Without insightful analytics, digital marketing teams are left guessing about what works and what doesn’t. That’s why choosing the right social media analytics software is crucial for scaling campaigns, optimizing performance, and delivering ROI.
Whether you’re a marketer working solo or part of a digital marketing team, the tools you choose can make or break your efforts. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the 23 best social media analytics software options in 2025, featuring free and paid solutions for every budget.
Why Social Media Analytics Software Matters
Social media analytics tools allow marketers to:
- Understand audience behavior: Learn what content resonates with your followers.
- Measure ROI: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement, clicks, and conversions.
- Optimize content strategy: Use data to refine campaigns and maximize impact.
- Benchmark performance: Compare metrics across channels to identify what’s working best.
Choosing the right tool can help you move beyond vanity metrics and unlock actionable insights for smarter decision-making.
Related article: How to Utilize Social Media Analytics to Scale Your Content Marketing
The Best Social Media Analytics Software in 2025
1. StoryChief
StoryChief is an all-in-one content marketing platform with a unique analytics suite for measuring storytelling impact across channels.
Built for marketers who prioritize content-driven campaigns, StoryChief offers a forever-free plan that provides advanced analytics. Its storytelling-first approach links metrics directly to content creation.
Key Features:
- Forever free analytics dashboard for multiple platforms: social media, keywords, and website content performance.
- Monitors audience engagement, post reach, and campaign ROI.
- Features a content calendar and collaboration tools to streamline team workflows.
- Use AI to create a month's worth of social media posts by simply pasting any URL.
- Integrates with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, any CMS, RSS feeds, Medium, and more.
- Publish to all social media platforms; edit and optimize content for each platform.
- Weekly content audits keep your content performing at its best at all times.
Who It’s For: Ideal for digital marketing teams, agencies, and content creators looking for actionable insights and a collaborative workflow.
2. Buffer
Buffer is known for its simplicity and user-friendly design, ideal for scheduling and analyzing social media content. It stands out for being easy to use and cost-effective, making it popular with small teams and solo marketers. Its clean interface focuses on key analytics like engagement and follower growth.
Key Features:
- Post-scheduling for major platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Engagement analytics, including likes, shares, and comments.
- Custom reports to track campaign performance over time.
- “Start Page” feature to create a link-in-bio page for Instagram.
Who It’s For: Perfect for small businesses, freelancers, and startups managing a few social channels.
3. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a leading tool in social media management, offering advanced analytics, scheduling, monitoring, and team collaboration features. It is ideal for medium to large organizations requiring sophisticated functions and teamwork. Additionally, it suits agencies handling multiple clients.
Key Features:
- Over 200 metrics available for tracking campaign performance.
- Social listening to monitor brand mentions and sentiment.
- Team collaboration features, including task assignments.
- Integration with third-party tools like Salesforce, Trello, and Brandwatch.
Who It’s For: Best for enterprises and agencies needing comprehensive tools for managing multiple accounts and campaigns.
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social provides a comprehensive analytics suite and strong social listening tools, making it popular with data-focused marketers. It integrates analytics with customer relationship management, perfect for brands looking to strengthen their audience connections.
Key Features:
- Detailed audience demographics and engagement insights.
- Social listening for tracking trends and brand sentiment.
- Advanced competitor benchmarking tools.
- CRM-like functionality for managing relationships with followers.
Who It’s For: Ideal for mid-to-large-sized businesses and agencies that prioritize data-driven strategies.
Related article: Content Reporting in 2025: Metrics, Best Practices, Trends
5. Google Analytics
While not exclusively a social media analytics tool, Google Analytics remains a staple for tracking how social media drives traffic and conversions on your website.
Google Analytics is the gold standard for website tracking, providing detailed insights into how social media impacts website traffic and conversions.
Key Features:
- Tracks social referral traffic to your website.
- Monitors goal completions, such as sign-ups and purchases, from social media campaigns.
- Audience insights, including location, demographics, and behavior.
- Integration with Google Ads for campaign tracking.
Who It’s For: Essential for businesses of all sizes that want to measure the effectiveness of their social media efforts in driving website goals.
6. Iconosquare
Iconosquare is an analytics tool focused on visual content, offering detailed insights into Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook performance. Favored by influencers and brands on Instagram and TikTok, Iconosquare excels in providing deep analytics for these visual platforms.
Key Features:
- Engagement metrics like follower growth, impressions, and reach.
- Best time to post recommendations based on historical data.
- Competitor tracking and benchmarking features.
- In-depth Instagram Stories analytics.
Who It’s For: Ideal for social media managers, influencers, and visual content-focused brands.
Related article: How to Measure the Success of Your Instagram Content
7. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a comprehensive tool that integrates scheduling, monitoring, and analytics with customer relationship features. Renowned for its user-friendly design, it provides an efficient solution for teams handling various platforms.
Key Features:
- Unified inbox for managing all social interactions.
- Custom reporting templates for team or client presentations.
- Analytics for audience engagement, reach, and campaign ROI.
- Social listening tools for monitoring mentions and trends.
Who It’s For: Great for small to medium-sized businesses and agencies juggling multiple client accounts.
8. Brandwatch
Brandwatch leads in social listening and analytics, providing unmatched insights into online discussions. It specializes in social listening and competitive intelligence, making it perfect for brands aiming to stay ahead of industry trends.
Key Features:
- Sentiment analysis to gauge public opinion about your brand.
- Trend and influencer tracking for campaigns.
- Competitor benchmarking across platforms.
- AI-driven insights to predict future trends.
Who It’s For: Suited for large enterprises and agencies focused on brand reputation and market insights.
9. Later
Later is a scheduling tool with analytics designed for Instagram and Pinterest. It's popular among influencers and e-commerce brands due to its visual-first approach and emphasis on Instagram, particularly for businesses using visual content marketing.
Key Features:
- Instagram Stories performance metrics.
- Visual content calendar with drag-and-drop functionality.
- Hashtag performance and recommendations.
- Linkin.bio feature for driving website traffic.
Who It’s For: Ideal for influencers, e-commerce brands, and small businesses that prioritize Instagram marketing.
10. Rival IQ
Rival IQ specializes in competitive benchmarking, assisting brands in understanding their position relative to competitors. It is well-known for revealing competitor strategies, making it crucial for brands in competitive markets.
Key Features:
- Competitive analysis for social media performance.
- Social media audits to identify gaps and opportunities.
- Trend tracking for industry-specific insights.
- Post-analysis for optimizing content strategies.
Who It’s For: Perfect for businesses and agencies that prioritize competitive intelligence in their strategies.
Related article: The Best Content Analytics Software to Analyze Multiple Channels
More Social Media Analytics Tools
11. Sprinklr:
Sprinklr is an enterprise-grade solution offering robust analytics, social listening, and customer experience management. It integrates with over 30 channels and provides AI-driven insights to optimize campaigns.
12. SocialBee:
SocialBee combines scheduling with analytics, offering ROI tracking and performance comparisons across platforms. It’s budget-friendly, starting at $19/month, and ideal for small businesses.
13. Keyhole:
Keyhole specializes in campaign tracking and hashtag analytics, providing real-time insights into performance. It’s an excellent tool for influencer marketing and event campaigns.
14. Tailwind:
Tailwind focuses on Pinterest and Instagram, providing scheduling, analytics, and optimization tools. It tracks pin performance and offers recommendations to boost engagement.
15. Mention:
Mention combines social listening with analytics, allowing users to track brand sentiment and competitor performance. It’s a versatile tool for managing brand reputation online.
16. Zoho Social:
Zoho Social is a cost-effective solution offering scheduling, monitoring, and analytics. It’s particularly suitable for small teams looking for an affordable way to manage social media.
17. DashThis:
DashThis specializes in custom reporting dashboards, integrating data from multiple sources, including social media. It’s ideal for agencies managing multiple clients.
18. NapoleonCat:
NapoleonCat offers analytics, social customer service tools, and automation features. Its affordable plans make it a great choice for small businesses and agencies.
19. Quintly:
Quintly provides customizable dashboards and KPI tracking for enterprises. It’s tailored to meet the needs of large-scale organizations managing multiple campaigns.
20. Emplifi:
Emplifi combines social media analytics with customer experience tools, offering predictive insights and unified dashboards for multi-platform performance tracking.
21. Sendible:
Sendible is designed for agencies, offering advanced reporting features, multi-platform management, and team collaboration tools. Plans start at $29/month.
22. Followerwonk:
A niche tool for Twitter, Followerwonk helps brands analyze their followers, track growth, and optimize posting times.
23. Oktopost:
Oktopost focuses on B2B social media management, providing lead attribution, content analytics, and employee advocacy tools.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Team
When deciding on the best social media analytics software, consider these factors:
- Budget: Are you looking for a free tool or a premium solution?
- Platforms: Does the tool support all your social media accounts?
- Features: Do you need basic metrics or advanced capabilities like competitor analysis?
- Scalability: Can the tool grow with your team’s needs?
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution with forever-free advanced features, StoryChief should be your go-to choice. Its holistic approach to social media analytics ensures your campaigns are data-driven and impactful.
Related article: Are you leveraging real-time data to guide your content decisions?
Final Thoughts
The social media landscape is constantly evolving, and so are the tools that help marketers stay ahead. Whether you’re managing a small business or a global brand, these tools offer valuable insights to refine your strategy and maximize results.
Ready to take your analytics to the next level? Try StoryChief today and see how it transforms the way you measure social media success.
Free tool: Analyze your target audience, brand voice, content pillars and competitors. Try it now.