3 Best Social Listening Tools: Features, Pros & Cons

Looking for the best social listening tools to monitor your brand mentions, analyze competitor strategies, and gather valuable audience insights? We've researched and tested various options to bring you a curated list of the top 3 social listening tools on the market. In this article, you'll find a comprehensive breakdown of each tool, including their key features, pros, cons, pricing, and real user reviews.

Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing professional, or a social media manager, this guide will help you choose the perfect social listening solution to fit your needs and budget. Integrate LinkedIn data to gain even more valuable insights. Let's dive in and explore the best tools to elevate your social media strategy!

1. Bardeen

Bardeen is a top choice for social listening automation due to its ability to control any browser tab and run automations 24/7 in the cloud. With Bardeen, you can automate repetitive tasks, speed up workflows, and quickly complete time-consuming activities. If you're looking to improve your social listening process, consider signing up for Bardeen's free plan to get started.

Key Features

Here are some key features that make Bardeen stand out for social listening automation:

• AI-powered web scraping to collect data from social media and websites
• Integration with 100+ apps for seamless workflow automation
• Use of AI agents and prompts to analyze and generate insights from scraped data
• No-code workflow builder and AI-powered Magic Box for easy automation creation

Popular Use Cases

• Scraping LinkedIn profiles for lead generation and market research
• Automating data collection and analysis for comprehensive market research

Pros

• Versatile automation capabilities beyond just social listening
• Runs 24/7 in the cloud, not limited to browser uptime
• AI-powered features for intelligent data processing and insight generation

Cons

• Steeper learning curve compared to some other social listening tools
• Higher pricing for premium features and credits
• Requires some technical know-how for advanced automations

Reviews

On Capterra, Bardeen has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5, with users praising its ease of use and practical automation capabilities. One reviewer noted, "Bardeen is one of the best no-code automation platforms and won the runner-up award from Product Hunt in the SaaS category."

G2 reviewers give Bardeen 4.9 out of 5 stars, highlighting its time-saving benefits and powerful features. A user shared, "Bardeen solves the problem of manually doing repetitive tasks, which saves me a lot of time. Prices are also affordable."

While not as widely discussed on Reddit for social listening specifically, Bardeen has generally positive sentiment among users who have tried it for automation and web scraping. They appreciate its user-friendliness and extensive integration options.

Pricing

Bardeen’s pricing has been optimized for 2025 and includes the following plans:

• Free plan: Get 100 credits per month to build and test automations to transform your GTM motion.
• Starter plan: From $99/month for 15,000 annual credits, includes AI agents, AI playbook Builder, basic Integrations, and unlimited team members.
• Teams plan: From $500/month for 120,000 annual crexdits, includes everything on Starter and CRM + outreach integrations, waterfall enrichment, cloud workflows, dedicated Slack channel, and 2 custom-built AI playbooks built by Bardeen AIgency.
• Enterprise plan: From $1,500/month for over 500,000 annual credits, includes everything on Teams and custom contracts with unlimited credit options, dedicated GTM consultant, priority integrations, SSO, and 5+ custom-built AI playbooks built by dedicated AIgency.

Read why Bardeen is doubling down on AI + humans and how it can accelerate your sales cycle.

Ready to automate your workflows and maximize sales productivity? Sign up to Bardeen's free plan and experience the power of AI sales automation firsthand.

2. Hootsuite

As a popular social media management platform, Hootsuite is an excellent choice for streamlining your LinkedIn presence alongside other social networks. Its robust features for scheduling posts, monitoring brand mentions, and engaging with your audience make it a valuable tool for social listening and reputation management.

Key Features

Hootsuite's key features make it well-suited for social listening:

• Monitor brand mentions, keywords, and hashtags across social networks
• Engage with your audience via a unified social inbox
• Collaborate with team members to manage social interactions efficiently
• Analyze sentiment and track conversation volume around your brand

Popular Use Cases

• Monitoring industry trends and joining relevant conversations
• Identifying and engaging with potential leads and influencers
• Providing timely customer support and addressing concerns or complaints

Pros

• Comprehensive social media management features in one platform
• Customizable streams for easy monitoring of relevant content
• Integrates with various third-party tools for extended functionality

Cons

• Higher pricing compared to some alternatives
• Steeper learning curve for new users due to extensive features
• Some users report occasional lags or glitches

Pricing

• Professional: $99/month for 1 user and 10 social accounts
• Team: $249/month for 3 users and 20 social accounts
• Custom Enterprise plans available for larger organizations
• 30-day free trial offered for all plans

Reviews

On G2, Hootsuite has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars from over 4,200 reviews. Many users praise its comprehensive features and ease of use for managing multiple social networks.

Capterra reviewers give Hootsuite an overall rating of 4.5, highlighting its time-saving benefits and helpful analytics. However, some note that the pricing can be high for small businesses.

Discussions on Reddit suggest that while Hootsuite is feature-rich, affordable alternatives like Buffer and Agorapulse may be more suitable for users with simpler needs. Users advise evaluating your specific requirements and budget when considering Hootsuite.

3. HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is a comprehensive all-in-one marketing platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight customers. With its powerful features and seamless integration with HubSpot's CRM, it's no surprise that HubSpot Marketing Hub is a top choice for marketers looking to streamline their efforts and drive results.

Key Features

HubSpot Marketing Hub offers a wide array of features designed to help businesses grow:

• AI-powered lead generation tools to attract and convert more leads
• Omni-channel marketing automation to nurture leads across channels
• Robust analytics to measure ROI and optimize campaigns
• Content creation tools to fuel the entire customer journey

Popular Use Cases

• Generating and nurturing high-quality leads to fill the sales pipeline
• Creating and managing content to engage prospects at every stage
• Measuring the impact of marketing efforts on revenue

Pros

• All-in-one platform eliminates the need for multiple point solutions
• Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM for full-funnel visibility
• User-friendly interface makes it easy to get up and running quickly

Cons

• Higher price point compared to some other marketing tools
• Extensive features can mean a learning curve for new users
• May be more than what very small businesses need

Pricing

• Starter: Starts at $45/month for 1,000 marketing contacts
• Professional: Starts at $800/month for 2,000 marketing contacts
• Enterprise: Starts at $3,200/month for 10,000 marketing contacts
• Free tools are also available with limited features

Reviews

On G2, HubSpot Marketing Hub has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 11,000 reviews. Users praise its all-in-one capabilities, ease of use, and powerful automation.

Capterra reviewers give HubSpot Marketing Hub an overall rating of 4.5, highlighting its lead generation and email marketing features. Some noted the higher price and setup time as potential drawbacks.

On TrustRadius, HubSpot Marketing Hub has an average rating of 8.5 out of 10. Reviewers call it a "great all-in-one marketing suite" and appreciate the Salesforce integration. A few mentioned the pricing model can get expensive as contact databases grow.

Conclusions

Choosing the right social listening tool depends on your specific needs and budget. Key factors to consider include automation capabilities, AI-powered insights, ease of use, integrations, and pricing.

Among the top options, Bardeen stands out for its powerful automation features and ability to run 24/7 in the cloud. Its AI-powered web scraping and Magic Box make it a versatile choice for social listening and beyond. You can download Bardeen's Chrome extension and start a 14-day free trial of its premium features to experience the benefits firsthand.

Hootsuite is another popular option, offering comprehensive social media management features in one platform. Its customizable streams and team collaboration tools make it well-suited for social listening across multiple networks.

For an all-in-one marketing solution, HubSpot Marketing Hub is a top choice. Its AI-powered lead generation, omni-channel automation, and seamless CRM integration make it a powerful tool for driving results.

Ultimately, the best social listening tool for you will depend on your unique requirements and goals. We recommend trying out a few options to see which one fits your workflow best. Sign up for Bardeen's free plan to start automating your social listening process and unlocking valuable insights today.