The short answer
Sprout Social is a premium social media suite known for its Smart Inbox, reporting and customer care tools. Metricool is a social media and ads analytics tool with scheduling, known for its free plan and reporting.
At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. Sprout Social lists more networks (12 against 11). On the 15 features we track, Sprout Social has nothing Metricool lacks, and Metricool alone has white label and link in bio page.
Choose Sprout Social if you post to Reddit, Snapchat and WhatsApp. Choose Metricool if you post to Twitch and Google Business Profile, you need white label (Custom plan only), you need link in bio page (SmartLinks, on paid plans) and you want a free plan.
Pricing
Sprout Social charges per user, while Metricool charges by the number of brands. The per-user tool gets more expensive as your team grows; the other does not in the same way.
Sprout Social: Per seat (user) per month. Prices shown are for annual billing; only Essentials shows a monthly-billed price. Metricool: Tiered by number of brands. A brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. X is a paid add-on at $10/mo per connected account.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social Essentials | $99 | $79 |
| Sprout Social Standard | Not listed | $199 |
| Sprout Social Professional | Not listed | $299 |
| Sprout Social Advanced | Not listed | $399 |
| Sprout Social Enterprise | Not listed | Not listed |
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Metricool Free | Free | Free |
| Metricool Starter (5 brands) | $25 | $20 |
| Metricool Advanced (15 brands) | $67 | $53 |
| Metricool Custom | Not listed | Not listed |
Cost at 5 and 10 channels
The cheapest listed plan that covers the number of channels. Where a price depends on seats, brands or workspaces, the table says so.
| Sprout Social | Metricool | Postozo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 channels | Essentials plan: $99 per user a month ($79 billed yearly) | Depends on brands, not channels. 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Up to 5 brands cost $25 a month ($20 yearly); X is $10 a month extra per account. | Standard plan: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| 10 channels | Professional plan: $299 per user a month billed yearly. The monthly-billed price is not listed | Depends on brands, not channels. 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Up to 5 brands cost $25 a month ($20 yearly); X is $10 a month extra per account. | Team plan: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) |
At 5 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel.
Cost for a solo user, a small team and an agency
Seats, brands and workspaces change the bill as much as channels do. This table picks the cheapest listed plan of each tool for 3 setups.
| Setup | Sprout Social | Metricool | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Essentials: $99 a month ($79 billed yearly). Per seat, for 1 person | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Standard: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| Small team | Professional: $897 a month billed yearly. Per seat, for 3 people; Essentials and Standard cover only 5 profiles | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Team: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
| Agency | Professional: $1,495 a month billed yearly. Per seat, for 5 people; Essentials and Standard cover only 5 profiles | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Pro: $39 a month ($31 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
Trials and free plans
Sprout Social: 30-day free trial, no credit card required. No free plan listed.
Metricool: No trial stated on the pricing page; there is a free-forever plan. Free plan: Yes: 1 brand, 20 posts per month, 30 days of analytics, 5 competitor profiles. LinkedIn and X not included.
Features
| Feature | Sprout Social | Metricool | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client approval | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social inbox | Yes | Yes | No |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI writing help | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RSS auto post | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload (CSV) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White label | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio page | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canva integration | Yes | Yes | No |
| Client connect link | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Yes |
Plan limits on key features
- Public API. Sprout Social: The Sprout API is on the Advanced plan. Metricool: API access is on Advanced and up.
- MCP server. Sprout Social: Sprout runs a hosted MCP server; its help center says only ChatGPT is officially supported. Metricool: included.
- White label. Sprout Social: not confirmed. Metricool: Custom plan only.
- Client reports. Sprout Social: Presentation-ready reports shared by link, Professional and up. Metricool: PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending on paid plans; custom templates on Advanced and up.
- Link in bio page. Sprout Social: not confirmed. Metricool: SmartLinks, on paid plans.
- Browser extension. Sprout Social: Compose extension for Chrome, on every plan. Metricool: Free Chrome extension.
- Canva integration. Sprout Social: Canva designs arrive in Sprout as draft posts. Google Drive and Dropbox can be connected too. Metricool: Paid plans, plus Google Drive.
Both list client approval, social inbox, analytics, AI writing help, public API, MCP server, RSS auto post, bulk upload (CSV), mobile app, client reports, browser extension and canva integration.
Neither confirms client connect link.
Area by area
How Sprout Social and Metricool handle each part of the job, in the words of their own pages.
Publishing and scheduling
Sprout Social: Sprout posts to 12 networks and uses WhatsApp for inbox messages. CSV bulk scheduling of up to 350 posts and automated feed publishing are on Professional and Advanced.
Metricool: Metricool posts to 11 networks, including Twitch. X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per account, and the free plan has no LinkedIn or X. Posts can be scheduled in batches from a CSV file.
Team and client approval
Sprout Social: Pricing is per seat. Message approval workflows are on Professional and Advanced.
Metricool: Pricing is by number of brands, and 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Approvals, roles and the API start on Advanced.
Inbox and replies
Sprout Social: The Smart Inbox is the center of Sprout, with review management, and Advanced adds sentiment in the Smart Inbox and Reviews.
Metricool: An inbox covers Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile.
Analytics and reports
Sprout Social: Professional and up include presentation-ready reports that you share by link.
Metricool: PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending are on paid plans, and custom report templates are on Advanced and up.
AI help
Sprout Social: AI help is included.
Metricool: AI help is included.
Integrations and apps
Sprout Social: Canva designs can be sent into Sprout as draft posts, Google Drive and Dropbox can be connected, and the Compose extension for Chrome works on every plan. The API is on Advanced, and Sprout runs a hosted MCP server; its help center says only ChatGPT is officially supported.
Metricool: SmartLinks (a link in bio page), Canva and Google Drive are on paid plans, there is a free Chrome extension, and Metricool lists an MCP server. It also connects Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads accounts for ads reporting.
Networks
Sprout Social lists 12 networks and Metricool lists 11. They share 9 networks: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky.
| Networks | |
|---|---|
| Only on Sprout Social | Reddit, Snapchat, WhatsApp |
| Only on Metricool | Twitch, Google Business Profile |
| On Postozo but on neither | Mastodon, Telegram, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, DEV, Hashnode, Lemmy, Listmonk, Nostr, VK, Farcaster, Dribbble, Kick |
Strengths from each side
Sprout Social
- Smart Inbox with messages, review management and customer care reports.
- Keyword and location monitoring, with listening as an add-on.
- iOS and Android apps on every plan, in the app stores.
Metricool
- Free plan, plus ads analytics for Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads and competitor tracking.
- Inbox for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile, plus ads reporting for Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads.
- iOS and Android apps in the app stores.
Postozo as a 3rd option
Postozo is a social media scheduler with 30 channel types, client review links, team roles, AI writing help, a public API and an MCP server. Plans are flat: $19, $29, $39, $79 a month for 5, 10, 30, 100 channels, with unlimited posts.
- Postozo costs $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) for 10 channels with team members. At 10 channels Postozo costs $23 a month against $299 for Sprout Social for 1 user, so Postozo is $276 a month cheaper (92% less). At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel.
- Postozo supports Mastodon, Telegram, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress, Medium, Tumblr and 9 more, which neither Sprout Social nor Metricool lists.
- Postozo has client connect link, which neither confirms.
What you would give up: social inbox (Sprout Social and Metricool have it) and canva integration (Sprout Social and Metricool have it).
See Postozo vs Sprout Social and Postozo vs Metricool for the full head to head pages.
More about each tool
Sprout Social review, Sprout Social alternatives, Metricool review, Metricool alternatives, Postozo pricing.
Sources
Is Sprout Social or Metricool cheaper?
At 5 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. Prices are the lowest listed per month, with yearly billing where offered, checked on 29 September 2026.
Which has more networks, Sprout Social or Metricool?
Sprout Social lists 12 and Metricool lists 11. Only Sprout Social: Reddit, Snapchat, WhatsApp. Only Metricool: Twitch, Google Business Profile.
Do Sprout Social and Metricool have an API and MCP server?
Sprout Social: API yes, MCP yes. Metricool: API yes, MCP yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Is there a cheaper option than Sprout Social and Metricool?
Postozo is $19 a month for 5 channels and $29 for 10 with a team. It has no social inbox and canva integration, so check those first.
Which is cheaper for a team of 3 with 10 channels, Sprout Social or Metricool?
It cannot be worked out exactly from the listed prices. See the cost table on this page.
Do Sprout Social and Metricool have client reports and a link in bio page?
Client reports: Sprout Social yes (Presentation-ready reports shared by link, Professional and up), Metricool yes (PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending on paid plans; custom templates on Advanced and up). Link in bio: Sprout Social not confirmed, Metricool yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Can clients connect their own accounts in Sprout Social or Metricool?
Sprout Social: not confirmed. Metricool: not confirmed. Postozo has a client connect link on every plan.
Did you test Sprout Social and Metricool?
No. This page compares facts from their official pricing and feature pages, checked on 29 September 2026.
Not sure about Sprout Social or Metricool?
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