Brandwatch vs Meltwater (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brandwatch grades higher than Meltwater: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Brandwatch grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Brandwatch
Enterprise social listening, management and consumer research
Paid
Meltwater
Media monitoring, social listening and PR intelligence platform
Paid
Which one is for you
Pick Brandwatch if
- Fits if you are a company that needs listening across millions of conversations
- Makes sense if you can put budget through a sales process
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to see a price first, as none is published
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, because there is none
- Too light for planning, as plan limits are not listed on the pages we read
- Watch out: listening and publishing are separate products, possibly separate contracts
Pick Meltwater if
- Fits if a communications team needs news and social monitoring in one place
- Makes sense if you can sign a contract of a year or more
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as there is no self-serve trial
- Skip it if you want prices up front, because the page shows none
- Tight if you need influencer tools, as they sit on Enterprise and Agency only
- Watch out: contracts typically run 12 months or more, per its own FAQ
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABrandwatchWeak | 1.6GPAMeltwaterWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, so it sits at the middle by default; plans are quoted after a demo. | CNo price is published for Starter, Pro, Enterprise or Agency, so it sits at the middle by default. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial listed; you request a demo. | FNo self-serve trial and no free plan; the page offers a guided demo only. |
| Features | BListening, social management, influencer marketing, search data and an AI assistant. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though products are sold separately. | CMedia intelligence, listening and media relations. Influencer marketing is Enterprise and Agency only. |
| Ease of use | CA web platform sold through a demo, and no store rating on record. Expect onboarding. | CA web platform bought through sales, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pages we read. | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the page we read. |
| Best for | enterprise social listening | media monitoring for larger teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Brandwatch and Meltwater. How we grade
Where they differ
- Meltwater also covers AI search visibility.
In commonWebAI featuresReportsDashboards
At a glance
| Brandwatch | Meltwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Brandwatch | Meltwater |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Brandwatch
- No prices are published; plans are quoted after a demo request.
- Standard to enterprise plans exist per product, but their limits are not listed.
- Products are sold separately, so listening and publishing may be separate contracts.
Meltwater
- Pricing is quoted by sales: the page lists Starter, Pro, Enterprise and Agency with no prices.
- Contracts typically run 12 months or more, per its FAQ.
- Influencer marketing is on Enterprise and Agency only.
Key features
Brandwatch
- Consumer intelligence
- Searches an archive of online conversations, with customizable dashboards, automated reporting and alerts.
- Social media management
- Publishing calendar for organic and paid posts, a community inbox and competitor benchmarking; this was the Falcon suite.
- Influencer marketing
- Influencer discovery across a database of over 30 million creators, plus relationship and campaign tracking.
- Search intelligence
- Covers search visibility and generative AI monitoring.
- Iris AI
- AI features across the suite, branded Iris by the vendor.
Meltwater
- Media intelligence
- Monitors news and media coverage with alerts, reporting and pre-built dashboards.
- Social listening
- Tracks social conversations about a brand as a module of the platform.
- AI visibility tracking
- Tracks how a brand appears in generative AI answers; its pricing FAQ calls this GenAI Lens.
- Media relations
- A media database and press distribution tools.
- Mira AI
- The vendor's AI assistant, offered at standard, advanced and enterprise levels by plan.
Plans
Brandwatch
Pricing could not be confirmed. See brandwatch.com.
Meltwater
Pricing could not be confirmed. See meltwater.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Brandwatch or Meltwater?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brandwatch has no price we could confirm, and Meltwater has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Brandwatch or Meltwater?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Brandwatch nor Meltwater has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.