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Social Media · head to head

Metricool vs Rival IQ

Metricool logo

Metricool

Social Media

All-in-one platform to plan, publish, and analyze social media content

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rival IQ logo

Rival IQ

Social Media

Competitive social media analytics and benchmarking with published, self-service pricing

From
$239/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Metricool has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Metricool full Twitter/X analytics and post approval workflows are locked behind the Advanced plan.; Rival IQ data history is capped by tier at 6, 12 or 24 months, so a year-on-year comparison is impossible on the entry plan and a three-year trend is impossible on any plan.
  • They diverge on capability: Metricool covers Content Planner, Rival IQ covers Competitive landscapes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metricool and Rival IQ actually diverge.

Attributes where Metricool and Rival IQ differ
AttributeMetricoolRival IQ
Starting priceFree$239/month
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by tracked company count
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiWeb

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Social Media).

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 Metricool

  • Content Planner
  • Analytics & Competitor Analysis
  • Automated Reporting
  • Unified Inbox
  • Ads Management
  • SmartLinks
  • AI Assistant

Only in Rival IQ

  • Competitive landscapes
  • Engagement rate benchmarking
  • Private channel analytics
  • Social listening searches
  • Facebook and Instagram ads reporting
  • Head-to-head reports
  • Scheduled exports and alerts
  • Looker Studio connector

What people use each for

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

Metricool

  • Scheduling posts across multiple social networksnot Rival IQ
  • Tracking competitor social performancenot Rival IQ
  • Automating client and team reportsnot Rival IQ
  • Managing paid social ad campaignsnot Rival IQ
  • Building a link-in-bio landing pagenot Rival IQ

Rival IQ

  • An agency producing a quarterly competitive social report for a retail client without paying enterprise listening platform ratesnot Metricool
  • A social media manager needing a defensible engagement rate benchmark against named competitors for a board decknot Metricool
  • A brand team deciding whether to invest further in TikTok by comparing its performance against category peers rather than against its own historynot Metricool
  • A marketing lead who wants a competitive tool they can buy on a departmental card in an afternoon rather than through a procurement cyclenot Metricool

Where each one falls short

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

Metricool

  • Full Twitter/X analytics and post approval workflows are locked behind the Advanced plan.
  • Unlimited scheduling on paid plans is still capped by an undisclosed fair use policy.
  • Free plan is limited to a single brand and 20 posts per month.
  • API access is only available on the top Advanced tier.

Rival IQ

  • Data history is capped by tier at 6, 12 or 24 months, so a year-on-year comparison is impossible on the entry plan and a three-year trend is impossible on any plan.
  • The entry plan includes a single user seat, which means a two-person social team is pushed to the 349 dollar tier for a reason that has nothing to do with data volume.
  • Social listening is sold as a small number of saved searches rather than a listening platform, so it will not replace a dedicated monitoring tool for crisis detection or broad web coverage.
  • Instagram reporting is the weakest part of the platform, with reach not presented as a clean monthly total, which frustrates teams whose primary channel is Instagram.
  • It analyses but does not publish or schedule, so it is an additional subscription alongside whatever publishing tool you already run rather than a consolidation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Metricool

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 brand
    • 20 posts/month
    • 5 competitor profiles
  • Starter$20/month
    • Up to 10 brands
    • Unlimited publishing (fair use)
    • 100 competitor profiles
  • Advanced$53/month
    • Up to 50 brands
    • Team management and post approval
    • Full Twitter/X analytics

Rival IQ

$239/month
  • Drive$239/month
    • 10 tracked companies
    • 6 months of data history
    • 1 user seat
  • Engage$349/month
    • 20 tracked companies
    • 12 months of data history
    • 2 user seats
  • Engage Pro$559/month
    • 40 tracked companies
    • 24 months of data history
    • 5 user seats

Which should you pick?

Choose Metricool if

  • You need content planner.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, api.
  • You also want analytics & competitor analysis.
Metricool review

Choose Rival IQ if

  • You need competitive landscapes.
  • You also want engagement rate benchmarking.
Rival IQ review

Questions people ask

Is Metricool or Rival IQ better?
Neither clearly leads. Metricool starts at Free and Rival IQ at $239/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metricool or Rival IQ?
Metricool has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Metricool and $239/month for Rival IQ.
Does Metricool or Rival IQ run on more platforms?
Metricool runs on web, ios, android, api. Rival IQ runs on Web.
Can I use Metricool for free?
Yes. Metricool has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rival IQ starts at $239/month.
What is Metricool best used for?
Metricool is most often used for scheduling posts across multiple social networks, tracking competitor social performance, automating client and team reports, managing paid social ad campaigns. Of those, scheduling posts across multiple social networks and tracking competitor social performance are not what Rival IQ is typically brought in for.
What can Metricool do that Rival IQ cannot?
Metricool covers Content Planner, Analytics & Competitor Analysis, Automated Reporting, Unified Inbox. Rival IQ covers Competitive landscapes, Engagement rate benchmarking, Private channel analytics, Social listening searches.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Metricool: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

Metricool's Free plan supports 1 brand, up to 20 posts per month, 5 competitor profiles, and 30 days of analytics history.

Source
Rival IQ: Can I schedule posts from Rival IQ?

No. It is analytics and benchmarking only. You keep your publishing tool.

Metricool: What does Metricool cost?

Starter runs from about $20/month and Advanced from about $53/month (billed annually, with monthly billing also available); a Custom tier is available on request.

Source
Rival IQ: Does it need my competitors to grant access?

No. Public metrics for tracked companies are collected without their involvement. Private metrics require connecting your own accounts.

Metricool: How is usage metered?

Plans limit the number of connected brands and competitor profiles; scheduling is unlimited on paid plans but subject to a fair use policy.

Source
Rival IQ: Is there a free trial?

Yes, 14 days with no card required.

Rival IQ: How far back does data go when I add a competitor?

Rival IQ backfills history up to your plan limit of 6, 12 or 24 months, so adding a competitor does not start you from zero.

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