Alternatives
Best BuzzSumo Alternatives for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 8 min read
Summary
BuzzSumo is a solid choice, but it does not fit every agency. Brand24: Social listening and brand monitoring with AI analysis. Semrush: The broadest all-round SEO suite, from keyword research to client reports. Awario: Low-cost social listening with Boolean search and unlimited keywords per topic. Prices and ratings below were checked in October 2026.
What are the best BuzzSumo alternatives for agencies in 2026?
BuzzSumo is useful, but pricing is yearly only, alerts are limited, and security detail was not stated.
We compared each option with BuzzSumo on price, scope, and public ratings, so you can see what you would gain and give up by switching. Decide whether you need research or monitoring first.
The three alternatives below are the usual comparisons: two listening tools and an SEO suite.
The shortlist is Brand24, Semrush, Awario. The table puts them next to BuzzSumo.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BuzzSumo | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Billed yearly: Content Creation $199, PR & Comms $299 and Suite $499 a month; Enterprise $999 a month on annual billing only. | Small teams to agencies |
| Brand24 | 4.3 / 5 | G2 4.6 | 14-day trial. Monthly billing: Individual $249, Team $349, Pro $499 and Business $699 a month; annual billing is lower ($199, $299, $399 and $599 a month). Enterprise starts from $1,499 a month billed annually. | Small teams to agencies |
| Semrush | 4.5 / 5 | Capterra 4.6, G2 4.4 | Free account with limits, 7-day trial. Paid plans start at roughly $117.33-$139 per month (billed annually vs monthly) and go up with projects and tracked keywords. | Solo consultants to large agencies |
| Awario | 3.8 / 5 | G2 3.9 | Free trial on Starter. Yearly billing: Starter $29, Pro $89 and Enterprise $249 a month; monthly billing is $49, $149 and $399. | Solo to small agencies |
Why do agencies look for BuzzSumo alternatives?
Agencies usually look beyond BuzzSumo for ongoing mention tracking, a wider SEO suite, or a lower entry price.
Others want monthly billing.
A fair test is to run one real client project through each option for two weeks. Track setup time, how often the team got stuck, and whether the output was good enough to hand to a client without rework. Real use shows differences that feature lists hide.
Cost behaves differently in each tool. Some charge per month with usage caps, some charge per year, and some charge per user. Count what you will really use over twelve months, including overage and extra seats, before you compare headline prices.
Think about the client side. Clients judge your agency by the pages, reports, and invoices they receive, so look at the finished output as a client would, and check what a client can see, change, or break.
Finally, plan the move. Export your data, rebuild shared templates one at a time, and keep the old tool running for a short period so nothing a client relies on disappears during the switch.
Common limitations of BuzzSumo
- Entry pricing is high for a single seat, and monthly prices were not displayed.
- Alert counts are low (2, 5, 10 and 50).
- Security, integrations count, mobile apps and trial length were not stated, and the features page returned a 404.
- Client sharing was not stated beyond article uploads for reporting.
Is Brand24 a good BuzzSumo alternative for agencies?
Brand24 tracks mentions of your keywords with sentiment and reach. It does not research content performance.
Brand24 monitors mentions across social media, news, blogs, forums and reviews with sentiment, reach and influencer analysis. It sells Individual, Team, Pro and Business plans billed monthly or annually, with a 14-day trial.
Who it suits: Agencies that monitor brand mentions for clients and need alerts and shareable reports.
Brand24 pros
- Individual costs $199 a month billed yearly and Team $299, with 3 to 7 keywords.
- Pro costs $399 a month with 12 keywords and 40K mentions a month.
- White-label and PDF, Excel and PowerPoint reports from Pro, with unlimited users from Team.
- A mobile app and push notifications on all plans.
Brand24 cons
- Mention caps start at 2,000 a month on Individual.
- API access is an extra $149 fee on Pro and Business.
- Security, SOC 2, GDPR, 2FA and an integrations directory were not stated (the integrations page returned a 404).
- Entry pricing is high compared with Awario.
Is Semrush a good BuzzSumo alternative for agencies?
Semrush is a full SEO suite with content tools. It costs more but covers far more than content research.
Semrush combines keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink data, site audits, rank tracking, and reporting in one subscription, and is expanding into AI search visibility. It is the default all-rounder for agencies that run SEO for several clients.
Who it suits: SEO and marketing agencies, consultants, and in-house teams that want one tool across research, audits, tracking, and reporting.
Semrush pros
- Very deep keyword and competitor data across many markets.
- Covers the full workflow: research, technical audits, position tracking, and reporting.
- Shared projects and reports suit teams that work on the same accounts.
- Free account and a 7-day trial make it easy to test.
Semrush cons
- Price: plans start well above most point tools, and extras are sold as separate add-ons.
- Project and keyword limits push growing agencies up to higher tiers.
- White-label reporting and team users are tied to the more expensive plans.
- AI search tracking is newer than the specialist tools built only for that.
Is Awario a good BuzzSumo alternative for agencies?
Awario tracks mentions at a lower price. It does not research content performance.
Awario monitors social media, news, blogs, forums and the web for brand mentions, with Boolean search, sentiment and lead finding. It sells Starter, Pro and Enterprise plans billed yearly or monthly and offers a free trial on Starter.
Who it suits: Agencies that want social listening at a lower price with room for many topics.
Awario pros
- Starter costs $29 a month billed yearly with 3 topics and 30,000 mentions a month.
- Pro costs $89 a month with 15 topics, 300,000 mentions, data export and PDF reports for 10 team members.
- Unlimited keywords per topic and Boolean search on every plan.
- A free trial on the Starter plan with no credit card.
Awario cons
- Starter has no data export, PDF reports, white-label reports, API or account manager.
- White-label reports and the API are Enterprise only.
- Security, integrations, support channels and mobile apps were not stated.
- G2 shows only 48 reviews.
What is the quick verdict on each BuzzSumo alternative?
If you only have a minute, this table gives our verdict on each alternative to BuzzSumo, based on the research above.
| Tool | Verdict | Editorial score |
|---|---|---|
| Brand24 | A well-rated listening tool with a 14-day trial, a mobile app and white-label reports from Pro. Prices start at $199 a month billed yearly, mention and keyword caps apply, and security and integration detail were not stated. | 4.3 / 5 |
| Semrush | The safest pick if you only want one SEO tool and have the budget. Agencies that outgrow the project caps, or need deep AI visibility tracking, usually add a specialist tool next to it. | 4.5 / 5 |
| Awario | A budget social listening tool from $29 a month billed yearly with unlimited keywords per topic and Boolean search. Its G2 evidence is thin, white-label reports are Enterprise only, and security and integrations were not stated. | 3.8 / 5 |
How much do BuzzSumo and its alternatives cost?
BuzzSumo Content Creation costs $199 a month billed yearly. Brand24 Individual costs $199 a month billed yearly, Semrush SEO costs $117.33 a month on annual billing, and Awario Starter costs $29 a month billed yearly.
| Tool | Pricing summary |
|---|---|
| BuzzSumo | Billed yearly: Content Creation $199, PR & Comms $299 and Suite $499 a month; Enterprise $999 a month on annual billing only. |
| Brand24 | 14-day trial. Monthly billing: Individual $249, Team $349, Pro $499 and Business $699 a month; annual billing is lower ($199, $299, $399 and $599 a month). Enterprise starts from $1,499 a month billed annually. |
| Semrush | Free account with limits, 7-day trial. Paid plans start at roughly $117.33-$139 per month (billed annually vs monthly) and go up with projects and tracked keywords. |
| Awario | Free trial on Starter. Yearly billing: Starter $29, Pro $89 and Enterprise $249 a month; monthly billing is $49, $149 and $399. |
What do reviewers say about BuzzSumo and its alternatives?
Review-site scores are a useful signal for how happy teams are after the first few months. They are snapshots from October 2026, and review counts differ widely between tools.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| BuzzSumo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 107 |
| Brand24 | G2 | 4.6 / 5 | 368 |
| Semrush | Capterra | 4.6 / 5 | 2,325 |
| Semrush | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 4,069 |
| Awario | G2 | 3.9 / 5 | 48 |
Which BuzzSumo alternative suits which kind of agency?
The right pick depends mostly on team size, how clients interact with the tool, and whether you need money data. This table maps common situations to a recommendation.
| Agency situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mention tracking | Brand24 | Alerts and reports. |
| Full suites | Semrush | Wide features. |
| Low budgets | Awario | Entry price. |
How hard is it to switch away from BuzzSumo?
Export your saved searches and reports from BuzzSumo before you leave.
Rebuild alerts in the new tool.
Keep BuzzSumo until the new setup is tested.
Before you leave BuzzSumo
- List alerts and saved searches.
- Export reports.
- Compare cost.
- Rebuild alerts.
- Test coverage.
How do you choose the right BuzzSumo alternative?
Decide whether you need research or monitoring.
Compare cost per user and alert.
A quick decision guide
- Choose Brand24 for mention tracking.
- Choose Semrush for a full suite.
- Choose Awario for low cost.
- Stay with BuzzSumo for content research.
- Test each on one topic.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best BuzzSumo alternative?
- Brand24 for monitoring, Semrush for a suite, and Awario for low cost.
- Why do agencies look beyond BuzzSumo?
- Alert limits and yearly pricing.
- Which alternative has a free plan?
- Semrush has a free plan.
- Does BuzzSumo have a trial?
- Yes.
- Which is best for content research?
- BuzzSumo.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- BuzzSumo pricing page
- Brand24 pricing page
- Semrush pricing page
- Awario pricing page