Jasper FlourJF
Jasper Flour
Last Updated November 28, 2024
11 minutes read

11+ Brand Monitoring Tools: Features, Prices & More

Keeping tabs on your brand’s reputation can feel like chasing shadows.

That’s where brand monitoring software steps in, offering a way to track mentions, analyze sentiment, and keep your brand’s story on point.

But with so many tools out there, how do you pick the right one?

In this guide, we’ll explore 11 of the best brand monitoring tools available today, breaking down their features, pricing, and what makes each one sparkle (or stumble). 

By the end, you’ll have everything you need to choose the solution that fits your brand best.

Try Prezly media monitoring free for 14 days

  • Automatically track your news media coverage
  • Understand who is talking about your brand
  • Create email reports with embedded coverage

What is brand monitoring: A quick overview

Brand monitoring is all about keeping track of what people are saying about your business online. It’s like having an ear to the ground across social media, blogs, news outlets, and more. 

The goal? To catch mentions of your brand so you can stay ahead of the conversation. 

How to choose a brand monitoring software

Not all brand monitoring tools are created equal. Finding the right one for your business means knowing what to look for. 

Start by considering your goals. Are you focused on social media mentions, customer feedback, or tracking competitor activity?

Some key features to prioritize include:

  • Real-time alerts
  • Sentiment analysis
  • Multi-platform tracking

You’ll also want to look for tools that easily integrate with your existing tech stack, like your CRM or marketing software. And don’t forget to check each platform’s user reviews for insights on customer support and ease of use, too.

Finally, compare pricing to ensure it fits your budget without sacrificing must-have features. 

Take these factors into consideration when choosing, and you’ll have the perfect tool for monitoring your brand’s reputation.

Best brand monitoring software – #1 Prezly

[browser]

Prezly’s brand monitoring tool makes tracking your media mentions incredibly easy. 

We’ve built it right into the Prezly platform, so you can manage everything in one place. From news articles to media contacts, everything’s connected for a complete view of your coverage.

Special offer! Sign up by 15 December 2024 to get 25% off your first year's media monitoring with Prezly. Start free trial →

Features

Prezly lets you monitor online news mentions, automatically links them to relevant outlets and authors, and even adds new media contacts to your CRM.

Highlights

  • Fully integrated with the rest of Prezly’s PR toolkit
  • Automatically adds new media contacts to your list as you get coverage
  • User-friendly design that’s easy for anyone to use
  • Rated 4.7/5 on Capterra

Pricing

Prezly’s media monitoring tool can be added to any Prezly plan for just $150/month.

Customer support

Prezly offers 24/7 customer support via chat and email, so help is always available when you need it. 

Our support team is known for being quick, friendly, and knowledgeable, and we also have a growing library of guides and resources to help you make the most of our platform.

Try Prezly for free today

#2 Meltwater

[browser]

Meltwater is well-known for tracking brand mentions and analyzing online conversations. It’s specifically popular with bigger companies thanks to their wide coverage and in-depth reporting.

Features

Meltwater tracks mentions across news sites, social media, and blogs. It also includes sentiment analysis to show how people feel about your brand.

Pros

  • Covers many platforms, including social media
  • Provides detailed insights and trends

Cons

  • Expensive for smaller teams or businesses
  • Has a steep learning curve

Pricing

Meltwater’s pricing is estimated to start at around $12,000/user/year, so it’s best suited for those with a larger budget.

Customer support

Includes access to dedicated account managers and 24/7 support via chat or email.

#3 BuzzSumo

[browser]

BuzzSumo is a straightforward and reliable tool for tracking brand mentions and analyzing content performance. 

It’s especially popular with marketers and PR teams looking to keep updated on trends and competitor activity.

Features

BuzzSumo lets you track mentions across social media, blogs, and news sites. They also highlight top-performing content and trending topics in your industry.

Pros

  • Easy to use, with a clean interface
  • Great for identifying trending topics and key influencers

Cons

  • Limited social media tracking compared to other tools
  • Best suited for content-focused teams rather than full-scale monitoring

Pricing

Plans start at $199/month, with options for larger teams at higher price points.

Customer support

Support is available via email, along with a help center filled with guides and FAQs.

#4 Ahrefs

[browser]

Ahrefs is best known for their SEO tools, but they also offer strong brand monitoring features. 

It’s a great pick for teams looking to keep an eye on mentions while also improving their website’s search performance.

Features

Ahrefs tracks brand mentions across the web, including blogs, forums, and news sites. You can also monitor backlinks and keywords, making it a dual-purpose tool for SEO and brand tracking.

Pros

  • Combines brand monitoring with SEO tools
  • Provides detailed insights into backlinks and domain authority

Cons

  • Doesn’t include social media monitoring
  • Pricing can be high for smaller businesses

Pricing

Plans start at $119/month. But, to get mention tracking, you’ll need their “standard” plan (which is $229/month).

Customer support

Support is available via email, with a knowledge base full of tutorials and resources to help you get started.

#5 YouScan

[browser]

YouScan is a social media listening tool that helps brands track mentions and analyze customer sentiment. It’s particularly useful for visual content analysis, making it a great pick if you have a heavy presence on social platforms.

Features

YouScan tracks mentions across social media, blogs, and forums. Their standout feature is visual recognition, which detects logos and products in user-generated images.

Pros

  • Excellent for tracking visual mentions
  • Provides detailed sentiment analysis
  • Strong focus on social media platforms

Cons

  • Limited coverage outside of social media and forums

Pricing

Their starter plan is set at $299/mo. Their unlimited plan pricing is available on request, typically aimed at mid-sized to large businesses.

Customer support

YouScan offers 24/7 support with dedicated account managers for enterprise clients.

#6 Keyhole

[browser]

Keyhole is a simple (yet effective) tool for tracking social media mentions and analyzing campaign performance. It’s a favorite for brands focusing on social media engagement and influencer tracking.

Features

Keyhole monitors brand mentions across platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It also provides hashtag tracking and campaign performance insights, making it a go-to for social-focused strategies.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Great for social media tracking and influencer analytics

Cons

  • Limited to social media—no coverage for blogs or news sites
  • Advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans

Pricing

Pricing starts at $100 per campaign, making it accessible for small to medium-sized businesses.

Customer support

Offers email support and a detailed help center for troubleshooting and setup.

#7 Brand24

[browser]

Brand24 is a handy tool for tracking what people are saying about your brand online. It’s a great option if you’re looking for something affordable and easy to use without cutting corners.

Features

Brand24 keeps an eye on mentions across social media, blogs, forums, and news sites. It also offers sentiment analysis and real-time alerts so you can jump in quickly when needed. Plus, it helps you spot key influencers talking about your brand.

Pros

  • Affordable and simple to get started
  • Covers a lot of platforms
  • Alerts you instantly when your brand is mentioned

Cons

  • Not as advanced as pricier tools
  • Might feel a bit clunky for really large-scale tracking

Pricing

Starts at $149/month, which is reasonable for small businesses and growing teams.

Customer support

You’ll get chat and email support, plus a solid library of guides to help you out.

#8 Sprinklr

[browser]

Sprinklr is a big name in the brand monitoring space, designed for companies that need a full-scale solution for managing social media, customer interactions, and online mentions.

Features

Sprinklr covers everything from social media monitoring to customer care, making it a one-stop shop for managing your brand’s online presence. 

It tracks mentions across multiple platforms, including social media, news sites, and blogs, and provides detailed analytics to help you understand the bigger picture.

Pros

  • Great for large teams managing multiple channels
  • Combines monitoring with customer service tools
  • Highly customizable dashboards

Cons

  • An overkill solution for smaller businesses or teams
  • Pricing can be steep and isn’t transparent

Pricing

Pricing is custom and typically starts on the higher end, making it ideal for enterprise-level organizations.

Customer support

Sprinklr offers 24/7 support, along with a dedicated success team for larger clients.

#9 Mention

[browser]

Mention is a straightforward and affordable tool for tracking online conversations about your brand. It’s perfect for small to medium-sized businesses looking to monitor mentions without breaking the bank.

Features

Mention tracks brand mentions across social media, blogs, forums, and news outlets. It also offers sentiment analysis and customizable alerts, so you’re always in the loop.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Affordable for smaller teams
  • Real-time alerts keep you updated instantly

Cons

  • Limited analytics compared to more advanced tools
  • Social media coverage isn’t as deep as some competitors

Pricing

Starts at $49/month for basic plans, with options to scale up as your needs grow.

Customer support

Support is available via email and chat, along with a help center loaded with resources.

#10 Talkwalker

[browser]

Talkwalker is a versatile brand monitoring tool known for its deep analytics and wide-ranging coverage. It’s a great choice for businesses that want to go beyond tracking mentions and dive into customer insights.

Features

Talkwalker tracks mentions across social media, blogs, forums, news sites, and even TV and radio. Their analytics tools provide detailed insights into trends, sentiment, and audience demographics.

Pros

  • Covers a broad range of online and offline sources
  • Offers advanced analytics and customizable reports
  • Great for understanding audience behavior

Cons

  • Can be pricey, especially for smaller teams
  • Some find the interface overwhelming

Pricing

Pricing plans are hidden, though estimated to start at around $9,000 per year, making it better suited for larger businesses with big budgets.

Customer support

Provides dedicated account managers and 24/7 support, along with an extensive help center.

#11 BrandMentions

[browser]

BrandMentions is a straightforward, budget-friendly tool for keeping tabs on your brand’s online mentions. 

It’s perfect for small and mid-sized businesses that just need the essentials to track mentions and analyze trends.

Features

BrandMentions tracks mentions on social media, blogs, forums, and news sites. They also offer sentiment analysis, competitor tracking, and reports to help you stay ahead.

Pros

  • Affordable and super easy to use
  • Handy for tracking competitors too
  • Real-time alerts keep you in the loop

Cons

  • Not as many integrations as pricier tools
  • Analytics are solid but not super detailed

Pricing

Starts at $99/month, so it’s a good pick if you’re on a budget but still want solid tracking.

Customer support

You’ll get email support plus a helpful resource library to guide you.

Try Prezly media monitoring free for 14 days

  • Automatically track your news media coverage
  • Understand who is talking about your brand
  • Create email reports with embedded coverage

3 benefits of using brand monitoring software

Brand monitoring software isn’t just about keeping up-to-date on your mentions, it’s about staying in control of your brand’s story. 

These tools help you catch potential PR issues early, understand what your audience loves (or doesn’t), and even gain insights into your competitors. 

Whether you’re a small business or a global brand, the benefits of brand monitoring software are huge. It’s the secret weapon for protecting your reputation, improving your strategy, and staying one step ahead of the competition. 

Let’s break down three major benefits you’ll get from using brand monitoring software.

1. Stay ahead of PR crises

Real-time alerts make sure you’re the first to know when your brand is mentioned (good or bad), which is essential for effective crisis communications

If a negative review or viral post pops up, you can act quickly to address the issue, showing your audience that you’re proactive and in tune with their concerns. 

Prevention is key to reputation management.

2. Understand your audience better

Brand monitoring tools go beyond mentions, they analyze sentiment to show how people truly feel about your brand. You’ll uncover what customers love, what frustrates them, and what they’re asking for. 

These insights help you refine your PR strategy, build stronger connections, and deliver exactly what your audience wants.

Brand monitoring is also a window into what your competitors are doing. 

See how their campaigns are performing, identify gaps in the market, and stay on top of emerging trends. These insights will help you adapt quickly and stay ahead of your competitors.

Prezly's media monitoring tool lets you automatically track news mentions.
Prezly's media monitoring tool lets you automatically track news mentions.
Try Prezly media monitoring for free

Brand monitoring software: Conclusion

Choosing the right brand monitoring software can make all the difference in protecting and growing your brand. 

From PR crisis management to understanding your audience and tracking competitors, the tools we’ve covered offer powerful ways to stay ahead. 

Hopefully this article has helped you narrow in on a tool. But remember, always take your time to find the right one that fits your needs and budget.

Ready to take control of your brand’s online presence? Try out a 14-day free trial of Prezly and see how it can help your brand monitor (and earn) media coverage.

Try Prezly for free today

Join 500+ PR teams already loving Prezly

Take the stress out of contact management and distribution with a dedicated outreach CRM that your whole team can use.

Made with