Sprout Social Alternatives: Per-Seat Cost Compared
Short answer: Sprout Social is priced per seat. Its publishing plan, Essentials, is $79 per seat a month on annual billing or $99 billed monthly, for 5 social profiles; Standard is $199 per seat. TimeToPost is $12 a month flat for unlimited accounts. Sprout is the stronger tool for inboxes, reviews and reporting; for publishing alone it costs 6 to 8 times more per person.
By the TimeToPost team. Last reviewed 2026-11-01.
Every Sprout Social price and limit on this page was read on the Sprout Social pricing page on 1 November 2026. TimeToPost figures match our pricing page on the same date. Prices are in US dollars before tax.
TimeToPost vs Sprout Social at a glance
The table compares the entry plans side by side, then the limits that usually decide the switch.
| TimeToPost | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $12/month Starter ($9.60/month billed yearly) | Essentials: $79/month per seat (annual billing), $99 billed monthly |
| How the price grows | Flat price, unlimited social accounts | Per seat; Essentials and Standard include 5 social profiles, Professional ($299) is unlimited |
| Higher plans | Pro $49.99/month, Growth $99/month | Standard $199, Professional $299, Advanced $399 per seat per month |
| Free plan | No free plan; your first post is free without a card | None |
| Free trial | 14 days, card required; 30-day money-back guarantee | 30 days, no credit card required |
| Best time to post | Best time to post from your own engagement data, on Starter | Optimal send times on Essentials |
| Inbox, reviews, monitoring | Not included | Consolidated inbox, review management and keyword monitoring on Standard |
| Facebook publishing | Not supported | Yes |
Every teammate is another seat
Sprout prices every plan per seat. A three-person team on Essentials pays $237 a month on annual billing and $297 billed monthly, for 5 profiles. The same team on TimeToPost Starter pays $12 for unlimited accounts, with client approvals; TimeToPost does not charge per reviewer. Sprout does offer the longest trial in this group: 30 days with no card.
Where Sprout Social is the better choice
Sprout Social beats TimeToPost on these points, and they are good reasons to stay.
- A full engagement suite: inbox, review management, keyword and location monitoring.
- Deep reporting and a 30-day trial without a card.
- Facebook publishing and enterprise support (Enterprise plan with SSO setup).
Where TimeToPost is the better choice
TimeToPost is the better Sprout Social alternative when these points matter more to you.
- Price: $12 flat against $79 to $99 per seat.
- Unlimited accounts on the entry plan; Sprout Essentials and Standard include 5 profiles.
- An MCP server for AI agents on every plan; Sprout lists its API on Advanced.
- Networks such as Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, WordPress and Ghost.
Which one to pick
Pick Sprout Social if your team handles customer messages and reviews and reports to leadership.
Pick TimeToPost if the job is publishing on schedule with approvals and the budget is a solo or small-team one.
Other alternatives we checked
Each comparison below uses prices read on 1 November 2026. The alternatives overview puts all of them in one table.
- Buffer alternatives: $6/month per channel ($5 yearly), per channel.
- Hootsuite alternatives: From $99/month per user, per user.
- Later alternatives: $25/month ($18.75 yearly), per social set and user.
- Publer alternatives: From $5/month for 1 account, per account and member.
- Post Planner alternatives: $14/month ($9 yearly), per plan tier (account caps).
- SocialBee alternatives: $29/month ($290/year), per profile tier and user.
- Metricool alternatives: $25/month ($20 yearly), per brand count, x add-on.
How we checked
We opened the Sprout Social pricing page on 2026-11-01 and copied each figure as published, for monthly and yearly billing where both are shown. Where Sprout Social does not publish a number, the table says what the page does say instead of estimating. TimeToPost plan limits come from the plan configuration the app enforces. When either price changes, this page gets a new date.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Sprout Social cost per month?
Essentials is $79 per seat a month on annual billing or $99 billed monthly; Standard is $199, Professional $299 and Advanced $399 per seat a month, on the pricing page checked 1 November 2026.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Sprout Social for scheduling?
Yes. TimeToPost Starter schedules to unlimited accounts for $12 a month with approvals and best time to post. It does not include an inbox, review management or listening.
Does Sprout Social have a free plan?
No. Sprout offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
How many profiles does Sprout Social Essentials include?
Five social profiles per Essentials subscription. Professional and Advanced include unlimited profiles.
Try TimeToPost: $12 a month for unlimited accounts, client approvals and your own best time to post. Your first post is free.
Start free