Is Planoly or Sprout Social cheaper?

Planoly is cheaper to start, from $14 against $79 for Sprout Social. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.

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.

Head to head

Planoly vs Sprout Social

Last updated 4 June 2026

Planoly

Planoly grew up as an Instagram feed planner and still leads with the visual side: drag posts around a grid preview until the profile looks right, then schedule them, with a link-in-bio page that can sell digital products. It publishes to eight networks and prices in flat plans from a free mobile tier to $47 a month.

From: $14 /mo
Free plan

Visit Planoly

Sprout Social

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: $79 per user / mo
Free plan

Visit Sprout Social

Bottom line

Planoly and Sprout Social both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Planoly is the stronger pick for Instagram-led creators who plan their grid visually; choose Sprout Social for Businesses running social as a core function.

Features compared

Feature	Planoly	Sprout Social
AI captions	Yes	Yes
Basic analytics	Yes	Yes
Advanced reports	No	Yes
Bulk upload	Not assessed	Yes
Evergreen recycling	No	No
Team roles	Yes	Yes
Approvals	Not assessed	Yes
Link in bio	Yes	Yes

Platforms compared

Network	Planoly	Sprout Social
Instagram	Auto	Auto
Facebook	Auto	Auto
X (Twitter)	Auto	Auto
LinkedIn	Auto	Auto
TikTok	Auto	Auto
Pinterest	Auto	Auto
YouTube	Auto	Auto
Threads	Auto	Auto
Bluesky	No	Auto
Reddit	No	Auto
Snapchat	No	Auto

Pricing

Planoly

Free

Seats: 1
Accounts: 1
Scheduled posts: 10

1 social set, 1 user (mobile app)
10 uploads a month
Visual planner and link-in-bio

Starter

$16 /mo

$14/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: 1
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

$28 /mo

$24/mo billed annually

Seats: 2
Accounts: 2
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

$55 /mo

$47/mo billed annually

Seats: 6
Accounts: 6
Scheduled posts: Unlimited

$55/mo, $47 on annual
6 social sets, 6 users, unlimited uploads
Extra social set $8/mo, extra user $3/mo

Flat, quota-bundled plans: each tier bundles a number of social sets and users. A social set is one account per network (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and so on), so one set covers your presence across the networks you connect.
Starter has no add-ons (you upgrade to grow). Growth and Pro let you buy extra sets ($10 then $8 a month) and extra users ($5 then $3 a month).
There's a free mobile plan (1 social set, 10 uploads a month).
Annual billing is up to 15% cheaper. Annual rates were read off the live pricing page; the Pro monthly figure is derived from the page's stated annual discount.
Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page.

Sprout Social

Essentials

$99 per user / mo

$79/mo 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

$249 per user / mo

$199/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: 5
Scheduled posts: Unlimited

$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

Popular

$399 per user / mo

$299/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: Unlimited
Scheduled posts: Unlimited

$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

$499 per user / mo

$399/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: Unlimited
Scheduled posts: Unlimited

$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

Custom

Accounts: Unlimited

Custom pricing
SSO and advanced security
Premium Listening, Advocacy, and Influencer Marketing add-ons
Dedicated support and professional services

Priced per seat: the headline rate is for one user and multiplies by everyone you add. Sprout charges every extra seat at the same plan rate, with no volume discount.
No free plan. There's a 30-day trial with no card required.
Annual billing is paid upfront and is cheaper per seat than monthly: Essentials $79 vs $99, Standard $199 vs $249, Professional $299 vs $399, Advanced $399 vs $499.
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.
Prices are USD list, read off the live pricing page (which renders in USD here); the monthly figures come from the billing FAQ on that page.

Pros and cons

Planoly

Best-known Instagram feed/grid visual planner
Link-in-bio page that can sell digital products
Schedules to eight networks with AI captions and auto-responses
Free mobile plan and clear, cheap add-ons
Analytics are moderate, with no custom reports
No evergreen recycling or broad listening
No Bluesky or Google Business
Starter can't add sets or users without upgrading

Sprout Social

Polished, deep platform: inbox, listening, and reporting together
Strong analytics and presentation-ready reports
Wide network list, including Reddit, Bluesky, and Snapchat
Genuinely good for customer care and approval-heavy teams
Expensive, and per-seat pricing has no volume discount
No free plan, and the main plans start at $199 a seat each month
Listening, Premium Analytics, and Advocacy cost extra on top
Overkill if you only schedule a few accounts

Planoly vs Sprout Social: FAQ

Is Planoly or Sprout Social cheaper?: Planoly is cheaper to start, from $14 against $79 for Sprout Social. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
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.