The Meltwater Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Meltwater in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Meltwater
The Insider’s Guide
Media monitoring, social listening and PR intelligence platform
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among social media schedulers, read from Meltwater’s own pages.
Made by Meltwater · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Meltwater’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Meltwater’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 1 of the 90 other social media schedulers we grade
Meltwater is a media and social intelligence platform for communications and marketing teams. Modules cover media monitoring, social listening, AI visibility tracking, media relations and influencer marketing. Plans are tailored per customer and sold through its sales team.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Meltwater, taken from its own pages and our grades.
A web platform bought through sales, and no store rating on record.
- 1
Best for media monitoring for larger teams
Meltwater covers media monitoring, social listening, media relations and AI visibility tracking.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
Media intelligence
Monitors news and media coverage with alerts, reporting and pre-built dashboards.
- 4
Social listening
Tracks social conversations about a brand as a module of the platform.
- 5
AI visibility tracking
Tracks how a brand appears in generative AI answers; its pricing FAQ calls this GenAI Lens.
- 6
A 1.6 GPA, above 1 of 90
That is against the other social media schedulers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
The plain part of Meltwater you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Meltwater at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Meltwater
- Category
- Social Media Schedulers
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for media monitoring for larger teams
Meltwater covers media monitoring, social listening, media relations and AI visibility tracking. Plans are quoted by sales, contracts typically run 12 months or more, and there is no self-serve trial, so you commit before you can try it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price is published for Starter, Pro, Enterprise or Agency, so it sits at the middle by default. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No self-serve trial and no free plan; the page offers a guided demo only. |
| Features | C | Media intelligence, listening and media relations. Influencer marketing is Enterprise and Agency only. |
| Ease of use | C | A web platform bought through sales, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with no integrations listed on the page we read. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Meltwater is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- PR and communications teams tracking media coverage
- Brands that want listening and media monitoring in one contract
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Meltwater's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No price is published for Starter, Pro, Enterprise or Agency, so it sits at the middle by default.
We could not confirm Meltwater’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. meltwater.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Media monitoring, social listening and PR intelligence platform. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, reports, dashboards, AI search visibility.
Media intelligence, listening and media relations.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Meltwater is made by Meltwater.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/90
Other social media schedulers it is graded above
Meltwater's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 90 other social media schedulers we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on value for money (C, above 15 of 90) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 91 social media schedulers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Meltwater’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 15 of 90
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 90
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 90
- CEase of useAbove 6 of 90
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 90
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Meltwater you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 85 of the 90 other social media schedulers grade higher.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- The same prompts asked of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers every day, and the answers kept.
- Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Meltwater’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Brandwatch, Sprinklr, Brand24, Emplifi and Sprout Social
The 5 tools Meltwater is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
Brandwatch
Paid
Enterprise social listening, management and consumer research.
- Meltwater also covers AI search visibility.
- 1.8GPA
Sprinklr
Paid
Enterprise social media management and customer experience suite.
- Meltwater also covers dashboards and AI search visibility.
- Sprinklr also covers calendar, shared inbox and workflow automation.
- 2.2GPA
Brand24
Free trial · from $199/mo
Social listening across social networks, news, blogs and podcasts.
- Only Brand24 lists iOS and Android apps.
- Meltwater also covers dashboards and AI search visibility.
- 1.6GPA
Emplifi
From $1,249/mo
Enterprise social media marketing, care and commerce platform.
- Meltwater also covers dashboards and AI search visibility.
- Emplifi also covers calendar, shared inbox and review collection.
- 2.2GPA
Sprout Social
Free trial · from $79/mo
Social media management with a shared inbox, listening and reports.
- Only Sprout Social lists iOS and Android apps.
- Meltwater also covers dashboards and AI search visibility.
- Sprout Social also covers calendar and shared inbox.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
9
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Meltwater free?
No. Meltwater is a paid product.
What platforms does Meltwater work on?
Meltwater is available on Web.
Does Meltwater have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Meltwater is listed for Web.
Does Meltwater have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Meltwater is listed for Web.
Is Meltwater open source?
Meltwater is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Who makes Meltwater?
Meltwater is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Meltwater?
The closest alternatives to Meltwater in our directory are Brandwatch, Sprinklr, Brand24, Emplifi and Sprout Social.
How does Meltwater compare with other social media schedulers?
Meltwater's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 90 other social media schedulers we grade, and level with 4.
Could I make my own version of Meltwater?
The plain part of Meltwater you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Meltwater’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Meltwater's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Meltwater. Prices change, so check meltwater.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Meltwater, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/meltwater
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Meltwater: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/meltwater
Know someone choosing between social media schedulers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/meltwater/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded social media schedulers after Meltwater, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Social Media Schedulers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 91 social media schedulers we grade, compared
- Buffer Insider's GuideSocial media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan2.8 GPA
- Fedica Insider's GuideScheduling and follower analytics across 15 social networks2.6 GPA
- Hootsuite Insider's GuideSocial media suite for publishing, inbox, listening and reports2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Meltwater’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Meltwater is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Meltwater. Prices and plans change: check meltwater.com before you buy.