Instagram vs Sprout Social

Two Organic social tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, Instagram comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

Only Instagram has a free plan to start on.
In our Organic social ranking, Instagram places 11 and Sprout Social 3 of 14.

Side by side

Instagram and Sprout Social compared
At a glance	Instagram	Sprout Social
Starts at	Not known yet	$79/mo
Free plan	Yes	No
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Not known yet	Yes
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Instagram

FreeFree to use for personal, creator and business accounts; advertising is bought separately through Meta Ads.Free

Sprout Social

EssentialsPer seat; $99 per month billed monthly, $79 per month billed annually.$99/mo/seat
StandardPer seat; $199 per month billed annually, monthly price not shown.$2,388/yr/seat
ProfessionalPer seat; $299 per month billed annually, monthly price not shown.$3,588/yr/seat
AdvancedPer seat; $399 per month billed annually, monthly price not shown.$4,788/yr/seat

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Instagram if…

Consumer brands, creators and service businesses with a visual story to tell that want to post regularly, talk to customers in messages and run ads to the same audience.

Visit Read the review

Choose Sprout Social if…

Mid-market and enterprise marketing teams managing several brands or many profiles that need publishing, a shared inbox, listening and reporting in one social platform with collaboration workflows.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

ToolClient acquisition
Metricool
Schedule social posts, analyse engagement, and manage paid campaigns across multiple platforms in one place.
Organic social
From €16/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on Metricool
ToolClient acquisition
Hootsuite
Schedules posts, monitors conversations and reports on performance across multiple social media networks.
Organic social
From $99/mo yearly
Sign up on Hootsuite
ToolClient acquisition
Later
Schedules and publishes visual content across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more.
Organic social
From $18.75/mo yearlyAffiliate link
Sign up on Later
ToolClient acquisition
Publer
Schedules, publishes and analyses social media content across multiple platforms from one calendar.
Organic social
From $5/moFree plan
Sign up on Publer
ToolClient acquisition
Buffer
Schedules and publishes social media posts across multiple platforms from one dashboard with team approval workflows.
Organic social
From $5/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on Buffer
ToolClient acquisition
SocialPilot
Schedule, publish and manage social media across multiple channels and analyse performance from one dashboard.
Organic social
From €16.15/mo yearly
Sign up on SocialPilot