11 Best Alternatives to Zoho Social for LinkedIn Monitoring

Zoho Social has built a reputation as one of the most budget-friendly ways to manage and monitor social media.

For LinkedIn, it helps founders, sales teams, and marketers keep tabs on brand presence, schedule content, and pull reports without having to invest in expensive enterprise tools.

Its real strength is affordability and integration within the Zoho suite.

But here's the truth: not every business wants to live in Zoho's ecosystem. Some need sharper focus, some crave deeper analytics, and others want tools designed with LinkedIn as the centerpiece.

That's where Zoho Social alternatives come in.

Below are 11 strong alternatives you should consider, starting with the one that's built for LinkedIn-first growth.

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11 Zoho Social Alternatives for LinkedIn Monitoring

• OutXAI
• Sprout Social
• Hootsuite
• Agorapulse
• Buffer
• Brand24
• Mentionlytics
• Oktopost
• Talkwalker
• Meltwater
• Awario

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TL;DR: Zoho Social Alternatives for LinkedIn Monitoring

If you don't have the time to read through each deep dive, here's the short version.

Below is a quick-hit table that compares all the alternatives, showing pricing, who they're best for, where they shine, and where they miss.

Use this as your shortcut guide when deciding which tool fits your needs.

Here's the bottom line:

• If you want LinkedIn-first growth, go with OutXAI — it's built for founders and sales teams who live on LinkedIn.
• If you're scaling across multiple channels, Sprout Social or Hootsuite will give you breadth.
• For agencies, Agorapulse hits the sweet spot.
• If you're just starting, Buffer is the simplest and cheapest way in.
• And if you're a global enterprise, Talkwalker and Meltwater are your heavyweight options.

Use this table as your decision filter. Start with where your business is today, and choose the tool that best aligns with your growth stage.

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1. OutXAI

Pricing and Offerings

OutXAI runs between $49–$249/month, with both free trial and freemium options. Unlike broad social media platforms, it's laser-focused on LinkedIn:

• Popular Plan $49/month (or $39/month Yearly)
• Ultimate $249/month (or $199/month Yearly)

Best For

• Founders hunting leads without spending hours prospecting
• Sales teams tracking competitor activity and buyer intent
• Marketers looking for AI-driven engagement that feels human

What makes it special

It doesn't spread thin across multiple platforms. OutXAI was built for one thing: LinkedIn. You get job-change alerts, lead intelligence, and AI-suggested comments that help you stay visible without forcing generic automation.

The game-changer

Founders and sales reps can set alerts for role changes. Imagine being notified the moment your target buyer becomes a decision-maker — that's a door-opener no cold email can replicate.

Pricing advantage

Zoho Social wins on base pricing, but OutXAI wins on depth. If LinkedIn is where your deals close, OutXAI's ROI quickly outweighs the monthly fee.

Bottom line

If LinkedIn is your battlefield, this is the top choice. It's not just another "social tool" — it's a revenue engine designed for LinkedIn-first businesses.

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2. Sprout Social

Pricing and Offerings

Sprout Social costs $199–$399/month. It offers a free trial, but no freemium tier:

• Standard $199/month
• Professional $299/month
• Advanced $349/month (custom for enterprise)

Best For

• Founders scaling into multi-channel presence
• Sales teams managing large customer conversations
• Marketing departments tracking campaigns across multiple platforms

Where it falls short

Sprout is a generalist tool. While it's powerful, it's not specialized for LinkedIn prospecting. You'll pay for features you may never use if LinkedIn is your sole focus.

Opportunities

For founders, Sprout's biggest strength is consolidation — everything sits under one roof. You can monitor LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and more from a unified dashboard. Sales teams benefit from its Smart Inbox, which pulls conversations into one place, making response time faster. Marketing teams love the analytics suite, which makes reporting easier when you're juggling campaigns across channels. The opportunity here is scale — Sprout becomes the tool that grows with you if your strategy expands beyond LinkedIn.

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3. Hootsuite

Pricing and Offerings

Hootsuite runs $99–$249/month. A free trial is available, but no freemium plan:

• Standard $99/month
• Advanced $249/month
• Enterprise (custom)

Best For

• Founders who prioritize integrations
• Marketing teams managing paid and organic campaigns
• Sales teams working across multiple channels

Where it falls short

It's powerful, but bulky. The interface can feel overwhelming, and LinkedIn is just another box ticked on a long list of features.

Opportunities

For founders, Hootsuite's 200+ integrations mean you can plug your entire tech stack directly into your social strategy. Sales teams benefit from collaboration features, ensuring everyone works from the same data. For marketing, Hootsuite's ability to combine organic and paid reporting in one dashboard helps optimize campaigns without switching platforms. If you want depth in integrations and breadth in coverage, Hootsuite delivers — but if you want LinkedIn specialization, it might feel like too much tool for too little focus.

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4. Agorapulse

Pricing and Offerings

Agorapulse costs $79–$199/month. It comes with both free trial and freemium options:

• Standard $99 ($79 yearly)
• Professional $149 ($119 yearly)
• Advanced $199 ($149 yearly)

Best For

• Agencies juggling multiple clients
• Founders with small but busy sales crews
• Marketers who want polished, ready-to-use reports

Where it falls short

It's designed with agencies in mind. If you're a solo founder, you'll pay for features you might not need.

Opportunities

For founders, Agorapulse reduces inbox chaos — everything is streamlined into one shared place. Sales teams benefit from easy collaboration, making lead assignments simpler. Marketing departments love its reporting because the insights are presentation-ready out of the box. This tool hits the sweet spot between affordability and capability, especially for small teams that need more organization but don't want enterprise pricing.

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5. Buffer

Pricing and Offerings

Buffer ranges $5–$12/month. Both free trial and freemium options are available:

• Essentials $6/month ($5 yearly)
• Team $12/month ($10 yearly)

Best For

• Solopreneurs
• Founders just starting their content journey
• Marketers who need lightweight scheduling

Where it falls short

Buffer isn't strong in monitoring. It shines for scheduling, but insights and LinkedIn-focused features are minimal.

Opportunities

For founders, Buffer is the simplest way to start without a steep learning curve. Sales teams may find it too basic, but it can complement heavier tools. For marketing, Buffer is a reliable way to plan posts without drowning in features. Think of it as the starter pack — great for solo operators or teams testing the waters before upgrading to something with stronger monitoring capabilities.

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6. Brand24

Pricing and Offerings

Brand24 costs $149–$999/month. Free trial included, but no freemium plan:

• Individual $199/month (or $149/month Yearly)
• Team $299/month (or $249/month yearly)
• Pro $399/month (or 299/month)
• Business $599/month (or $499/month)
• Enterprise $999/month

Best For

• SMBs and startups looking for broad monitoring
• Founders who need real-time alerts
• Sales teams keeping tabs on competitors

Where it falls short

It's broad. LinkedIn isn't its focus — it tracks mentions across the entire web.

Opportunities

For founders, Brand24's real-time alerts mean you'll never miss when your brand or competitors get mentioned. For sales teams, the competitive intelligence helps position your product against rivals. Marketing teams benefit from wide coverage, pulling insights from blogs, forums, news sites, and beyond. If you want a monitoring tool that keeps you ahead of the conversation everywhere — not just on LinkedIn — this one makes sense.

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7. Mentionlytics

Pricing and Offerings

Mentionlytics ranges from $49–$499/month. Free trial, no freemium:

• Basic $59/month ($49/month yearly)
• Essential $141/month (or $169/month yearly)
• Advanced $299/month (or $249/month yearly)
• Pro $499/month (or $419/month yearly)

Best For

• Founders monitoring brand reputation
• Sales teams who want competitor intel
• Marketing teams that need AI-driven insights

Where it falls short

It leans more toward reputation management than sales-driven features.

Opportunities

For founders, Mentionlytics is an early warning system, spotting issues before they escalate. For sales teams, it highlights competitor chatter and can uncover opportunities to position yourself smarter. For marketers, the AI-driven insights are useful for understanding how audiences talk about your space. It's not laser-focused on LinkedIn, but if reputation monitoring is a priority, it adds serious value.

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8. Oktopost

Pricing and Offerings

Oktopost costs $55–$560/month (estimated pricing for 2026). Free trial available, no freemium:

Best For

• B2B enterprises
• Founders in regulated industries like finance or healthcare
• Marketing leaders who need attribution tracking

Where it falls short

Complexity and higher pricing for advanced features.

Opportunities

For founders in compliance-heavy industries, Oktopost ensures your LinkedIn campaigns meet regulations without sacrificing results. Sales teams benefit from attribution tracking that shows which LinkedIn activities drive pipeline. Marketing teams get employee advocacy features, turning your team into brand ambassadors. If you're scaling and need enterprise-level compliance, Oktopost delivers — but for most startups, it's likely overkill.

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9. Talkwalker

Pricing and Offerings

Talkwalker costs $1,200–$9,600/year. Demo-only pricing (no trial):

Best For

• Enterprises with global reach
• Multinational sales teams
• Crisis management and PR teams

Where it falls short

Price and complexity. This is enterprise-grade software with enterprise-grade learning curves.

Opportunities

For founders of global companies, Talkwalker provides multilingual sentiment analysis and can detect your logo in images across the web. Sales teams get insights from every corner of the internet, not just social platforms. Marketing teams benefit from AI-powered trend detection and influencer identification. If you're managing a global brand with deep pockets, Talkwalker is comprehensive — but most SMBs will find better value elsewhere.

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10. Meltwater

Pricing and Offerings

Meltwater runs $15,000–$20,000/year. Demo-only pricing (no trial):

Best For

• PR-heavy companies
• Media-driven industries
• Marketing teams with significant PR focus

Where it falls short

Cost. This is built for companies with substantial media monitoring budgets.

Opportunities

For founders in media-sensitive industries, Meltwater combines traditional media monitoring with social listening. Sales teams get access to journalist databases for PR outreach. Marketing teams can track brand coverage across news outlets, blogs, and social platforms simultaneously. If your business strategy heavily involves media relations and you have the budget, Meltwater is the gold standard — but for LinkedIn-focused growth, it's likely excessive.

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11. Awario

Pricing and Offerings

Awario costs $49–$399/month. Free trial available, no freemium:

• Starter $49/month
• Pro $149/month
• Enterprise $399/month

Best For

• Early-stage founders watching budgets
• Small sales teams needing basic monitoring
• Lean marketing operations

Where it falls short

Limited integrations and lighter feature set compared to Brand24 or Mentionlytics.

Opportunities

For founders, Awario offers affordable entry into brand monitoring without enterprise complexity. Sales teams get basic competitor tracking and lead identification. Marketing teams benefit from straightforward reporting and sentiment analysis. Think of it as the middle ground — more capable than basic tools, less expensive than enterprise solutions. Perfect for growing teams that need monitoring but aren't ready for premium pricing.

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FAQs

1. What is OutXAI?

OutXAI is a LinkedIn-first monitoring and engagement platform built for founders, sales teams, and marketers. Unlike general social media tools, it focuses exclusively on LinkedIn to help you track prospects, monitor competitors, and engage with decision-makers at the right time.

2. How is OutXAI different from Zoho Social or other social tools?

Most tools spread themselves thin across multiple platforms. OutXAI goes all-in on LinkedIn. That means features like job-change alerts, AI-driven engagement suggestions, and lead intelligence you won't find in generic scheduling software.

3. Who should use OutXAI?

It's designed for B2B founders, startup teams, and sales reps who close deals on LinkedIn. If your business depends on LinkedIn for networking, prospecting, and pipeline, OutXAI is purpose-built for you.

4. What makes OutXAI unique for LinkedIn growth?

OutXAI isn't just about posting or reporting. It gives you timing-based insights like when a prospect changes jobs or gets promoted — signals that open the door to real conversations. It also helps you stay visible with AI-powered comment and engagement recommendations.

5. Does OutXAI offer a free trial?

Yes. OutXAI provides a free trial so you can test-drive its LinkedIn monitoring and engagement features before committing to a plan.

6. Is there a freemium version of OutXAI?

Yes. OutXAI has a freemium tier that gives founders and small teams access to core features at no cost. You can upgrade later for advanced features like deeper monitoring, job-change alerts, and AI-driven insights.

7. How much does OutXAI cost?

OutXAI pricing starts at $49/month and scales up to $249/month, depending on your plan. The higher tiers unlock advanced features like team collaboration and more AI-driven insights.

8. Is OutXAI more expensive than Zoho Social?

At the base tier, Zoho Social is cheaper. But OutXAI delivers deeper LinkedIn-specific features that drive revenue — like lead tracking and buyer-intent alerts. For businesses closing deals on LinkedIn, the ROI outweighs the higher price.

9. Can OutXAI replace my existing social media management tool?

If your strategy revolves around LinkedIn, yes. OutXAI was built to replace generalist tools that only "include" LinkedIn as an afterthought. But if you need to manage multiple platforms (Twitter, Instagram, etc.), you may want to use OutXAI alongside a multi-channel tool.

10. Why should I choose OutXAI over Zoho Social?

Because LinkedIn is where serious B2B conversations happen. OutXAI doesn't just schedule posts — it gives you real-time intelligence, AI engagement, and prospecting tools that Zoho Social doesn't offer. If LinkedIn is your main battlefield, OutXAI is the sharper weapon.