Content research and influencer/PR search
you need twitter, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok influencer search bundled with content-trend research.
you want the creators you already have tracked and paid per view — free plan first, then $22/mo, unlimited team members, no annual contract.
BuzzSumo publishes four named tiers that bundle a rising user-seat count (1, then 5, then 10, then 30) with feature access, billed yearly on the two lowest tiers and yearly-only on Enterprise; there is no month-to-month option shown at any tier.
Twelve months at that entry price is $2,388, against $264 for a year of Sway9 Starter — 9.0x the cost, before either of you adds a tier.
Read from BuzzSumo’s own pricing page · source. Pricing in this category changes often — confirm with the vendor before you commit.
BuzzSumo is a content research and PR platform combining trending-content discovery, a journalist and media database, and influencer search across Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok, aimed at content and comms teams. Flat pricing is rarely the problem; scope usually is. Why teams still move:
Where BuzzSumo charges a flat monthly subscription, Sway9 charges on how many creator accounts you track and nothing else. It picks up every TikTok and Instagram post from creators you already work with, refreshes them automatically, and computes spend and effective CPM as the views arrive — the reconciliation BuzzSumo leaves you to do by hand.
Try Sway9 free →Same flat subscription model as BuzzSumo; the difference is scope — social listening and mention tracking rather than content research and influencer/PR search.
Brand24 alternatives →It runs on a negotiated quote rather than a flat subscription, though you will need a sales call to get a number, which BuzzSumo no longer requires.
Audiense alternatives →It runs on a negotiated quote rather than a flat subscription, though you will need a sales call to get a number, which BuzzSumo no longer requires.
Brandwatch Influence alternatives →It runs on a negotiated quote rather than a flat subscription, though you will need a sales call to get a number, which BuzzSumo no longer requires.
Talkwalker alternatives →| Feature | Sway9 | BuzzSumo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan, then $22/mo | $199/mo billed yearly (Content Creation) |
| Free plan | Yes — 3 accounts, 100 credits/mo, no card | No — free trial via registration, no persistent free tier |
| Contract | Month-to-month, cancel any time | Annual |
| Pricing model | Priced on tracked accounts, never on seats | Flat subscription |
| Team members | Unlimited on every plan | See plan limits |
| Free plan | Yes — 3 accounts, 100 credits/mo, no card | No — free trial via registration, no persistent free tier |
| Auto view tracking (TikTok & Instagram) | Yes | Varies by plan |
| Pay-per-view CPM & spend automation | Yes, built in | Not the core model |
Predictable billing counts for a lot, and BuzzSumo is the stronger pick when the job is one of these:
If that is the software you are actually shopping for, BuzzSumo is the better buy and nothing on this page should talk you out of it.
Yes. Sway9 has a free plan with 3 tracked accounts and 100 credits a month, with no credit card and no expiry. BuzzSumo does not offer a free plan.
$199/mo billed yearly (Content Creation), taken from BuzzSumo’s own pricing page on 2026-08-22. The full breakdown is in the pricing section above.
Sway9. BuzzSumo charges a flat monthly subscription; Sway9 is priced on tracked accounts and computes spend and effective CPM as views come in, so nothing is reconciled by hand. There is a free plan, and paid plans start at $22/mo with unlimited team members.
Sway9 is month-to-month and you can cancel any time. Note that BuzzSumo is reported to require annual, so check your current term before you move.
Beyond Sway9, the closest comparisons are Brand24, Audiense, Brandwatch Influence, Talkwalker. Each targets a different job — Brand24 for social listening and mention tracking, Audiense for audience intelligence and segmentation, Brandwatch Influence for enterprise influencer marketing, Talkwalker for enterprise social listening and analytics.
3 tracked accounts and 100 credits a month, for as long as you like. Upgrade from $22/mo only when your roster outgrows it.
Try for free Cancel any time · unlimited team members on every planEvery BuzzSumo figure above was read off their own pricing page on 2026-08-22, not estimated. If they change it, this page is wrong until we re-check it — so confirm before you buy.