Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social: Who wins the Battle?

Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social: Who wins the Battle?

Zoho Social vs Sprout Social

Overview

The tool offers flexible scheduling that saves time. Its publishing feature lets you easily visualize your content pipeline.

Zoho Social lets you connect multiple social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Business Profile, and Instagram.

With Zoho Social, you can not only schedule and publish posts and track performance, but you can collaborate with your team members too. You can also access useful features such as social listening. Such a feature enables you to examine the social strategies of your rivals or simply check the mentions of your brand on social channels. You can even create custom reports with Zoho Social to examine your social performance, and use the tool to access valuable social analytics.

In all, Zoho Social is a great social media management tool, created keeping in mind that businesses of all sizes and industries are able to effectively use it.

With Sprout Social, you can manage social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. You can also manage reviews on Facebook and Google Business Profile. A great thing about the tool is that it offers a clean UI so the user is able to use the tool easily and leverage all its features.

When you talk of the integration capabilities of the Sprout Social platform, it allows easy integration with tools like Canva, Google Analytics, Tableau, Salesforce Cloud Intelligence, Feedly, etc.

Apart from this, Sprout Social is also known for its inbox capabilities. This is one place where you get a view of your social interactions. Another thing for which this platform is widely known for its data-driven insights. They provide much help in driving your marketing strategy. The tool’s analytics also offer valuable information on the best time to publish content, which helps you schedule your social media posts according to the ideal times of engagement with your audience.

Best Suitable for

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Start with $15

Freelancers, Startup Agencies, Growing Agencies

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

Start with $249

Small Business, Enterprise, Agencies

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Start with $30

SMBs, Agencies, Multi-Location Brands

At a Glance

Now that we have learnt about the different features of Zoho Social and Sprout Social, let’s compare these two on the basis of their ratings.

The overall star rating of Zoho Social is more than Sprout Social. It also scores more than Sprout Social when it comes to ease of setup and ease of use. But Sprout Social is rated more than Zoho Social when it comes to the quality of support offered.

Note: SocialPilot, a strong contender that you will always find in the lists of Zoho Social and Sprout Social alternatives, is rated more than both the tools in terms of the quality of support that users receive.

Take a look at all the scores for Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social, along with SocialPilot, to get a detailed picture.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Number of Reviews 2392 2131 741
Overall Star Rating
Ease of Use
Quality of Support
Ease of Setup
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Quick Comparison

In this Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social comparison, it’s important to take a look at the features that differentiate the two tools.

Let’s start with pricing. When it comes to plans for agencies, which one is less costly? Zoho Social or Sprout Social?

Sprout Social’s plans for agencies cost $499 per month, while Zoho Social’s Agency plan costs $320 for the same duration. This means the latter is less costly than the former. But, Sprout Social lets you schedule 10,000 posts in this plan as opposed to 350 by Zoho Social in the same plan.

Now when we come to the features of both the tools, both Sprout Social and Zoho Social offer a useful set for effective social media management, such as publishing, analytics, inbox, and collaboration.

It’s important to note that Zoho Social offers localization capabilities in German, which Sprout Social doesn’t. Zoho Social also offers white-labeling which Sprout Social doesn’t.

Note: SocialPilot is another tool that also offers important features for effective social media management. It’s a great Sprout Social alternative, offering the important feature of white-labeling.

Here’s a direct comparison of Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social along with SocialPilot for a better understanding:

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can't Miss to Compare
Minimum Pricing $15/Month $249/Month $30/Month
Number of Accounts 100 5 10
Number of Team Members 5 1 2
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled 350 Unlimited Unlimited
Core Capabilities
Scheduling & Publishing check check check
Analytics check check check
Inbox check check check
Collaboration check check check
Competitor Tracking check check check
Whitelabel check check check
Localization German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Support Email, FAQs, Webinars, Product Guide, Forum Priority Email & Chat Support Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Review

Positive

  • You can streamline social media conversations with Sprout Social's unified message inbox, allowing you to view and respond to messages from multiple networks and searches all in one convenient place.
  • Sprout Social allows individuals to keep track of their social goals and determine if they are on the right path with the help of weekly reports. This provides a clear and concise overview of the progress made, making it easier to identify areas that need improvement.
  • Sprout Social's integration of analytical functions provides a comprehensive approach to monitoring the performance of campaigns, publications, and social media listening. It offers a professional way to track and measure success, making it a valuable tool for businesses to optimize their social media strategies.

Negative

  • One limitation users have noted is the inability to tag people on Instagram when creating a post using Sprout Social. It is a commonly used feature and its unavailability can hinder those looking to increase their reach and engagement.
  • The lack of customization options for social media messages across multiple channels can frustrate users. The current system for replying to comments within the app is seen as inadequate, causing a hindrance to efficient engagement with followers.
  • The rise in the cost of Sprout Social has resulted in a substantial monthly fee, making it a costly investment. It can be a significant burden for smaller companies and may limit the accessibility of this platform to a wider range of users.

Positive

  • The feature of brand profiles inside Zoho Social enables you to easily switch between different accounts, keeping your content organized and helping you to better manage each brand's unique presence on social media.
  • Zoho Social provides robust analytics capabilities. Unlike other platforms focusing on ad management, Zoho Social delivers comprehensive data and insights on your organic social media efforts.
  • Zoho Social's collaborative features make it easy for team members to work together on social media planning and allow better flexibility and adaptability.

Negative

  • The lack of a preview feature in Zoho Social can be a drawback for users who value visual consistency and may want to make minor tweaks to social media posts before publishing to ensure optimal appearance and messaging.
  • The slight delay in scheduling posts on Zoho Social can be frustrating for users who prioritize efficiency and need to publish content quickly and consistently.
  • Zoho Social does not offer an easy or streamlined way to integrate UTMs into links.

Positive

  • SocialPilot can schedule posts in advance on multiple platforms at once while customizing the post for each one of them for the scheduler.
  • You can upload and schedule up to 500 posts at once using SocialPilot through its handy bulk import feature. These can be link posts, text, or even image posts to any of the platforms which SocialPilot supports.
  • SocialPilot allows users and clients to collaborate efficiently and save a great deal of time managing social networks.

Negative

  • Users can post directly using their Instagram business account, but they will get mobile reminders in case of a personal account. This is a common issue on all social media management platforms since there is no available API for Instagram personal accounts.
  • Users have expressed a desire for more information on setting up accounts and configurations for approvals. Some have struggled with this aspect and had to face challenges in figuring it out.
  • SocialPilot does not have a free version available, leaving users with only a 14-day free trial option to test the app. The free trial can be accessed without the need for a credit card, making it a risk-free opportunity for those who want to explore the features and capabilities of the app before making a purchase.

Pricing

The question of which one is less costly of the two – Zoho Social or Sprout Social, can very well impact how any user makes a choice between the two.

So next, let’s discuss pricing plans in our Sprout Social vs. Zoho Social comparison. The former offers 5 paid plans, and the latter offers 4 paid plans. Zoho Social’s plan for agencies cost $320 per month, which is $179 less than Sprout Social’s plan for agencies for the same duration.

Note: SocialPilot, always considered a strong contender in the list of alternatives of Zoho Social and Sprout Social out there, offers plans for agencies priced at $100 per month. Under this plan, you can schedule unlimited posts, a feature you don’t find in Zoho Social or Sprout Social’s plans for agencies.

Although we have discussed the plans for agencies for both the tools, check the below table for a clear picture.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Business - Standard
$15/per month
Standard
$249/per month
Professional
$30/per month
Business - Professional
$40/per month
Professional
$399/per month
Small Team
$50/per month
Business - Premium
$65/per month
Advanced
$499/per month
Agency
$100/per month
Agency
$320/per month
Enterprise
Custom
Agency+
$200/per month
Agency plus
$460/per month
- -
15 Days Free Trial
Credit Card Required
30 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
Learn More Learn More Start Your free Trial

In-depth Scheduling and Publishing Capabilities Comparison

Businesses and brands looking to automate content publishing on social media opt for social media management tools. This makes scheduling and publishing vital aspects of such a tool.

Be it Sprout Social vs. Zoho Social, both offer smart and advanced scheduling, you can customize posts for each platform, and also use features such as Canva integration. However, Zoho Social doesn’t offer post preview, a feature that Sprout Social offers. You can also not tag profiles on Instagram images with Zoho Social. Again, Sprout Social offers this feature.

Even Sprout Social misses out on some features that Zoho Social offers. For instance, it does not offer reel scheduling.

Note: From offering post preview to reel scheduling, SocialPilot provides its users with a fantastic suite of features. This makes it a great alternative to both tools.

Here is a table comparing Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social, talking about the scheduling and publishing capabilities of both the tools, alongside SocialPilot.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Smart & Advanced Queueing check check check
Customize Post for Each Platform check check check
Post Preview check check check
Canva Integration check check check
Unsplash Integration check check check
Slack Integration check check check
URL Shortener check check check
Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) check check check
UTM Parameters check check check
Cloud Storage check check check
Hashtag Suggestions check check check
Advance Publishing Capabilities
Save Draft Posts check check check
AI Assistant check check check
Watermark on Images check check check
Bulk Scheduling check check check
Content Curation check check check
Auto publishing from RSS check check check
Social media calendar check check check
Mobile App check check check
Browser Extension check check check
Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Support Album Posts check check check
Support Carousel Posts check check check
Alternate Text on Image check check check
Support Facebook First Comment check check check
Audience Targeting check check check
Boost Post Scheduling check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities
Location Tagging check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Support Multiple Image Posts check check check
Threads Scheduling check check check
Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Story Scheduling check check check
Tag Profiles on Images check check check
Location Tagging check check check
Support Instagram First Comment check check check
Instagram Grid check check check
Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities
Audience Targeting check check check
Support LinkedIn First Comment check check check
Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities
#shorts Scheduling check check check
Mention of Other Youtube Accounts check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

In-depth Analytics Capability Comparison

When marketers are armed with numbers and trends, they don’t find it challenging to make any correct decision. In this section, we will compare the analytics capabilities of both the tools.

So, who scores extra when it comes to this capability? Zoho Social or Sprout Social?

Well, when it comes to analytical points, both the tools match each other.

Both Zoho Social and Sprout Social come with a custom report builder, possess the feature to auto schedule reports with team and client, and offer the feature to email PDF reports to clients.

Take a look at the vital aspects of analytics and reporting in this Zoho Social or Sprout Social table below, alongside SocialPilot as a reference point.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format check check check
Email PDF Report to Client check check check
Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client check check check
Custom Report Builder check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

In-depth Inbox/Listening Capability Comparison

The listening features of a social media management tool can form, grow, and give shape to a brand’s perception in the mind of their audience. Both Zoho Social and Sprout Social match each other when you compare their listening capability.

Both tools offer essential social listening capabilities such as allowing you to reply to messages. Both tools allow real-time listening while letting you respond to visitor posts, reviews, and questions.

Let us examine the table below to know how Zoho Social vs. Sprout Social compares to SocialPilot when it comes to listening capabilities.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can Reply Message check check check
Can Reply Questions and Reviews check check check
Can Reply on Visitor Posts check check check
Real-Time Social Listening check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

In-depth Social Media Collaboration Capability Comparison

Whether you are a business or a marketing agency, effective collaboration is important for social media management. Both Sprout Social and Zoho Social are equally worthy of providing their users with useful collaborative capabilities, with SocialPilot matching them in every aspect.

Both tools allow per-post multi-user collaboration and free unlimited client onboarding. Both tools provide access management and content approval workflows as well.

In the table below, we have compared all collaboration capabilities of Zoho Social, Sprout

Social, along with SocialPilot.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Free Unlimited Client Onboarding check check check
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check check check
Access Management check check check
Content Approval Workflow check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the downside of Sprout Social?

Sprout Social’s plans for agencies cost $499 per month, which is more on the pricier side. You can easily get a better alternative in the market that costs less and gets more done!

Moreover, Sprout Social also doesn’t offer reel scheduling, a feature that is fast growing in demand. You can’t even tag Instagram images with the tool. So, if you are looking for these features and wish for a tool that is less costly, you can always look for another reliable social media management tool in the market.

Why is Sprout Social better?

Sprout Social is better in many aspects. It offers a complete range of analytics, publishing, and social listening capabilities. It also offers the important feature of white-labeling. Having said this, you need to spend a lot more on the tool in order to access the fantastic features of the tool.

What is Zoho Social used for?

Zoho Social helps you post, schedule, measure, and monitor your social media posts from a single interface, across different social platforms. These channels include Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google Business Profile, and LinkedIn.

Does Zoho Social have a free version?

Zoho Social offers a free edition. Under this plan, one team member can use the tool and the user can publish on a total of 7 channels.

Can I use Sprout Social for free?

Sprout Social doesn’t offer a free plan. But, you can opt for a free trial of the tool. You get 30 days to try the tool. After your trial ends, Sprout Social will ask you to select a plan and share your payment details.

About the Author

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Jimit Bagadiya

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