Social media monitoring software has become essential for businesses aiming to build a strong digital presence and protect brand reputation. With billions of conversations happening daily across platforms, companies need advanced tools to track mentions, analyse engagement, and understand audience sentiment in real time.
Top social media monitoring performance helps brands identify trends, monitor competitors, measure campaign performance, and respond quickly to customer feedback. These platforms combine analytics, automation, and reporting features to deliver actionable insights. Choosing the right solution enables businesses to make data-driven decisions, improve customer relationships, and stay ahead in today’s highly competitive digital landscape.
What Is Social Media Monitoring?
Social media monitoring is the process of tracking, analysing, and responding to conversations, mentions, keywords, and trends across social media platforms. It allows businesses and individuals to understand what people are saying about their brand, products, services, or industry in real time.
By using specialised tools, organisations can monitor customer feedback, measure audience sentiment, identify emerging trends, and detect potential reputation risks before they escalate. Social media monitoring goes beyond simply counting likes and shares; it provides deeper insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns.
Companies use this information to improve marketing strategies, enhance customer service, and make data-driven decisions. Effective monitoring also includes tracking competitors and industry influencers to stay informed about market developments. Overall, social media monitoring helps businesses maintain a strong online presence and build meaningful relationships with their audience.
Quick Comparison
| Software | Best For | Ease of Use | Pricing |
| Meltwater | Enterprise-level social listening and global media monitoring | Moderate; powerful dashboard with learning curve | Subscription-based |
| Sprout Social | All-in-one social management and analytics | Easy; intuitive interface for teams | Subscription-based |
| Hootsuite | Comprehensive social media scheduling and monitoring | Moderate; feature-rich but beginner-friendly | Subscription-based |
| Talkwalker | Advanced sentiment analysis and enterprise insights | Moderate to advanced (robust toolset) | Subscription-based |
| Brand24 | Real-time small business mention tracking | Easy; clean and simple UI | Subscription-based |
| Agorapulse | Social engagement and unified inbox monitoring | Easy; ideal for teams | Subscription-based |
| Statusbrew | Centralized social engagement and listening | Easy to moderate | Subscription-based |
| Buffer Analyze | Simple analytics for small-medium businesses | Very Easy; minimal learning curve | Subscription-based |
| Mention | Real-time brand mention alerts | Easy | Subscription-based |
| Brandwatch | High-end AI-powered consumer insight analysis | Moderate; deep feature set require experience | Subscription-based |
| YouScan | Visual listening (image and logo recognition) | Moderate | Subscription-based |
| Keyhole | Hashtag and campaign performance tracking | Easy to moderate | Subscription-based |
| Awario | Affordable social listening with sentiment analysis | Easy | Subscription-based |
| Digimind Social | Social intelligence and competitive benchmarking | Moderate to advanced | Subscription-based |
| BrandMentions | Tracking brand mentions across web and social | Easy | Subscription-based |
List of Top 15 Social Media Monitoring Software
1. Meltwater
Website: https://www.meltwater.com
Meltwater is a full media intelligence platform integrating Social Media Monitoring platforms, traditional media monitoring and competitive intelligence. It assists brands in tracking mentions, sentiment analysis and conversations among audiences on social platforms, news sites, blogs and forums.
Meltwater provides a PR, marketing and executive-friendly advanced analytics dashboard, customisable alerts and reporting tools. It provides insights powered by machine learning and covers the whole world, therefore allowing organisations to track trends, brand reputation, and communication strategy.
Meltwater can be used in large corporations and agencies that require intricate, multi-channel customer insights because of its enterprise-level capabilities.
Key Features:
- Social media and news monitoring
- AI-powered sentiment analysis
- Competitive benchmarking tools
- Customizable analytics dashboards
- Global media tracking coverage
Pros:
- Enterprise-level insights
- Strong reporting capabilities
- Wide data source coverage
- Real-time alerts
- Scalable for global brands
Cons:
- Premium pricing
- Learning curve for beginners
- Best suited for large organizations
Pricing:
- Essentials- Custom Pricing
- Suite- Custom Pricing
- Enterprise- Custom Pricing
2. Sprout Social
Website: https://sproutsocial.com
Sprout Social is an integrated social media management platform with robust monitoring and analytics. It enables teams to monitor brand mentions, gauge engagement, and evaluate sentiment on sites such as Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
The unified inbox provided by Sprout allows the conversations to be centralized which makes real time responses easier. The site is also very powerful in terms of reporting, campaign statistics, and audience profile.
Sprout social has a highly user-friendly interface and collaboration features, making it perfect to use by a small company or a larger business that hopes to simplify the process of social strategy, increase the level of community interaction and establish a stronger brand presence.
Key Features:
- Unified social inbox
- Social listening tools
- Advanced analytics reports
- Content scheduling
- Team collaboration workflows
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Strong customer support
- Detailed performance insights
- Great for team collaboration
- All-in-one solution
Cons:
- Expensive for small businesses
- Limited customization in lower plans
- No lifetime pricing
Pricing:
- Standard- $199 per seat/month
- Professional- $299 per seat/month
- Advanced- $399 per seat/month
- Enterprise- Custom Pricing
3. Hootsuite
Website: https://hootsuite.com
Hootsuite is a popular social media management software and Social Media Monitoring Software that allows tracking, scheduling, and analytics services under a single platform. Users are able to monitor brand mentioning, keywords and activity on large social networks.
The dashboard provided by Hootsuite lets units visualize performance, respond to audience feedback, and gauge campaign success. It has customizable streams, real-time insights, and automated reporting. Hootsuite can be used by businesses of any size with team collaboration tools, approval workflows and a wide range of integration choices.
It is a time-tested and multi-purpose tool that can be utilised both by companies that want to streamline their social media activities and enhance their online presence.
Key Features:
- Multi-platform monitoring streams
- Content scheduling tools
- Social listening integrations
- Performance analytics
- Team permission controls
Pros:
- Supports many social networks
- Easy post scheduling
- Good collaboration features
- Established brand reputation
- Flexible integrations
Cons:
- Pricing increases with users
- Interface can feel crowded
- Advanced analytics in higher plans
Pricing:
- Standard- ₹2,600 per user/mo
- Advanced- ₹10,500 per user/mo
- Enterprise- Custom Pricing
4. Talkwalker
Website: https://www.talkwalker.com
Talkwalker is a superior social listening analytics platform that seeks to extract brand mentions on social networks, news, blogs, and forums. It relies on AI-based technology to read, understand the sentiment, identify new trends, and discover the insights of the audience.
Talkwalker offers visual dashboards, competitive benchmarking and customizable alerts to enable teams to know how their content does and how audiences see their brand. It provides an in-depth picture of the online discourse around the globe, with the ability to support image recognition and multi-language surveillance.
Talkwalker is particularly useful when users are enterprises who require in-depth actionable data, competitive data and real-time trends.
Key Features:
- AI-powered sentiment analysis
- Image recognition technology
- Trend detection tools
- Crisis monitoring alerts
- Custom dashboards
Pros:
- Deep analytics capabilities
- Global coverage
- Advanced AI insights
- Strong competitive analysis
- Enterprise-grade solution
Cons:
- High pricing
- Complex for small teams
- Requires onboarding training
Pricing:
- Listen- Custom Pricing
- Analyze- Custom Pricing
- Business- Custom Pricing
5. Brand24
Website: https://brand24.com
Brand24 is a social media monitoring tool, available in real-time, which monitors mentions of a brand, hashtags, and keywords on social media and web sources.
It is a Social Media Monitoring Software that offers sentiment analysis, influencer scoring and share of voice that assist the teams in knowing what the audiences are talking about and their reputation. Customisable alerts and dashboards enable Brand24 users to identify trends, measure the marketing effects, and act on the feedback promptly.
Small and medium-sized businesses are attracted to it due to its convenience and low cost. Engagement and reporting features that aid in based decision-making and strategy refinement are also available in Brand24.
Key Features:
- Real-time mention tracking
- Sentiment analysis
- Influencer identification
- Hashtag monitoring
- Customizable alerts
Pros:
- Affordable plans
- Easy to use
- Quick setup
- Good reporting tools
- Ideal for SMEs
Cons:
- Limited historical data
- Fewer integrations than enterprise tools
- Basic dashboard design
Pricing:
- Monthly
- Individual- $199/month
- Team- $299/month
- Pro- $399/month
- Business- $599/month
- Enterprise- $999/month
- Annually
- Individual- $149/month
- Team- $249/month
- Pro- $299/month
- Business- $499/month
- Enterprise- From $999/month
6. Agorapulse
Website: https://www.agorapulse.com
Agorapulse is a social media management and monitoring tool locking in listening, publishing and reporting capabilities. It assists brands with monitoring mentions, comments and messages on platforms in a single inbox. Its analytics give an understanding of viewer mood, trending behavior, and competition.
Agorapulse also has scheduling, team work, and analytics dashboard that provide performance measurements and growth analytics. It is structured to support the workflow of social managers and marketing teams and enhances responsiveness.
Agorapulse helps to make informed decisions and improve the overall execution of social media strategies with quick and user-friendly features and robust reporting.
Key Features:
- Social listening and monitoring
- Unified inbox
- Content scheduling
- Detailed analytics reports
- Team workflow tools
Pros:
- Clean interface
- Strong engagement tools
- Good ROI tracking
- Helpful customer support
- Suitable for agencies
Cons:
- Higher pricing tiers
- Limited advanced listening in base plans
- No one-time pricing
Pricing:
- Monthly
- Standard- $99 per user/month
- Professional- $149 per user/month
- Advanced- $199 per user/month
- Custom Pricing
- Annually
- Standard- $79 per user/month
- Professional- $119 per user/month
- Advanced- $149 per user/month
- Custom Pricing
Suggested Read:
7. Statusbrew
Website: https://statusbrew.com
Statusbrew is a social media engagement and monitoring tool that assists businesses to follow brand mentions and discussions in networks such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and YouTube.
It offers sentiment analysis, listener reports, and track hashtags to enable a team to discover insights and gauge the performance. The unified inbox of Statusbrew allows engagement with the audience to be simpler, and its analytics features display trends and content success.
Statusbrew features team productivity and social strategy execution through collaboration features and automated workflows. It is appropriate in those businesses that require a combination of monitoring, engagement, and analytics capabilities in one social media platform.
Key Features:
- Real-time brand monitoring
- Unified engagement dashboard
- Hashtag tracking
- Sentiment insights
- Workflow automation
Pros:
- Affordable for teams
- Easy to manage conversations
- Multi-channel support
- Clean reporting interface
- Scalable plans
Cons:
- Limited advanced analytics
- Smaller ecosystem than competitors
- Premium features cost extra
Pricing:
- Lite- $89.00/mo
- Standard- $179.00/mo
- Premium- $229.00/mo
- Enterprise- Custom Pricing
8. Buffer Analyze
Website: https://buffer.com/analyze
Buffer Analyze is the analytics and reporting component of the Buffer social management platform that deals with insights into performance and audience trends.
It assists brands to track post performance, engagement, and how the audience acts on social platforms as a Social Media Monitoring Software. Buffer Analyze does not focus on listening as much as other specific tools, but it provides a clear visualisation of such metrics as reach, clicks, and viewer growth.
Its user-friendly interface and easy reporting features are most suitable to small enterprises and content teams who start with social monitoring and analytics. It supports planning and scheduling of content and evaluation of its performance in a single workflow, together with Buffer Publish.
Key Features:
- Post performance tracking
- Audience growth analytics
- Engagement reports
- Content insights
- Integration with Buffer Publish
Pros:
- Very easy to use
- Clean dashboard
- Ideal for small businesses
- Affordable plans
- Good visual reports
Cons:
- Limited listening features
- Basic competitor analysis
- Not enterprise-focused
Pricing:
- Free- $0
- Essentials- $6/month
- Team- $12/month
9. Mention
Website: https://mention.com
Mention is a live brand monitoring tool and Social Media Monitoring Software that monitors mentions of your name, product or keywords on social media, blogs, forums and news websites.
It offers sentiment analysis, influencer scores, and competitive track metrics that would allow teams to see how the audience perceives and trends in the industry. The alerts and customisable dashboards in Mention enable the user to react promptly to alterations in brand reputation or patterns of conversation.
Team coordination is also promoted with collaboration and reporting capabilities on the platform. Focusing on real-time listening and alerting, Mention can be used in businesses of any size interested in immediate information on online discussions.
Key Features:
- Real-time brand alerts
- Sentiment tracking
- Influencer monitoring
- Competitive tracking
- Custom dashboards
Pros:
- Instant notifications
- Easy keyword tracking
- Suitable for startups
- Affordable plans
- Web and social coverage
Cons:
- Limited advanced analytics
- Data limits on lower plans
- Interface can feel basic
Pricing:
- Tailored to your organization’s specific monitoring needs and scale.
- Starting at– $599
10. Brandwatch
Website: https://www.brandwatch.com
Brandwatch is a consumer intelligence tool of enterprise level and a Social Media Monitoring Software that is not restricted to simplistic monitoring. It applies AI and sophisticated analytics to deliver profound data on the moods of the audience, brand perception, and competition on social media and web platforms.
Brandwatch is effective in trending, determining emerging trends, and connecting social data with business performance. It provides adaptable dashboards, segmentation solutions, and predictive analytics to enable the teams to transform data into strategic choices.
Although Brandwatch targets enterprise and research-oriented organisations, the quality of deep listening and reporting makes it a potent instrument of overall brand intelligence.
Key Features:
- AI-driven social listening
- Deep consumer insights
- Competitive benchmarking
- Trend forecasting
- Customisable dashboards
Pros:
- Enterprise-level intelligence
- Advanced data segmentation
- Strong visualization tools
- Reliable sentiment analysis
- Scalable solution
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires training
- Best for large enterprises
Pricing:
- Basic/Entry: ~$800-$2,000/month
- Professional/Mid-Tier: ~$2,000-$5,000+/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
11. YouScan
Website: https://youscan.io
YouScan is an excellent social media listening platform that has powerful visual and textual monitoring features. It applies AI to locate brand logos in images, sentiment, and conversations on social networks, forums, and blogs.
This listening ability enables brands to see how their products are represented visually on-line. The trend discovery, competitive benchmarking, and audience insights are also available in YouScan, which can help in data-driven marketing.
Its analysis of text and image makes it a more detailed picture of the brand recognition and perception on cross channels. YouScan is also appropriate in the case of a marketer who wants to have strong visual analytics with classic social listening.
Key Features:
- Image recognition monitoring
- Text and sentiment analysis
- Trend discovery
- Brand logo detection
- Competitive benchmarking
Pros:
- Strong visual listening
- Accurate AI insights
- Useful for brand visibility
- Modern dashboard
- Global data tracking
Cons:
- Premium pricing
- Smaller user base
- Advanced setup required
Pricing:
- STARTER 3- Ideal for SMBs and Startups- $499 per month
- Unlimited plans- Best for Brands and Agencies- Configured to your requirements
12. Keyhole
Website: https://keyhole.co
Keyhole is a AI Tools for Social Media and monitoring platform that focuses on real-time tracking of hashtags, monitoring campaign performance, and analysis of influencers, functioning as a Social Media Monitoring Software.
It assists the brands in determining reach, engagement, and sentiment of campaigns on sites such as Instagram, Twitter (X) and Facebook. The dashboards of Keyhole allow one to visualise trends, keep track of branded hashtags, and compare performance with competitors.
Keyhole, which addresses campaign analytics and influencer metrics, finds favor in social media teams that seek to streamline their content strategy and quantify ROI. It has a simple interface, which facilitates quick interpretation and reporting of data.
Key Features:
- Hashtag tracking
- Influencer marketing
- Campaign monitoring
- Real-time analytics dashboard
- Competitor tracking
Pros:
- Great for campaign tracking
- Simple reports
- Easy-to-use interface
- Useful influencer insights
- Fast setup
Cons:
- Limited enterprise features
- Subscription-only pricing
- Smaller integrations library
Pricing:
- Basic: Around $44/month
- Plus: Around $79/month
- Professional: Around $99/month
- Advanced Suite: Starting around CA$179/month
13. Awario
Website: https://awario.com
Awario is a social monitoring and listening tool that can be used to track the mention of a brand in social networks, news websites, blogs, and the open web. It offers sentiment analysis, influencer identification and real-time alerts that enable teams to remain on top of online discussions.
The Boolean search option of Awario makes it possible to track keywords and niche topics with precision. The platform is compatible with customisable dashboards and detailed reporting, which is why it can be utilised by both small businesses and startups and by larger teams.
It is also affordable and simple to use and this makes it a good choice for organisations just starting their social listening.
Key Features:
- Real-time web monitoring
- Sentiment analysis
- Boolean search queries
- Influencer identification
- Custom alerts
Pros:
- Budget-friendly
- Accurate keyword tracking
- Easy setup
- Good reporting options
- Suitable for startups
Cons:
- Limited advanced AI features
- Basic UI
- Data limits in lower plans
Pricing:
- Starter- $49/mo
- Pro- $149/mo
- Enterprise- $399/mo
14. Digimind Social
Website: https://www.digimind.com
Digimind Social is a social intelligence service enterprise, which integrates listening, analytics, and competitive benchmarking. It helps brands to monitor conversation, sentiment, and the emergent trends on social media and digital news sources.
The AI-based analytics offered by Digimind assists the organisation to find actionable information and gauge campaign effectiveness. It aids strategic thinking and decision-making with customisable dashboards, alerts, and collaborative tools.
Being competitive intelligence-driven and trend-detecting, Digimind Social is a solid option among brands that want to be ahead of the pack in a rapid-paced market and derive more insights out of social data.
Key Features:
- Social listening and analytics
- Competitive intelligence
- AI-driven insights
- Trend tracking
- Custom dashboards
Pros:
- Enterprise-focused
- Strong benchmarking tools
- Global data sources
- Reliable reporting
- Good crisis monitoring
Cons:
- High pricing
- Complex for beginners
- Requires onboarding
Pricing:
- Approximately $450 – $800+ per month (or roughly €15,000/year).
15. BrandMentions
Website: https://brandmentions.com
BrandMentions is a real time online monitoring tool and Social Media Monitoring Software, which monitors brand mentions in social media platforms, blogs, forums, and news sites. It offers sentiment analysis, key word, and competitive benchmarking which assists businesses to know how their brand is being talked about online.
BrandMentions provides visual reports and alerts that enable reputation management and strategic choices. It is easy to use due to its user-friendly design and the absence of complex analysis, which allows small companies and marketing departments to use it.
BrandMentions is the best tool to use when the organisation wants extensive coverage of the brand mentions and easy-to-understand insights.
Key Features:
- Brand mention tracking
- Sentiment analysis
- Competitor monitoring
- Real-time alerts
- Detailed reports
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Affordable plans
- Comprehensive web coverage
- Good for reputation management
- Quick setup
Cons:
- Limited enterprise tools
- Basic analytics depth
- Fewer integrations
Pricing:
- Starter- $99/mo
- Pro- $299/mo
- Expert- $499/mo
- Enterprise- Custom Pricing
Ending Thoughts
In conclusion, selecting the right social media monitoring software is crucial for businesses that want to stay competitive in the digital era. The top 15 social media monitoring tools offer powerful features such as real-time tracking, sentiment analysis, competitor benchmarking, and detailed analytics to help brands understand their audience better.
By leveraging these platforms, companies can strengthen brand reputation, improve engagement strategies, and make informed marketing decisions. The ideal solution depends on business size, goals, and budget. Investing in the right monitoring software ensures proactive communication, smarter campaigns, and sustained growth in an ever-evolving social media environment.
FAQs
Why Is social Media Monitoring Important For Businesses?
It helps businesses protect brand reputation, understand customer sentiment, track competitors, and improve marketing strategies through data-driven insights.
What Features Should I Look For In Social Media Monitoring Tools?
Key features include real-time tracking, sentiment analysis, competitor monitoring, reporting dashboards, keyword tracking, and integration with other marketing tools.
Who Can Benefit From Social Media Monitoring Software?
Marketing teams, PR professionals, customer support teams, brand managers, and business owners can all benefit from monitoring tools.
Is Social Media Monitoring Different From Social Media Management?
Yes. Monitoring focuses on tracking and analysing conversations, while management includes content scheduling, publishing, and engagement activities.
