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Influencer Marketing · head to head

Sprout Social vs Tumblr

Sprout Social logo

Sprout Social

Influencer Marketing

Social media management with influencer insights

From
$79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tumblr logo

Tumblr

Social Media

Blogging and fandom platform owned by Automattic after being sold off by Verizon for a fraction of what Yahoo paid for it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tumblr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Tumblr user growth has been flat to declining for years, and the platform receives comparatively little product investment relative to competitors, so new features arrive slowly.
  • They diverge on capability: Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Tumblr covers Reblogging.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Sprout Social and Tumblr differ
AttributeSprout SocialTumblr
Starting price$79/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to use, optional ad-free subscription and paid post promotion
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiiOS, Android, Web
CategoryInfluencer MarketingSocial Media
Founded2010Unknown

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 Sprout Social

  • Social publishing
  • Social inbox
  • Analytics
  • Social listening
  • Influencer identification
  • Competitor analysis
  • Report builder
  • Content calendar

Only in Tumblr

  • Reblogging
  • Tumblr Blaze
  • Ad-free browsing
  • Custom blog themes
  • Community labels
  • Post editor

What people use each for

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

Sprout Social

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

Tumblr

  • A fandom or fan-art community that has stayed on Tumblr specifically for its reblog and tagging culturenot Sprout Social
  • A writer or artist wanting a free, lightly customisable blog rather than a full websitenot Sprout Social
  • Someone researching how a platform behaves after a steep ownership devaluation and reduced investmentnot Sprout Social
  • A brand targeting niche fandom or subculture audiences that remain concentrated on Tumblr rather than mainstream platformsnot Sprout Social

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Tumblr

  • User growth has been flat to declining for years, and the platform receives comparatively little product investment relative to competitors, so new features arrive slowly.
  • A 2018 ban on adult content drove away a significant part of the user base and community trust that has not fully recovered, even after some policy softening later.
  • Discovery and reach for new accounts is weaker than on algorithm-first platforms, so building an audience from zero is slower than on Instagram or TikTok.
  • The sharp drop in Tumblrs sale price between 2013 and 2019 signals real risk around long-term platform stability and continued investment under any given owner.
  • Moderation and safety tooling has historically lagged larger platforms, which matters for anyone running a brand presence that needs reliable content moderation support.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Tumblr

Free
  • TumblrFree
    • Free blogging, following and reblogging
  • Ad-Free Browsing$4.99/month
    • Removes ads from the browsing experience

Which should you pick?

Choose Sprout Social if

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

Choose Tumblr if

  • You need reblogging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want tumblr blaze.
Tumblr review

Questions people ask

Is Sprout Social or Tumblr better?
Neither clearly leads. Sprout Social starts at $79/month and Tumblr at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sprout Social or Tumblr?
Tumblr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $79/month for Sprout Social and Free for Tumblr.
Does Sprout Social or Tumblr run on more platforms?
Sprout Social runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Tumblr runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Tumblr for free?
Yes. Tumblr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sprout Social starts at $79/month.
What is Sprout Social best used for?
Sprout Social is most often used for discovering and vetting creators with brand safety reporting and brand fit scores, centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and payments, measuring creator-driven revenue with first-party analytics and attribution, building a creator pipeline through branded application pages. Of those, discovering and vetting creators with brand safety reporting and brand fit scores and centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and payments are not what Tumblr is typically brought in for.
What can Sprout Social do that Tumblr cannot?
Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Social inbox, Analytics, Social listening. Tumblr covers Reblogging, Tumblr Blaze, Ad-free browsing, Custom blog themes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Tumblr: Who owns Tumblr now?

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, which bought it from Verizon in 2019.

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
Tumblr: Is Tumblr still free?

Yes. An optional ad-free subscription and paid post promotion, Tumblr Blaze, exist, but the core platform is free.

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
Tumblr: Why did Tumblrs value drop so much between 2013 and 2019?

Years of user decline, accelerated by a 2018 ban on adult content that alienated a large part of its community, left it worth a small fraction of what Yahoo paid.

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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