Later and Sprout Social aim at opposite ends of the social media management market, and the pricing gap between them reflects that clearly. Later is an Instagram-first visual planner built for creators and small businesses — self-serve, sold in social-set bundles starting at $25/month, with a 14-day free trial and an influencer-marketing angle that has become increasingly prominent. Sprout Social is a premium enterprise suite positioned as an AI-powered "Social Intelligence Platform" — combining publishing, a unified engagement inbox, social listening, influencer marketing, and employee advocacy, with plans running from $79 to $399 per seat per month at annual-billing rates. This page compares the two honestly on pricing, platform coverage, and team features as of June 2026, and introduces SocialKit as a flat-EUR third option for teams that need more network breadth than Later offers but have no appetite for Sprout-level per-seat pricing.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Later | Sprout Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | 7 of 11Also supports: Snapchat | 10 of 11Also supports: Reddit, Snapchat | All 11 |
| Bluesky | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | No | No | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | No | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $25/mo (Starter, 1 social set)Lists at $18.75/mo billed annually (June 2026) | $79/seat/mo (Essentials, annual billing)$99/seat/mo billed monthly · as of June 2026 | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per “social set” — extra sets, users, and AI credits are paid add-ons | Per seat — every user billed $79–$399/mo at annual rates | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | 1 social set (8 profiles) on Starter2 sets (16 profiles) on Growth · 6 sets (48) on Scale | 5 profiles on Essentials & StandardUnlimited profiles from Professional ($299/seat/mo) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (no free plan) | 30 days, no credit card required | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | NoNone listed on sproutsocial.com/pricing (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | 30/profile/mo on Starter · 180 on GrowthUnlimited only on Scale ($110/mo) | No cap listedPost limits not shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Yes | Optimal send timesListed from the Essentials plan | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Visual calendar + Instagram grid preview | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | Metered credits: 5/mo on Starter50/mo on Growth · 100/mo on Scale; extra credits are paid add-ons | AI Assist from Professional ($299/seat/mo)AI alt text on Standard · AI reply enhancement on Advanced | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Not itemizedNot detailed on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | No X, Bluesky, or Mastodon to thread onLater ended X support Aug 28, 2025 | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Hashtag suggestionsUsers report on G2 the hashtag tools feel limited | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | 1 on Starter · 2 on Growth · 4 on ScaleExtra users are paid add-ons | Per seat — each user adds $79–$399/mo | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listed by planApproval details not broken out on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | Up to 3 months history on Starter1 year on Growth · 2 years on Scale | Profile- & post-level reporting from EssentialsPremium Analytics is a paid add-on (price not published) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | Not listedNo public API or webhooks shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Advanced plan ($399/seat/mo)API access listed on Advanced and up (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help centerSupport tiers not detailed on the pricing page (June 2026) | Priority support on Enterprise plan | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Instagram-first visual planning and influencer campaigns | Enterprise teams needing listening, inbox & advocacy suites | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Later figures per their public pricing page; Sprout Social figures per their public pricing page. Both may change. SocialKit facts per our own pricing page.
Entry plans compared. SocialKit prices are in EUR; all 11 platforms included — no per-network pricing.
One social set = up to 8 profiles, 1 user, 30 posts per profile/month, 5 AI credits, 3 months of analytics history. Lists at $18.75/month billed annually. As of June 2026.
$99/seat/month billed monthly. Standard $199, Professional $299, Advanced $399 per seat/month at annual rates. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Later and Sprout Social prices are taken from their public pricing pages (linked above) and may change. Full SocialKit plan details on our pricing page.
Each tool genuinely wins somewhere. Here is the honest split.
Bottom line
Choose by how many networks you use and how your team is structured. Later is the better choice for Instagram-first creators who want influencer-campaign tools and a visual workflow at a manageable price. Sprout Social is the better choice for enterprise and mid-market teams that have the seat budget and genuinely need listening, inbox, and advocacy at scale — its 30-day no-card trial is one of the most generous in the market, and for the right buyer its suite earns the price. The gap between them is exactly where most small teams sit: posting to many networks with a handful of people and a limited budget. That is where SocialKit's flat EUR plans with all 11 platforms, approval workflows, and API access on every tier make the most sense.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
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Every SocialKit plan includes all 11 platforms, analytics, AI, and API + webhooks — no per-channel meters, no per-seat pricing. Try it free for 7 days.
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