Brandwatch vs Later
Brandwatch
- Platform: Multi-platform enterprise listening
- Best For: Consumer intelligence and brand monitoring
- Strength: 1.4+ trillion historical posts and AI analytics
- Users: Enterprise brands and agencies
Starting at Custom (no public pricing; all plans via sales)
Later
- Platform: 8+ major platforms including emerging ones
- Best For: SMBs, agencies, and creators in social management
- Strength: AI captioning and collaborative workflows
- Users: Over 2 million brands and creators
Starting at $18.75/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Platform Support
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| ✓ Listening and management across platforms | ✓ Full scheduling and analytics support | |
| ✓ Integrated monitoring and publishing | ✓ Multi-profile scheduling | |
| TikTok | ✓ Consumer intelligence and listening | ✓ Best-time posting recommendations |
| Threads | ✓ Emerging platform monitoring | ✓ Direct support for scheduling |
| Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat | ✓ Broad listening coverage | ✓ Full cross-platform tools including UGC discovery |
| Emerging and niche platforms | ✓ Extensive global coverage beyond majors | ✗ Focused on core 8 platforms |
Social Listening & Intelligence
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Historical data archive | ✓ 1.4+ trillion posts, 496M daily | ✗ No deep listening; basic UGC search |
| AI-powered search and insights | ✓ Iris AI for narratives and custom classifiers | ✗ AI for captions, not intelligence |
| Image and sentiment analysis | ✓ Neural networks for visual data | ✗ No advanced analysis |
| Crisis monitoring and alerts | ✓ Real-time alerts and dashboards | ✗ Basic notifications only |
| UGC discovery | ✓ Deep search across vast data | ✓ Search by hashtag, profile, mentions |
Content Creation & Scheduling
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Visual content calendar | ✓ Collaborative for enterprise teams | ✓ Drag-and-drop with auto-publish |
| AI content generation | ✗ AI for analysis, not creation | ✓ Caption Writer and Ideas with credits |
| Multi-profile scheduling | ✓ Enterprise-scale with governance | ✓ Up to 48 profiles on Scale |
| Best-time posting | ✗ Analytics-driven but manual | ✓ Recommendations for IG and TikTok |
| Unlimited media storage | ✗ Enterprise storage via integrations | ✓ With Canva integration |
Influencer Marketing
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Influencer discovery database | ✓ 30M+ creators with campaign reporting | ✓ Curated network via Mavely for affiliates |
| Campaign workflow management | ✓ Relationship tracking and multichannel | ✓ EdgeAI for strategy and approvals |
| ROI measurement | ✓ Integrated with intelligence data | ✓ Analytics and location insights |
| Creator monetization tools | ✗ Enterprise-focused, no direct affiliate | ✓ Via Mavely for creators |
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Custom dashboards | ✓ Fully customizable with alerts | ✓ Shareable reports on Scale |
| Historical data depth | ✓ Trillions of posts | ✓ Up to 2 years on Scale |
| Competitive benchmarking | ✓ Advanced with AI segmentation | ✓ Up to 20 competitors on Scale |
| Industry trend insights | ✓ Expert analysts and future narratives | ✓ Upcoming hashtags and topics on Scale |
| Social inbox and CRM | ✓ Centralized for customer care | ✓ For conversations and approvals |
Collaboration & Enterprise Features
| Feature | Brandwatch | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Team workflows and approvals | ✓ Governance and multi-region support | ✓ Access groups, comments, external reviewers |
| API and integrations | ✓ Major networks and enterprise tools | ✓ Canva, Chrome extension, Link in Bio |
| Expert support and consulting | ✓ Analyst support and custom projects | ✓ Priority on Scale, basic otherwise |
| White-label or agency tools | ✓ For global agencies | ✓ Client management workflows |
Pricing Comparison
Brandwatch uses custom enterprise pricing with no public tiers, ideal for large-scale needs but opaque for budgeting. Later offers transparent, scalable plans starting at $18.75/month, providing better accessibility for SMBs while advanced features require higher tiers.
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
Brands running large influencer programs
- Influencer discovery across 30M+ creators
- Relationship and workflow management
- Multichannel campaign tracking and reporting
Media Intelligence & Insights
Custom
PR and crisis teams
- Access to expert analysts and consultants
- Custom research projects and strategic reporting
- Support for crisis monitoring and stakeholder management
Later
Starter
$18.75/month
Solo creators or small teams
- 1 Social Set (8 profiles total, 1 of each supported platform)
- 1 user account
- Schedule up to 30 posts per profile per month
- AI content tools with 5 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 3 months of data
- Link in Bio functionality
- Basic customer support
- Support for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat
Growth
$37.50/month
Growing teams needing collaboration
- 2 Social Sets (16 profiles total, 2 of each supported platform)
- 2 user accounts
- Everything in Starter
- Smart Scheduling with Future Trends in the calendar
- Internal collaboration and approvals with roles, feedback, and notifications
- External workflow and approvals for reviewers without Later logins
- Social inbox for managing conversations
- Schedule up to 180 posts per profile per month
- AI content tools with 50 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 1 year of data
Scale
$82.50/month
Agencies and larger brands
- 6 Social Sets (48 profiles total, 6 of each supported platform)
- 4 user accounts
- Everything in Growth
- Custom analytics across all connected social profiles with filters and shareable reports
- Competitive benchmarking for up to 20 competitors
- Future industry insights including upcoming hashtags and trending topics
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- AI content tools with 100 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 2 years of data
- Priority customer support
Feature Deep Dive
Social Listening & Consumer Intelligence
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Access to 1.4+ trillion historical posts and 496M daily
- Iris AI for narrative insights and AI-powered search
- Image analysis with neural networks and custom classifiers
- Real-time alerts, crisis monitoring, and expert analyst support
- First-party data integration for comprehensive views
Workflow
Set up queries and classifiers → Monitor dashboards and alerts → Analyze with Iris AI → Generate custom reports
Later
Strengths
- UGC discovery via search by profile, hashtag, tags, mentions
- Basic social inbox for conversations
- Future trends and upcoming hashtags on Scale
- Competitive benchmarking for engagement
Workflow
Search UGC → Schedule inspired content → Monitor inbox → Review platform analytics
Brandwatch dominates in depth with massive data archives and advanced AI for enterprise intelligence, ideal for brand monitoring and research. Later offers lightweight UGC and trend tools suitable for tactical social teams, but lacks the scale for strategic insights.
Content Creation & Scheduling
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Unified management with collaborative calendar for organic/paid
- Centralized inbox for community management
- Customizable publishing with governance
- Integration with listening for data-driven content
Limitations
- No built-in AI content generation
- Focused on enterprise workflows, less visual for creators
- Manual best-time without automation
Later
Strengths
- Visual calendar with auto-publish and multi-profile support
- AI Caption Writer, Ideas, and 100+ credits on Scale
- Best-time recommendations for IG/TikTok
- Unlimited storage, Canva integration, Chrome extension
- Smart scheduling with future trends
Limitations
- Post limits on lower tiers
- AI credits can deplete quickly
Later shines in user-friendly, AI-assisted creation and scheduling across platforms, perfect for creative teams. Brandwatch provides robust enterprise scheduling tied to intelligence but lacks creative AI tools, making it better for data-informed publishing.
Influencer Marketing
Brandwatch
Strengths
- 30M+ creator database for discovery
- Workflow management for relationships and campaigns
- Multichannel tracking and ROI reporting
- Integration with consumer intelligence for vetting
- Expert support for strategy
Workflow
Discover creators → Manage relationships → Track campaigns → Analyze ROI with listening data
Later
Strengths
- Curated creator network via Mavely for affiliates
- EdgeAI for strategy and campaign planning
- Approval workflows and collaboration
- Link in Bio with analytics for monetization
- UGC integration for campaigns
Limitations
- Pricing not transparent; sales contact needed
- Less emphasis on large-scale discovery
Brandwatch offers enterprise-level discovery and tracking with vast databases, suited for big campaigns. Later provides accessible tools for SMB influencer programs with AI strategy, but scales less for global operations.
Analytics & Reporting
Brandwatch
Strengths
- Fully customizable dashboards with segmentation
- Deep historical analysis and benchmarking
- AI-driven insights and alerts
- Expert consulting for custom reports
- APIs for enterprise integrations
Limitations
- Requires setup for full value
- Overwhelming for non-experts
Later
Strengths
- Platform analytics up to 2 years on Scale
- Custom reports with filters and sharing
- Competitive benchmarking and industry insights
- Location and Link in Bio analytics
- Social inbox metrics
Limitations
- Advanced features on highest tier only
- Less depth in consumer intelligence
Brandwatch provides unparalleled depth for enterprise analytics and strategic reporting. Later delivers practical, cross-platform insights with ease, better for operational teams tracking performance and ROI.
Use Case Comparison
Enterprise Brand Monitoring
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Deep listening with trillion-scale data, Iris AI, and crisis alerts perfect for global reputation management.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Later
Poor
Basic UGC search insufficient for enterprise-scale monitoring.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
SMB Social Media Scheduling
Brandwatch
Fair
Capable but overkill with complexity and cost for simple scheduling.
Best Plan: Social Media Management (Custom)
Score: 5/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Affordable visual calendar, AI tools, and multi-platform support ideal for SMBs.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Influencer Campaigns for Agencies
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
30M+ database, workflows, and ROI tracking with client governance.
Best Plan: Influence (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Later
Good
Mavely network and approvals work well, but less discovery depth.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 7/10
Content Planning for Creators
Brandwatch
Poor
Lacks AI creation tools; focused on analysis over planning.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
AI Caption Writer, visual calendar, and unlimited storage tailored for creators.
Best Plan: Starter ($18.75/month)
Score: 10/10
Market Research Teams
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Vast data, custom classifiers, and analyst support for insights.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Later
Fair
Basic trends and benchmarking, but no deep research tools.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 5/10
PR and Crisis Management
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Real-time alerts, sentiment analysis, and expert consulting for crises.
Best Plan: Media Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Later
Poor
No crisis-specific monitoring or alerts.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Agencies Managing Multiple Clients
Brandwatch
Good
Enterprise workflows and integrations, but sales process slows scaling.
Best Plan: Full Suite (Custom)
Score: 7/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Social sets, approvals, and collaboration for efficient client management.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Retail Brands Tracking Influencer ROI
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Integrated tracking with listening for full campaign impact.
Best Plan: Influence + Consumer Research (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Later
Good
Analytics and Mavely for measurable affiliate results.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 8/10
Global Enterprise Governance
Brandwatch 🏆
Excellent
Multi-region support, workflows, and compliance features.
Best Plan: Full Suite (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Later
Fair
Basic team tools, but lacks enterprise governance.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 4/10
SMB Competitive Benchmarking
Brandwatch
Good
Powerful but costly for SMBs.
Best Plan: Consumer Intelligence (Custom)
Score: 6/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Affordable benchmarking and insights on Scale.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 8/10
Creators Monetizing via Affiliates
Brandwatch
Poor
Enterprise-focused, no direct creator tools.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Mavely integration and Link in Bio for easy monetization.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Cross-Platform Team Collaboration
Brandwatch
Good
Strong for enterprises, but steep curve.
Best Plan: Social Media Management (Custom)
Score: 7/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Intuitive approvals, inbox, and roles for teams.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 9/10
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
- No built-in AI for content generation
- High cost likely prohibitive for SMBs
Later
Pros
- Unified platform for influencer marketing, social media management, and link in bio
- Strong analytics with extended historical data and custom reporting on higher tiers
- AI-powered features like Caption Writer, Ideas, and EdgeAI for influencer strategy
- Support for all major social platforms including Threads and Snapchat
- Robust collaboration tools for teams and agencies, including approvals and comments
- Transparent, affordable pricing starting at $18.75/month
- Unlimited media storage and Canva integration for creators
- Mavely for creator monetization and UGC discovery
Cons
- Most advanced analytics and benchmarking features are locked to the highest-priced Scale plan
- Influencer marketing pricing is not transparent and requires contacting sales
- AI features depend on monthly credits, which may feel limiting for heavy users
- The breadth of features can introduce a learning curve for smaller teams or solo creators
- Additional costs for extra users, social sets, and AI credits can increase total spend
- Lacks deep historical listening data for enterprise intelligence
- No expert analyst support or custom classifiers
Final Verdict
Brandwatch and Later cater to different scales: Brandwatch is an enterprise powerhouse for intelligence and monitoring, while Later is a versatile, AI-enhanced tool for social management and influencers. Brandwatch suits data-heavy strategies; Later excels in operational efficiency.
Opt for Brandwatch if your focus is enterprise intelligence and large-scale analysis. Choose Later for practical social management, AI assistance, and cost-effective scaling. For hybrid needs, use Brandwatch for listening and Later for execution.
Overall Scores
Brandwatch
Content Creation: 5/10
Later
Content Creation: 9/10
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