).


5. Meltwater

In my experience, Meltwater is an excellent tool for brands looking for a combination of social media intelligence and analytics. Its social media listening feature and ability to monitor news outlets and influencer performance have been useful for tracking brand mentions and spotting trends.

Meltwater Influencer performance dashboard

One unique ability of Meltwater is that it can analyze images that followers share. However, when it comes to social listening and competitive analysis, Brandwatch offers more depth, especially in sentiment analysis and consumer insights.

Meltwater is fantastic for those who need media monitoring alongside PR efforts and want an easy-to-use tool for both B2C and B2B needs. If your focus is more on social listening and market intelligence, Brandwatch might be the better choice.

Best for:

PR teams, Agencies, SMBs, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.0/5 (G2)

Jack S. – 5 Stars

Meltwater’s daily digests and robust reporting dashboards make it easy to see exactly what I need! Each morning I start my day reading through the daily digest to see if there are any customer support fires to put out. When you have nearly 400 shop locations, Meltwater makes it easy to tap in and address concerns and praise.

Key features:

  • Monitor brand mentions and keywords
  • New monitoring
  • Discover and monitor key influencers
  • Competitive analysis
  • Real-time alerts

Pros:

  • Meltwater offers tools tailored for B2B sales teams, including researching companies and connecting with professionals.
  • It provides real-time alerts for mentions in news platforms.
  • The UI is comparatively seamless.

Cons:

  • While Meltwater offers social listening features, Brandwatch is more specialized and offers more in-depth consumer sentiment and market intelligence analysis.
  • Brandwatch provides deeper competitive insights.

Pricing:

Meltwater offers three paid plans: Essentials, Suite, and Enterprise, with custom pricing. For exact plan details, you need to consult their team.


6. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a complete social media management tool known for scheduling, publishing, monitoring, and engaging with followers across platforms. Its easy to use, especially for teams who are looking for a solution to manage all the social media channels.

However, unlike Brandwatch, Hootsuite is somewhat limited in terms of listening and brand monitoring. While Hootsuite lets you track mentions and schedule posts, Brandwatch offers in-depth insights into consumer sentiment, market trends, and competitive analysis.

Hootsuite Analytics dashboard

Overall, Brandwatch can be a better choice if you want a stronger grip on social analytics and data. If you want a blend of social media management and decent data insights (compared to Brandwatch), Hootsuite is a no-brainer.

Best for:

C Suite, Medium Businesses, Agencies, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.2/5 (G2)

Stephanie H. – 3.5 Stars

I mostly use Hootsuite for scheduling, which i find very convenient. I know a few of my team members really like the streams, but I personally like being able to have the calendar view across all or osme accounts. I definitely use hootsuite daily and find it easy to use the main features.

Key features:

  • Ad reports
  • Competitive benchmarking
  • Content calendar
  • Owly AI Assistant
  • Amplify

Pros:

  • Hootsuite offers a more cost-effective solution for small businesses and agencies.
  • It excels at managing and scheduling posts, along with engaging with followers.
  • The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for beginners.

Cons:

  • While Hootsuite offers basic social listening (like tracking mentions and hashtags), Brandwatch provides more in-depth capabilities, such as sentiment analysis and consumer insights.
  • Brandwatch provides more advanced reporting on brand performance and market trends.

Pricing:

Hootsuite offers three pricing plans: Professional ($99 per month/10 social accounts), Team ($249 per month/20 social accounts), and Enterprise (Custom/50 social accounts).


7. SocialPilot

SocialPilot is always on the social media essentials list because of its versatility and affordability. I use it to create content, schedule and publish it, generate custom reports, and engage with my audience.

Recently, I tested out its newly launched Review management platform, which helps businesses track and respond to online reviews from multiple platforms in one place.

SocialPilot Reviews dashboard

This, combined with its social media scheduling and analytics, makes it perfect for smaller teams who need to streamline their social media efforts. However, Brandwatch offers more in-depth insights into social listening, brand monitoring, and consumer sentiment, making it a more advanced choice for larger enterprises.

Remember, Review management is a different offering from SocialPilot and it is priced separately.

In short, SocialPilot is a fantastic platform for content management and review monitoring, while Brandwatch excels in market intelligence and competitive analysis. Choose SocialPilot for ease and Brandwatch for depth.

Best for:

Freelancers, Agencies, Multi-location brands, and SMBs

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Megan H. – 4.5 Stars

It’s the most upfront pricing of any platform, fit exactly what I need and is really affordable. Blows competition out of the water in that sense! I use it to manage around 120 different location pages for a large retailer and am able to group them by franchise group so it is super organized in that way. It was really easy to set up groups and get all my pages connected. Customer support is SO fast to respond whenever I need specific help on something. I use this platform nearly every work day.

Key features:

  • All-in-one social media management
  • Review management
  • Content calendar
  • Bulk scheduling
  • Custom reports

Pros:

  • If your role is to handle publishing content, managing multiple accounts, handling clients, engagement and drawing custom-labeled reports, SocialPilot is a more suitable tool.
  • SocialPilot provides features like task assignment, approval workflows, and team collaboration, which Brandwatch lacks, as it is more focused on social insights and analytics.
  • SocialPilot allows bulk scheduling of posts via CSV files, a feature that Brandwatch doesn’t provide.

Cons:

  • SocialPilot has basic social media monitoring capabilities, but it lacks Brandwatch’s in-depth social listening and sentiment analysis features.
  • Brandwatch provides more advanced analytics and deeper insights into consumer behavior and market trends.

Pricing:

SocialPilot offers four pricing plans: Standard ($50 per month for 3 users), Premium ($100 per month for 6 users), Ultimate ($200 per month for unlimited users, and Enterprise (Custom)


8. StatusBrew

StatusBrew is a great solution for small businesses and agencies that need a simple, hands-on social media tool. It has excellent features, such as automated publishing, engagement tracking, and team collaboration.

However, when it comes to social listening and market intelligence, Brandwatch leads. It provides advanced sentiment analysis, competitive insights, and in-depth social monitoring, which StatusBrew lacks.

StatusBrew

While StatusBrew excels at scheduling posts and interacting with followers, it’s limited when you need deep brand intelligence or real-time trend tracking.

StatusBrew is perfect for straightforward content management and engagement, but Brandwatch is a better fit for those seeking comprehensive market insights.

Best for:

SMB’s, Agencies, and Creators

Rating:

4.8/5 (G2)

Harsh M. – 5 Stars

Statusbrew is a powerful and flexible social media management platform. It helps me efficiently manage over 35 social media pages without feeling overwhelmed. I especially love the content planning features, which allow me to organize posts. I was able to set up different content calendars by network and progress to share with my clients. The reporting tools are another standout—whenever I need to pull metrics or insights, I can generate a detailed report with a couple of clicks.

Key features:

  • Social media scheduling
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Social inbox
  • Hashtag tracking

Pros:

  • StatusBrew offers a more cost-effective solution for smaller businesses compared to Brandwatch.
  • StatusBrew has a user-friendly design that’s easy for new users to pick up.
  • StatusBrew offers better direct engagement and management features, including a social inbox.

Cons:

  • Brandwatch excels in advanced social listening, providing deep insights into consumer sentiment, brand health, and market trends.
  • If you want detailed crisis monitoring and brand reputation management features, Brandwatch is a better match than StatusBrew.

Pricing:

StatusBrew offers four paid plans: Lite ($89 per month for 2 users), Standard ($179 per month for 5 users), Premium ($229 per month for 8 users), and Enterprise (Custom).


5 Key Factors in Considering the Brandwatch Alternatives

Choosing the right alternative can feel overwhelming, given the many options out there. From my experience, it all comes down to knowing what your business needs. Here are five key factors to help you make the best decision for your brand:

1. Consider Your Business Size and Needs

Consider your team size and business goals: Are you a small business looking for affordable solutions or a larger enterprise that needs advanced features like market intelligence and sentiment analysis? If you’re just starting out, simpler tools might suffice, while established brands may need deep insights and competitor analysis.

2. Look for Social Listening Capabilities

Evaluate the depth of social listening: Look for tools that offer real-time tracking, hashtag monitoring, and sentiment analysis. Make sure the alternative offers advanced social media monitoring to manage brand reputation or track industry trends.

3. Stronghold on Data Analytics and Reporting

Ensure the tool provides comprehensive analytics that go beyond basic metrics. Features like customizable reports, audience insights, and engagement metrics are crucial for performance tracking and ROI measurement.

4. Support for Integration with Other Tools

Compatibility with other tools like CRM systems, email marketing platforms, and project management apps is essential for a streamlined workflow. Consider whether the alternative integrates with your current tech stack for seamless operations.

5. Does it Fit Your Budget

Understand pricing tiers: Tools like Brandwatch can be costly, so assess whether the alternative offers flexible pricing plans or scalable options based on your needs. Don’t overpay for features you don’t need. Choose a tool that fits your budget while addressing your business priorities.

Which Brandwatch Alternatives Did You Choose?

At the end of the day, choosing the right Brandwatch alternative comes down to your unique needs. If you’re a small business or agency looking for a budget-friendly, user-friendly option, SocialPilot could be your go-to for social media management and review tracking.

For larger teams needing a comprehensive solution with solid social listening and analytics, Sprout Social offers great balance. If you’re more focused on media monitoring and PR efforts, Meltwater shines in tracking both traditional and social media mentions.

Finally, if you need deep social insights and competitive tracking, Brand24 and Talkwalker are solid picks for global brand monitoring.

Choose wisely based on your team’s goals; don’t overcomplicate things. Pick what will genuinely help you grow and streamline your social media efforts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Brandwatch alternatives?

Some of the best Brandwatch alternatives include Talkwalker, Sprout Social, Meltwater, Hootsuite, and Brand24. Each tool offers unique features tailored to specific business needs, from social listening and media monitoring to social media management and influencer tracking.

How do Brandwatch alternatives compare in pricing?

Pricing for Brandwatch alternatives varies widely. SocialPilot is one of the most cost-effective solutions for SMBs, while Sprout Social and Meltwater offer more comprehensive features at higher price points. Generally, alternatives like Brand24 and Talkwalker offer flexible pricing based on the level of features you require, with tiered plans that can accommodate businesses of all sizes.

Are there any free alternatives to Brandwatch?

Yes, there are a few free alternatives to Brandwatch, such as Hootsuite's free plan for basic social media scheduling and monitoring or Brand24's limited version. However, most robust tools come with premium pricing plans that provide advanced features like in-depth social listening and sentiment analysis.

How do I choose the right Brandwatch alternative for my business?

Choosing the right Brandwatch alternative depends on your business needs. If you're looking for simple social media scheduling and engagement tracking, tools like SocialPilot or Hootsuite work well. For stronger social listening, Sprout Social and Talkwalker are excellent choices. To make the best choice, assess your team size, budget, and the level of analytics or competitor tracking you need.

Can I switch from Brandwatch to an alternative without losing data?

Yes, most Brandwatch alternatives, such as Talkwalker, Sprout Social, and Meltwater, offer data import options, making it easier to transition without losing historical data. However, consult with the tool's support team to ensure a smooth transfer process and retain your essential insights and reports.