Best Social Media Monitoring Tools: Top SaaS and Self-Hosted Options in 2025
Social media monitoring has become an essential part of digital strategy for brands, influencers, and agencies. Whether you’re tracking brand mentions, analyzing sentiment, or monitoring competitor activity, the right tool can make a huge difference. While most businesses use popular SaaS platforms, others prefer self-hosted solutions for more control, customization, or cost savings.
In this guide, we’ll explore the best social media monitoring tools in two categories:
- 1. SaaS (Cloud-Based) Social Media Monitoring Tools
- 2. Self-Hosted Social Media Monitoring Tools (incl. CodeCanyon.net options)
🧩 1. Top SaaS Social Media Monitoring Tools
These tools are cloud-hosted and typically offer scalable features for teams and enterprises.
1. Brand24
- Key Features: Real-time brand mentions, sentiment analysis, influencer score, advanced filtering.
- Best For: Brands and agencies looking for real-time alerts.
- Pros: Intuitive dashboard, good customer support, mobile app.
- Cons: Pricing may be high for freelancers.
2. Hootsuite Insights (Powered by Brandwatch)
- Key Features: Tracks brand mentions, sentiment, trends across millions of sources.
- Best For: Enterprise-level insights and social media scheduling in one.
- Pros: Rich integrations, global data.
- Cons: Premium pricing.
3. Sprout Social
- Key Features: Unified inbox, social CRM, reporting, and trend monitoring.
- Best For: Teams managing multiple clients/accounts.
- Pros: Beautiful UI, CRM features, advanced analytics.
- Cons: Limited entry-level plans.
4. Mention
- Key Features: Tracks mentions on web and social media in real-time, competitor monitoring.
- Best For: Mid-sized businesses and PR teams.
- Pros: Fast alerts, great collaboration tools.
- Cons: Expensive for large-scale monitoring.
5. BuzzSumo
- Key Features: Content discovery, influencer identification, social shares tracking.
- Best For: Content marketing and competitor research.
- Pros: Great for blog and content engagement analysis.
- Cons: Limited social platform monitoring.
🖥 2. Best Self-Hosted Social Media Monitoring Tools (Incl. CodeCanyon Picks)
If you’re looking for more control, one-time payment options, or on-premise deployment, self-hosted tools are a strong alternative.
💡 Why Choose a Self-Hosted Social Media Monitoring Tool?
- No monthly fees
- Full data ownership
- More customization
- Integration into private or enterprise environments
Let’s explore the best options:
1. Social Auto Poster – CodeCanyon
While primarily a social posting tool, Social Auto Poster includes tracking features and supports self-hosted environments (WordPress-based).
- Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest
- Monitoring Features: Logs for each post, engagement stats, auto-reposts
- Price: ~$39 one-time
- Pros: Easy to use with WordPress; supports WooCommerce integration
- Cons: Not a dedicated monitoring solution; mostly scheduling-focused
2. Stackposts – Social Media Marketing Tool
A full-featured social media marketing platform, Stackposts includes analytics, scheduling, inbox, and limited monitoring.
- Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn
- Features: Post scheduler, analytics, direct message inbox
- Self-Hosted: Yes (PHP, MySQL)
- Price: ~$69–$99
- Pros: Multi-user SaaS capability, plugin system
- Cons: Monitoring is limited to engagement metrics, not web-wide mentions
3. Midrub – All-In-One SaaS Platform
Midrub is an advanced SaaS script offering modules for posting, inbox management, and limited monitoring.
- Modules: Social Planner, RSS monitoring, Inbox, Insights
- Monitoring Capabilities: Instagram hashtag tracking, RSS feed monitoring
- Tech Stack: PHP/CodeIgniter, MySQL
- Pros: Highly modular, good for resellers
- Cons: Web-wide monitoring is limited
4. WoWonder – Social Network Platform
Not a monitoring tool per se, but WoWonder can be customized with plugins for user content tracking and social feed management.
- Use Case: Build your own social network, then add tracking modules
- Pros: Full control over user content and interactions
- Cons: Not suitable for monitoring external platforms out of the box
5. Custom Open Source Alternatives (Non-Codecanyon)
a. Pleroma or Mastodon
- Type: Decentralized social networks
- Monitoring Use: Ideal if you’re running your own network and want insight into activities.
- Pros: Free, flexible
- Cons: Not for mainstream social monitoring
b. Socioboard (Open Source Edition)
- Features: Social listening, scheduling, team collaboration
- Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram
- Tech: Node.js, .NET Core
- Pros: Great for developers
- Cons: Needs hosting and setup skills
🛠️ What to Look for in a Social Media Monitoring Tool
When choosing your tool, consider the following:
| Feature | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Platform Coverage | Make sure it supports the social channels you use. |
| Real-Time Alerts | Crucial for PR teams and customer support. |
| Sentiment Analysis | Understand public perception. |
| Custom Reports | Important for agencies and internal reporting. |
| Self-Hosting Options | Good for full control and privacy. |
| Integration | With CRM, email tools, or analytics dashboards. |
🚀 Final Thoughts
Social media monitoring is a critical aspect of digital success. Whether you choose a SaaS tool like Brand24 or Sprout Social for convenience or prefer self-hosted solutions like Stackposts or Midrub for ownership and scalability, the right tool depends on your budget, goals, and technical expertise.
If you’re a developer, agency, or enterprise looking to build your own system, platforms from CodeCanyon offer a great starting point—especially with low one-time costs and open customization options.
