Head to head
Sprout Social vs Tailwind
Last updated 4 June 2026
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
Tailwind now sells Pinterest-only tools for new subscribers: scheduling and creation, SEO, engagement, or a bundle. Instagram and Facebook remain legacy-plan capabilities. Free onboarding actions are finite and do not reset monthly.
- From
- $17.99per Pinterest account a month, billed yearly
- Free scheduling
- No
Bottom line
Tailwind is the pick for Pinterest-focused marketers, and it's the cheaper start, from $17.99 per Pinterest account a month, billed yearly. Sprout Social fits businesses running social as a core function better, and it reaches X (Twitter) and LinkedIn among others, which Tailwind doesn't.
Tailwind starts cheaper, $17.99 per Pinterest account a month, billed yearly against $79 per user a month, billed yearly for Sprout Social. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Sprout Social adds social listening and competitor tracking that Tailwind leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Tailwind starts at $17.99 per Pinterest account a month, billed yearly, Sprout Social at $79 per user a month, billed yearly.
- Sprout Social posts to 12 networks, Tailwind to 1.
- Only Sprout Social reaches X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Google Business.
- Sprout Social has social listening; Tailwind doesn't.
- Sprout Social has competitor tracking; Tailwind doesn't.
- Sprout Social has a social inbox; Tailwind doesn't.
- Sprout Social has employee advocacy; Tailwind doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Sprout Social | Tailwind |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Not confirmed |
| Team roles | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Approvals | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Link in bio | Yes | Legacy only |
Platforms compared
| Network | Sprout Social | Tailwind |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Legacy only | |
| Auto | Legacy only | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | No |
| Auto | No | |
| TikTok | Auto | No |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | No |
| Threads | Auto | No |
| Bluesky | Auto | No |
| Google Business | Auto | No |
| Auto | Not assessed | |
| Snapchat | Auto | Not assessed |
Pricing
Prices use each tool’s billing unit. Annual equivalents are labeled as billed yearly; scaling rows show monthly costs and available annual rates.
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.
No free plan; trial advertised.
- 1 unit · Pin Scheduling & Creation
- $29.99/mo~$17.99/mo annual
Lowest priced plan at each shown workload. Check the plan's included features before choosing it.
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.
Tailwind
Pin Scheduling & Creation
$17.99 per Pinterest account a month billed annually
- Accounts
- 1
- Per Pinterest account; 300 monthly credits
Bundle
$29.98 per Pinterest account a month billed annually
- Accounts
- 1
- All three tools; 400 monthly credits per Pinterest account
- New subscriptions changed September 25, 2026. Pro, Advanced and Max are legacy plans; current plans are per Pinterest account.
- Free access consists of one-time trial actions, not a recurring monthly publishing allowance.
- Scheduling uses one credit per Pin; AI, keyword research and Turbo also consume credits. Extra 100-credit packs cost USD10.
- Annual prices shown are monthly equivalents charged annually; each additional Pinterest account requires its own subscription.
- Separate non-scheduler modules: Pinterest SEO USD14.99 monthly / USD11.99 annual-equivalent and Pinterest Engagement at the same rates, each with 50 monthly credits. These are not scheduler entry plans.
What it really costs
Monthly cost by unit count. Per-unit tiers grow with usage; flat tiers keep their whole-plan price within the published allowance.
| units | Pin Scheduling & Creation | Bundle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $29.99/mo | $44.98/mo |
| 3 | $89.97/mo | $134.94/mo |
| 5 | $149.95/mo | $224.90/mo |
| 10 | $299.90/mo | $449.80/mo |
| 25 | $749.75/mo | $1,124.50/mo |
| 50 | $1,499.50/mo | $2,249/mo |
Monthly billing.
Pros and cons
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
Tailwind
- Modular Pinterest tools
- Smart scheduling and Pin spacing
- Website sync and AI-assisted Pin creation
- Current plans are Pinterest-only
- Each Pinterest account is billed separately
- Publishing and other actions share credits
- Legacy-plan migration changes capabilities
Sprout Social vs Tailwind: FAQ
- Is Sprout Social or Tailwind cheaper?
- Tailwind is cheaper to start, from $17.99 per Pinterest account a month, billed yearly against $79 per user a month, billed yearly for Sprout Social. Billing terms and included workloads can differ, so compare the required accounts and features.
- Does Sprout Social or Tailwind have a free plan?
- Neither has a free plan. At least one advertises a trial. Check each current trial offer and billing terms.
- Which is better, Sprout Social or Tailwind?
- Sprout Social is the stronger pick for businesses running social as a core function, while Tailwind is the better fit for Pinterest-focused marketers. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.