Best Social Customer Service Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 15 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
Social customer service software is a valuable asset for any company. With the right software, teams can improve customer engagement and enhance response efficiency. But finding the right social customer service software can be a challenge, especially with so many options available.
Using my experience with customer experience software, I tested and compared several of the top social customer service software available. From there, I compiled my results into detailed reviews to help you find the best software for your needs.
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Best Social Customer Service Software Summary
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top social customer service software selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
Statusbrew | From $69/month (billed annually) | Website |
Reputation | From $29/user/month | Website |
Hootsuite | From $99/month | Website |
Sprinklr | From $199/seat/month (billed annually) | Website |
Meltwater | Pricing upon request | Website |
HubSpot Service Hub | From $15/seat/month (billed annually) | Website |
Gladly | From $150/user/month (billed annually, 10 user min) | Website |
Zoho Desk | From $14/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Comm100 | From $31/user/month | Website |
eDesk | From $89/agent/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow to Choose a Social Customer Service Software
It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:
Factor | What to Consider |
Scalability | Will the software grow with your business needs? |
Integrations | Does it integrate with your existing tools? |
Customizability | Can you tailor it to fit your team's workflow? |
Ease of Use | Is the software user-friendly for your team? |
Budget | Does it fit within your financial constraints? |
Security Safeguards | Are there strong security measures in place? |
Customer Support | How responsive and helpful is the support team? |
Reporting Features | Does it provide actionable insights for your team? |
Best Social Customer Service Software Reviews
Below are my detailed summaries of the best social customer service software that made it onto my shortlist. My reviews offer a detailed look at the key features, pros & cons, integrations, and ideal use cases of each tool to help you find the best one for you.
Statusbrew is a social media management tool tailored for businesses that require efficient team collaboration on social media marketing efforts. It serves marketing teams by offering tools for scheduling, monitoring, and analyzing social media activities.
Why I picked Statusbrew: Statusbrew is designed to enhance team collaboration with features that support coordinated social media strategies. The platform offers a centralized dashboard where your team can assign and track tasks, making it easy to manage responsibilities. Its other features include automated moderation of negative comments, routing messages to appropriate teams, and comprehensive analytics for team performance, all of which enhance customer engagement and streamline support processes.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include advanced scheduling capabilities that allow your team to publish content at optimal times, a social inbox that consolidates messages across platforms, and detailed analytics reports that track engagement metrics.
Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google My Business, YouTube, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Bitly, and Canva.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Centralized social media management
- Customizable workflows
- Effective task assignment features
Cons:
- Requires learning curve
- Can be complex to setup
Reputation is a reputation management platform designed for businesses that want to monitor and enhance their online presence. It caters to marketing and customer service teams by providing tools for managing reviews, social media interactions, and customer feedback.
Why I picked Reputation: Reputation excels in reputation management by offering advanced review tracking and response capabilities. You can monitor customer feedback across various platforms and respond promptly to maintain a positive brand image. Additionally, the software’s sentiment analysis features give your team insights into public perception, helping you address issues proactively. Reputation also provides tools for generating customer surveys, enabling you to gather valuable insights for improving services.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include competitive benchmarking that allows you to compare your brand's performance with competitors, a centralized dashboard for monitoring all feedback, and automated alerts for real-time updates.
Integrations include Google My Business, Facebook, Instagram, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Salesforce, Slack, Hootsuite, Zendesk, and Twitter.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Real-time automated alerts
- Effective sentiment analysis
- Strong review monitoring
Cons:
- Can be resource-intensive
- Initial setup complexity
Hootsuite is a social media management platform designed for businesses and individuals who need to manage multiple social media accounts efficiently. It serves marketing teams by providing tools for scheduling, monitoring, and analyzing social media activity.
Why I picked Hootsuite: Hootsuite offers advanced social media management capabilities, allowing you to schedule posts across various platforms from one dashboard. Its social listening features help your team track mentions and engage with audiences effectively. Additionally, the analytics tools provide insights into your social media performance, enabling data-driven decisions.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include a content calendar that helps your team organize posts visually, team collaboration tools that let multiple users manage accounts, and detailed analytics reports that provide insights into engagement metrics.
Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Analytics, Slack, WordPress, Dropbox, and Pinterest.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive analytics tools
- Efficient bulk scheduling
- Strong social listening capabilities
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
Sprinklr is a unified customer experience management platform designed for large enterprises seeking to enhance their customer service and marketing efforts. It performs key business functions like social media management, customer service, and marketing analytics.
Why I picked Sprinklr: Sprinklr's ability to cater to global enterprises sets it apart from other social customer service software. It offers a centralized workspace for front-office teams and customized AI models that support omnichannel customer service. The software’s extensive integration capabilities also allow your team to manage social interactions and marketing campaigns effectively. Additionally, Sprinklr's analytical insights help you make data-driven decisions to improve customer engagement on a large scale.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include AI-powered analytics that deliver real-time insights, a centralized workspace for managing customer interactions, and customizable AI models to suit your enterprise needs.
Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Analytics, Slack, Marketo, Adobe Experience Manager, Zendesk, HubSpot, ServiceNow, and SAP.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Customizable AI models
- Centralized management platform
- Supports global operations
Cons:
- Can be resource-intensive
- Complex setup process
Meltwater is a media monitoring and social listening platform aimed at businesses wanting to track brand mentions and media coverage. It serves PR professionals, marketers, and communication teams by offering insights and analytics related to media and social media channels.
Why I picked Meltwater: Meltwater’s media monitoring capabilities are extensive, providing a broad view of brand mentions across various channels. You can track real-time media coverage and analyze trends to stay ahead of the competition. The software’s social listening tools also allow your team to engage with relevant conversations and manage your online reputation effectively. Additionally, its advanced social media management suite allows for efficient campaign planning, post scheduling, and streamlined response management, ensuring consistent and effective customer interactions.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include media intelligence reports, sentiment analysis to gauge public perception, and influencer engagement tools to foster valuable relationships.
Integrations include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- In-depth sentiment analysis
- Real-time media tracking
- Extensive media monitoring capabilities
Cons:
- High resource requirements
- Complex interface for beginners
HubSpot Service Hub is a customer service and support platform designed for businesses seeking to enhance their customer interaction through effective CRM integration. It serves customer service teams by providing tools for ticketing, customer feedback, and knowledge base management.
Why I picked HubSpot Service Hub: HubSpot Service Hub integrates easily with HubSpot's CRM, allowing your team to access detailed customer insights and improve service delivery. It offers ticketing automation to manage customer queries efficiently and feedback tools to gather insights directly from your customers. The software also integrates various communication channels—including email, live chat, and social media—into a unified inbox, enabling teams to manage and respond to customer inquiries efficiently.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include a customer portal that lets customers track their support tickets, live chat functionality for real-time assistance, and custom surveys to collect detailed feedback.
Integrations include Slack, Shopify, Gmail, Outlook, Zapier, Zendesk, Mailchimp, WordPress, Salesforce, and SurveyMonkey.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong customer feedback options
- Customizable support features
- Effective ticketing automation
Cons:
- Limited offline capabilities
- Requires training for full utilization
Gladly is a customer service platform designed for businesses aiming to deliver personalized customer experiences. It primarily serves customer support teams by unifying communication across different channels and focusing on individual customer interactions.
Why I picked Gladly: Gladly focuses on personalized support by allowing agents to view entire customer communication histories in one place. This helps your team provide consistent and informed assistance. The software also integrates multiple social media channels—including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—into a single platform, allowing support teams to manage customer interactions seamlessly.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include a single customer timeline that aggregates all interactions, voice capabilities that integrate phone support, and a customer self-service portal.
Integrations include Salesforce, Zendesk, Shopify, Slack, Twilio, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Business Messages, Amazon Connect, and ServiceNow.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive interaction history
- Focus on customer relationships
- Unified communication interface
Cons:
- Requires integration setup
- Limited advanced reporting
Zoho Desk is a customer service solution designed for small to mid-sized businesses looking to enhance their customer support operations. It helps businesses manage customer inquiries with features like ticket management, workflow automation, and customizable dashboards.
Why I picked Zoho Desk: Zoho Desk caters specifically to small businesses with its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing. The tool offers strong ticket management features that streamline customer interactions and improve response times. It also integrates popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, allowing businesses to manage all customer interactions from a single interface. This unified approach streamlines communication, enabling timely and efficient responses to social media inquiries.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include self-service portals that empower customers to find solutions independently, a mobile app for managing support on the go, and built-in analytics that provide insights into support performance.
Integrations include Zoho CRM, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Shopify, Trello, Zendesk, and HubSpot.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Mobile accessibility
- Strong data protection measures
- Quick implementation process
Cons:
- Basic reporting options
- Limited advanced features
Comm100 is a customer engagement platform designed for businesses that need to provide support across multiple channels. It serves customer service teams by offering tools for live chat, email, social media, and voice interactions.
Why I picked Comm100: Comm100 excels in providing omnichannel support, allowing your team to manage customer interactions from a single platform. Its live chat feature is equipped with real-time visitor monitoring, which helps your team engage effectively. The software’s email management system also organizes incoming requests and ensures timely responses. Additionally, the platform's social media tools help your team track and respond to customer queries on various platforms.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include AI-powered chatbots that assist your team in handling common inquiries, an advanced reporting system that provides insights into customer interactions, and a ticketing system that prioritizes requests.
Integrations include Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Microsoft Dynamics 365, WordPress, Google Analytics, Zendesk, Magento, Facebook, and Twitter.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Supports AI-powered chatbots
- Prioritizes customer requests
- Effective visitor monitoring
Cons:
- Can be resource-intensive
- Limited offline functionality
eDesk is a help desk and customer support software tailored for ecommerce businesses that need to manage customer inquiries across multiple channels. It serves online retailers by providing tools for ticketing, order management, and customer communication.
Why I picked eDesk: eDesk specifically caters to ecommerce businesses with its integration capabilities with popular marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. The platform centralizes customer inquiries from various channels—including social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—into a single, user-friendly dashboard. This integration enables support teams to manage and respond to messages efficiently, enhancing customer satisfaction and streamlining communication workflows.
Standout features & integrations:
Features include a centralized ticketing system that consolidates inquiries from various channels, automated response templates to speed up customer interactions, and comprehensive reporting tools to track performance.
Integrations include Amazon, eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Facebook, and Google.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Centralized communication platform
- Effective order management features
- Strong marketplace integrations
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming initially
- Limited customization options
Other Social Customer Service Software
Here are some additional social customer service software options that didn’t make it onto my shortlist, but are still worth checking out:
- Sprout Social
Best for analytics features
- Hiver
Best for Gmail integration
- Intercom
Best for in-app messaging features
- Zendesk
Best for customer ticketing systems
- Front
Best for team email collaboration
Social Customer Service Software Selection Criteria
When selecting the best social customer service software to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like managing high volumes of social interactions and ensuring quick response times. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:
Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:
- Manage customer inquiries
- Track social media interactions
- Provide ticketing support
- Offer reporting and analytics
- Facilitate team collaboration
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:
- AI-driven insights
- Multilingual support
- Sentiment analysis
- Customizable dashboards
- Integration with CRM tools
Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:
- Intuitive user interface
- Simple navigation
- Clear layout design
- Minimal learning curve
- Speed of response times
Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:
- Availability of training videos
- Interactive product tours
- Access to webinars
- Provision of templates
- Chatbot assistance
Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:
- 24/7 availability
- Multichannel support options
- Responsiveness to queries
- Knowledgeable support staff
- Access to a help center
Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:
- Competitive pricing
- Range of features offered
- Scalability of solutions
- Availability of free trials
- Cost-effectiveness for small teams
Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:
- Overall satisfaction ratings
- Frequency of positive feedback
- Mention of ease of use
- Comments on feature set
- Reports on customer support experience
Trends In Social Customer Service Software
In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different social customer service software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:
- AI-Powered Chatbots: Chatbots are getting smarter and are now able to handle more complex queries. As a result, some vendors offer customizable bots that align with specific brand voices and customer bases.
- Sentiment Analysis: This feature helps businesses understand customer emotions in real-time. By analyzing language and tone, companies can prioritize interactions and improve customer satisfaction.
- Omnichannel Interaction: Customers expect consistent service across all channels, so omnichannel interaction is imperative. Most social customer service software integrates voice, chat, and social media into a single platform. This approach ensures teams provide uniform support and enhances customer experience.
- Video Support: Video chat is emerging as a valuable support tool as it allows agents to provide more personalized assistance and solve issues visually. Some platforms now offer video capabilities to complement traditional support methods.
- Proactive Customer Engagement: Instead of waiting for customers to reach out, companies are using software to predict issues and engage customers proactively. This trend focuses on building better relationships and improving loyalty by addressing needs before they arise.
What Is Social Customer Service Software?
Social customer service software is a tool that helps businesses manage and respond to customer interactions across social media platforms. These tools are generally used by customer service teams, social media managers, and marketing professionals to enhance customer engagement and support.
Key features like sentiment analysis, AI-powered chatbots, and omnichannel interaction help with understanding customer emotions, automating responses, and providing consistent service across platforms. Overall, these tools improve customer satisfaction and strengthen brand loyalty.
Features of Social Customer Service Software
When selecting social customer service software, keep an eye out for the following key features:
- Sentiment Analysis: This feature helps identify customer emotions, allowing teams to prioritize interactions and improve satisfaction.
- AI-Powered Chatbots: These bots handle routine queries efficiently, reducing the workload on human agents and speeding up response times.
- Omnichannel Interaction: This capability ensures consistent service across voice, chat, and social media, enhancing customer experience.
- Centralized Ticketing System: It consolidates inquiries from various channels, making it easier for teams to manage and track customer conversations and issues.
- Customizable Dashboards: These provide personalized views of key metrics and insights, helping teams make data-driven decisions.
- Video Support: Video chat allows agents to provide more personalized help and resolve issues visually, improving service quality.
- Proactive Customer Engagement: This feature uses predictive analytics to engage customers before they reach out, building stronger relationships.
- Social Media Monitoring: It tracks brand mentions and interactions, enabling teams to respond promptly and maintain a positive reputation.
Benefits of Social Customer Service Software
Implementing social customer service software provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Improved Customer Satisfaction: By using features like sentiment analysis and omnichannel interaction, teams can respond more effectively, enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Increased Efficiency: AI-powered chatbots and centralized ticketing systems automate routine tasks, allowing your team to focus on more complex issues.
- Better Customer Insights: Customizable dashboards and social media monitoring provide valuable data, helping teams make informed decisions.
- Enhanced Brand Loyalty: Proactive customer engagement helps address issues before they arise, building stronger relationships with customers.
- Reduced Response Times: Real-time tools like video support and social media monitoring ensure quicker resolutions, improving customer service speed.
- Consistent Service Delivery: With omnichannel interaction, customers receive a uniform experience across all platforms, maintaining a reliable brand image.
Costs and Pricing of Social Customer Service Software
Selecting social customer service software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in social customer service software solutions:
Plan Comparison Table for Social Customer Service Software
Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
Free Plan | $0 | Basic ticketing, limited social media integration, and email support. |
Personal Plan | $5-$25/ user/month | Enhanced ticketing, social media monitoring, and basic analytics. |
Business Plan | $30-$75/ user/month | Advanced analytics, AI-powered chatbots, and omnichannel support. |
Enterprise Plan | $80-$150/ user/month | Customizable dashboards, dedicated account manager, and advanced security features. |
Social Customer Service Software FAQs
Here are some answers to common questions about social customer service software:
How is social customer service software used to support customer service?
Social customer service software helps teams manage and resolve customer questions through various support channels like social media, email, and live chat. It allows you to organize inquiries, track interactions, and ensure timely responses. By using these tools, your team can improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
How can you handle customer inquiries on social media?
Handling customer inquiries on social media involves using automation tools like chatbots to manage routine questions. You should also personalize interactions to make customers feel valued. Monitoring and responding to mentions ensures that issues are addressed quickly, maintaining a positive brand image.
Which social media platform is best for customer service?
Different social media platforms serve different customer care needs. Facebook’s large user base makes it essential for broad engagement, while Twitter’s real-time communication is ideal for quick responses. Choosing the right platform depends on where your customers are most active and how they prefer to interact with your brand.
How can you use CRM software for customer service?
Using CRM software for customer service involves adding users, setting roles, and automating processes. Integration with third-party tools enhances functionality, while managing customer data helps track performance. This setup allows your team to provide personalized and efficient support to customers.
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