Later vs Sprout Social
Visual planner versus enterprise platform for Pinterest
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Later provides visual planning from $25/mo ($18.75/mo billed annually), while Sprout Social is an enterprise platform from $99 per seat/mo ($79 billed annually). Later costs roughly a quarter as much; Sprout Social adds Pinterest optimal send times and deeper reporting. BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content.
Key Differences for Pinterest
How these tools differ for Pinterest pin creation and scheduling
Pinterest Focus
Later has a Pinterest rating of 6/10 while Sprout Social scores 5/10. Later offers stronger Pinterest-specific features.
Pricing
Later starts at $25/mo ($18.75/mo billed annually) while Sprout Social starts at $99/mo per seat ($79 billed annually). Later offers a free plan.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Later nor Sprout Social can generate pins from your website automatically. BlogToPin reads your sitemap and creates hundreds of optimized pins with AI-written titles and descriptions.
Platform Support
Later supports Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat. Sprout Social covers Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Reddit, Snapchat, Google Business. Sprout Social gives you more platform options.
Analytics
Sprout Social provides deeper Pinterest analytics. Sprout Social offers detailed analytics while the other has more basic reporting.
Pricing for Pinterest Users
What you will actually pay for Pinterest pin scheduling
Later
Per social set with post limits
Sprout Social
Per seat
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Later | Sprout Social | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | |||
| Smart Schedule | Optimal send times | AI-powered | |
| Pin Templates | 100+ templates | ||
| Board Management | Board selection | ||
| Idea & Video Pins | Video pins | Image & video pins | |
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | Professional plan+ | Automatic | |
| Auto-Create from URL | |||
| Auto-Sync New Content | |||
| Content Recycling | |||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | |||
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | AI Caption Writer | AI Assist (Professional+) | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | |||
| Hashtag Suggestions | |||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | Basic | ||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | Scale plan only | Not for Pinterest | |
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat | Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Reddit, Snapchat, Google Business | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Growth plan | Approvals on Professional+ | Business plan |
Pros & Cons for Pinterest
Strengths and weaknesses for Pinterest pin workflows
Later
Pros
- Beautiful visual calendar makes content planning intuitive
- Excellent Instagram grid preview and planning
- Supports 8 social platforms from one dashboard
- Link in Bio page for Instagram and TikTok
- Clean, modern interface that is easy to learn
- Strong mobile app for on-the-go scheduling
Cons
- Pinterest is treated as a secondary platform
- No pin recycling or evergreen content features
- Post limits can be restrictive (Starter allows 30 posts per profile per month)
- No Pinterest-specific optimization tools
- Pinterest analytics are basic and capped at 3 months on every plan
- Cannot create pins from existing website content
Sprout Social
Pros
- Best-in-class analytics and reporting across all platforms
- Beautiful, polished interface that teams actually enjoy using
- Social listening available as a paid add-on (Standard and up)
- Approval workflows for teams (Professional and up)
- CRM-like features for managing audience relationships
- Competitor reports for Facebook, X and Instagram (Professional and up)
Cons
- Extremely expensive for what it offers Pinterest users
- Pinterest is a minor platform in their ecosystem
- No Pinterest-specific features like recycling or templates
- Per-seat pricing makes team costs add up fast, and bulk scheduling needs the $299/seat Professional plan
- Overkill for anyone focused primarily on Pinterest
- No automation for pin creation from website content
BlogToPin
Pros
- Auto-creates pins from your website content — no manual design
- 100+ pin templates for visual variety across your profile
- AI writes Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- Automatically deletes underperforming pins to protect account quality
- Smart scheduling posts pins at optimal times
- Reads your sitemap and generates pins from every page
Cons
- Pinterest-only — does not support other social platforms
- No mobile app yet
- Requires a website with content to generate pins from
- Starting at $39/mo, higher entry price than basic schedulers
What Users Say
Real user reviews from Trustpilot and G2
Later Reviews
“This is how client services should be done — quick, decisive, and no BS.”
“I recently signed up for Later, attracted by their free trial. However, after just a couple of days into the automatic yearly subscription, I found out that they refuse to issue any refunds.”
Sprout Social Reviews
“No other social management platform matches its extensive capabilities, delightful UX, and excellent customer service.”
“They charged our American Express almost double the agreed contract amount and refused to have someone speak with us.”
Best For Pinterest
When to choose each tool for your Pinterest pin strategy
Later
- Multi-platform creators who need one tool for everything
- Visual planners who love drag-and-drop calendars
- Instagram-first brands that also post to Pinterest
Sprout Social
- Enterprise teams managing 5+ social platforms
- Agencies that need client reporting and social listening
- Companies that need CRM-level social media management
BlogToPin
- You need hundreds of unique pins created from your website content
- You want AI to write Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- You are tired of manually designing pin images for every post
- You want to automatically remove underperforming pins
- You need Pinterest pin creation on autopilot, not just scheduling
Overview
Later and Sprout Social are at different ends of the market. Later is a visual content planner providing intuitive Pinterest scheduling. Sprout Social is an enterprise platform with advanced analytics and team management, priced per seat. For Pinterest-focused use, Later covers the scheduling basics with visual planning at roughly a quarter of the cost.
Pinterest Features
Later offers visual planning, a media library, board selection and video pins. Its Best Time to Post feature doesn't cover Pinterest, and its Pinterest analytics are basic.
Sprout Social schedules Pinterest image and video pins with optimal send times and Pinterest reports, alongside enterprise team workflows. Bulk scheduling and AI Assist require the Professional plan.
Analytics
Sprout Social provides enterprise-grade analytics, with social listening available as a paid add-on. Its competitor reports cover Facebook, X and Instagram, not Pinterest.
Later offers basic Pinterest analytics, capped at 3 months and limited to pins scheduled through Later. Pinterest's free native analytics fill the gaps.
Pricing
Later Starter costs $25/mo ($18.75/mo billed annually). Sprout Social Essentials costs $99 per seat/mo ($79 billed annually), and Professional — needed for bulk scheduling — costs $399 per seat/mo ($299 billed annually).
For Pinterest-focused work, most creators don't need Sprout Social's enterprise suite, though it does offer Pinterest optimal send times that Later lacks.
Pin Creation
Even at $99 or more per seat, Sprout Social doesn't create pins. Later doesn't either, at a fraction of the price.
BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content, providing the capability both leave to manual effort.
Final Verdict
Later is the better-value Pinterest tool for most creators at roughly a quarter of Sprout Social's starting price. Sprout Social makes sense for enterprise multi-platform management and reporting.
BlogToPin plus Later creates a complete Pinterest system — automated creation with visual planning — for less than a single Sprout Social seat.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Later and Sprout Social require manual pin creation. BlogToPin generates pins from your website with AI — no design work needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions answered about Later vs Sprout Social
Can Later replace Sprout Social for Pinterest scheduling?
For most Pinterest creators, yes. Later provides visual planning, a media library and board selection from $25/mo ($18.75/mo billed annually), versus $99 per seat/mo ($79 billed annually) for Sprout Social Essentials. You give up enterprise reporting, Pinterest optimal send times and team workflows, which many Pinterest creators do not need.
Why is Sprout Social so much more expensive than Later?
Sprout Social is an enterprise social media management platform with advanced analytics, CRM integrations, team management and paid add-ons like social listening. It is priced per seat, so costs rise with team size. For Pinterest-focused marketing, most of these capabilities go unused, making the price hard to justify.
Does Sprout Social have better Pinterest features than Later?
In some areas. Sprout Social has Pinterest optimal send times and Pinterest profile and post reports, which Later lacks for Pinterest. Later offers a visual media library and drag-and-drop calendar for pin planning at a much lower price. Later has no bulk scheduling, and Sprout Social only offers it from the Professional plan.
What is the best affordable alternative to Sprout Social for Pinterest?
Later from $25/mo ($18.75/mo billed annually) for visual content planning, or Tailwind from $29.99/mo ($17.99/mo billed annually) for Pinterest-native features like SmartSchedule and SmartPin. Both cost far less than a Sprout Social seat. Add BlogToPin for automated pin creation from blog content.
Does Sprout Social create Pinterest pins?
No. Even at $99 per seat/mo, Sprout Social does not create pin designs. Neither does Later. BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content, the capability that even the most expensive platforms leave to manual effort.
Is Sprout Social worth it if Pinterest is my main platform?
Usually not. Sprout Social's value is in enterprise multi-platform management with advanced analytics and CRM integrations. For Pinterest-focused marketing, Later or Tailwind delivers the relevant features at a fraction of the cost. Sprout Social only makes sense if you manage large-scale campaigns across many social platforms simultaneously.
What Pinterest tools can I get for less than Sprout Social's monthly cost?
Sprout Social Essentials costs $99 per seat/mo. On their monthly plans, Later for visual planning, Tailwind for Pinterest-native scheduling and BlogToPin for automated pin creation together still cost less than one Sprout Social seat. Most Pinterest marketers would only need two of the three, and either way the stack covers Pinterest more directly.
Tired of creating pins by hand?
BlogToPin generates Pinterest pins from your website automatically. AI writes the titles and descriptions, 100+ templates handle design, and smart scheduling posts at optimal times. Try it free.