Head to head
Planoly vs Sprout Social
Last updated 4 June 2026
Planoly combines visual Instagram planning with creator-commerce tools, seven auto-publishing networks and reminder posting for X. USD paid plans start at $16 month-to-month or $14 monthly equivalent billed annually, with a separate free mobile allowance.
- From
- Free
- Free scheduling
- Yes
Sprout Social is the high-end suite: publishing, a shared inbox, listening, and reporting that goes deep, sold by the seat and priced for businesses with a budget. There's no free plan; the cut-down Essentials tier is $79 a seat each month on annual billing, and the main plans start at $199.
- From
- $79per user a month, billed yearly
- Free scheduling
- No
Bottom line
Planoly is the pick for Instagram-led creators who plan their grid visually, and it's the only one of the two with a free scheduling plan. Sprout Social fits businesses running social as a core function better, and it reaches Bluesky and Google Business, which Planoly doesn't.
Planoly has a free plan and paid plans from $14 a month, billed yearly, and Sprout Social starts at $79 per user a month, billed yearly. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Planoly has a free scheduling plan; Sprout Social doesn't, though it offers a 30-day trial.
- Paid plans start at $14 a month, billed yearly on Planoly and $79 per user a month, billed yearly on Sprout Social.
- Planoly posts to 8 networks, Sprout Social to 12.
- Only Sprout Social reaches Bluesky and Google Business.
- Sprout Social auto-publishes X (Twitter); Planoly sends a reminder to post.
Features compared
| Feature | Planoly | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Not assessed | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | Not confirmed | No |
| Team roles | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Approvals | Not assessed | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Planoly | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Reminder | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | No | Auto |
| Google Business | No | Auto |
| Not assessed | Auto | |
| Snapchat | Not assessed | Auto |
Pricing
Prices use each tool’s billing unit. Annual equivalents are labeled as billed yearly; scaling rows show monthly costs and available annual rates.
Free plan available.
- Free entry plan
- Free
Whole-plan price; it doesn't scale per unit.
No free plan; 30-day trial.
- 1 seat · Essentials
- $99/mo~$79/mo annual
- 3 seats · EssentialsTypical
- $297/mo~$237/mo annual
Lowest priced plan at each shown workload. Check the plan's included features before choosing it.
Planoly
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 1 social set, 1 user (mobile app)
- 10 uploads a month
- Visual planner and link-in-bio
Starter
$14 a month billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $16/mo, $14 on annual
- 1 social set, 1 user, unlimited uploads
- Free link in bio; upgrade to Growth to add sets or users
Growth
Popular$24 a month billed annually
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $28/mo, $24 on annual
- 2 social sets, 2 users, unlimited uploads
- Extra social set $10/mo, extra user $5/mo
Pro
$47 a month billed annually
- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $55/mo, $47 on annual
- 6 social sets, 6 users, unlimited uploads
- Extra social set $8/mo, extra user $3/mo
- USD tariffs: Starter $16 monthly/$14 monthly equivalent annually; Growth $28/$24; Pro $55/$47. Annual plans are paid upfront.
- Plans include 1/2/6 social sets and 1/2/6 users. Each set permits one account per supported channel; set counts are not individual-account counts.
- Growth add-ons: $10 per set and $5 per user monthly; Pro: $8/$3. Starter cannot add either.
- Free mobile plan allows 10 uploads monthly. Paid plans have unlimited uploads and a 14-day trial.
- Current help documentation confirms the monthly prices directly; no price is derived from a rounded discount.
Sprout Social
Essentials
$79 per user a month billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 5
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $79 per seat/mo on annual, $99 monthly
- Up to 5 social profiles
- Publishing, calendar, and the Smart Inbox
- Profile and post-level reporting
Standard
Billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 5
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD199/seat/month with annual billing; confirm monthly tariff
- $199 per seat/mo on annual, $249 monthly
- Up to 5 social profiles
- Smart Inbox, review management, and tasks
- Unlocks paid add-ons: Listening, Premium Analytics, Advocacy
Professional
PopularBilled annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD299/seat/month with annual billing; confirm monthly tariff
- $299 per seat/mo on annual, $399 monthly
- Unlimited social profiles
- Competitor, tag, and paid reporting
- Message tagging and scheduling for optimal send times
Advanced
Billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD399/seat/month with annual billing; confirm monthly tariff
- $399 per seat/mo on annual, $499 monthly
- Unlimited social profiles
- Chatbots, automated workflows, and helpdesk integrations
- AI-enhanced replies, message spike alerts, and the Sprout API
Enterprise
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing
- SSO and advanced security
- Premium Listening, Advocacy, and Influencer Marketing add-ons
- Dedicated support and professional services
- List pricing is per seat. Obtain a quote for larger or customized deployments; no-volume-discount guarantees are not established by the current public evidence.
- Annual advertised rates per seat: Essentials USD79, Standard USD199, Professional USD299 and Advanced USD399. Essentials USD99 monthly is verified; other monthly rates need confirmation.
- No free plan. There's a 30-day trial with no card required.
- USD advertised list pricing. Check the applicable billing offer and paid add-ons before purchase.
- Premium Analytics, Listening, and Employee Advocacy are paid add-ons on Standard and up, quoted on request, so the real bill runs higher than the seat price.
What it really costs
Monthly cost by seat count. Per-unit tiers grow with usage; flat tiers keep their whole-plan price within the published allowance, with the 3-seat row marked as a realistic setup.
| seats | Essentials |
|---|---|
| 1 | $99/mo |
| 3Typical | $297/mo |
| 5 | $495/mo |
| 10 | $990/mo |
| 25 | $2,475/mo |
| 50 | $4,950/mo |
Monthly billing.
Pros and cons
Planoly
- Visual Instagram grid planning
- Link-in-bio and creator-commerce features
- Seven auto-publishing networks plus X reminders
- Social Posting MCP and shareable analytics reports
- X requires manual completion from a reminder
- Starter cannot add sets or users
- Cross-network inbox and advanced report customization not established
- No advertised Bluesky or Google Business publishing
Sprout Social
- Publishing and social-care workflows
- Plan-based reporting and add-on listening
- Documented Reddit, Bluesky and Snapchat capabilities
- Internal and external review workflows
- Seat fees and add-ons increase the total
- Essentials and Standard have five-profile limits
- External MCP scope is narrower than the main product
- Network and mobile format coverage varies
Planoly vs Sprout Social: FAQ
- Is Planoly or Sprout Social cheaper?
- Planoly has a free entry plan. Sprout Social starts at $79 per user a month, billed yearly. The plans may cover different workloads, so check the required accounts and features.
- Does Planoly or Sprout Social have a free plan?
- Planoly has a free plan; Sprout Social does not, though it offers a 30-day trial.
- Which is better, Planoly or Sprout Social?
- Planoly is the stronger pick for Instagram-led creators who plan their grid visually, while Sprout Social is the better fit for businesses running social as a core function. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.