Brandwatch vs Captain Data
Brandwatch
- Platform: Social media and consumer data
- Best For: Enterprise social listening and management
- Strength: Deep historical social data with AI
- Users: Not specified
Starting at Custom (no public pricing; all plans via sales)
Captain Data
- Platform: B2B data APIs
- Best For: Sales intelligence and prospecting
- Strength: Real-time signals and enrichment
- Users: 500 users
Starting at €99.98/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Data Coverage
| Feature | Brandwatch | Captain Data |
|---|---|---|
| Social media listening | ✓ Access to 1.4+ trillion posts and 496M new posts daily | ✗ Focused on B2B web signals, not social posts |
| Historical data archive | ✓ 1.4+ trillion historical social posts | ✗ Real-time signals, no large historical archive |
| B2B company and people data | ✗ Consumer-focused, not B2B firmographics | ✓ Company Profile API with firmographics, funding, growth |
| Intent and signals data | ✗ Brand monitoring signals | ✓ Signals API for career, social, review signals |
| Multi-source extraction | ✓ Social networks and web sources | ✓ Web-wide extraction with unified outputs |
AI and Analytics
| Feature | Brandwatch | Captain Data |
|---|---|---|
| AI-powered search and insights | ✓ Iris AI assistant for narrative insights | ✗ No built-in AI analytics, focuses on data provision |
| Image and custom classification | ✓ Neural networks for image analysis, ML classifiers | ✗ Structured data outputs, no image AI |
| Custom dashboards and reporting | ✓ Fully customizable with alerts | ✗ API-based, user builds own dashboards |
| Scalable API concurrency | ✓ APIs with enterprise integrations | ✓ Up to 40 requests per second |
| Compliance and security | ✓ Enterprise-grade with global support | ✓ SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant |
Social Media Management
| Feature | Brandwatch | Captain Data |
|---|---|---|
| Content calendar and scheduling | ✓ Collaborative content calendar | ✗ No social management features |
| Unified social inbox | ✓ Centralized for community management | ✗ Not applicable |
| Brand monitoring | ✓ Real-time monitoring and alerts | ✗ B2B brand signals via APIs |
| Influencer discovery | ✓ 30M+ creator database | ✗ No influencer tools |
Sales and Prospecting
| Feature | Brandwatch | Captain Data |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer profile enrichment | ✗ Consumer profiles, not B2B buyers | ✓ Buyers Profile API for people and companies |
| Engagement and workflow APIs | ✗ Social workflows | ✓ Engagement API for messaging and connections |
| Prospecting automation | ✗ Not sales-focused | ✓ Data for outbound and enrichment workflows |
| Dataset exports | ✓ Reporting exports | ✓ Scalable exports for millions of records |
Integrations and Support
| Feature | Brandwatch | Captain Data |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise integrations | ✓ Major social networks and enterprise tools | ✓ APIs for SaaS and AI products |
| Expert analyst support | ✓ Media Intelligence with analysts | ✗ Technical support tiers |
| Custom research projects | ✓ With expert consultants | ✗ User-driven via APIs |
| Smart limits and compliance | ✓ Governance for enterprises | ✓ Smart limits for safe automation |
Pricing Comparison
Brandwatch uses custom enterprise pricing with no public tiers, requiring sales contact, while Captain Data starts at €99.98/month with credit-based pricing for scalable API use. Brandwatch suits large budgets for full suites, while Captain Data offers predictable entry for technical teams.
Brandwatch
Consumer Intelligence (Brandwatch Consumer Research)
Custom
Teams needing deep social data analysis
- Access to the world’s largest archive of consumer opinions
- AI-powered search and Iris AI assistant
- Image analysis and custom classifiers
- Customizable dashboards, alerts, and reporting
- Support for first-party data uploads and integration
Social Media Management
Custom
Enterprise social teams
- All-in-one social media management platform
- Collaborative content calendar for organic and paid posts
- Unified social inbox and social CRM
- Brand monitoring and benchmarking dashboards
Influencer Marketing (Influence)
Custom
Campaign managers
- Influencer discovery across 30M+ creators
- Relationship and workflow management
- Multichannel campaign tracking and reporting
Media Intelligence & Insights
Custom
PR and strategy teams
- Access to expert analysts and consultants
- Custom research projects and strategic reporting
- Support for crisis monitoring and stakeholder management
Captain Data
Bronze Enrichment Example
€99.98/month
Small teams starting with enrichment
- Approximately 2,500 credits per month for enrichment and collection
- Most operations at 1 credit per record
- Real-time API automations
- Access to all data types
- Annual billing discount applied in example estimate
Titanium Intent Monitoring Example
Custom (example €1.49 per 1,000 credits)
Large-scale monitoring
- Intent monitoring for entities such as companies and people
- Average of 5 credits per entity per month for comprehensive monitoring
- Discounted rate of €1.49 per 1,000 credits in example scenario
- Designed for large-scale tracking of buying signals
- Higher-tier support with custom SLAs and dedicated resources
Support Levels (Bronze to Titanium)
Custom
Varying support needs
- Bronze: basic email support
- Silver: priority email and chat support
- Gold: 24/7 support across channels
- Platinum: 24/7 priority Slack support with dedicated account manager
- Diamond and Titanium: white-glove service and custom SLAs
Feature Deep Dive
Data Intelligence Capabilities
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Access to 1.4+ trillion historical posts and 496M daily new posts
- Iris AI for narrative insights and AI-powered search
- Image analysis using neural networks and deep learning
- Custom classifiers with machine learning for data categorization
- Support for first-party data uploads
Workflow
Set up queries → AI analyzes social data → Customize dashboards → Generate alerts and reports
Captain Data
Strengths
- Buyers, People, and Company Profile APIs for enrichment
- Signals API for real-time career, social, and review data
- Multi-source extraction with unified structured outputs
- Buyer’s Ecosystem API to map connections and related entities
- High scalability for large datasets
Workflow
Integrate API → Query for profiles or signals → Enrich data → Export or automate workflows
Brandwatch provides unparalleled social and consumer data depth with AI insights, ideal for brand monitoring. Captain Data focuses on real-time B2B enrichment and intent signals via APIs, better for sales tech stacks. Choose Brandwatch for social intel, Captain Data for B2B prospecting.
Management and Automation
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Unified social media management with collaborative calendar
- Centralized inbox for community and customer care
- Influence product for influencer workflows and reporting
- Customizable dashboards for monitoring
- APIs for enterprise automation
Limitations
- Sales-led setup, steep learning curve
- No self-serve for small teams
Captain Data
Strengths
- Engagement API for messaging and connection workflows
- Smart limits for compliant automation
- High concurrency for real-time large-scale workloads
- Scalable exports for millions of records
- Credit-based for flexible automation
Limitations
- No social management UI
- Requires dev resources for integration
Brandwatch offers full social management and collaboration tools for enterprises. Captain Data provides API-driven automation for B2B sales processes. Brandwatch wins for social teams, Captain Data for automated prospecting.
Analytics and Reporting
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Fully customizable dashboards and alerts
- AI-powered insights with Iris
- Media Intelligence with expert analysts
- Benchmarking and crisis monitoring
- Integrated reporting across suite
Limitations
- Complex for non-experts
- Custom pricing for advanced support
Captain Data
Strengths
- Real-time signals for dynamic analytics
- Unified structured data for custom reporting
- Support for AI products building insights
- High-volume data handling
- Compliance-focused data quality
Limitations
- No built-in dashboards or analysts
- User must build analytics layer
Brandwatch delivers ready-to-use AI analytics and expert support for social data. Captain Data supplies raw, real-time B2B data for custom analytics in sales tools. Brandwatch for out-of-box insights, Captain Data for integrated tech stacks.
Integrations and Support
Brandwatch
Strengths
- APIs and integrations with major social networks and enterprise tools
- Global offices and services
- Expert analyst support and custom projects
- Enterprise governance and workflows
- Multi-region support
Workflow
Contact sales → Demo and setup → Integrate APIs → Analyst consultation → Ongoing support
Captain Data
Strengths
- Unified APIs for easy integration into SaaS and AI agents
- Tiered support from basic to white-glove
- SOC 2 and GDPR compliance
- Documentation for high-concurrency use
- Custom SLAs for enterprises
Workflow
Sign up → Get API keys → Integrate into product → Scale with credits → Upgrade support
Brandwatch provides comprehensive enterprise support with analysts and global services. Captain Data offers scalable API integrations with tiered technical support. Brandwatch for service-heavy enterprises, Captain Data for self-integrated teams.
Use Case Comparison
Enterprise Social Listening
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Deep data coverage and AI make it ideal for monitoring brand mentions and consumer sentiment at scale.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Poor
Lacks social post data, focused on B2B signals.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
B2B Sales Prospecting
Brandwatch
Fair
Can monitor social for leads but not optimized for B2B enrichment.
Best Plan: Social Media Management (Custom)
Score: 4/10
Captain Data 🏆
Excellent
Real-time intent data and enrichment APIs perfect for outbound prospecting.
Best Plan: Bronze (€99.98/month)
Score: 10/10
Influencer Campaign Management
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Dedicated Influence product with 30M+ creators and reporting.
Best Plan: Influencer Marketing (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Poor
No influencer tools.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Revenue Operations Automation
Brandwatch
Poor
Social-focused, not for sales ops automation.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Captain Data 🏆
Excellent
APIs for enriching and automating prospecting workflows.
Best Plan: Titanium (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Market Research Teams
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Consumer Research with massive social data and AI insights.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Good
Useful for B2B market signals but limited to intent data.
Best Plan: Bronze (€99.98/month)
Score: 6/10
AI Product Development
Brandwatch
Good
APIs for social data can feed AI, but enterprise setup needed.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 7/10
Captain Data 🏆
Excellent
Designed for AI agents with real-time B2B data APIs.
Best Plan: Titanium (Custom)
Score: 10/10
PR and Crisis Monitoring
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Real-time alerts and analyst support for reputation management.
Best Plan: Media Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Poor
No crisis tools for social/PR.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Growth Team Outbound Workflows
Brandwatch
Fair
Social insights can inform, but no outbound tools.
Best Plan: Social Media Management (Custom)
Score: 5/10
Captain Data 🏆
Excellent
Enrichment and signals for large-scale outbound.
Best Plan: Bronze (€99.98/month)
Score: 9/10
Agency Managing Multiple Clients
Brandwatch 🏆
Good
Enterprise workflows for multi-client, but sales-heavy.
Best Plan: Full Suite (Custom)
Score: 8/10
Captain Data
Fair
API scalable but no agency-specific management.
Best Plan: Titanium (Custom)
Score: 6/10
Global Organization Governance
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Multi-region support and governance features.
Best Plan: Full Suite (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Good
GDPR compliant, but less governance focus.
Best Plan: Titanium (Custom)
Score: 7/10
Small B2B Startup
Brandwatch
Poor
Too complex and expensive for startups.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
Captain Data 🏆
Excellent
Affordable entry for sales intel without enterprise overhead.
Best Plan: Bronze (€99.98/month)
Score: 9/10
Consumer Brand Monitoring
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Core strength in consumer intelligence and monitoring.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Captain Data
Poor
B2B-focused, not consumer brands.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Pros and Cons
Brandwatch
Pros
- Extremely deep data coverage with 1.4+ trillion historical posts and hundreds of millions of new posts daily
- Powerful AI capabilities including Iris, image analysis, and custom classifiers
- Integrated suite covering consumer intelligence, social media management, and influencer marketing
- Strong enterprise readiness with global offices, services, and analyst recognition
- Highly customizable dashboards, segmentation, and reporting for advanced users
- APIs and integrations with major social networks and enterprise tools
- Expert support for crisis monitoring and strategic insights
Cons
- No public pricing or self-serve plans, making budgeting and comparison harder
- Sales-led onboarding and multi-step demo forms instead of instant access
- Complexity and breadth can create a steep learning curve for smaller teams
- Overkill for users who mainly need simple content creation and scheduling
- Heavier implementation and governance requirements compared to lightweight social tools
- Not focused on B2B sales intelligence or real-time APIs
Captain Data
Pros
- Unified API for people, company, and intent data, reducing integration complexity
- Strong focus on real-time signals rather than static databases
- Rich set of enrichment and data collection actions across multiple sources
- High scalability with concurrency and smart limits for safe automation
- Compliance with SOC 2 Type II and GDPR, suitable for enterprise use
- Credit-based pricing with affordable entry for technical teams
- Designed for AI agents and sales products with live data
Cons
- Credit-based pricing can be hard to predict for new users
- Best value requires engineering resources and technical integration
- Not ideal for non-technical marketers who just need simple lead lists
- Pricing examples are clear, but full tier structure and exact names are not fully disclosed publicly
- Focused on infrastructure and data, not on content creation or personal branding
- Lacks social listening or management features
Final Verdict
Brandwatch and Captain Data target distinct intelligence needs. Brandwatch is an enterprise social suite for listening, management, and insights from vast consumer data. Captain Data is an API platform for real-time B2B intent, enrichment, and sales automation, ideal for tech-integrated workflows.
Choose Brandwatch for comprehensive social and consumer intelligence in enterprise settings. Choose Captain Data for real-time B2B data in sales and tech stacks. They complement each other: use Brandwatch for marketing insights and Captain Data for sales execution.
Overall Scores
Brandwatch
Value: 6/10
Captain Data
Value: 8/10
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