10 Social Media Listening Tools for 2026

Social media listening tools all promise the same thing. They tell you what people say online. But they solve very different problems. A global brand wants trends, mood, and reports for the board. A plumber wants to know that someone nearby just asked for help with a burst pipe. One tool rarely does both well.

So this list sorts tools by the job they do best, not by how many features they have. For each one, we look at what it tracks, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and who it suits. We checked every vendor's own site in October 2026. Prices and plans change often, so confirm them before you buy.

The market is growing fast. Grand View Research puts social media listening at $9.2 billion in 2024. It expects $20.2 billion by 2030, a growth rate of 14.3% a year. More money means more tools, and more ways to pick the wrong one.

What to Look for in Social Listening Tools

Before you compare names, decide what you need. These five checks rule out most of the wrong tools fast:

Sources. Check which networks, news sites, forums, and review sites the tool covers.
Speed. Some tools alert you in real time. Others scan every few hours or send a daily digest.
Price. Some tools show prices on their site. Most big tools only give quotes.
Setup. Some tools need an analyst to write search rules. Others build your searches for you.
Next step. Ask what happens after a match. You might need a report, a reply, or a lead in your inbox.

1. ThroughTheGrapevine.ai

ThroughTheGrapevine.ai is built for one job. It finds people near you who are asking for the services you sell. That makes it a lead tool for local service businesses, not a brand tracker. Full disclosure: it's our own tool, so weigh that as you read.

It reads public posts on Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, and Threads. On Facebook, it watches the groups you add. On the other sites, it looks for the phrases people use when they need help, like "need a plumber" or "anyone recommend an electrician." Then it pulls place clues from each post. These include city names, ZIP codes, neighborhoods, area codes, the group or subreddit, and the location on the account. Posts from outside your service area are dropped.

How it finds and ranks leads

Each post gets an intent score from 0 to 100. A post like "AC died, need it fixed today" scores high. A rant about prices scores low and gets filtered out. You can give each lead a thumbs up or down, and the tool learns what you want. If the same person posts the same job in three groups, you hear about it once.

Setup takes a few minutes. You paste in your website and set your service area. The tool reads your site and builds the search terms for you. You don't connect any social accounts or share passwords. It only reads public posts, and it never posts for you.

Scans run every 8 hours on every platform. After each scan, you get one email with every new lead. Each lead shows the post, a direct link, the location, the intent score, and a short reply draft. You can also see leads in one dashboard and export them to a CSV file for your CRM or spreadsheet.

Pricing and trade-offs

There's one plan. It costs $99 a month and includes every platform and unlimited leads. The 7-day free trial doesn't need a credit card.

The limits are real. It can't see private groups, direct messages, or anything else that isn't public. It scans three times a day, so it isn't a live crisis tool. And it won't give you share of voice or brand health reports. If you need those, look at the bigger tools below.

Best for: Plumbers, HVAC techs, roofers, landscapers, and other local pros who want nearby leads, not brand reports.

Website: ThroughTheGrapevine.ai

2. Brandwatch Consumer Research

Brandwatch Consumer Research is a deep research tool for big brands. Brandwatch says it draws on more than 100 million online sources. Its archive holds over 1.4 trillion posts, going back to 2008. That depth lets analysts study brands, rivals, audiences, and markets over many years.

Search is strong but takes skill. Analysts write detailed Boolean queries to pull exactly the posts they want. Brandwatch's AI, called Iris, helps sum up what the data shows. Dashboards and reports then share the results with each team.

Where Brandwatch fits

Brandwatch also sells a wider set of tools. Its social media suite includes Publish, Engage, Measure, and a lighter listening module called Listen. A separate product, Influence, covers influencer marketing. Teams that already use these can keep research and action in one place.

Pricing is by quote only, and the plans page lists no prices. Ask for a demo that uses your own searches, markets, and languages. That's the only way to judge the real fit.

The trade-off is effort. You need someone who can build and tune queries. It's a poor fit if you just want to know when a neighbor needs a roofer.

Best for: Global brands and research teams that need deep searches and a long archive.

Website: Brandwatch Consumer Research

3. Sprout Social Listening

Sprout Social Listening makes the most sense if your team already uses Sprout. You can publish posts, answer messages, run reports, and track conversations in one tool. Listening covers brand health, audience needs, competitors, and market shifts.

Sprout says its listening tool handles up to 50,000 posts per second and an average of 600 million messages a day. Those figures come from a Forrester study that Sprout paid for, based on a model customer. They show scale. They don't tell you how many of those posts matter to you.

Workflow fit and costs

You don't need to know Boolean search to start. Sprout offers ready-made topic templates for brand health, rivals, campaigns, industry trends, and events. Its AI agent, Trellis, answers questions like "What themes are trending this week?" Spike alerts warn you when chatter jumps.

Listening is a paid add-on to the Standard, Professional, or Advanced plan. Those plans start at $199 per seat per month with annual billing. Sprout doesn't publish the add-on's price, so you need a demo or quote.

That means a small business could pay for many features it won't use. Sprout fits best when listening needs to feed a social team that already works in Sprout.

Best for: Social teams already on Sprout Social that want listening next to publishing and reporting.

Website: Sprout Social Listening

4. Talkwalker (Now Lumen by Talkwalker)

Hootsuite bought Talkwalker in 2024. Its listening product is now called Lumen by Talkwalker. Talkwalker says the data, reports, and workflows are the same as before.

Its strength is reach. Talkwalker tracks 30 social networks and more than 150 million websites. That covers news sites, forums, newsletters, and blogs, plus video, images, and podcasts. So you can see how a story moves from social posts into the press.

Broad coverage, heavier buying process

The core tools are real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, and trend tracking. Conversation clusters group related posts, and AI summaries explain what changed. Every plan includes unlimited users.

Prices aren't published. You pick a plan, such as Core, Analyze, or Business, and ask for a quote. Setup takes more planning than a self-serve tool.

More sources also mean more noise. Test whether the filters and alerts find the posts your team can act on. Ask for a demo with your real brands, sources, languages, and alert rules.

Best for: Large PR and marketing teams that need trend tracking, crisis alerts, and news plus social in one place.

Website: Lumen by Talkwalker

5. Meltwater

Meltwater suits teams that want news tracking and social listening from one vendor. Its listening tool, also called Explore, covers social media, news, forums, and Reddit in one place. That helps PR teams link a social reaction to press coverage.

Meltwater's AI, Mira, helps turn raw data into a clear story. The tool can also forecast where a conversation is heading over the next 48 hours. Alerts for spikes and sentiment shifts can go to Slack or Microsoft Teams.

A suite decision, not just a listening decision

Meltwater sells four tiers: Starter, Pro, Enterprise, and Agency. On each tier, you choose the parts you need, such as media tracking, social listening, and media relations. Influencer marketing is only on the Enterprise and Agency tiers.

Every tier says "Contact Sales," so there are no public prices. There's no self-serve free trial, only a guided demo. Most contracts are yearly, with a 12-month minimum.

That makes Meltwater a bigger commitment than it looks. Separate what you must have from add-ons that grow the bill. It's a better fit for PR and comms teams than for a small business looking for local jobs.

Best for: PR and marketing teams that want media tracking and social listening under one contract.

Website: Meltwater

6. Sprinklr Social Listening

Sprinklr puts social listening inside a huge customer experience platform. It has 33 products across four suites: Service, Social, Insights, and Marketing. Listening sits in the Insights suite.

Sprinklr tracks more than 30 social and digital channels in real time. It also covers traditional media. AI groups posts into topics, compares you with rivals, and flags threats to your brand's name.

Powerful, but not lightweight

Sprinklr shines when a large company wants to swap several tools for one. Customer care, publishing, approvals, and listening can share one system with clear roles. But that depth adds work. Most teams need a full-time owner and formal onboarding.

Sprinklr no longer offers self-serve sign-up or a free trial. Every plan is sold through a custom quote. Ask for a setup that matches your real teams, channels, and markets. Otherwise a broad demo can hide the true cost of running it.

For a small local business, Sprinklr is likely far more than you need.

Best for: Large companies that want listening, customer care, publishing, and approvals in one platform.

Website: Sprinklr Social Listening

7. Brand24

Brand24 is a self-serve tool with public prices and a quick setup. It's a good fit for small and midsize teams. It tracks mentions on social media, news sites, blogs, videos, forums, podcasts, reviews, and more. Brand24 says it covers 25 million sources in 108 languages.

Coverage depends on your plan. Every plan covers Facebook, Instagram, X, Reddit, news, and blogs. LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok start on the Team plan. Reviews and newsletters start on Pro, and podcasts start on Business.

Transparent prices, plan-based limits

Brand24 shows its prices up front. With annual billing, the plans cost:

Individual costs $199 a month. It tracks 3 keywords and 2,000 mentions a month for 1 user.
Team costs $299 a month. It tracks 7 keywords and 10,000 mentions, with unlimited users.
Pro costs $399 a month. It tracks 12 keywords and 40,000 mentions, with real-time updates.
Business costs $599 a month. It tracks 25 keywords and 100,000 mentions.
Enterprise starts at $1,499 a month. It has custom limits.

Monthly billing costs more. For example, Individual is $249 a month. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Sentiment analysis and alerts come with every plan. Influencer analysis and AI insights start on Pro. Brand24 is strong for always-on brand and rival tracking. It isn't built to find local leads, so test whether its filters can pick out service requests in your area.

Best for: Small and midsize teams that want public prices, quick setup, and broad web and social coverage.

Website: Brand24

8. Agorapulse Listening (Formerly Mention)

Mention was a well-known listening tool for years. Agorapulse bought it in 2025. Since July 1, 2026, Mention is no longer sold on its own. Current customers can keep their plans, and new buyers get Agorapulse Listening instead.

Agorapulse Listening covers Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and Reddit. It also tracks direct mentions on TikTok and keywords across thousands of news sites, blogs, and forums. Setting up a search takes about a minute. You type a brand, product, or rival, then pick your sources.

What it does well

The standout feature is Listening Screening. In one click, its AI splits real posts about your brand from posts that just share a keyword. You don't need to write Boolean queries or keep lists of words to block.

You also get share of voice against rivals, sentiment you can fix by hand, and alerts for spikes. Data goes back up to 24 months. Listening data also flows into Agorapulse's Report Studio, next to your publishing and inbox numbers.

Pricing and trade-offs

Listening is an add-on to Agorapulse's Advanced or Tailored plans, or a standalone package. The price depends on how many conversations you track and how far back you want to look. All purchases go through sales.

It's best for social teams that already use Agorapulse, or want one tool for publishing, inbox, and listening. Like Brand24, it tracks brands, not local service requests.

Best for: Social media teams and agencies that want listening, publishing, and an inbox in one tool.

Website: Agorapulse Listening

9. YouScan

YouScan stands out for visual listening. Its Visual Insights feature finds logos, objects, and scenes in images, even when no one types your brand name. YouScan says it scans images from over 500,000 online sources.

That matters for consumer brands, fashion labels, events, and sponsors. A text search can miss your logo in a photo. YouScan is built to catch it.

AI analysis for image-led brands

Insights Copilot is YouScan's AI agent. You ask questions in plain words, and it digs through the data and sums up what it finds. As with any AI summary, the answer is only as good as the data and the question.

YouScan does show a starting price. Its entry plan costs $499 a month, billed annually. It covers 3 topics and up to 15,000 mentions a month, with unlimited users and 10 Copilot questions a month. Larger plans are by quote.

The main limit is fit. A roofer looking for a neighbor's request won't need logo recognition. But if your brand lives in photos, YouScan solves a problem most text-first tools miss.

Best for: Consumer brands, events, and sponsors that need to find their logo and products in images.

Website: YouScan

10. Onclusive Social

Onclusive Social was called Digimind until October 2024. It pairs social listening, dashboards, alerts, and rival research with Onclusive's wider media tools. Its aim is to link social data with PR and comms work.

Onclusive says it covers hard-to-track sources such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and LinkedIn. It also keeps 24 months of past data. That lets analysts compare this year with last year and put a spike in context.

Stronger for established intelligence teams

Onclusive Social suits teams that already run PR and social research together. Its AI, called AI Sense, surfaces insights, and each customer gets a dedicated success manager.

Pricing is by quote only, and there's no public pricing page. Confirm history, sources, seats, reports, and support before you compare it with others.

Onclusive helps teams study markets and rivals. It isn't built to send a local business a queue of nearby leads.

Best for: PR and comms teams that want social listening, two years of history, and media tools together.

Website: Onclusive Social

Social Media Listening Tools Compared

Tool	Best for	Pricing	Main trade-off
ThroughTheGrapevine.ai.	Local service pros who want nearby leads.	$99 a month for one plan. 7-day free trial with no card.	Scans every 8 hours. No brand health reports.
Brandwatch Consumer Research.	Deep consumer research for global brands.	Custom quote.	Queries need skilled analysts.
Sprout Social Listening.	Teams already using Sprout Social.	Paid add-on by quote. Plans start at $199 per seat a month.	You pay for a full social suite.
Lumen by Talkwalker.	Trend and crisis tracking across social and news.	Custom quote with unlimited users.	Heavy for small teams.
Meltwater.	PR teams that want media and social together.	Custom quote with a 12-month minimum.	No self-serve trial.
Sprinklr.	Large firms running many teams on one platform.	Custom quote.	Complex to set up and run.
Brand24.	Small teams that want public prices.	From $199 a month, billed yearly. 14-day free trial.	Key sources and AI tools need higher plans.
Agorapulse Listening.	Social teams that want listening, publishing, and an inbox.	Add-on by quote.	Mention is no longer sold on its own.
YouScan.	Finding logos and products in images.	From $499 a month, billed yearly.	Its visual focus is more than most local firms need.
Onclusive Social.	PR teams that need two years of history.	Custom quote.	Not built for local leads.

How to Choose the Right Social Media Listening Tool

The best social media listening tools aren't interchangeable. Each one collects a different kind of signal and sends it to a different team. Picking by feature count can leave you with a big dashboard that nobody acts on.

Start with the signal you need:

Local leads. Choose ThroughTheGrapevine.ai if you want people in your service area who are asking for your services.
Public prices. Choose Brand24 if you want to see prices up front and start the same day.
One social tool. Choose Sprout Social or Agorapulse if you want listening next to publishing and an inbox.
Deep research. Choose Brandwatch for consumer research with a large archive.
News plus social. Choose Meltwater or Lumen by Talkwalker if PR needs press and social in one view.
Enterprise scale. Choose Sprinklr if many teams must share one platform with strict controls.
Images. Choose YouScan if your brand shows up in photos more than in text.
History. Choose Onclusive Social if PR needs two years of data for context.

Then test before you sign. Ask each vendor to run your real searches. Check which sources are in your plan, how fast alerts arrive, and how far back the data goes. Confirm what counts toward your limits, and whether exports or an API cost extra.

Most teams end up with more than one tool. A 2023 survey of social listening pros, summed up by Quorage, found only 16.1% used a single tool. Another 27.6% used two, and 27.6% used three. Instagram was the top source for 68.5% of them, ahead of X at 53.5%, Facebook at 51.2%, and TikTok at 50%. So it's normal to mix a broad brand tool with a focused one.

The rule is simple. Buy for the signal your team will act on, at a price you can justify, and at the speed your follow-up needs. A big research platform may be right for brand work. A local-first tool may be better for turning neighborhood posts into booked jobs.

For more options, see our guides to social media listening platforms and social media monitoring software.

Social Media Listening Tools FAQ

What do social media listening tools do?

They track public posts that mention a brand, a topic, or a keyword. Then they help you sort those posts and act on them. Most tools add sentiment, trends, alerts, and reports. Some, like ThroughTheGrapevine.ai, focus on finding people who want to buy.

What's the difference between social listening and social monitoring?

Monitoring tracks mentions and helps you reply to them one by one. Listening looks across many mentions to find patterns, like a shift in how people feel about your brand. Most tools on this list do both.

Are there free social media listening tools?

None of the tools on this list has a free plan, but some offer free trials. Brand24 gives you 14 days, and ThroughTheGrapevine.ai gives you 7 days. Neither one asks for a credit card. Most enterprise tools offer a demo instead of a trial.

Which social listening tool is best for a small business?

It depends on your goal. For brand and rival tracking with public prices, Brand24 is a good place to start. For local service businesses that want leads from nearby posts, ThroughTheGrapevine.ai is built for that job.

Want to see who near you is asking for your services right now? ThroughTheGrapevine.ai reads public posts in Facebook groups and on Reddit, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, and Threads. It keeps only the posts in your service area and scores each one for buying intent. Then it emails you the best leads with a reply draft. Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card is needed.