If you run a business in 2026 and you’re not monitoring social media, you’re basically operating blind. Thousands of conversations occur regarding brands, products, services, and competitors every day. Customers post reviews, complaints, recommendations, and opinions – with or without mentioning you. It is at this point that social media monitoring tool is needed.
We have chosen the Top 15 Best Social Media Monitoring software in this article that assist businesses to monitor competition, mentions of their brand, sentiment, and trends, and guard the online reputation. You can use these tools to be informed, have a quicker response, and make wiser marketing choices whether you are a startup, marketing agency, enterprise brand or eCommerce business. Let’s explore the platforms that can help you turn social conversations into real business insights.
How Social Media Monitoring Drives Business Intelligence
- Turns millions of posts, comments, reviews and discussions into strategic knowledge to understand customer preferences and purchasing patterns.
- Helps predict the demand patterns by identifying the increasing mention of a product, or a seasonal peak or a new hashtag before it goes mainstream.
- Helps to develop products based on data, emphasizing the most common feature requests, usability issues, and customer needs.
- Enhances decision-making in pricing strategy through tracking the promotional activities of the competitors, discount trends, and how the audience reacts to the changes in price.
- Allows mapping of geographic audiences to discover the conversations taking place and areas with increasing interest in the brand.
Advanced Capabilities That Separate Basic Tools from Enterprise Platforms
- Sentiment analysis using AI, including context, where a brand can identify sarcasm, a comment of neutrality, and negative feedback which is authentic.
- Tetration Image and video recognition technology that follows brand logos, positioning, and visual cites even in cases where your brand name is not tagged.
- Automatic anomaly detection systems that identify suspicious spikes with mentions to enable teams to intervene before a minor problem escalates into a full-scale crisis.
- Personal Boolean search requests that can be used to narrow down search results with specific search terms, phrases, exclusions, and mentions of competitors to track more relevant data.
- Combination of social media data and CRM, sales, website analytics, and paid advertising performance data through cross-channel data integration to report on them together.
List of Top 15 Best Social Media Monitoring Software
1. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is one of the most powerful social media monitoring software and a consumer intelligence platform designed for businesses that want deep insights into online conversations. It allows companies to track mentions across social media platforms, blogs, forums, and news websites in real time. With advanced analytics, brands can understand audience behavior, emerging trends, and overall market sentiment.
The platform is particularly popular among large enterprises because of its AI-driven data analysis capabilities. Brandwatch helps businesses uncover patterns in conversations, detect potential crises early, and monitor competitors effectively. Its data visualization tools make complex information easy to interpret and act upon.
Top Features:
- Real-time social listening
- Advanced sentiment analysis
- AI-powered consumer insights
- Competitive benchmarking
- Custom dashboards and automated reporting
Website: www.brandwatch.com
Pricing:
- Available on request
2. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is an all-in-one social media management and monitoring platform that combines publishing, engagement, analytics, and listening tools. It helps businesses track brand mentions, monitor conversations, and respond to customer messages from a single dashboard. This makes it easy for teams to stay organized and maintain strong engagement.
The platform stands out for its clean interface and detailed reporting capabilities. Businesses can measure campaign performance, analyze engagement metrics, and generate easy-to-understand reports. Sprout Social is suitable for both small businesses and large marketing teams looking for an efficient workflow solution.
Top Features:
- Unified Smart Inbox
- Social listening tools
- Advanced analytics and reporting
- Team collaboration features
- CRM and third-party integrations
Website: https://sproutsocial.com
Pricing:
| Standard | Professional | Advanced | Enterprise |
| $199/mo | $299/mo | $399/mo | Available on request |
3. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the most widely recognized social media monitoring software available today. It allows businesses to manage multiple social accounts, monitor keywords, track brand mentions, and measure engagement from a single platform. Its customizable streams make it easy to follow conversations across different channels.
Beyond monitoring, Hootsuite offers strong scheduling and publishing features. Users can plan content calendars, automate posts, and analyze campaign ROI. It is a flexible solution that works well for startups, agencies, and enterprise-level organizations.
Top Features:
- Multi-platform monitoring
- Custom keyword and hashtag tracking
- Post scheduling and automation
- Performance analytics
- Team management and permissions
Website: https://www.hootsuite.com/
Pricing:
| Standard | Advanced | Enterprise |
| $21.12/mo | $83.15/mo | Available on request |
4. Talkwalker
Talkwalker is an advanced social listening and analytics platform used by global brands. It monitors online conversations across social networks, blogs, forums, and news outlets. The platform uses AI-powered technology to provide insights into customer sentiment, brand reputation, and emerging trends.
One of Talkwalker’s strongest capabilities is visual listening, which allows brands to track logos and products in images and videos online. This makes it particularly valuable for companies that rely heavily on influencer marketing and visual branding strategies, especially those using an Influencer Marketing Platform.
Top Features:
- AI-driven social listening
- Visual recognition technology
- Crisis detection and alerts
- Trend and market analysis
- Detailed customizable reports
Website: https://www.talkwalker.com/
Pricing:
- Available on request
5. Meltwater
Meltwater is a comprehensive media intelligence and social media monitoring platform that helps businesses track both social conversations and traditional media coverage. It provides real-time insights into brand mentions, competitor activity, and campaign performance.
The platform is especially useful for PR teams and marketing professionals who need to measure brand reputation and media impact. With AI-powered analytics and reporting tools, Meltwater helps organizations make informed, data-driven decisions.
Top Features:
- Social and media monitoring
- Influencer identification
- Real-time alerts
- Campaign performance tracking
- Advanced analytics dashboards
Website: www.meltwater.com/
Pricing:
- Available on request
6. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a powerful social media management and monitoring tool designed to simplify engagement and reporting. It allows businesses to track brand mentions, monitor keywords, and respond to messages across multiple platforms from one centralized dashboard. Its clean layout makes it easy for teams to manage conversations efficiently.
The platform is especially useful for agencies and growing businesses that need strong collaboration features. Agorapulse also offers in-depth reporting tools that help measure campaign performance, audience growth, and engagement metrics, making it easier to refine social media strategies.
Top Features:
- Unified social inbox
- Keyword and brand monitoring
- Advanced reporting tools
- Social media scheduling
- Team collaboration and approval workflows
Website: www.agorapulse.com/
Pricing:
| Standard | Professional | Advanced | Custom |
| $79/mo | $119/mo | $149/mo | Available on request |
7. Mention
Mention is one of the real-time social media monitoring software that helps businesses track brand mentions across social networks, blogs, forums, and news sites. It provides instant alerts whenever your brand, competitors, or selected keywords are mentioned online.
The platform is ideal for businesses looking for quick insights and reputation management. With easy-to-use dashboards and detailed analytics, Mention enables teams to monitor conversations, respond quickly, and measure overall brand sentiment.
Top Features:
- Real-time monitoring alerts
- Competitor tracking
- Sentiment analysis
- Custom dashboards
- Social media publishing tools
Website: https://mention.com/
Pricing:
- $599/mo
8. Zoho Social
Zoho Social is a social media management and monitoring platform tailored for businesses and agencies. It helps track brand mentions, monitor keywords, and analyze audience engagement across major social networks.
What makes Zoho Social stand out is its integration with the broader Zoho ecosystem, especially Zoho CRM. This allows businesses to connect social interactions directly with customer data, improving lead generation and relationship management efforts.
Top Features:
- Real-time brand monitoring
- Keyword research
- CRM integration
- Post scheduling and publishing
- Detailed analytics reports
Website: www.zoho.com/social/
Pricing:
| Free | Standard | Professional | Premium |
| $0 | $6.62/mo | $19.02/mo | $28.61/mo |
9. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a content research and social media monitoring software that helps businesses discover trending topics and analyze content performance. It allows users to monitor brand mentions, track competitor content, and identify influencers in their industry.
The platform is particularly valuable for content marketers and digital strategists. By analyzing engagement metrics and trending discussions, BuzzSumo helps businesses create content that resonates with their audience and drives higher engagement.
Top Features:
- Content performance analysis
- Brand mention tracking
- Influencer identification
- Competitor content analysis
- Trend discovery tools
Website: https://buzzsumo.com/
Pricing:
| Content Creation | PR & Comms | Suite | Enterprise |
| $199/mo | $299/mo | $499/mo | $999/mo |
10. Keyhole
Keyhole is a social media monitoring platform that specializes in hashtag tracking and campaign measurement. It allows brands to track conversations around specific keywords, hashtags, and accounts in real time.
The platform is widely used for campaign tracking and influencer marketing analysis. With clear visual dashboards and automated reporting, Keyhole helps businesses measure reach, engagement, and overall campaign impact effectively.
Top Features:
- Hashtag and keyword tracking
- Campaign performance analytics
- Real-time monitoring
- Automated reports
Website:https://keyhole.co/
Pricing:
- Available on request
11. Awario
Awario is one of the real-time social media monitoring software that helps businesses track brand mentions, keywords, and competitor conversations across the web. It scans social networks, blogs, forums, and news sites to give users a complete picture of online discussions related to their brand.
The platform is particularly useful for small and mid-sized businesses looking for affordable yet powerful monitoring software. Awario also offers detailed sentiment analysis and reporting tools that help companies understand audience perception and improve engagement strategies.
Top Features:
- Real-time brand monitoring
- Sentiment analysis
- Competitor tracking
- Boolean search queries
- Customizable reports
Website: https://awario.com/
Pricing:
| Starter | Pro | Enterprise |
| $29/mo | $49/mo | $249/mo |
12. Brand24
Brand24 is a user-friendly social media monitoring platform that tracks online mentions in real time. It helps businesses measure brand awareness, monitor customer feedback, and identify potential PR crises before they escalate.
With easy-to-read dashboards and performance metrics, Brand24 is ideal for businesses that want actionable insights without a complex setup. It also provides influencer identification features and engagement analytics to help brands improve their digital presence.
Top Features:
- Instant mention alerts
- Sentiment tracking
- Discussion volume analysis
- Exportable reports
Website: https://brand24.com/
Pricing:
| Individual | Team | Pro | Business | Enterprise |
| $149/mo | $249/mo | $299/mo | $499/mo | $1499/mo |
13. Sendible
Sendible is a social media management and monitoring solution designed especially for agencies and growing brands. It allows users to monitor mentions, schedule posts, and generate performance reports across multiple platforms from a single dashboard.
The platform offers strong collaboration features, making it easy for teams to manage approval workflows and client reporting. Sendible also integrates with various third-party tools, helping businesses streamline their digital marketing processes.
Top Features:
- Social listening and monitoring
- Content scheduling tools
- Client reporting features
- Team collaboration workflows
- Multiple platform integrations
Website: www.sendible.com/
Pricing:
| Creator | Traction | Scale | Advanced | Enterprise |
| $29/mo | $89/mo | $199/mo | $299/mo | $750/mo |
14. HubSpot Social Media Tools
HubSpot offers social media monitoring features as part of its broader marketing platform. Businesses can track mentions, monitor engagement, and connect social conversations directly to customer records within the HubSpot CRM.
This integration makes HubSpot particularly powerful for businesses focused on inbound marketing and lead generation. It enables marketers to measure how social media interactions contribute to conversions and overall business growth.
Top Features:
- Social monitoring integrated with CRM
- Lead tracking from social platforms
- Campaign performance analytics
- Publishing and scheduling tools
- Detailed marketing reports
Website: https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/social-media
Pricing:
| Free | Starter | Professional | Enterprise |
| $0 | $8.29/mo | $735.43/mo | $3307.92/mo |
15. NetBase Quid
NetBase Quid is an advanced AI-powered platform and one of the leading social media monitoring software used for social media analytics and consumer intelligence. It helps enterprises analyze large volumes of social and market data to uncover trends, sentiment shifts, and competitive insights.
The platform is especially useful for global brands that need deep data analysis and predictive insights. With machine learning capabilities and detailed visual dashboards, NetBase Quid enables businesses to make strategic, data-driven decisions.
Top Features:
- AI-driven sentiment analysis
- Market trend detection
- Competitive intelligence
- Data visualization dashboards
- Predictive analytics tools
Website: www.netbasequid.com/
Pricing:
- Available on request
Comparison Table
| Tool Name | Core Monitoring Capabilities | Supported Platforms | Reporting & Integrations |
| Brandwatch | Real-time monitoring, AI sentiment analysis, competitor tracking, crisis alerts | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Blogs, Forums, News | Custom dashboards, API access, CRM integrations, advanced exportable reports |
| Sprout Social | Brand monitoring, keyword tracking, sentiment analysis | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube | Smart Inbox, CRM integration, custom reports, team collaboration |
| Hootsuite | Keyword streams, mention tracking, competitor monitoring | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube | Analytics dashboard, export reports, team permissions, app integrations |
| Talkwalker | AI social listening, visual recognition, crisis detection | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Blogs, Forums, News | Advanced analytics, custom dashboards, API, enterprise integrations |
| Meltwater | Social + media monitoring, sentiment tracking, influencer analysis | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, News, Blogs | Media reports, CRM integration, dashboards, exportable insights |
| Agorapulse | Brand mentions, keyword monitoring, competitor tracking | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube | Unified inbox, performance reports, team workflows, CRM sync |
| Mention | Real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, competitor monitoring | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Blogs, News | Custom dashboards, exportable reports, integrations |
| Zoho Social | Brand monitoring, keyword tracking, engagement tracking | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X | Zoho CRM integration, analytics reports, collaboration tools |
| BuzzSumo | Content monitoring, brand mentions, trend tracking | Facebook, X, YouTube, Blogs, News | Content performance reports, influencer insights, export options |
| Keyhole | Hashtag tracking, campaign monitoring, influencer tracking | Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok | Campaign analytics, automated reports, dashboard insights |
| Awario | Real-time monitoring, sentiment analysis, Boolean search | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Blogs, Forums | Custom reports, data export, API access |
| Brand24 | Instant alerts, sentiment tracking, discussion analysis | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Blogs, News | Exportable reports, analytics dashboard, influencer insights |
| Sendible | Social listening, mention tracking, competitor analysis | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube | Client reports, team workflows, integrations |
| HubSpot Social Tools | Social monitoring, lead tracking, engagement insights | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X | CRM integration, marketing reports, campaign tracking |
| NetBase Quid | AI sentiment analysis, trend detection, competitive intelligence | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Blogs, Forums, News | Enterprise dashboards, predictive analytics, API integration |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the selection of the optimal social media monitoring software is determined by the size of your business, objectives, and financial resources. Brandwatch or Talkwalker might be perfect solutions when you need profound AI-based insights and the business analytics of the enterprise scale. In case you prefer something easy to operate and communicate daily and report on, you can also use such tools as Sprout Social or Hootsuite.
It is not about which tool is most popular, but which one can help you to get to know your audience better and react quicker. Social media is fast-paced and customer-responsive brands are those which gain trust, enhance customer relationships and be ahead of others.
The first step is to define what you want to be spotted, then test a few platforms, and select the one that fits your long-term marketing approach. Listening is no longer optional, it is a must-have to grow.
FAQs
What Is The Difference Between Social Media Monitoring And Social Media Management?
Monitoring social media is aimed at conversations and mentions, and managing the social media involves posting, scheduling and interacting with the audiences. Most of the tools in the modern world incorporate both features within a single platform.
Are Social Media Monitoring Tools Helpful To Small Businesses?
Yes. Monitoring tools allow even small businesses to keep an eye on customer feedback and respond to complaints in time, as well as determine what type of content their audience would enjoy the most. A myriad of tools have low startup and growing brand plans.
Which Platforms Are Available To The Social Media Monitoring Tools?
The majority of the tools are able to track such major platforms as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube, and occasionally Tik Tok. Other sophisticated tools monitor forums, blogs, review sites, and online news publications.
Are These Tools Useful In The Management Of A Crisis?
Yes. The social media monitoring software will help the businesses identify sudden negative mentions, spikes or abrupt activity and respond swiftly to avert the situation before it turns into a big PR problem.
Which Is The Most Effective Social Media Monitoring Tools?
Begin by defining your objectives either brand monitoring, competition research, measuring a campaign, or managing your reputation. Next, compare features, cost, ease of use, and integration support to choose the tool, which will suit you best.
