Social media is a big part of modern-day business if you are an enterprise, startup, or you are a person with a brand. However, having a presence on social media is not what you need, but you must have some understanding of what happens and what doesn’t. This is where tools for social media analytics are really useful. These tools enable you to keep track of your posts’ performance, understand what your audience loves, and refine your strategy to get to even more people.
We’ll explore the Top Social media analytics tools of 2025, from paid to free, in this blog. With or without a budget, there’s a tool out there for you.
What are social media analytics tools?
Social media analytics solutions are software tools that gather information from your social media platforms and analyze it. Social media data from analytics programs allows you to know more about your audience as well as interactions with your posts. Using social media analytics, you can get more social media followers, gain better engagement as well as increased conversion rates.
Social media analytics tools have some extra capabilities, such as keeping track of competitor activity and analyzing it. More sophisticated tools will also enable you to “listen” to what your target audience on social media is saying about your brand in order to assess their brand perception.
Monitoring and using social media analysis tools for insights is an optimization of your social media strategy—and reinforcement of your market standing with business intelligence.
Why Social Media Analytics Tools?
Social media analytics tools have a number of advantages that assist marketers and businesses in making improved decisions:
- Track Success: Monitor engagement, follower increase, and reach to discover what is effective.
- Know Your Audience: Learn who your audience is, what their demographics are, and what they do.
- Post Optimizing Times: Determine the most optimal times to post for greatest reach and engagement.
- Compare with Competitors: Understand how your performance is relative to others in your industry.
- Improve Content: Determine what kinds of content (such as images, videos, or links) are most effective.
Best social media analytics tools
1. Buffer
Buffer is intuitive and straightforward to use, ideal for planning and posting social media messages. Easy to use and economical, which explains why small teams and one-person marketing shops favor it. Simple design with emphasis on basic metrics like engagement and follower growth.
Key Features:
- Platform-specific detailed reporting by type of content, user actions, etc.
- Paid versus organic reporting
- White label reporting
- Analysis of the best time to post
- Social media scheduling tools
Pros:
- Easy social scheduling
- Team collaboration
- Analysis is provided
- Easy interface to use
Cons:
- Limited amount of free features
- No support for TikTok
- Post delayed issues
- Pricy for teams
Price:
Starts at $5/month per social network.
2. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a widely used social media management tool with powerful analytics, scheduling, monitoring, and collaboration capabilities. It is suitable for medium to large-sized businesses seeking high-end capabilities and collaboration. It is suitable for agencies with multiple clients.
Key Features:
- Reports in detail by platform, content type, user behavior, and more
- Competitor reports
- Best Time to Post Calculator
- Repeat top posts
- Social media management apps
Pros:
- One dashboard to rule them all
- Powerful analytics apps
- Team collaboration works
- Works with many networks
Cons:
- High price points
- High learning curve
- Restricted free plan
- Busy interface
Pricing:
$99/month to start.
3. Sprout Social
Sprout Social provides a full analytics suite and superb social listening, so data-driven marketers adore it. It is capable of combining analytics with customer relationship management, which will suit those brands that wish to gain better insight into their audience relationships.
Key Features:
- Sophisticated audience demographics and engagement metrics.
- Social listening to track trends and brand awareness.
- Heavy-duty competitor benchmarking capabilities.
- CRM-like features to go after followers.
Pros:
- Sophisticated analytics tools
- Beautiful user interface
- Robust CRM capabilities
- Great customer support
Cons:
- High monthly fee
- Few integrations
- No free plan
- Hard learning curve
Pricing:
$249/month.
4. Google Analytics
Though not a social media analytics tool per se, Google Analytics is still a go-to for measuring how social media generates traffic and conversions on your site.
Google Analytics is the gold standard for tracking websites, with in-depth reporting on how social media affects website traffic and conversions. If you’re new to the platform, learning how to set up Google Analytics is a crucial first step to start collecting accurate data and making informed marketing decisions.
Key Features:
- View which social media sites and content are generating the most traffic
- Demographics data
- Calculate social media campaign ROI
- Guide campaign and quarterly planning goal-setting
Pros:
- In-depth traffic analysis
- Free to utilize
- Customizable reports
- Tracks multiple channels
Cons:
- Complicated for new users
- Sampling issues with data
- Privacy compliance issues
- Limited real-time data
Pricing:
Free.
Explore more: Best Product Management Software
5. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a single platform that has scheduling, monitoring, and analytics combined with customer relationship features. Extremely popular for its ease of use, it is an excellent solution for teams managing multiple platforms.
Key Features:
- Integrated inbox to manage all the social activities.
- Customizable reporting templates for team/client presentations.
- Audience engagement, reach, and campaign ROI metrics.
- Social listening capabilities to track mentions and trends.
Pros:
- Integrated inbox management
- Simple collaboration for teams
- Efficient reporting solutions
- Simple-to-use interface
Cons:
- Expensive for new users
- Restricted free plan
- Fewer integration
- Basic analytics features
Pricing:
Free Plan for $0/month, which includes access to 3 social profiles and 10 scheduled posts.
6. Iconosquare
Iconosquare is a visual content analytics tool that provides in-depth insights into Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook performance. Preferred by brands and influencers on Instagram and TikTok, Iconosquare leads the way in offering in-depth analytics for these visual-centric platforms.
Key Features:
- Follower growth, impressions, and reach engagement metrics.
- Best time to post suggestions based on past data.
- Competitor tracking and benchmarking capabilities.
- Deep Instagram Stories analytics.
Pros:
- In-depth analytics
- Competitor insights
- Easy-to-use interface
- Instagram/TikTok support
Cons:
- Partial platform coverage
- No hashtag creator
- Intermittent glitches
- No Story auto-posting
Pricing:
Begin at $59/month.
7. Brandwatch
Brandwatch is a leader in social listening and analytics, providing unparalleled insights into what people are talking about online. It is a master of social listening and competitive intelligence, and it is perfect for brands seeking to drive industry trends.
Key Features:
- Public perception sentiment analysis to gauge people’s attitude toward your brand.
- Influencer and trend tracking for campaigns.
- Competitor benchmarking across social channels.
- Future trend forecasting via AI-based insights.
Pros:
- Enhanced sentiment analysis
- Full data coverage
- Customizable dashboards
- Sentiment analysis to measure public sentiment towards your brand.
- Trend and influencer tracking for campaigns.
- Competitor benchmarking across media.
- AI-powered insights to forecast future trends.
Cons:
- Expensive
- Sloped learning curve
- Limited niche integrations
- No publishing options
Pricing:
It begins at $800/month.
8. Rival IQ
Rival IQ is an expert in competitive benchmarking, helping brands know their place in the market compared to their competitors. It is famously known for exposing competitor plans, hence it is important for competitive market brands.
Key Features:
- Competitive analysis for social performance.
- Social audits to find gaps and opportunities.
- Trend monitoring for industry insights.
- Post-analysis for content optimization strategies.
Pros:
- Easy interface
- Detailed analytics
- Competitor benchmarking
- Cross-platform support
Cons:
- Expensive
- Restricted user access
- No integration with SEO
- No video analytics
Pricing:
Plans begin at $239/month.
9. Sendible
Sendible is a social media management platform that supports automatic posting and measurement. Merges analytics with scheduling, enabling users to monitor trends and brand mentions. It also has a content suggestion feature to assist in making compelling posts.
This tool is particularly designed for agencies who are managing multiple clients.
Key Features:
- Automated reports
- Simple-to-understand dashboard
- Monitor multiple campaigns at a glance
Pros:
- Simple interface
- Powerful scheduling tools
- Collaboration features for teams
- Customizable reporting
- Canva integration
Cons:
- Expensive pricing
- Steep learning curve
- Limited mobile app
- No free plan
- Limited social listening
Pricing:
Beginning at $29/month.
Read more: Best Facebook Ads Tools
10. Keyhole
Keyhole understands campaign tracking and hashtag research with its real-time reporting of performance. It’s a great solution for influencer and event campaigns.
Most famous for its influencer reporting and hashtag tracking, Keyhole allows brands, as well as agencies, to see engagement and campaign performance.
Key Features:
- Analyze potential reach, comments, and sentiment
- Competitor analytics
- Social media trends
- Basic social media management
Pros:
- Real-time analytics
- Hashtag monitoring
- Influencer analysis
- Customizable reports
Cons:
- Expensive pricing
- Steep learning curve
- Partially limited platform coverage
- No direct engagement
Pricing:
Begins at $79/month.
11. Tailwind
Tailwind is Pinterest and Instagram centered, providing scheduling, analytics, and optimization features. It tracks pin performance and makes recommendations to drive engagement.
Tailwind is also primarily known for Pinterest and Instagram analytics, providing post performance and content optimization insights.
Key Features:
- In-depth reports by platform, type of content, user behavior, and more
- Automatically calculates engagement rates month to month
- Social media management tools for Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook
Pros:
- Quick UI development
- Highly customizable
- Responsive design utilities
- Small production CSS
Cons:
- Verbose HTML code
- Steep learning curve
- Build process required
- Inline styling method
Pricing:
Free plan offered; paid plans begin at $9.99/month.
Conclusion
The correct social media analytics tool is selected based on your business requirements, budget, and the platforms you are utilizing. Paid analytics tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite provide in-depth insights and richer functionalities, while free tools like Google Analytics and native platform analytics provide a good starting point for measuring performance.With proper analysis, you’ll be able to have the insights you need to make decisions, optimize your social media strategy, and propel your objectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are social media analytics tools?
Social media analytics tools are necessary to measure the performance of social media marketing campaigns. By using a tool, companies can make data-driven decisions about their social media approach at scale, like what content to produce and when to share it.
2. What can social media analytics tools help you measure?
Social media analytics tools allow companies to monitor and gauge critical key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement, reach, and impressions.
3. How can social media analytics benefit business?
Social media analytics give businesses insightful information on their performance on key social media platforms, enabling them to monitor their progress, gauge the performance of their campaigns, and streamline their strategies.
4. What can social media analytics tools assist you in measuring when evaluating campaign outcomes?
Social media analytics tools measure the effectiveness of a campaign by using key performance indicators, including audience engagement, user activity, competitor benchmarking, click-through rates and so on. The metrics will depend on the tool you are using and the kind of campaign you are conducting.
