Sprout Social vs HubSpot 2025: Dedicated Social vs Marketing Suite
TL;DR - Quick Answer
11 min readSee which tool is better for you. We compare pricing, features, and ease of use.
Sprout Social = dedicated social media platform. HubSpot = all-in-one marketing suite with social features.
Different tools. Different strengths. Here's how to choose.
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Side-by-Side Comparison
What does Sprout Social do that HubSpot doesn't?
Pricing Reality
Sprout Social Pricing
HubSpot Marketing Hub Pricing
Real Cost Comparison
Key insight: For social-only, Sprout costs less. For full marketing, HubSpot bundles more.
Which is cheaper for a 3-person team needing only social media?
Feature Comparison
Social Publishing
Winner: Sprout Social.
Social Listening
Winner: Sprout Social by far.
Smart Inbox (Customer Service)
Winner: Sprout for social service. HubSpot with full Service Hub.
CRM & Lead Management
Winner: HubSpot. CRM is their core.
If CRM and lead management are your priority, which tool wins?
Pros and Cons
Sprout Social
HubSpot
Who Should Choose What
Choose Sprout Social If You:
- Focus primarily on social media
- Need advanced listening
- Handle high-volume social customer service
- Want dedicated social analytics
- Already have CRM elsewhere
Choose HubSpot If You:
- Already use HubSpot CRM
- Want all marketing in one platform
- Need email + social + automation together
- Value revenue attribution
- Are building full marketing stack
Choose Neither If You:
- Are a small business on budget
- Just need simple scheduling
- Want AI content generation
- Don't need enterprise features
Better Alternative
Need focused social without enterprise pricing?
SocialRails offers:
- $29-99/month flat rate
- Unlimited AI content generation
- 350+ video templates
- Visual content calendar
- Team collaboration
Integration Option
Use Sprout Social AND HubSpot together if you:
- Need HubSpot's CRM + marketing automation
- Plus Sprout's advanced social capabilities
- Have budget for both
- Have distinct team responsibilities
How they integrate: Native connector syncs contacts and conversations.
FAQ
Can I use HubSpot just for social media?
Not practically. Social requires Marketing Hub Professional ($800/mo), which includes many features beyond social. For social-only, Sprout at $249/mo offers better value and deeper features.
Does Sprout Social integrate with HubSpot?
Yes. Native integration syncs contacts, shows CRM data in Sprout, and maintains HubSpot as your CRM while using Sprout for social.
Which has better social listening?
Sprout Social by far. Advanced listening with sentiment analysis, competitor tracking, and crisis alerts. HubSpot offers basic keyword monitoring only.
Is HubSpot worth it for social features alone?
No. At $800/mo minimum, HubSpot's social features don't justify the cost vs dedicated tools. HubSpot makes sense when you need CRM, email, automation, AND social together.
Bottom Line
This is about scope, not quality.
Sprout Social = dedicated social excellence. Best for listening, publishing, and social customer service.
HubSpot = integrated marketing. Makes sense when you use CRM, email, automation, and social together.
Don't buy HubSpot just for social. $800/mo doesn't justify basic social features alone.
For social-focused teams, Sprout offers better value. For affordable social with AI, consider SocialRails.
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Let AI do the work. Ideas, posts, images, carousels. Scheduled in seconds.
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