Brandwatch vs Meltwater: Social Intelligence vs PR Monitoring
Two enterprise giants with different heritage and strengths.
Brandwatch
Deep historical data for large enterprises
Meltwater
PR and traditional media monitoring leader
Brandwatch (now part of Cision) offers deep historical data back to 2008 and Iris AI. Meltwater has stronger traditional media coverage from its PR heritage.
Both are enterprise-priced; the choice depends on your primary use case.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brandwatch | Meltwater |
|---|---|---|
| PRICING | ||
| Entry Price | ~$800/mo | ~$575/mo |
| Annual Cost | ~$20,000 | ~$25,000 |
| Free Trial | Demo only | Demo only |
| Contract | Annual | Annual |
| LIMITS | ||
| Searches/Topics | Custom | Custom |
| Mentions (Entry) | ~10,000/mo | Varies |
| Users Included | Limited | Limited |
| KEY FEATURES | ||
| Sentiment Analysis | 44 languages | Yes |
| Image Recognition | Yes | Limited |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing Tools | Via Cision | No |
| Language Support | 44 languages | Yes |
Choose Brandwatch If...
- Historical social data back to 2008 is valuable
- Iris AI research capabilities matter
- Consumer intelligence is the focus
- 100M+ source coverage is sufficient
- Social-first analysis is priority
Choose Meltwater If...
- Traditional media coverage is essential
- PR monitoring is a primary use case
- Extensive news database is needed
- Established PR vendor relationships matter
- Media relations tools are valuable
Conclusion
Brandwatch wins for social intelligence and historical research. Meltwater wins for PR teams needing comprehensive traditional media coverage.
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