Your Numbers Next to Your Posts
Followers, interactions and engagement rate from the networks you post to, with the best network, day and time to post.
What a Social Media Analytics Tool Does, and What This Page Covers
A social media analytics tool collects the numbers each network keeps about your account and your posts, puts them in one place and helps you decide what to post next. For a small business that is three questions, asked once a month: are we growing, which posts did people respond to, and when should the next one go out. Everything else in an analytics dashboard is a more detailed version of those three.
Every network already answers them for free, inside its own app. The trouble starts on four or five networks: five apps, five words for the same thing, five different history limits, and a spreadsheet filled by hand. A separate analytics tool removes that work. So does a scheduler that reads the numbers of the posts it published.
Below: the numbers that matter and what a normal engagement rate is, how to see analytics natively on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest (each step linked to the network's help page, read November 2, 2026), what Spreadcast measures and what it does not, a monthly report template with an example, and seven tools compared on price.
We make Spreadcast, so read the comparison with that in mind. It is a posting tool first, and the pick when you want posting and the numbers in one place for the price of a scheduler. It is not the pick when you need Instagram reach, competitor tracking or PDF reports for a client; the comparison names the tools that do those better.
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The Social Media Numbers That Matter for a Small Business
Most dashboards show thirty numbers. These six are the ones worth reading every month. Our list of social media KPIs has twenty with formulas if you need the rest.
Followers Gained
Not the total, the change. Going from 2,310 to 2,400 in a month means about 4% growth. Read it per network, because a jump on one and a leak on another cancel out in a combined number.
Interactions
Likes, comments, shares, saves and reposts added up. Instagram's own definition of interactions is the number of actions people take when they engage with your content, such as likes, comments, saves and shares. It counts people who did something.
Engagement Rate
Interactions divided by an audience, so a post on a 300 follower account can be compared with one on a 30,000 follower account. Some tools divide by followers, others by reach, and the two give very different numbers. Our free engagement rate calculator does both for every network.
Views or Reach
How many times a post was shown, or to how many different people. A post with 40 views and 6 interactions did well with the few who saw it; a post with 4,000 views and 6 interactions did not.
Clicks to Your Site or App
The number that pays the bills, and the hardest one to get. Links in Instagram and TikTok captions cannot be tapped, so clicks come from your bio link. On LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest and Telegram a link in the post can be tapped and counted.
Best Day and Time to Post
Your own pattern, not an industry average. Instagram shows the times your followers are most active once you have 100 followers, and TikTok shows when your viewers were most active in the last 7 days. After a dozen posts, your own weekday results beat any published chart.
What Is a Good Engagement Rate? Two Benchmarks That Disagree
Both studies below were published in 2026 on 2025 data, and both are careful. They disagree because they divide by different things. Quid's 2026 benchmark report divides interactions by follower count. Buffer's 2026 engagement study, across more than 52 million posts, divides engagements by reach, the number of accounts that saw the post. Pick one method and compare yourself only with numbers made the same way.
| Network | Median per post, by followers (Quid) | Median per post, by reach (Buffer) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.30% | About 5.5% | |
| TikTok | 2.01% | About 4.6% |
| Not given | About 5.6% | |
| Not covered | About 6.2% | |
| Not covered | About 4.0% | |
| Threads | Not covered | About 3.6% |
| YouTube | 0.21% | Not rated; median 433 views a post |
| Bluesky and Mastodon | Not covered | Not rated; about 4 and 3 interactions a post |
Spreadcast's engagement rate divides by followers, like Quid, because reach is not something every network gives a posting tool. So compare a Spreadcast rate with the middle column, not the right one.
How to See Instagram Analytics, Step by Step
You no longer need a business account to see Instagram analytics. Instagram's help page about insights says that if you have a public account, you can use free insights on your followers and on how your content performed. A private account sees none. If yours is private and you post for a business, make it public first.
To check your Instagram analytics on your phone, open the insights overview from your profile in the Instagram app. It shows four things: Views, Interactions, New followers and Content you shared. Tap any of them to see more, and tap the (i) in the corner for the definition of each metric. A dropdown at the top lets you pick a preset or custom period, and every period has to fall within the past 90 days. That 90 day limit is the main reason people move to a tool: Instagram cannot compare this March with last March.
On a computer, Instagram's steps to view account and content insights are: on instagram.com, select Dashboard in the left menu, then Insights under For professionals on a professional account, or Your dashboard under Your insights and tools on a personal one, then choose Account or Content. Ranges are the last 7, 14, 30 or 90 days, or a custom range inside the past 90 days. Make the account private and insights disappear; switch back within 90 days and they return.
For one post or reel, tap View insights under it: Views, Viewers (different accounts that saw it), Interactions and Accounts engaged, split into followers and non followers. A post engaged mostly by non followers is the kind that brings new people in.
Two thresholds matter for small accounts. Audience demographics, such as top cities and age ranges, appear only once you reach or engage more than 100 accounts in the chosen period; if Last 7 days shows nothing, choose Last 30 days or Last 90 days. Follower trends, including growth and the times your followers are most active, appear only once you have at least 100 followers.
For a bigger screen with Facebook alongside, Meta Business Suite on desktop has an Insights section for your Facebook Page and Instagram profile,, with an Overview of the past 28 days, a Content table of every post and a Benchmarking tab that compares you with similar businesses in your category.
How to download Instagram analytics is the question with the least satisfying answer. Instagram's insights help page describes viewing, not downloading, and the 90 day window still applies. If you need a file for a client or a monthly report, use a tool that exports: Buffer's paid plans export Insights as CSV, Markdown or PDF, and Metricool's paid plans include PDF and PPT report downloads. Spreadcast does not export reports; it shows the numbers on its Analytics tab.
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How to See TikTok Analytics, on the App and on a Computer
TikTok's Creator Academy article introducing TikTok analytics lists three ways to get there. In the TikTok app, go to your profile, tap the menu bars, select TikTok Studio, find Analytics and tap View all. On a computer, open TikTok Studio on the web and choose the Analytics tab on the left. In the separate TikTok Studio app, Analytics is a tab in the bar at the bottom.
You can choose the last 7 days, last 28 days, last 60 days, last 365 days or a custom range. On the web, a custom range reaches back only to July 17, 2022; anything older needs the app. TikTok says you can download analytics data for up to 365 days at a time, which makes TikTok the most generous of the big networks for anyone who keeps their own monthly report.
The tabs are Overview (post views, profile views, likes, comments, shares and estimated rewards, plus traffic sources and the search queries that led people to you), Content (your 10 top posts for the period, ranked by views, likes, new viewers and new followers), Viewers (unique and returning viewers, inferred age, gender and location, and when viewers were most active in the last 7 days), Followers (who follows you and when they are active, by hour and day) and LIVE. For each video, look at retention rate, average watch time and the share who watched the full video. On TikTok those three explain a flop better than likes do.
TikTok analytics for business accounts sit in one more place. A TikTok Business Account comes with Web Business Suite, whose Analytics tab has Overview (reach, engagement, conversion and follower data, which you can download), Audience and Video, over the last 7, 28 or 60 days or a custom range. If you post for a company, a business account is the one to have, because the downloadable Overview is the closest TikTok comes to a ready made monthly report.
The best free TikTok analytics tool is TikTok's own: it shows retention and traffic sources no outside tool can read. An outside tool earns its place when you want TikTok next to your other networks.
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How to See LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest Analytics
LinkedIn keeps two kinds. For a company Page, Page analytics is open to all Page admin roles and has tabs for Content, Followers, Visitors, Search appearances, Competitors, Employer brand and Newsletter, and you can export a report. For posts from your own profile, combined post analytics sits under Analytics and tools: pick any range from the past 7 days to the past 365 days, switch between impressions and engagements, and export to an XLSX file. The Competitors tab is free competitor tracking that most paid tools charge for.
Facebook Page analytics live in Meta Business Suite on desktop: choose the Page in the top left dropdown and click Insights. The Overview covers the past 28 days with Views and Follows, Results adds Content interactions and Link clicks, and Content lists every post.
On YouTube, YouTube Analytics opens from YouTube Studio: sign in and click Analytics in the left menu for the channel, or go to Content, point to a video and choose Analytics. The tabs are Overview, Content, Audience, Revenue for channels in the Partner Program, and Trends, and for each video Reach and Engagement, which show impressions, click through rate, views, watch time and average view duration. Advanced Mode is where you compare videos and export data. A new Studio layout has been rolling out since July 2026, so your screen may differ.
Pinterest analytics need a business account, which is free and keeps your Pins and followers when you convert; the account has to be public first. Then Pinterest Analytics opens from the menu under Analytics on the web, or from the chart icon on your profile in the app. It shows impressions, saves, Pin clicks, outbound clicks and an engagement rate built from saves, Pin clicks and outbound clicks, with custom ranges reaching back about a year and a half and an Export button that downloads a CSV. Outbound clicks are the Pinterest number to watch if Pinterest is meant to send people to your site.
Telegram gives channel statistics only to channels above a size it does not publish. A Mastodon post carries favourites, boosts and replies and no view count, and Bluesky shows similar counts, which is why Buffer rates both by interactions per post.
Native Analytics on Each Network at a Glance
Everything in this table is free. The last two columns are why people end up with a tool: short history and no file to download.
| Network | Account you need | Where to find it | How far back | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A public account | Your profile in the app, or instagram.com | Past 90 days | Not in Instagram's help; use Meta Business Suite or a tool | |
| Permission on the Page | Meta Business Suite, Insights | Overview covers 28 days | Not covered in that help page | |
| TikTok | Any account | TikTok Studio, Analytics | Up to 365 days; web back to July 17, 2022 | Up to 365 days at a time |
| TikTok business | Business Account | Web Business Suite | 7, 28, 60 days or custom | Overview data |
| LinkedIn Page | Any Page admin role | Page analytics tabs | Not stated | Page analytics report |
| LinkedIn profile | Any member | Analytics and tools | 7 to 365 days | XLSX file |
| YouTube | Access to the channel in YouTube Studio | YouTube Studio, Analytics | Not stated on that page | From Advanced Mode |
| Free business account | Pinterest Analytics | About 18 months | CSV | |
| Telegram | Channel above a size Telegram sets | Channel statistics, for admins | Not stated | Not stated |
Read on each network's own help page on November 2, 2026. Menus move often; the help pages linked here are updated when they do.
What Spreadcast Measures, Network by Network
Spreadcast reads numbers from the networks it publishes to, for the posts it published and the accounts you connected. It reads two things. Followers: one reading per connected account per day, with the first reading taken the moment you connect, so growth counts from the day the account joined Spreadcast. Post numbers: once a day for each published post, for as long as that network lets them be read.
That is less than each network shows in its own app, because networks share only some numbers with outside apps. The table below is taken from the code that reads them.
Instagram is the big gap. Reach, views, saves and shares on Instagram need the instagram_business_manage_insights permission, which Spreadcast does not request, so it reads likes and comments only and leaves reach at nothing rather than guessing it. If Instagram reach is the number you report on, open Instagram's own insights or use one of the Instagram focused tools in the comparison below.
LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads and Discord posts are published and counted in Posts Published, and the Analytics tab says which networks count posts only. Depending on how an account was connected, a network can give fewer numbers than the table shows. A post you delete on the network drops out of your totals on the next reading.
What Spreadcast Reads From Each Network
Followers are read once a day per account. Post numbers are read once a day per post.
| Network | Followers | Post numbers read | Not read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Likes and comments | Reach, views, saves, shares, demographics | |
| TikTok | Yes, from the public profile | Views, likes, comments and shares | Watch time, retention, traffic sources |
| YouTube | Subscribers, unless the channel hides them | Views, likes and comments, for a year after posting | Watch time, impressions, click through rate |
| Yes | Impressions, saves, Pin clicks, outbound clicks, reactions and comments, business accounts only, for the first 85 days | Clicks are added into interactions, not shown on their own | |
| Bluesky | Yes | Likes, replies, reposts and quotes | Views, which Bluesky does not publish |
| Mastodon | Yes | Favourites, boosts and replies | Views, which Mastodon does not have |
| Telegram | Channel members | Views and reactions, public channels only | Posts in private channels |
| Page followers | None yet | Post reactions, comments, reach | |
| Threads | Yes | None yet | Post views and likes |
| No | None | Everything; LinkedIn grants it only after review | |
| Discord | No | None | Discord has no post numbers to read |
From Spreadcast's code on November 2, 2026. Spreadcast does not post to X, so X is not measured either.
What the Spreadcast Analytics Tab Shows
One screen, built around one question: are you growing, and which posts did it. Pick 7, 30 or 90 days and all networks or one.
In Short
A few plain sentences about the period, and one next step, such as which day to set the next post for, or that a connected network got no posts in these days.
Followers First
The total across your accounts, how many you gained or lost in the period and the growth as a percentage. On the chart it is a running line with the period before drawn behind it, or a switch to what you gained each day, gains up and losses down.
Views and Interactions
Views where the network gives them (TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and public Telegram channels), and interactions everywhere Spreadcast reads post numbers, against the period before. Every post is marked on the chart on the day it went out.
Engagement Rate
For each post, the interactions of its first 7 days divided by the followers that network's account had that day, then averaged over the period. Old and new posts compare fairly.
Followers by Network
The change on each network side by side, so you see where growth comes from.
Top Posts
The five best posts, then all of them in pages of ten, sorted by views, interactions, rate or newest.
Best Network, Kind of Post and Day
Networks and kinds of post ranked by first week interactions per post, and the best day and part of day to post. The day appears once a few posts have numbers.
What Each Moment Brought
For an App Store app, every post about the same update or rating milestone counted together, with its interactions, its engagement rate and the new App Store ratings in the week after. See auto post to social media for how those posts are made.
What Spreadcast Analytics Does Not Do
Know these before you choose it as your only analytics tool.
No Instagram Reach or Saves
Instagram likes and comments only. For reach and saves, use Instagram's insights, Iconosquare or Metricool.
No LinkedIn, Facebook or Threads Post Numbers
Posts are published and counted, and Facebook and Threads followers tracked, but their likes and comments are not read yet.
No Exported Reports
No PDF, CSV or email report. Copy the numbers into the template below, or use Buffer or Metricool.
No Competitor Tracking
Your own accounts only. LinkedIn Page analytics, Metricool and Hootsuite track competitors.
No Audience Demographics
Age, gender and city come from each network's own insights.
No Link Click Counts Yet
Clicks on links in your posts are not shown on their own today; on Pinterest they are added into interactions. Pinterest, LinkedIn and Facebook show link clicks in their own analytics.
What Is a Social Media Report, and What to Include in One
A social media report is a short summary of what your accounts did over a period, usually a month, with the numbers that matter and a decision about what to change. A good one fits on one page and ends with three things you will do differently next month. A bad one is forty screenshots from five apps.
What to include: the period and the accounts covered; followers at the start and the end of the month for each network; posts published; interactions and engagement rate, with the method named; the best three posts and the weakest one, with a sentence on why; clicks or sales if you can track them; what you learned; and what you will change. If you report to a client, add what was planned and what actually went out.
Leave out numbers nobody acts on: a demographic chart that never changes, a total of all networks added together. Every row should answer one of the three questions at the top of this page.
Keep the method fixed from month to month. If January's engagement rate was by followers and February's by reach, February looks ten times better and nothing happened. Our social media audit template covers the yearly version, when you also look at profiles, bios and which networks to keep.
Monthly Social Media Report Template
Copy these rows into a document or a spreadsheet. The right hand column says where each number comes from, for free.
| Section | What to write | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Period and accounts | The month, and every account covered, one line each | Your own list |
| Followers | Start, end and change for each network, and the change as a percentage | Each network's insights, or Spreadcast's Followers by Network |
| Posts published | How many went out on each network, against how many were planned | Your calendar or scheduler |
| Interactions | Total for each network, and the change against last month | Each network's insights, or Spreadcast's Interactions |
| Engagement rate | One number per network, with the method written once: by followers or by reach | Your own sum, or our engagement rate calculator |
| Views or reach | Only for networks that give it to you, and only if you act on it | TikTok Studio, YouTube Studio, Pinterest Analytics, Instagram insights |
| Top three posts | Link, network, the number that made it a top post, one sentence on why | Spreadcast's Top Posts, or each network's content tab |
| Weakest post | Same, and what you would do differently | The same lists, sorted the other way |
| Clicks and results | Link clicks, sign ups, sales or app installs you can tie to social | Pinterest and LinkedIn analytics, your website or store analytics |
| Best day and time | The weekday and part of day that worked, if there is a pattern | Spreadcast's Best Day to Post, Instagram's most active times |
| What we learned | Two or three sentences, plain words | You |
| Next month | Three changes: what to post more of, less of, and when | You |
Twelve rows, one page. If a row has nothing to say this month, write so and keep the row, so months stay comparable.
Social Media Report Example for a Small Business
An example of the template filled in for one month. The business is invented: Streakly, a habit tracker app with a two person team, posting to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Bluesky. The numbers are made up to show the format, not results from a real account.
| Section | October, filled in |
|---|---|
| Period and accounts | October 1 to 31. Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn company Page, Bluesky. |
| Followers | Instagram 1,840 to 1,912 (+72, 3.9%). TikTok 610 to 802 (+192, 31%). LinkedIn 420 to 431 (+11). Bluesky 290 to 305 (+15). |
| Posts published | 16 planned, 15 out: 5 on Instagram, 5 on TikTok, 3 on LinkedIn, 2 on Bluesky. |
| Interactions | Instagram 214 (up from 180). TikTok 1,020 (up from 390). LinkedIn 96. Bluesky 41. |
| Engagement rate, by followers, first week | Instagram 2.3% a post. TikTok 26% a post, carried by one slideshow. Bluesky 2.7%. |
| Top three posts | TikTok slideshow on the streak freeze feature (612 interactions). Instagram carousel of version 4.1 (88). LinkedIn post on why the team cut a feature (51). |
| Weakest post | Instagram single picture of a review quote, 9 interactions. Too small to read on a phone. |
| Best day and time | Tuesday and Thursday mornings, on all four networks. |
| What we learned | Slideshows that show one feature step by step beat everything else on TikTok and Instagram. Quotes need a bigger font. |
| Next month | Two feature slideshows a week, both networks. Review quotes redesigned. Posts moved to Tuesday and Thursday mornings. |
Notice the TikTok engagement rate: a small account with one post that travels far outside its followers gets a rate above 100% on that post.
Social Media Analytics Tools Compared on Price, History and Reports
Seven tools a small business actually considers. Prices and limits from each vendor's own pricing or help page on November 2, 2026, in US dollars except Iconosquare, which prices in euros.
| Tool | Free plan | Starting paid price | Analytics history | Report export | Competitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast | Makes 3 posts to download, no publishing, so no analytics | $29 a month, Pro, posting and analytics for 10 social accounts | From the day each account is connected | No | No |
| Metricool | 1 brand, 30 days of metrics, 20 posts a month, no LinkedIn or X | $20 a month billed annually, or $25 monthly, up to 5 brands | Unlimited on paid plans | PDF and PPT on paid plans | 5 on Free, up to 100 on paid |
| Buffer | 3 channels, 30 days of insights | $5 per channel a month billed yearly, or $6 monthly | Unlimited on paid plans | CSV, Markdown and PDF on paid plans | No |
| Iconosquare | 2 profiles, 1 month of history | From €9 a month billed yearly | 1 year on Starter, 2 years on Scale | Automated reports from Launch | 5 per profile on Scale |
| Later | No, 14 day trial | $18.75 a month billed yearly | 3 months on Starter, up to 2 years on Scale | Shareable Instagram report link | No |
| Hootsuite | No, 14 day trial | $99 per user a month, billed annually, 10 accounts | Not stated on the plans page | Exported and scheduled reports from Professional | 5 on Standard, 20 on Professional |
| Sprout Social | No, 30 day trial | $79 per seat a month billed annually, or $99 monthly, 5 profiles | Not stated on the pricing page | Profile and post reports | Competitor insights from Professional |
History matters more than it looks. Most tools count only from the day you connect, so connect early.
Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Small Business
Spreadcast is ours and comes first, because for a small business that wants posting and the numbers in one place it covers both for $29 a month. It is not the deepest analytics tool here, and each entry after it says what it does better. They are ordered by what a small business gets for the money.
- 1
Spreadcast
Free to try, then $29 a month for 10 social accountsBest when you want the posts made, published and measured in one place
Spreadcast makes and publishes posts to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video, and its Analytics tab shows how they did. Followers are read once a day on every network that shares them, post numbers once a day on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon and Telegram.
The Analytics tab leads with followers gained, then views, interactions and a first week engagement rate, then top posts and the best network, kind of post and day, with a few plain sentences on top saying what to do next.
Because Spreadcast published the posts, it knows what each post was, so it can rank kinds of post. Claude or ChatGPT can read the same numbers through Spreadcast's MCP server, over up to 180 days, and plan the next week from them; our guide on scheduling posts with Claude shows that loop.
Pro is $29 a month for 1 brand and 10 social accounts, with design, captions, scheduling to every network and analytics included. Details are on the pricing page.
Pros
- Posting and analytics in one tool, at the price of a scheduler
- Followers first, with a plain summary and one next step
- Engagement rate made of each post's first week, so old and new posts compare fairly
- Ranks kinds of post, because it knows what each post was
- Reads Bluesky, Mastodon and Telegram, which most tools skip
Cons
- No Instagram reach, saves or shares
- No LinkedIn numbers; no Facebook or Threads post numbers yet
- No PDF or CSV reports
- No competitor tracking
- 2
Metricool
Free for 1 brand, then from $20 a month billed annuallyBest free analytics plan for one brand, and the best value for reports
Metricool's pricing page lists a free plan for 1 brand with 30 days of metrics, 20 scheduled posts a month and 5 competitor profiles. Starter is $20 a month billed annually, or $25 monthly, for up to 5 brands, with unlimited metrics history, up to 100 competitors, automated reports and PDF and PPT downloads. Advanced, from $53 a month annually, adds custom report templates and a Data Studio connector.
Its help center says LinkedIn and X are paid only, with X as an add on that the pricing page lists at $10 a month per account. Metricool is strongest as an analytics tool that also schedules, and it goes deeper than Spreadcast on Instagram and on competitors. It does not design the posts. Our Metricool alternatives page compares it with eight others, and the Metricool review covers it in depth.
Pros
- Generous free plan with competitor tracking
- Unlimited history from $20
- PDF and PPT reports on Starter
Cons
- No LinkedIn on the free plan
- X costs extra
- Reports are its strength, post design is not
- 3
Buffer
Free for 3 channels, then $5 per channel a month billed yearlyBest cheap analytics for a few channels, with exports
Buffer's pricing page lists a free plan for 3 channels with 30 days of insights history, and Essentials at $6 per channel a month, or $5 billed yearly, with unlimited history, reports and custom UTM links. Its Insights help article lists analytics for Instagram professional accounts, Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Pages and profiles, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Mastodon and X, with exports as CSV, Markdown or PDF on paid plans.
Buffer backfills some history when you connect: 60 days on TikTok and Threads, 90 days on Pinterest and YouTube, 30 days of post data on Facebook and LinkedIn Pages, and none on Bluesky and Mastodon. Our Buffer alternatives covers what to use once per channel pricing adds up.
Pros
- Free plan with insights
- Reads LinkedIn and Mastodon
- CSV and PDF exports from $5 a channel
Cons
- Price grows with every channel
- No competitor tracking
- You make the posts yourself
- 4
Iconosquare
Free for 2 profiles, then from €9 a month billed yearlyBest for Instagram analytics in depth, and for competitor benchmarks
Iconosquare's pricing page lists a free plan for up to 2 profiles with standard analytics and 1 month of history, Starter from €9 a month billed yearly with custom dashboards and 1 year of history, Launch from €33 with automated reports, and Scale from €69 with 2 years of history and 5 competitors per profile. Prices are in euros, billed yearly.
It covers Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Pinterest and YouTube, with X left out of Free and Starter. Iconosquare grew up as an Instagram analytics tool and still reads Instagram more deeply than schedulers do, which makes it the pick when Instagram reach and saves are the numbers you report on.
Pros
- Deep Instagram analytics
- Free plan for 2 profiles
- Competitor benchmarks on Scale
Cons
- Priced in euros, yearly prices shown first
- Competitors only on Scale
- 5
Later
From $18.75 a month billed yearlyBest for an Instagram and TikTok led brand that plans visually
Later's pricing page lists Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly for one social set, one profile on each of Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat, with up to 3 months of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Threads analytics and best time to post suggestions. Growth at $37.50 keeps a year, Scale at $82.50 keeps 2 years and adds custom analytics.
Pinterest history stays at 3 months on every plan. See our Later alternatives.
Pros
- Best time to post on Starter
- Shareable Instagram report
- Visual calendar
Cons
- 3 months of history on Starter
- No free plan
- No Bluesky or Mastodon
- 6
Hootsuite
From $99 per user a month, billed annuallyBest for a team that also needs an inbox and competitor benchmarks
Hootsuite's plans page lists Standard at $99 per user a month on annual billing for 10 social accounts with core analytics and 5 competitors, Professional at $199 with custom, scheduled and exported reports and up to 20 competitors, and a 14 day trial. Its integrations page lists analytics for Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.
Hootsuite earns its price when several people publish, reply and report from one screen. Our Hootsuite alternatives has cheaper picks.
Pros
- Competitor benchmarks from the first plan
- Inbox, listening and reports together
Cons
- Priced per user
- No free plan
- No analytics listed for Pinterest, Threads or Bluesky
- 7
Sprout Social
From $79 per seat a month billed annuallyBest for a larger team that reports to management
Sprout Social's pricing page lists Essentials at $79 per seat a month billed annually, or $99 monthly, for 5 social profiles with profile and post reporting, Standard at $199, Professional at $299 with competitor, tag and paid insights, and Advanced at $399, with a 30 day trial. Its integrations page lists Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Polished reports, usually more tool than a small business needs. Our Sprout Social alternatives lists cheaper options.
Pros
- Polished reports
- Eleven networks, Reddit and Bluesky included
Cons
- Priced per seat
- Competitor insights from $299
- No free plan
Free Social Media Analytics Tools That Are Actually Free
The best free social media analytics tools are the networks' own. They cost nothing and show more about each post than any outside tool can read. Their weak points: Instagram stops at 90 days, and nothing puts five networks side by side.
For one view of several networks without paying, two free plans stand out. Metricool's free plan gives one brand 30 days of analytics and 5 competitor profiles. Iconosquare's free plan gives 2 profiles standard analytics and 1 month of history. Buffer's free plan adds 30 days of insights to its 3 free channels. Thirty days is enough to make a monthly report, if you write the numbers down at the end of each month.
A spreadsheet is the last free option, and it works. Once a month, copy the twelve rows of the template above into a sheet, one tab per month. After six months you have the history no free plan keeps.
Spreadcast's free plan is not a free analytics tool. It makes 3 posts for you to download and does not publish, so there is nothing to measure. Analytics come with publishing, from Pro.
How to Use Your Analytics to Decide What to Post Next
Numbers only help if they change the next post. This is the monthly routine that works for small accounts, with or without a tool.
- 1
Pick One Period and One Method
Use calendar months and one engagement rate formula, and never change either mid year. Comparisons are the whole point.
- 2
Read Followers by Network First
Which network grew, which stood still, which lost people. Our guide to Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn helps you choose where to focus.
- 3
Find the Top Three Posts and Say Why
Look at them side by side: same format, topic or day? Write the reason in one sentence.
- 4
Look at the Weakest Post Honestly
Usually a picture hard to read on a phone, or a caption that opened with your company's name. Our feed teardown shows the common causes.
- 5
Check the Best Day, Then Move the Calendar
If two weekdays keep winning, put next month's posts there. In Spreadcast you drag a post to another day on the calendar; see the social media scheduler.
- 6
Make More of What Worked, in More Places
A format that worked on one network is worth trying on the next, rewritten for it. That is what cross posting is for.
Social Media Analytics Tools With AI
Most analytics tools now add an AI layer that writes a summary of your numbers. Iconosquare lists an AI analyst called Uma from its Starter plan, Metricool's free plan includes an AI assistant with 5 credits per brand a month, and Sprout Social sells an AI add on at $28 per seat a month billed annually. A summary is useful when it ends in a decision; it is noise when it restates the chart.
Spreadcast's version is the In Short block at the top of the Analytics tab: plain sentences and one next step. Through the MCP server, Claude or ChatGPT can read your analytics and draft next week's posts in one conversation, and a person still approves what goes out; see social media approval for how that works.
In Studio, each of up to 5 brands keeps its own numbers; see managing multiple social media accounts.
Shared budgets are here. Invite your partner, plan the month together and split anything in two taps. Link in bio. #budgeting #moneytips #couples
No more arguing over who paid for groceries. Shared budgets are live in Ledgerly. #moneytok #budgeting
Ledgerly 3.0 is out. Couples told us the hardest part of budgeting was talking about it, so shared budgets let two people plan one month together and split any expense. What would you add next?
Shared budgets just shipped. Two people, one month, zero spreadsheets.
Ledgerly 3.0 adds shared budgets: plan the month with your partner and split anything. On the App Store now.
What Spreadcast Analytics Costs
Analytics are part of Pro at $29 a month: 1 app or brand, 10 social accounts, posts designed and published on every network, a caption written for each, full autopilot or one tap approval, Claude and ChatGPT through the MCP server, and the Analytics tab described above. Yearly billing gives 2 months free. Studio is $79 a month for up to 5 brands, 50 social accounts and 3 seats.
If you post in bursts, the 30 Day Pass is $39 for Pro for 30 days, and nothing renews. Every plan can be cancelled at any time, with a full refund within 7 days.
For value: Metricool Starter at $20 gives deeper analytics but no post design, and Buffer for 5 channels is $25 to $30 a month with every post still made by you. Spreadcast's $29 covers making, publishing and measuring. If deep Instagram reporting is the job, pair Instagram's insights with Spreadcast, or choose Iconosquare or Metricool. To see the posts first, start free. For the wider numbers, see our social media statistics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see my TikTok analytics?
In the TikTok app, go to your profile, tap the menu bars, open TikTok Studio and tap View all under Analytics. On a computer, open TikTok Studio on the web and choose Analytics on the left. You can view up to 365 days and download up to 365 days of data at a time.
How do I get Instagram analytics?
Make your account public; Instagram gives free insights to public accounts. Then open the insights overview from your profile for Views, Interactions, New followers and Content you shared, or tap View insights under a post. Periods must fall within the past 90 days.
Can I download my Instagram analytics?
Instagram's help center describes viewing insights, not downloading them, and keeps 90 days. Meta Business Suite on desktop shows a table of every post's results. For a file, Buffer's paid plans export CSV or PDF and Metricool's paid plans export PDF or PPT.
Do I need a business account to see analytics?
On Instagram, no: any public account gets insights. On Pinterest, yes, but a business account is free. On TikTok, every account has TikTok Studio analytics, and a Business Account adds Web Business Suite. On LinkedIn, any Page admin sees Page analytics.
What is a social media report?
A short summary of what your accounts did over a period, usually a month: followers gained, posts published, interactions and engagement rate, the best and weakest posts, what you learned and what you will change next month.
What should be included in a social media report?
Followers at the start and end per network, posts published, interactions, engagement rate with its method, the top three and weakest posts, clicks or results, what you learned and three changes for next month.
What is the best social media analytics tool for a small business?
If you want posting and the numbers in one place, Spreadcast at $29 a month. If you mainly need reports and competitor tracking, Metricool from $20 a month. For deep Instagram analytics, Iconosquare. For a few channels with PDF exports, Buffer.
Are there free social media analytics tools?
Yes. Each network's own analytics are free. For several networks in one view, Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand with 30 days, Iconosquare's covers 2 profiles with 1 month, and Buffer's free plan includes 30 days of insights for 3 channels.
Does Spreadcast show Instagram reach?
No. Spreadcast reads Instagram likes, comments and followers. Reach, views, saves and shares need an Instagram permission Spreadcast does not request, so use Instagram's own insights or an Instagram focused tool for those.
Where These Facts Come From
Every outside number, rule and price on this page links to the page it was taken from.
- About Instagram insightsInstagram Help Center
- View account and content insights on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Instagram media insights reference: metrics and permissionsMeta for Developers
- About Insights in Meta Business Suite on desktopMeta Business Help Center
- Introducing TikTok analyticsTikTok Creator Academy
- About Web Business SuiteTikTok Business Help Center
- LinkedIn Page analyticsLinkedIn Help
- Combined post analyticsLinkedIn Help
- Get started with YouTube AnalyticsYouTube Help
- Pinterest AnalyticsPinterest Business Help
- Get a business accountPinterest Business Help
- Channel and group statisticsTelegram API documentation
- Status entityMastodon documentation
- 2026 social media industry benchmark reportQuid
- State of social media engagement 2026Buffer
- Metricool pricingMetricool
- Main differences between free and paid plansMetricool Help
- Buffer pricingBuffer
- Using Insights in BufferBuffer Help Center
- Hootsuite plansHootsuite
- Hootsuite integrationsHootsuite
- Sprout Social pricingSprout Social
- Sprout Social integrationsSprout Social
- Later pricingLater
- Iconosquare pricingIconosquare
Researched and written by Spreadcast. Last checked on November 2, 2026.