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Social Media · head to head

Mention vs Steno

Mention logo

Mention

Social Media

Real-time media monitoring made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Steno logo

Steno

News

AI transcription and analysis for news and media

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mention has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mention historical data access is not included in the Company plan and is only available as a paid add-on; Steno no free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • They diverge on capability: Mention covers Sentiment analysis, Steno covers AI transcription.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mention and Steno actually diverge.

Attributes where Mention and Steno differ
AttributeMentionSteno
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategorySocial MediaNews
Founded20122020

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 Mention

  • Sentiment analysis
  • Influencer identification
  • Competitive analysis
  • Custom reports
  • Zapier
  • Buffer
  • Hootsuite
  • Ios support

Only in Steno

  • AI transcription
  • Broadcast search
  • Clip creation
  • Media analysis
  • Email
  • API

Both cover

  • Real-time monitoring
  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mention

  • Brand monitoringnot Steno
  • Competitor trackingnot Steno
  • Social listeningnot Steno
  • Reputation managementnot Steno

Steno

  • AI-powered content creation platformnot Mention
  • Voice and text content generationnot Mention
  • Multi-channel content distributionnot Mention
  • Programmatic content syndicationnot Mention

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mention

  • Historical data access is not included in the Company plan and is only available as a paid add-on

Steno

  • No free tier available; entry point at $500/month
  • Enterprise plan pricing not published; requires custom quote
  • Premium add-ons (iOS/Android app, Pro Voice) pricing not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Mention

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 alert
    • 1,000 mentions
    • Basic monitoring
  • Solo$41/month
    • 2 alerts
    • 5,000 mentions
    • Boolean search
  • Pro$83/month
    • 5 alerts
    • 10,000 mentions
    • Team features
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Unlimited alerts
    • Unlimited mentions
    • Custom integrations

Steno

$500/month
  • Starter$500/month
    • 16,500 credits per month
    • 1 Twin
    • Web app deployment
  • Growth$1000/month
    • 40,000 credits per month
    • 2 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Scale$2000/month
    • 100,000 credits per month
    • 3 Twins
    • Web app deployment
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • 200,000+ credits per month
    • 5 Twins
    • Web app deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose Mention if

  • You need sentiment analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want influencer identification.
Mention review

Choose Steno if

  • You need ai transcription.
  • You also want broadcast search.
Steno review

Questions people ask

Is Mention or Steno better?
Neither clearly leads. Mention starts at Free and Steno at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mention or Steno?
Mention has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mention and $500/month for Steno.
Does Mention or Steno run on more platforms?
Mention runs on Web, Ios, Android. Steno runs on Web.
Can I use Mention for free?
Yes. Mention has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steno starts at $500/month.
What is Mention best used for?
Mention is most often used for brand monitoring, competitor tracking, social listening, reputation management. Of those, brand monitoring and competitor tracking are not what Steno is typically brought in for.
What can Mention do that Steno cannot?
Mention covers Sentiment analysis, Influencer identification, Competitive analysis, Custom reports. Steno covers AI transcription, Broadcast search, Clip creation, Media analysis. Both handle Real-time monitoring, Slack, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mention: What does the Mention Company Plan include?

The Company Plan includes real-time mention tracking across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube, plus news, blogs, and forums. It covers 75+ review sites, sentiment analysis, competitor benchmarking, custom reporting, and dedicated account manager support.

Source
Steno: What is the minimum cost to start using Steno?

The Starter plan is $500/month with 16,500 monthly credits. Steno does not offer a free tier, and monthly billing options include annual subscriptions with 10-15% savings.

Source
Mention: What is the cost of Mention's Company Plan?

Mention's Company Plan pricing is not displayed on the pricing page and requires contacting sales or requesting a demo to get a quote.

Source
Steno: What are Steno credits and how many do I get?

Credits are the universal currency used for content processing, training, and user interactions across text, voice, and video. Starter includes 16,500/month, Growth 40,000/month, Scale 100,000/month, and Enterprise 200,000+/month.

Source
Mention: Does Mention offer a free trial?

Yes. Mention offers a free trial accessible through their signup page, with no credit card required to get started.

Source
Steno: What is a Twin in Steno's pricing?

Twins are included in Steno plans at different quantities: Starter includes 1 Twin, Growth 2, Scale 3, and Enterprise 5. Specific features of Twins are not detailed on the pricing page.

Source
Mention: Can I save money by paying annually for Mention?

Yes. If you pay yearly instead of monthly, Mention gives you 2 months free, saving approximately $360 USD per year depending on your plan.

Source
Steno: What are Steno's platform fees?

Steno charges monetization platform fees that decrease with plan tier: Starter at 9%, Growth at 8%, Scale at 7%, and Enterprise at 6%.

Source
Mention: Are there add-ons or upsells available with Mention?

Yes. Mention offers paid add-ons for historical data and white-label reporting beyond what is included in the standard plan.

Source
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