Top 4 Sprout Social Alternatives based on 27,000+ Reviews

The character of customer support is evolving. Clients are getting extra comfy with social customer support choices. 

Supply: HubSpot and Brandwatch.¹

Sprout Social is likely one of the social customer support software program suppliers that grant direct entry to clients throughout on-line interactions; nevertheless, customers and IT professionals have reported that the product is just not an optimum answer for his or her group as a consequence of its drawbacks, equivalent to excessive pricing and social media options’ limitations.

This text will cowl the options, consumer rankings, and pricing of one of the best Sprout Social options.

Comparability of the highest 4 Sprout Social options

Desk 1: Comparability by market presence

Distributors	Whole variety of workers	Whole critiques*	Common rankings*	Ease of use**	High quality of help**	Free trial	Pricing: begins from per seat/month
Sprout Social	1,458	3,390	4.4	8.9	8.7	30-day	$249.00
Zendesk Assist Suite	6,275	10,321	4.3	8.5	8.4	14-day	$55.00
Salesforce Service Cloud	70,443	4,593	4.4	8.1	8.1	30-day	$25.00
Freshdesk	12,917	6,753	4.4	8.8	8.8	14-day	$15.00
Intercom	1,324	4,041	4.4	8.9	8.7	14-day	$39.00

*Based mostly on the whole variety of workers on LinkedIn as of 11/14/2023.

**Based mostly on the whole variety of critiques and common rankings on Capterra, Gartner, and G2 software program assessment platforms as of 11/14/2023. 

*** The benefit of high quality and high quality of help knowledge are based mostly on G2 rankings as of 14/11/2023.

Desk 2: Comparability by options

Distributors	AI chatbot	Social media monitoring	Suggestions surveys	Customized experiences	# of integrations*	Supported languages
Sprout Social	In premium plans	✅	In premium plans	Solely within the highest plan	350+	5
Zendesk Assist Suite	Add-on	In premium plans	In premium plans	In premium plans	1200+	30+
Salesforce Service Cloud	Add-on	Add-on	In premium plans	Add-on	2500+	35+
Freshdesk	Add-on	In premium plans	✅	In premium plans	650+	30+
Intercom	✅	✖	Add-on	In premium plans	350+	44+

* The # of integrations (2,500+) for Salesforce Service Cloud product knowledge represents the whole # of integrations for Salesforce.

Disclaimer: Sprout Social is ranked first, adopted by sponsored distributors )Zendesk Assist Suite and Salesforce Service Cloud). Different options are organized in descending order based mostly on the whole variety of critiques they’ve acquired.

Vendor choice standards

The listings above have been narrowed based on the seller standards talked about beneath, serving to organizations make extra correct analyses contemplating the abundance of social customer support software program distributors.

• Worker measurement: 1,000+ workers on LinkedIn
• Variety of critiques: 3,000+ complete critiques on Capterra, Gartner, and G2. 
• Common ranking: 4+/5 on Capterra, Gartner, and G2. 
• Ease of high quality and high quality of help ranking: 8+/10 on G2.

What’s social customer support software program?

Social customer support software program is a software that allows human brokers to supply real-time buyer help via social media channels, together with social media posts, direct messages, or boards.

 It has two predominant functions:

1. Responding to inquiries clients could have regarding services or products.
2. Providing technical steerage and problem-solving help to clients.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social, established in 2010 in Chicago, U.S., is a platform for social media administration and intelligence focused at organizations of any measurement.²

Sprout Social helps social media advertising efforts between customers and their audiences on varied channels (Instagram, WhatsApp, Fb, and X), releasing them up to focus on constructing relationships with their model’s most engaged followers. 

Execs

Social media service: Busy social media entrepreneurs state that the software program’s unmatched energy is the “Sensible Inbox”, which they assume is a time saver for in-house customers, enabling them to deal with a considerable variety of social media accounts or inbound buyer help requests.³

Ease-of-use: Some customers spotlight that the platform’s single dashboard permits them to learn and reply to all feedback, tags, and direct messages throughout completely different social networking platforms successfully. Additionally they say that the “Sensible Inbox” operate saves time by eliminating the necessity for manually logging in to a number of social media platforms independently.⁴

Reporting options: Some customers emphasize that Sprout Social’s reporting and analytics options are straightforward to make use of, permitting them to switch paperwork effectively over a number of platforms.⁵

Cons

Pricing: In line with customers, the worth tag of Sprout Social is a significant downside. Customers additionally state that the software program is considerably costlier than its rivals, and a number of other capabilities, together with customized experiences and canned replies, are charged individually relatively than included in the usual pricing.⁶

Social media limitations: A number of customers comment that it’s troublesome to customise and publish tales. One reviewer notes that it’s not possible to see and collect knowledge from TikTok and reply feedback.⁷⁸

Social media integrations: A number of reviewers be aware that the platform has restricted social media integration capabilities. For instance, posts on Instagram are usually not totally seen in gross sales apps.⁹

Social media performance: Customers anticipate to have a extra streamlined strategy of posting throughout a number of social media accounts whereas utilizing Sprout Social. They state that, whereas duplicating posts, they nonetheless want to make sure that the suitable consumer receives Instagram notifications.¹⁰

Consumer Rankings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• Gartner: 4.3/5
• G2: 4.4/5

Pricing (per seat/month, billed yearly)

Customary: $249

Skilled: $399

Superior: $499

Enterprise: Customized pricing

Free trial: 30-day¹¹

Prime 4 Sprout Social options 

1- Zendesk Assist Suite

Zendesk Assist Suite, based in Denmark in 2007, has over 5,400 workers and assists about 160,000 companies in speaking and managing their clients throughout social media platforms.¹²

Zendesk is Sprout Social various that allows brokers to decide on between public chats, tweets, messages, and emails whereas gathering buyer knowledge in a single location for a personalized buyer expertise.

Execs

Social media customer support: A number of customers emphasize that Sprout Social is a helpful software to arrange all the buyer questions on one platform. Social media administration instruments in any type, equivalent to e-mail, SMS, Whatsapp, or on-line media, will be successfully tracked with out something being ignored.¹³

Customization: Some customers complement the flexibility to personalize options based on their particular use instances; some customization options they like embody creating shortcuts or eliminating fields and buttons.¹⁴

Responsive UI: Customers recognize the responsiveness of Zendesk’s UI makes your complete suite straightforward to browse. Customers state that they will effectively shift between the chat screens whereas studying help tickets and social media tickets on the identical time.¹⁵

Cons

Social media integrations: Customers anticipate to have a stronger social media presence with Zendesk, noting that the social media help integration could possibly be extra intensive for all social media websites equivalent to YouTube, Pinterest, Fb, and LinkedIn.¹⁶

Preliminary setup: Customers declare that as there are quite a few options and settings accessible, software program setup could get complicated, making it unsuitable for common or newbie customers.¹⁷

Technical help: Some enterprise-level clients acknowledged that Sprout Social’s technical help is inadequate.¹⁸

Consumer Rankings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• Gartner: 4.3/5
• G2: 4.3/5

Pricing (per seat/month, billed yearly)

• Suite group: $55.00
• Suite progress: $89.00
• Suite skilled: $115.00
• Suite enterprise: Customized pricing
• Free trial: 14-day¹⁹

2- Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is one other various to Sprout Social with cloud-based social media service options that help customers in streamlining companies, bettering workflows, and figuring out related topics to assist human brokers in social media service operations.

Customers of Salesforce Social Buyer Service can rework social media postings into instances or leads. Brokers could reply to social media feedback, posts, hashtags, or mentions from the Service Console, enabling your organization to take part in buyer interactions on platforms equivalent to X, Instagram, Fb, and YouTube.

Execs

Omni-channel social media integrations: Some customers recognize the omnichannel functionality of Service Cloud for integrating new social media channels.²⁰

Social media customer support: Customers be aware that the software program maintains monitor of all gross sales knowledge associated to customer support whereas enabling them to have highly effective service oversight over social media profiles.²¹
Customization: Customers say that Salesforce Service Cloud permits them to customise fields to fulfill the wants of their firm effectively.²²

Cons

Social media efficiency: Some customers declare that Service Cloud doesn’t present easy use instances.²³

Pricing: Customers say that small companies could discover the primary subscription price prohibitively costly.²⁴

Customer support operate usability: In line with some customers, navigation between varied help points takes time and could also be improved because it brings customers to the house display screen and causes them to browse backwards and forwards.²⁵

Consumer Rankings

• Capterra: 4.4/5
• Gartner: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.3/5

Pricing (beginning value per seat/month, billed yearly)

• Starter: $25.00
• Skilled: $80.00
• Enterprise: $165.00
• Limitless: $330.00
• Free trial: 30-day²⁶

3- Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a customer support software program with social service options that helps customers have interaction with clients on social media channels equivalent to X, Instagram, and Fb from a single interface.

The social media administration platform has a selected menu bar for social media managers and customers to manage, oversee, and handle the social media customer support operations referred to as “Social”.  It contains an AI-powered social sign analyzer that screens social media posts that point out your organization. Utilizing its built-in machine studying know-how, Social discovers, learns, and offers suggestions on related postings. These postings are transformed into filtered tickets, stopping the help group from losing time on irrelevant points. 

Execs

Customer support (tickets): Customers comment that Freshdesk interacts seamlessly with their know-how stack and that it’s easy to trace down and handle instances. All help tickets (no matter channel, i.e., social media, in-app assist, email correspondence, and so forth.) are routed proper to their group’s Slack channel.²⁷

Buyer help: A number of customers state that Freshdesk’s customer support is top-notch. 24/7 e-mail help is obtainable via automated and fixed chat, emails, telephone calls, and social media.²⁸

Connectivity: Some customers state that the soundness of the Freshdesk connection is highly effective, which makes it a dependable and safe social media administration software.²⁹

Cons

Pricing construction: In line with customers, Freshdesk’s pricing is likely to be sophisticated as a result of there are a number of add-ons accessible.³⁰

Social media channel fragmentation: Customers state that it may be troublesome for corporations to deal with and react to buyer requests that are available throughout many channels equivalent to e-mail, chat, telephone, social media, and others.³¹

Crashes and buyer help: Some customers draw consideration to the upkeep downside that causes the Freshdesk cell app to crash, noting that no data is given as to why the software program crashes or how lengthy will probably be down.³²

Consumer Rankings

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• Gartner: 4.4/5
• G2: 4.4/5

Pricing (per seat/month)

• Development: $15.00
• Omni-channel progress: $29.00
• Professional: $48.00
• Omni-channel professional: $59.00
• Enterprise: $69.00
• Omni-channel enterprise: $99.00
• Free-trial: 14-day³³

4- Intercom

Intercom is a customer support platform that helps companies improve their buyer expertise by delivering end-to-end engagement on social media administration platforms.

Execs

Social media customer support: Customers affirm that Intercom’s social media channels operate precisely; there’s no want for them to refresh the web site to see whether or not there’s a message on Fb, Instagram, or every other social media web sites.³⁴

Social media communications (search software): Intercom is taken into account to be an environment friendly social media scheduling software by customers. Customers state that social media communications will be simply managed; the search software successfully collects knowledge from all the shoppers and sends messages to them.³⁵

Ease-of-use: Evaluations reveal that the shared inbox operate helps ship fast and simple help; from the display screen, customers could effectively get hold of data, present commercials, course of leads, and supply customer support help.³⁶

Cons

Social media integrations: Customers categorical that Intercom could enhance a few of its integrations, significantly with social media platforms equivalent to Fb; these integrations seem to bug out incessantly and should trigger communication gaps with clients.³⁷

Pricing construction: The worth construction is sophisticated; a number of clients had been not sure how a lot they pay for every exercise or operate they use.³⁸

Complicated platform: Intercom appears to be a comparatively complicated social media administration software, based on some customers because of the quite a few capabilities it offers.³⁹

Consumer Rankings

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• Gartner: 4.1/5
• G2: 4.5/5

Pricing (per seat/month, billed yearly)

•  Important: $39.00
• Superior: $99.00
• Professional: $139.00
• Free-trial: 14-day⁴⁰

4 core options of Sprout Social options

The core options defined beneath are based mostly on distinctive options in contrast in Desk 2 (see above). To realize in-depth data associated to social buyer software program options, learn our up-to-date and data-driven article on social customer support.

1- AI chatbots

AI chatbots are clever chatbots that make use of synthetic intelligence (AI) or generative AI strategies equivalent to machine studying to develop responses over time to gather consumer knowledge and precisely be taught, analyze, and comprehend the info set for particular intentions.

AI chatbots for social media customer support: ~90% of buyer inquiries are dealt with in at most 10 messages or much less with AI chatbots.⁴¹

The vast majority of chatbot discussions are temporary and to the purpose. AI chatbots (e.g., Instagram chatbots) can management the consumer expertise, dialog movement, and response time on social media communications. This helps clients get hold of fast responses on social channels.

2- Social media monitoring

Social media monitoring is a technique of reviewing and reacting to social media interactions associated to your organization, equivalent to key mentions, feedback, postings, and hashtags. 

~80% of surveyed professionals think about social monitoring as a key planning factor in defining social media technique.⁴²

3- Suggestions surveys

A buyer suggestions survey is a technique of figuring out and measuring the satisfaction of varied company items or clients to watch their experiences, wants, and concepts associated to the model. 

Suggestions is set by monitoring the corporate’s services or products and might usually encompass exactly written questions. Suggestions surveys will be delivered via direct messages, on-line surveys, and on-line group boards throughout social channels.

4- Customized experiences

Customized experiences, in distinction to straightforward experiences, are insights (e.g., social media analytics) that you just develop based on distinctive necessities to fulfill particular reporting calls for.

With customized reporting, customers can leverage a variety of visualization choices by including particular filters, guaranteeing the info is displayed in probably the most helpful method. 

Transparency assertion

AIMultiple serves quite a few tech corporations, together with Salesforce and Zendesk.

Additional studying

Learn our clear, up-to-date articles to be taught extra about social customer support options and buyer engagement automation.

For extra on customer support, try our data-driven listing of buyer expertise software program.

Contact us to search out out extra about social customer support:

Discover the Proper Distributors

Exterior Hyperlinks

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