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Software · head to head

Sprout Social vs Viral Loops

Sprout Social logo

Sprout Social

Software

Social media management with influencer insights

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Viral Loops logo

Viral Loops

Software

Viral and referral marketing made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Viral Loops has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sprout Social pricing is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the page directs visitors to schedule a demo to discuss pricing; Viral Loops pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • They diverge on capability: Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Viral Loops covers Campaign templates.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sprout Social and Viral Loops actually diverge.

Attributes where Sprout Social and Viral Loops differ
AttributeSprout SocialViral Loops
Starting price$249/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded20102016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Viral Loops

  • Campaign templates
  • Milestone rewards
  • Leaderboards
  • Referral widgets
  • Viral analytics
  • Shopify
  • Mailchimp
  • Klaviyo

Both cover

  • HubSpot
  • Web support

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 Viral Loops
  • Centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and paymentsnot Viral Loops
  • Measuring creator-driven revenue with first-party analytics and attributionnot Viral Loops
  • Building a creator pipeline through branded application pagesnot Viral Loops

Viral Loops

  • affiliate marketing managementnot Sprout Social
  • Workflow automationnot Sprout Social
  • Reportingnot 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 is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the page directs visitors to schedule a demo to discuss pricing
  • Influencer marketing is sold separately from the main Sprout Social social media management plans

Viral Loops

  • Pricing is relatively high for small startups and bootstrapped businesses ($35/mo minimum)
  • Advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans, limiting smaller businesses
  • Limited customization without technical development for highly branded campaigns
  • Customer support response times may vary by region and time zone

Pricing, plan by plan

Sprout Social

$249/month
  • Standard$249/month
    • 5 social profiles
    • Social inbox
    • Publishing calendar
  • Professional$399/month
    • Competitive reports
    • Optimal send times
    • Response rate reports

Viral Loops

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1,000 participants
    • All templates
    • Basic features

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 Viral Loops if

  • You need campaign templates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want milestone rewards.
Viral Loops review

Questions people ask

Is Sprout Social or Viral Loops better?
Neither clearly leads. Sprout Social starts at $249/month and Viral Loops at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sprout Social or Viral Loops?
Viral Loops has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for Sprout Social and Free for Viral Loops.
Does Sprout Social or Viral Loops run on more platforms?
Sprout Social runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Viral Loops runs on Web.
Can I use Viral Loops for free?
Yes. Viral Loops has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sprout Social starts at $249/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 Viral Loops is typically brought in for.
What can Sprout Social do that Viral Loops cannot?
Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Social inbox, Analytics, Social listening. Viral Loops covers Campaign templates, Milestone rewards, Leaderboards, Referral widgets. Both handle HubSpot, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Viral Loops: What does Viral Loops pricing start at?

Viral Loops pricing starts at $35/month and ranges up to $208/month depending on the plan. The platform offers a 14-day free trial, flat-rate pricing (no per-campaign charges), and 30% discount for annual billing.

Source
Viral Loops: What types of campaigns can Viral Loops create?

Viral Loops allows creation of referral programs, giveaways, waiting lists, and sweepstakes/competitions. Campaigns can be integrated into websites or mobile apps within minutes using pre-built templates.

Source
Viral Loops: Does Viral Loops offer custom pricing?

Yes. Beyond the standard $35-208/month plans, Viral Loops offers custom pricing for larger teams and enterprises with specific feature requirements.

Source
Viral Loops: What happens to campaigns after I cancel Viral Loops?

Users can export large files of mailing lists in several data formats, allowing campaign data to be migrated to another platform if needed after cancellation.

Source
Viral Loops: How quickly can I launch a campaign with Viral Loops?

Campaigns can be launched within minutes using Viral Loops' template-based, intuitive interface that requires no technical expertise or coding knowledge.

Source
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Related pages

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