Later vs Sprout Social
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right marketing tool for your needs.
The Winner
Sprout Social
Wins for overall value, user satisfaction, and Enterprise social media teams at scale.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Later |  Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free tier Best | $249/mo |
| User Rating | 4.0 | 4.2 Best |
| Review Count | 1,562 | 7,218 Best |
| Free Trial | No | 30 days Best |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | Instagram-first visual brands | Enterprise social media teams at scale |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Later Sprout Social Later
- Visual Planning Saves Hours
- Instagram-First Platform Done Right
- AI Features Actually Add Value
- Better Pricing Than Hootsuite or Sprout
- Cannot Edit After Saving
- No Google Business Profile
- Analytics Less Detailed Than Competitors
Sprout Social
- AI Assist Actually Delivers
- Social Listening at Enterprise Scale
- Unified Customer Service
- Analytics That Drive Business Decisions
- Premium Add-Ons Are Expensive
- Per-User Pricing Gets Expensive Fast
- Fewer Integrations Than Hootsuite
Later Overview
If you're drowning in manual posting across Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms, Later delivers immediate relief. The Starter tier ($25/month) pays for itself if you manage even one social presence consistently. The Growth tier ($45/month) is the sweet spot for small teams. The visual calendar alone is worth the price.
Best For:
- Instagram-first visual brands
- E-commerce businesses needing shoppable Instagram feeds (Linkin.bio + Shopify integration)
- Small to medium teams managing multiple social accounts (3-6 users)
- Agencies running influencer marketing campaigns at scale
- Creators who prioritize visual calendar planning and media library organization
- Businesses wanting AI-powered caption generation and optimal posting times
- Teams needing affordable social media management ($15-40/month range)
Sprout Social Overview
If you're managing enterprise social at scale, Sprout Social delivers unmatched depth in analytics, AI automation, and team workflows. The Standard tier ($249/user/month) is expensive but pays for itself if you manage 5+ profiles. The AI Assist features (Generate Posts, Sentiment Analysis) save 24 hours weekly. Not for small businesses-the $199/user minimum makes this enterprise-only territory.
Best For:
- Enterprise social media teams at scale
- Cross-functional teams needing sophisticated workflows and approval processes
- Organizations prioritizing customer service through social channels (10% specialist productivity gains)
- Companies seeking comprehensive social listening and sentiment analysis with AI
- Brands managing multiple social profiles and requiring unlimited profile support (Professional tier)
- Teams that value responsive support (8.7/10 quality score on G2, highest in category)
- Businesses consolidating multiple legacy tools into one platform ($224K average savings)
- Marketing teams requiring CRM integration to track customer interactions across social
Our Verdict
Sprout Social is our top pick for most users, thanks to its higher user ratings. However, Later remains a solid choice if you need Instagram-first visual brands.
Try Sprout Social Free