Brandwatch Listen vs Cision

Brandwatch Listen9.0Visit Cision8.9Visit

Higher score Brandwatch Listen #4 in Social Media Listening Software 9.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Brandwatch

vs

Cision #5 in Social Media Listening Software 8.9/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Cision

• Brandwatch Listen fits best

  Teams wanting straightforward search-based listening

• Cision fits best

  Mature teams combining social and traditional media

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Side by side

Feature	Brandwatch Listen 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Cision 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.9
Ranking	#4 in Social Media Listening Software	#5 in Social Media Listening Software
Best for	Teams wanting straightforward search-based listening	Mature teams combining social and traditional media
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS
Integrations	1 integrations	4 integrations
Features Brandwatch Listen 3/3 · Cision 3/3
Web monitoring	✓	✓
Sentiment analysis	✓	✓
News monitoring	✓	✓
Specs
Social network coverage	X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Tumblr, YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky, QQ	Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky
Historical data	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Tracked query limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Alert channels	email	mobile, email, Slack, Microsoft Teams
Our review
Pros	Boolean searches monitor mentions across social networks and the wider web Saved searches provide one year of historical analysis AI volume alerts, email notifications, tagging, and visualizations aid monitoring	Monitors major social networks, blogs, forums, and online news Combines sentiment, competitor benchmarking, dashboards, and alerts Adds publishing, reporting, and traditional media analysis
Cons	Pricing is handled through contact-sales or demo flows Two years of historical data is described as a premium add-on The listed integration is limited to Brandwatch Engage	Pricing requires a sales consultation Historical-data availability varies by media type and package Social publishing may be unnecessary for monitoring-only teams
Our verdict	Brandwatch Listen is a web-based social listening product from Cision for brands, agencies, and social media teams that need to find and analyze online mentions. Boolean search supports monitoring phrases, hashtags, products, and… Read the review →	CisionOne combines social listening with traditional media monitoring for public relations, communications, and marketing teams. It tracks conversations across Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Reddit, Bluesky, blogs, forums, and online… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Brandwatch Listen — where it wins

  • Boolean searches monitor mentions across social networks and the wider web
  • Saved searches provide one year of historical analysis
  • AI volume alerts, email notifications, tagging, and visualizations aid monitoring

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is handled through contact-sales or demo flows
  • Two years of historical data is described as a premium add-on
  • The listed integration is limited to Brandwatch Engage

• Cision — where it wins

  • Monitors major social networks, blogs, forums, and online news
  • Combines sentiment, competitor benchmarking, dashboards, and alerts
  • Adds publishing, reporting, and traditional media analysis

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales consultation
  • Historical-data availability varies by media type and package
  • Social publishing may be unnecessary for monitoring-only teams

• Brandwatch Listen9.0/10 · Pricing on request

  A focused listening tool for tracking mentions, sentiment, and changes in conversation volume.

  Visit BrandwatchFull verdict →
• Cision8.9/10 · Pricing on request

  CisionOne brings social and traditional media monitoring into one workflow.

  Visit CisionFull verdict →