Guide
Best Social Listening Tools for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
Brand24 is the best for client brand monitoring; Awario is the best low-cost listener; BuzzSumo is the best for content research and PR. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026 and change often.
What are the best social listening tools for agencies in 2026?
Social listening tells you what people say about a brand, a competitor, or a topic. Agencies use it to alert clients, find content ideas, and show the effect of campaigns.
We compared three tools agencies use most. They differ on price, caps, and whether they monitor mentions or research content, so read the labels and pick one for the work you actually do.
Our shortlist, in order: Brand24, Awario, BuzzSumo. The table puts them side by side.
| Tool | Best for | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand24 | Best for client brand monitoring | 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. |
| Awario | Best low-cost listener | 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. |
| BuzzSumo | Best for content research and PR | 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. |
How did we choose the best social listening tools?
We included tools with public pricing and review-site evidence that agencies commonly use. Pricing and features come from each vendor page, and ratings come from G2.
We looked at caps, client reporting, and the evidence each vendor publishes. Scores reflect fit for agencies serving several clients.
What we looked for
- Job: mention monitoring or content research.
- Pricing and billing period.
- Keyword, topic, and mention caps.
- Client reporting and white-label options.
- Published security and support evidence.
- Public evidence: review-site ratings and review counts.
Is Brand24 a good social listening tool for agencies?
Best for client brand monitoring: Brand24 offers alerts, sentiment, a mobile app, and white-label reports from Pro, with a 14-day trial. Entry pricing is high and security detail was not stated.
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 Awario a good social listening tool for agencies?
Best low-cost listener: Awario starts at a fraction of the price with unlimited keywords per topic, but G2 shows only a small review base and white-label is Enterprise only.
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.
Is BuzzSumo a good social listening tool for agencies?
Best for content research and PR: BuzzSumo searches an archive of more than eight billion pieces of content and a media database. It does not replace ongoing mention tracking.
BuzzSumo searches an archive of more than 8 billion pieces of content to show what performs, who shares it and which journalists and influencers cover a topic. It sells Content Creation, PR & Comms, Suite and Enterprise plans billed yearly.
Who it suits: Agencies doing content marketing and digital PR that need topic research, alerts and influencer lists.
BuzzSumo pros
- Content Creation costs $199 a month billed yearly, with unlimited searches and 2 alerts.
- PR & Comms costs $299 with 5 users, a Slack integration and coverage reports.
- Suite costs $499 with 10 users and a longer archive, and Enterprise costs $999 with 30 users.
- Historical data runs from 2 years on the entry plan to 5 years on Suite and Enterprise.
BuzzSumo cons
- 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.
How much do the best social listening tools cost?
Awario is the cheapest at the entry level, while Brand24 and BuzzSumo start near the same yearly price. Compare mentions, keywords, and alerts per dollar rather than the headline price.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand24 | Individual | $199 per month (annual billing); $249 monthly | 3 keywords, 2K mentions a month, 1 user |
| Brand24 | Team | $299 per month (annual billing); $349 monthly | 7 keywords, 10K mentions a month, unlimited users |
| Brand24 | Pro | $399 per month (annual billing); $499 monthly | 12 keywords, 40K mentions a month, unlimited users, white-label reports |
| Brand24 | Business | $599 per month (annual billing); $699 monthly | 25 keywords, 100K mentions a month, unlimited users, QuickShare reports |
| Brand24 | Enterprise | From $1,499 | Custom keywords and mentions, unlimited users, API included, dedicated consulting |
| Awario | Starter | $29 per month (annual billing); $49 monthly | 3 topics, 30,000 mentions a month, 1 team member, Boolean search |
| Awario | Pro | $89 per month (annual billing); $149 monthly | 15 topics, 300,000 mentions, 10 team members, data export, PDF reports |
| Awario | Enterprise | $249 per month (annual billing); $399 monthly | 100 topics, 1,000,000 mentions, unlimited team members, white-label reports, API, account manager |
| BuzzSumo | Content Creation | $199 per month (annual billing) | 1 user, unlimited searches, 2 alerts, 2 years of history |
| BuzzSumo | PR & Comms | $299 per month (annual billing) | 5 users, 5 alerts, Slack integration, coverage reports, 3 years of history |
| BuzzSumo | Suite | $499 per month (annual billing) | 10 users, 10 alerts, advanced Chrome extension, article uploads, 5 years of history |
| BuzzSumo | Enterprise | $999 per month (annual billing) | 30 users, 50 alerts, RSS sync, 5 years of history, annual billing only |
What do reviewers say about these social listening tools?
G2 evidence differs. Brand24 has a large base, BuzzSumo has about a hundred reviews, and Awario has under fifty. Treat the Awario score with caution.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand24 | G2 | 4.6 / 5 | 368 |
| Awario | G2 | 3.9 / 5 | 48 |
| BuzzSumo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 107 |
Reviewer themes for Brand24
- G2 shows Brand24 at 4.6 from 368 reviews.
- Reviewers praise ease of use and an intuitive design.
Reviewer themes for Awario
- G2 shows Awario at 3.9 from 48 reviews.
- Reviewers praise its affordable pricing and user-friendly interface.
Reviewer themes for BuzzSumo
- G2 shows BuzzSumo at 4.5 from 107 reviews.
- Reviewers say it excels at content research.
How do you choose the right social listening tool for your agency?
Decide whether you need to watch conversations or research content. Many agencies need both, and a listening tool with a content research tool covers most client work.
Whichever you pick, run a trial on one client brand and check whether the mentions found match what the client already sees.
Set a simple routine once a tool is chosen: review alerts weekly, summarise the month for the client in a few lines, and note any spike with the cause behind it. Clients value the explanation more than the chart, and a short written note makes the tool look worth its price.
Finally, agree keyword lists with each client before you start. A clear list of brand names, product names, common misspellings, and competitors keeps results relevant and stops the monthly mention cap from filling with noise.
A quick decision guide
- Client brand monitoring: Brand24.
- Low-cost listening: Awario.
- Content research and PR: BuzzSumo.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best social listening tools for agencies?
- Brand24 for monitoring, Awario for low cost, and BuzzSumo for content research.
- Which tool is cheapest?
- Awario.
- Which tool has white-label reports on lower plans?
- Brand24, from Pro.
- Which tool has the most reviews on G2?
- Brand24.
- How were the tools rated?
- Ratings come from G2, and the editorial scores are our own judgement of fit for agencies.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Brand24 pricing page
- Awario pricing page
- BuzzSumo pricing page
- G2