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Social Media · head to head

Pinterest vs Sprout Social

Pinterest logo

Pinterest

Social Media

Visual discovery and bookmarking platform monetised through advertising and shopping links, run as an independent public company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sprout Social logo

Sprout Social

Influencer Marketing

Social media management with influencer insights

From
$79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pinterest has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Pinterest engagement skews heavily toward planning and browsing rather than real-time interaction, so it is a poor fit for time-sensitive announcements or breaking content.; 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: Pinterest covers Boards, Sprout Social covers Social publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pinterest and Sprout Social actually diverge.

Attributes where Pinterest and Sprout Social differ
AttributePinterestSprout Social
Starting priceFree$79/month
Pricing modelFree for users, advertising revenue from businessessubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategorySocial MediaInfluencer Marketing
FoundedUnknown2010

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 Pinterest

  • Boards
  • Visual search
  • Shopping pins
  • Idea pins
  • Promoted pins
  • Pinterest Trends

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.

Pinterest

  • Planning a home renovation, wedding or event by collecting ideas in one placenot Sprout Social
  • A retailer running shoppable pin campaigns to drive purchase-intent traffic rather than pure brand awarenessnot Sprout Social
  • A content creator or blogger driving referral traffic to a website through pinned contentnot Sprout Social
  • A brand researching seasonal trends through Pinterest Trends data before a product launchnot Sprout Social

Sprout Social

  • Discovering and vetting creators with brand safety reporting and Brand Fit Scoresnot Pinterest
  • Centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and paymentsnot Pinterest
  • Measuring creator-driven revenue with first-party analytics and attributionnot Pinterest
  • Building a creator pipeline through branded application pagesnot Pinterest

Where each one falls short

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

Pinterest

  • Engagement skews heavily toward planning and browsing rather than real-time interaction, so it is a poor fit for time-sensitive announcements or breaking content.
  • Organic reach for businesses without a paid budget has declined as the feed increasingly favours advertising and algorithmic recommendation over follower-based distribution.
  • The user base skews demographically narrow, concentrated among women and higher-income users in several markets, which limits its usefulness for brands needing broad reach.
  • Ad pricing is auction based with no published flat rate, so campaign cost is unpredictable and can rise sharply during high-demand seasonal periods.
  • Content moderation and misinformation controls have lagged some competitors, and health and wellness misinformation pinned to boards has been a recurring problem the company has had to address after the fact.

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

Pinterest

Free
  • PinterestFree
    • Free account, unlimited pinning and boards for users
    • Businesses pay for promoted pins and shopping ads through Pinterest Ads Manager, priced by auction, no flat published rate

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 Pinterest if

  • You need boards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want visual search.
Pinterest review

Choose Sprout Social if

  • You need social publishing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want social inbox.
Sprout Social review

Questions people ask

Is Pinterest or Sprout Social better?
Neither clearly leads. Pinterest 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, Pinterest or Sprout Social?
Pinterest has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Pinterest and $79/month for Sprout Social.
Does Pinterest or Sprout Social run on more platforms?
Pinterest runs on iOS, Android, Web. Sprout Social runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Pinterest for free?
Yes. Pinterest has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sprout Social starts at $79/month.
What is Pinterest best used for?
Pinterest is most often used for planning a home renovation, wedding or event by collecting ideas in one place, a retailer running shoppable pin campaigns to drive purchase-intent traffic rather than pure brand awareness, a content creator or blogger driving referral traffic to a website through pinned content, a brand researching seasonal trends through pinterest trends data before a product launch. Of those, planning a home renovation, wedding or event by collecting ideas in one place and a retailer running shoppable pin campaigns to drive purchase-intent traffic rather than pure brand awareness are not what Sprout Social is typically brought in for.
What can Pinterest do that Sprout Social cannot?
Pinterest covers Boards, Visual search, Shopping pins, Idea pins. Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Social inbox, Analytics, Social listening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pinterest: Is Pinterest free?

Yes for users. Pinterest makes money from advertisers and shopping commerce tools, not from user subscriptions.

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.

Source
Pinterest: Does Pinterest take a cut of sales through shopping pins?

Pinterest itself does not typically take a transaction cut; it charges advertisers for promoted placement, and the retailer handles the actual sale and payment.

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.

Source
Pinterest: Has Pinterest changed ownership recently?

No. Unlike several platforms in this category, Pinterest remains an independently listed public company with no recent acquisition or rebrand.

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.

Source
Sprout 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.

Source
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