Agorapulse vs Sprout Social vs Sked Social

Definitive Comparison for 2023

by David Olsen

On the surface, Agorapulse and Sprout Social seem to cover the same use cases. But under the hood, there are glaring differences that make them suitable for different audiences.

In this article, we'll be comparing the following

Pricing

Different plan tiers, and are added users or channels extra?

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Supported social channels

Channels, features, content types supported.

Scheduling & posting

True auto-posting? Visual planning & more.

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Inbox management

Reply and manage user engagement across channels.

Analytics

How useful are the insights and reporting?

Comparison summary

Agorapulse vs Sprout Social vs Sked Social

Agorapulse is best for teams that want to track & attribute the ROI of their social media marketing across many accounts. I see Sprout Social as a conversation management & social media exploration tool, used by marketers who want to create or refine social media strategies through Social Listening and data curation. Finally, Sked Social is best for teams and agencies of all sizes that want powerful-yet-affordable scheduling features.

Pricing
  • Planoly
  • Later
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    7-day trial. Starts $13/mo, $23/mo for teams of three, $43/mo for teams of six.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    14-day trial. Starts $40/mo for teams of three, $80/mo teams of six and $200/mo for 10 users.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    7-day trial. Starts $25/mo,$75/mo for unlimited users. Best value for money at 4+ users.
Integrations & Channels
  • Planoly
  • Later
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Main support only for Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Can share IG posts on Facebook and Twitter. Canva integration.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports all essential channels. Doesn’t support YouTube and Google Business. Unsplash integration.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports auto-posting to all major channels besides TikTok. Connects with Zapier. Canva integration.
Scheduling & Posting
  • Planoly
  • later
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Straight-forward scheduling, but  can’t auto-post content directly to Facebook or Twitter.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Customizable content for each channel. More time consuming process than Planoly.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Schedule (or queue) posts, reels, videos, carousels, stories, and more. Has a visual planner.
Inbox Management
  • planoly
  • later
  • ⭐ ⭐
    See comments and reply to them from Planoly. No DM management.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Like Planoly, but also has post view, and user view. Also no DM management.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Super user-friendly. Prioritize conversations, assign to mates, add notes, handy customer intel.
Analytics
  • planoly
  • later
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Instagram only. Track basic data like demographics and performance. More surface-level.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Powerful analytics and in-depth reports on every aspect of your social profiles.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    In-depth post engagement by the hour. Hashtag, and IG story performance. Track competition.
Team Management
  • Hootsuite
  • Buffer
  • ⭐ ⭐
    Can add users to your workspace, but can’t control their access to features
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Can allow user access to “access groups”, where you set what social channels they can manage
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Add users or clients. Manage team members’ access to different features and accounts.
  • Price
  • Channels
  • Scheduling & Posting
  • Inbox Management
  • Analytics
  • Team Management
  • Best For
  • Agorapulse
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Starts at $69/mo per user. All features for $149/moper user +$15/mo for every account over 10.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports all major channels except Pinterest.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Can adapt content when scheduling across channels.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Every conversation across all social channels in one place. Reply and collaborate with the team.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Custom analytics reports with everything you need. Social media ROI tracking.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports internal team management & up to 5 external collaborators for approval.
  • Non-IG-focused businesses and influencer brands that need social media ROI tracking.
  • sprout social
  • ⭐ ⭐
    Starts at $249/mo for 1 user, +$199/mo every additional. All features at $499/mo for unlimited accounts +$349/mo for every extra user.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports every major channel, except Instagram Threads.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    ‍Hard-to-find publishing tools. Can’t edit content for each channel separately.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Manage conversations across every channel. Filter, collaborate, and create custom views.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    In-depth analytics and powerful tools, can track paid campaigns. Social media listening.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports up to 3 external approvers. Can create custom “workflows” to automate the approval process.
  • Enterprises with teams that manage a huge amount of accounts or ad spend.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Starts at $30/mo for a single user and 5 accounts. All features for $159/mo for unlimited users and 20 accounts.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ ⭐
    Supports every major channel, including Instagram Threads.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Intuitive scheduling with option to edit for every channel separately. Supports auto-publishing of IG stories with link stickers.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Fully manage FB, IG, TikTok and LinkedIn conversations. Manage Google Business reviews as well.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Insightful analytics for long or short time windows, everything already set up with intuitive UI. Advanced IG analytics with competition tracking.
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
    Supports unlimited internal team management & external collaborators for approval.
  • Agencies and teams of any size.  IG-focused eCom companies.

Sked was launched in 2014 by a team of Australian social media consultants that got tired of being asked, “Why can’t I do X with Instagram?”.

So they created an Instagram-first social media management platform: Sked Social. Since then it has become a powerful social media management tool, with features like post queues, cross-channel posting, social Inbox, product & user tagging, adding locations and first comments, grid planning, story posting, and link stickers. Sked also allows powerful analytics that track engagement by the hour, hashtag performance, IG story analytics, and competitor tracking.

What's special about Sked is that it's the only tool where you get unlimited users for a flat-price.

Which makes Sked the perfect blend of affordability and functionality. Great for teams of any size that need a powerful scheduling tool with support for the latest Instagram features.

Agorapulse was founded in 2011 by Emeric Ernoult and Benoit Hediard with the vision to provide Facebook marketers with the tools to understand the effects of their social media campaigns.

Since then, Agora evolved into a leading social media management software. Enabling managers to manage all social media messages, schedule & publish content across channels, identify key influencers, reply to every DM and comment, and track their ROI - all in one easy-to-use dashboard.

It’s a perfect tool for users that need an intuitive overview of multiple social media accounts and want to track the ROI of their social media efforts.

Sprout was founded in 2010 on the premise that social media would change the way the world communicates and how a business operates.

And they hit the mark — today, Sprout Social is a leading social media marketing tool with over 30,000 customers. They’ve created a powerful suite of deep listening and social media analytics, inbox management, customer support, CRM, and advocacy solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to grow their social media presence, connect with their customers, and drive their business forward.

Sprout is one of the most powerful tools on the market for social listening, inbox managing, and managing hundreds of social accounts. But the steep price makes it hard to excuse for almost any other use case.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Pricing

Sprout is expensive, Agora is slightly less expensive, and Sked is extremely affordable.

  • buffer
  • Hootsuite
  • ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • agorapulse
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • sprout social
  • ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Sked supports unlimited users, making it by far the most affordable tool.

Both Agora and Sprout charge per user, which quickly balloons their subscription.

Sked Social already supports unlimited users on the intermediate plan.

This is huge. Nearly all startups and companies have more than one user managing social media profiles—even solopreneurs have their VAs—which makes Sked by far the most affordable social media management tool.

  • agorapulse
  • sprout social
  • Sked Social
  • Basic plan
  • $69/month
    10 social accounts
    +$69/mo/user
  • $249/month
    5 social accounts
    +$199/mo/user
  • $30/month
    5 social accounts
    1 user
  • Intermediate plan
  • $99/month
    10 social accounts
    +$99/mo/user
  • $399/month
    Unlimited accounts
    +$299/mo/user
  • $89/month
    13 social accounts
    Unlimited users
  • Advanced Plan
  • $149/month
    10 social accounts
    +$149/mo/user
  • $499/month
    Unlimited accounts
    +$349/mo/user
  • $159/month
    20 social accounts
    Unlimited users
  • Annual discount
  • 20%
  • 2 months free

Sprout & Agora unlock advanced features on the High-tier plan, Sked already unlocks everything on the Mid-tier plan.

Sprout and Agora have a lot of functionalities locked on the intermediate plan, while Sked enables pretty much almost all features right from the start.

The only difference between Sked’s intermediate and advanced plans are approvals workflow and customer success features, such as phone support and one-on-one training.

Winner

Sked Social. With its unlimited users and affordable entry plans, it's best for small to mid-sized businesses, agencies, and large social media teams alike.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Supported Social Channels

Sprout supports all the major platforms, Agora doesn’t support Pinterest, while Sked delivers extra with Instagram Threads.

Sked is the only platform to deliver Instagram Threads scheduling, though with notification-based publishing.

With notification-based publishing, you can schedule content like on any other channel, and when the time comes, you get notified through the phone app. Clicking on the notification downloads the prepared content and opens Threads. Then you can create the post and publish it manually.

  • Agorapulse
  • Sprout Social
  • Sked
Winner

Sked Social, because it supports auto-posting on all major platforms — LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram - and you can schedule your Threads for a more cohesive Instagram strategy.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Scheduling & Posting

Sked leads the pack with intuitive scheduling and best automation features, Agora is less time-consuming than Sprout Social.

  • buffer
  • Hootsuite
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • Agorapulse
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • sprout social
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

All three tools let you publish, schedule, and queue posts.

But...

Sprout UI is cluttered, while Sked & Agora are intuitive and easy.

Creating posts with Sprout is annoying: you have to navigate through two confusing menus to get to the content calendar.

Meanwhile, Sked and Agorapulse make it easy to start publishing.

Agora & Sked let you edit posts for each channel separately, Sprout doesn’t.

Different channels allow different caption lengths or media.

For example, while captions over 280 characters are fine on Facebook, they won't fit on Twitter.

Both Sked Social and Agora let you write a common caption for all channels, and then optimize it for each channel separately. But Sprout doesn’t allow that in its composer, so personalizing posts for different platforms is time-consuming.

All three tools work great with Instagram, but only Sked has advanced features like story auto-posting with link stickers.

Agora and Sprout can auto-publish IG stories but limited to only single image or video story posts. And you can’t auto-post stories with add-ons like link stickers.

For advanced Instagram auto-posting, they let you prepare a post, send a notification when the time comes, and you have to publish it manually in real time. Not helpful if you're scheduling something at 4 AM or managing many client accounts.

Their excuse is that it's impossible to automate advanced IG stories because their API doesn’t allow it...

But this is where Sked Social shines.

It’s the only social media tool on the market that runs on actual phones. There's a wall of phones in Sked's office, that they use to log into your account and publish just like you would — by pressing buttons. Don’t worry, this is all done by software, so your account is as safe as on any other platform.

That's how Sked can go around API limitations and let you use the full power of Instagram.

  • Tag products
  • Tag people
  • Add location
  • First comment
  • Posts
  • Reels
  • Stories
  • Link stickers
  • Hootsuite
  • buffer
  • Agorapulse
  • Sprout Social
  • Sked
  • Tag products
  • Tag people
  • Add location
  • First comment
  • Posts
  • Reels
  • Stories
  • Link stickers
Winner

Sked Social. The scheduling is fast and intuitive with cross-channel posting support. It's especially powerful for Instagram-first companies because it supports advanced Instagram auto-publishing, including multi-content story auto-posting and link stickers.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Conversation Management

Sked focuses on popular platforms, Agora is a nexus for conversations across all accounts, while Sprout is best for scale.

  • buffer
  • Hootsuite
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • agorapulse
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • sprout social
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Sked lets you manage IG, FB, TikTok, and LinkedIn conversations, plus Google Business reviews too.

Sked lets you prioritize conversations, assign them to team members, and reply to comments & DMs.

It's extremely intuitive: simply select the accounts you want to work on (1) and reply or leave internal comments (2). You can also set up templates for FAQs, which appear right above the message box, and see a bit of intel on the customer you're talking with (3).

If you get tagged or mentioned in posts, they’ll appear here too and you can save the content straight to your library as user generated content.

Agora covers messages and comments on all channels while Sprout Social has all features you need to manage all conversations with your team.

Agora does the same things as Sked but includes DMs and comments on all connected social channels.

Sprout lets you do everything Agora and Sked can do, but it also lets you filter data and customize views to make better sense of conversations — at a huge scale.

Its UI is less intuitive, but that’s because of the plethora of tools at your disposal. It’s a tool made for large-scale collaboration.

Winner

Sprout Social, because it gives you the tools to handle any amount of conversations across all social channels.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Analytics

Sked’s analytics are everything you need in one clean package, Agora is the only tool with ROI tracking, while Sprout gives you the best market insights.

  • buffer
  • Hootsuite
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • agorapulse
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • sprout social
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
  • ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Sked has the best curated analytics.

If you’re looking for insightful reports about your social media marketing—without having to set up anything yourself—Sked has you covered.

From basic metrics such as post engagement to hashtag performance, demographics, and even competitor tracking… All reports are set up and ready for use. All of this is packaged in a clean UI that’s easy to navigate and understand, and you can zoom your data out to a 2-year window.

Agorapulse leads the industry with ROI tracking.

Agora has everything you need for performance reporting, but the tool works differently than Sked. You can check the overview for each channel by default, but if you want detailed analytics or aggregate reports, you'll have to create your own.

Agora’s defining feature is the ROI tracker.

It automates link tracking and purchase attribution on social media, and makes all data available in one place, enabling you to track ROI of your campaigns and promotional content.

Sprout has in-depth analytics and its specialty is social listening.

With Sprout, you get the same features as Sked and Agora: essential reporting, paid campaign performance, competitor comparisons, and even internal team performance.

But Sprout’s defining feature is a powerful social media monitoring functionality: social listening.

You can set up topics to monitor across all major social networks and gain insights into what the web is talking about as a whole.

For each topic, you can look into the performance over time, track social conversations across platforms and forums, monitor demographic data and sentiment, and even track messages from key influencers in real time.

This is an extremely useful feature if you’re running large-scale social marketing campaigns because it can inform your entire approach.

Winner

Sprout Social, on top of its powerful social listening feature, it has everything Sked’s and Agora’s analytics tools have.

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Pros & Cons

Every tool fits a different need...

Agorapulse is best for analytics, Sprout Social for listening, and Sked Social is best for agencies and teams of all sizes.

  • agorapulse pros
  • Clean UI
  • ROI tracking
  • Custom analytics reports
  • Cross-channel Inbox Management
  • agorapulse cons
  • Clunky bulk scheduling
  • No visual Instagram planner
  • No unlimited users or channels
  • Limited external approvals
  • sprout social pros
  • Great analytics with paid tracking
  • Unlimited social accounts for heavy account management
  • Best conversation management tools
  • Social listening
  • sprout social cons
  • Long learning curve
  • Time-consuming scheduling tools
  • Very expensive
  • Limited external content approval process
  • Sked social pros
  • Great value for money
  • Visual Instagram planner
  • Scales well
  • Most affordable for any team size
  • Advanced Instagram auto-publishing
  • Sked Social cons
  • No ROI tracking
  • Limited social listening

agorapulse vs sprout social vs sked social

Final Verdict

Agorapulse is for tracking social ROI, Sprout for Social Listening, and Sked for powerful-yet-affordable post scheduling.

Each tool is similar in terms of use case and functionality, but the pricing and analytics make them suited for different audiences.

Agorapulse

Best for

Non-IG-focused businesses and influencer brands that need social media ROI tracking.

Use agorapulse if...
  • You want to track the ROI of your social media efforts

  • You're a company that doesn’t focus heavily on Instagram

  • You're just getting started and want a free tool to play around with

Sprout Social

Best for

Enterprises with teams that manage a huge amount of accounts or ad spend.

Use sprout social if...
  • You need detailed social insights into what people are talking about

  • You have 1-3 people managing over 300 social accounts

  • You’re not bothered by the tool’s steep price

Sked Social

Best for

Agencies and brands of any size. IG-focused eCom companies.

Use sked social if...
  • You’re an Instagram-focused business or eCom store

  • You want to reduce costs and stay lean with an affordable-yet-powerful social tool

  • You’re a brand or agency that need flexibility in working with any number of internal and external people

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