The 5 Best Social Media Management Tools (For Modern Marketing Teams)

The best social media management tools today do three things well:

1. Centralise publishing
2. Simplify collaboration
3. Turn data into decisions

Here are the five platforms leading the space right now — and who they’re actually for.

At a Glance: Best Social Media Management Tools 2026

Now let’s break them down properly.

1. Planable - Best for collaboration and client approvals

If your biggest bottleneck is feedback, Planable is built for you.

Unlike traditional scheduling tools, Planable is designed around content collaboration. You see posts exactly as they’ll appear on each platform. Stakeholders comment directly on content. Approval workflows are structured and transparent.

No version confusion. No rogue edits. No endless Slack threads.

Key features

• Visual content calendar
• Multi-level approval workflows
• Real-time commenting
• Client-friendly previews
• Clean, intuitive UX

Best for: Agencies, distributed marketing teams, brands with layered approval structures.

Where it’s weaker: Deep analytics and listening capabilities compared to enterprise platforms.

2. Sprout Social - Best all-round professional platform

Sprout Social remains one of the strongest all-in-one social media management platforms available.

Where it differentiates is in data depth. It doesn’t just show engagement — it contextualises performance.

For teams under pressure to justify marketing spend, that matters.

Why it stands out

• Advanced performance reporting
• Unified Smart Inbox
• Competitor benchmarking
• Social listening
• Robust team permissions

Best for: Mid-sized to large marketing teams that need clear reporting for leadership.

Where it’s weaker: Higher pricing tiers compared to simpler tools.

3. Hootsuite

Best for enterprise scale

Hootsuite is no longer just a scheduling dashboard.

It’s built for complexity — multiple brands, markets, permissions and integrations.

For global organisations managing high content volume, that scale matters more than simplicity.

Why it stands out

• Extensive platform integrations
• Social listening and monitoring
• Enterprise-level reporting
• Permission layers and workflows
• Ad management integration

Best for: Enterprise brands operating across regions.

Where it’s weaker: Can feel heavy for small teams.

4. Zoho Social

Best for CRM-connected businesses

Zoho Social has grown because integration now matters more than isolation. When marketing and sales sit in separate systems, insight gets lost. Zoho connects social publishing with wider CRM ecosystems. That alignment reduces reporting friction.

Why it stands out

• CRM integration
• Social scheduling and monitoring
• Performance analytics
• Competitive pricing
• Collaboration tools

Best for: Growing businesses that want marketing and sales data aligned.

Where it’s weaker: Not as strong in enterprise listening capabilities.

5. Agorapulse

Best for engagement and community management

If engagement drives your business model, Agorapulse excels.

It centralises comments, mentions and direct messages into a unified inbox. Moderation rules reduce noise. Assignment features support team response workflows.

For community-heavy brands, that operational clarity is critical.

Why it stands out

• Unified inbox
• Automated moderation
• Clear ROI reporting
• Team assignment workflows
• Clean analytics exports

Best for: Brands prioritising conversation and community management.

Where it’s weaker: Less advanced competitor benchmarking than analytics-led platforms.

How to Choose the Right Social Media Management Tool

There is no universal “best.”

The right platform depends on:

• Team size
• Approval complexity
• Reporting depth required
• CRM integration needs
• Budget

If approvals slow you down, choose collaboration first.

If leadership wants ROI clarity, prioritise analytics.

If engagement drives revenue, focus on inbox strength.

Tools should remove friction — not introduce more dashboards.

What’s Changed in 2026?

Three shifts define the current landscape:

1. Collaboration > Scheduling

Approval workflow now matters more than auto-posting.

2. Data > Vanity Metrics

Impressions don’t satisfy CFOs. Insight does.

3. Integration > Isolation

Disconnected tools create reporting fatigue. Connected ecosystems create clarity.

Our Perspective

Most teams don’t struggle with publishing, they struggle with:

• Slow approvals
• Fragmented reporting
• Lack of performance clarity

The right tool won’t fix strategy, but it will free your team to focus on it, and that’s where competitive advantage lives.