Social Media · head to head
Facebook vs Sprout Social
Social Media
Meta's social network app, free to use and monetised entirely through targeted advertising
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Sprout Social
Influencer Marketing
Social media management with influencer insights
- From
- $79/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Facebook has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Facebook there is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.; Sprout Social pricing shown is per-seat/month for annual billing; monthly billing for Essentials plan is $99/month per seat, representing a 25% premium over annual rates.
- They diverge on capability: Facebook covers News Feed, Sprout Social covers Social publishing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Facebook and Sprout Social actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $79/month |
| Pricing model | Free, funded entirely by targeted advertising | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | Web, Ios, Android, Api |
| Category | Social Media | Influencer Marketing |
| Founded | Unknown | 2010 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Facebook
- News Feed
- Marketplace
- Groups
- Events
- Reels and Watch
- Ad preference controls
Only in Sprout Social
- Social publishing
- Social inbox
- Analytics
- Social listening
- Influencer identification
- Competitor analysis
- Report builder
- Content calendar
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
- Staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feednot Sprout Social
- Buying and selling locally through Marketplacenot Sprout Social
- Joining Groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or eventnot Sprout Social
- Following Pages for local businesses, public figures or organisationsnot Sprout Social
Sprout Social
- Discovering and vetting creators with brand safety reporting and Brand Fit Scoresnot Facebook
- Centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and paymentsnot Facebook
- Measuring creator-driven revenue with first-party analytics and attributionnot Facebook
- Building a creator pipeline through branded application pagesnot Facebook
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
- There is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.
- The default feed is algorithmically ranked for engagement rather than shown chronologically, which shapes what content a user sees in ways that are not fully transparent.
- Cross-app and off-platform tracking through Meta's advertising tools means behaviour on other websites and apps can inform the ads and targeting shown inside Facebook.
- Group and Marketplace content moderation is inconsistent at Facebook's scale, and scams on Marketplace and misinformation in Groups are recurring, documented problems.
- Younger user growth has shifted to other platforms in many markets, so Facebook's core demographic skews older than some competing social apps, which matters if the goal is reaching a younger audience.
Sprout Social
- Pricing shown is per-seat/month for annual billing; monthly billing for Essentials plan is $99/month per seat, representing a 25% premium over annual rates.
- Monthly billing rates for other plans not specified; only annual billing prices clearly listed.
Pricing, plan by plan
- FreeFree
- No subscription tier for personal accounts
- Ad supported
Sprout Social
$79/month- Essentials$79/month
- Up to 5 social profiles
- 100 monthly AI agent credits per seat
- Publishing, engagement, reporting, and mobile app
- Standard$199/month
- 5 social profiles
- Consolidated inbox
- Keyword monitoring
- Professional$299/month
- Everything in Standard
- Unlimited social profiles
- Extensive competitor and paid insights
- Advanced$399/month
- Everything in Professional
- AI reply assistance
- Sentiment analysis in inbox and reviews
Which should you pick?
Choose Facebook if
- You need news feed.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want marketplace.
Choose Sprout Social if
- You need social publishing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want social inbox.
Questions people ask
- Is Facebook or Sprout Social better?
- Neither clearly leads. Facebook starts at Free and Sprout Social at $79/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Facebook or Sprout Social?
- Facebook has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Facebook and $79/month for Sprout Social.
- Does Facebook or Sprout Social run on more platforms?
- Facebook runs on iOS, Android, Web. Sprout Social runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- Can I use Facebook for free?
- Yes. Facebook has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sprout Social starts at $79/month.
- What is Facebook best used for?
- Facebook is most often used for staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed, buying and selling locally through marketplace, joining groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or event, following pages for local businesses, public figures or organisations. Of those, staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed and buying and selling locally through marketplace are not what Sprout Social is typically brought in for.
- What can Facebook do that Sprout Social cannot?
- Facebook covers News Feed, Marketplace, Groups, Events. Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Social inbox, Analytics, Social listening.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Facebook: Does Facebook have a paid ad-free version?
In the EU, Meta has offered a paid subscription for reduced ads on Facebook and Instagram; outside the EU there is generally no ad-free personal tier.
Sprout Social: What is the least expensive Sprout Social plan?
The Essentials plan is the least expensive at $79 per seat per month with annual billing, or $99 per seat per month with monthly billing. This plan includes up to 5 social profiles, 100 monthly AI agent credits, publishing, engagement, reporting, and mobile app access.
SourceFacebook: How does Facebook make money if it is free?
Entirely through advertising, targeted using data about in-app behaviour and, via Meta's broader advertising tools, activity on other websites and apps.
Sprout Social: Does Sprout Social offer a free trial?
Yes, Sprout Social provides a 30-day free trial that does not require a credit card to start. This applies to all paid plans.
SourceFacebook: Is the feed shown in chronological order?
Not by default; it is algorithmically ranked, though a chronological "Most Recent" feed option exists and can be selected manually.
Sprout Social: What is the difference between Sprout Social Standard and Professional plans?
The Standard plan costs $199/month per seat and includes 5 social profiles, consolidated inbox, keyword monitoring, Trellis AI agent, and review management. The Professional plan costs $299/month per seat and adds everything in Standard plus unlimited social profiles, extensive competitor and paid insights, and AI-powered post enhancement.
SourceSprout Social: Does Sprout Social offer add-on solutions beyond the base plans?
Yes, Sprout Social offers Premium Analytics, Listening (social media monitoring), Employee Advocacy, Professional Services (consulting packages), and Influencer Marketing as separate add-on solutions. Influencer Marketing can be used independently without requiring a Sprout Social plan.
SourceRelated pages
More on Sprout Social
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