Best CARMA Alternatives in 2026
The top CARMA alternatives are Meltwater Social Listening, Cision and Sprinklr Social Listening: 15 brand intelligence software our editors would look at instead of CARMA, in our ranking order.
CARMA: CARMA combines cross-format media monitoring with analytics, alerts and research support. Where it falls short: pricing is handled through a contact-sales process..
Switching from CARMA? For most brand intelligence software buyers the best CARMA alternative is Meltwater Social Listening, built for large teams needing broad global social listening. On a budget, Awario starts at $29/mo. Muck Rack has a free plan.
Why People Look for a CARMA Alternative
- Pricing is handled through a contact-sales process
- Premium and paywalled content require the Professional plan
- Its feature set centers on earned-media and owned-social analysis
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallMeltwater Social Listening9.3
Large teams needing broad global social listening
Visit Meltwater Social Listening - Lowest priceAwario8.5
Paid plans from $29/mo
Visit Awario - Best free optionMuck Rack8.2
Has a free plan
Visit Muck Rack
All 15 CARMA Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forLarge teams needing broad global social listening
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 7.2
A broad listening and analysis suite for teams monitoring global brand conversations.
- Sentiment analysis
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Meltwater -
Best forOrganizations combining social and traditional media
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 7.2
Cross-channel media monitoring, analysis, alerts, and publishing for communications teams.
- Sentiment analysis
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Cision -
Best forEnterprises tracking risk and competitors at scale
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 7.2
Broad-channel listening and risk analysis for enterprises prepared for sales-led pricing.
- Sentiment analysis
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Sprinklr -
Best forResearch teams needing deep historical conversation analysis
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 7.2
Deep historical and live conversation intelligence for research-led enterprise teams.
- Sentiment analysis
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Quid -
Best forTeams monitoring many languages and media types
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 7.2
Broad multilingual listening for teams tracking brands across social and media channels.
- Sentiment analysis
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Talkwalker -
Best forTeams connecting brand sentiment to customer operations
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 7.2
DataEQ connects validated sentiment, competitor context and workflows for customer operations teams.
- Social listening
- News and web monitoring
- Competitor tracking
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit DataEQ -
Best forBudget-conscious teams needing core monitoring
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.2
Core social and web monitoring with sentiment and share-of-voice analytics from $29/month billed annually.
- Sentiment analysis
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Awario -
Best forTeams needing historical mentions and flexible alerts
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 7.2
BrandMentions combines historical data, Boolean search, AI analysis, and flexible alerts.
- Sentiment analysis
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit BrandMentions -
Best forTeams prioritizing broad network coverage and reporting
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 7.2
Broad online coverage, live monitoring, and reporting for teams tracking brand conversations.
- Sentiment analysis
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Brand24 -
Best forPR teams combining monitoring with media outreach
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 7.2
Muck Rack combines broad media intelligence with journalist research and pitching workflows.
- Sentiment analysis
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Muck Rack -
Best forSocial teams focused on campaign and competitor metrics
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.2
Keyhole connects social profile analytics with campaign, hashtag, and competitor tracking.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Keyhole -
Best forTeams linking listening with customer experience workflows
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 7.2
Lucidya joins social and media monitoring with omnichannel service workflows and customer analytics.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Lucidya -
Best forTeams comparing owned social with competitors
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.2
A focused benchmarking module for cross-network social comparisons and reporting.
- Competitor tracking
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Brandwatch -
Best forTeams seeking broad listening with a free entry plan
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.2
Broad, multilingual listening with a generous free tier; advanced capacity requires paid plans.
- Sentiment analysis
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Brand Intel -
Best forTeams needing affordable web and social monitoring
- Better than CARMA:
- Editor score 7.7 vs 7.2
Broad social and web monitoring with plan limits that scale by volume and team size.
- Sentiment analysis
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Mentionlytics
CARMA Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to CARMA?
Meltwater Social Listening: #1 in our Brand Intelligence Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A broad listening and analysis suite for teams monitoring global brand conversations.
Is there a free alternative to CARMA?
Yes. Muck Rack and Brand Intel have a free plan or a free tier.
What is the cheapest paid alternative to CARMA?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Awario starts lowest, at $29/mo.
Why do people look for CARMA alternatives?
Pricing is handled through a contact-sales process; Premium and paywalled content require the Professional plan; Its feature set centers on earned-media and owned-social analysis.
How do I switch from CARMA?
Export your data from CARMA (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel CARMA.
How to Switch from CARMA
- Export your data from CARMA (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel CARMA.
CARMA vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Sentiment analysis | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | CARMA | Yes | 7.2 | ||
| 1 | Meltwater Social Listening | No | Yes | 9.3 | |
| 2 | Cision | Yes | 9.1 | ||
| 3 | Sprinklr Social Listening | Yes | 9.0 | ||
| 4 | Quid (formerly NetBase Quid) | Yes | 8.8 | ||
| 5 | Talkwalker | No | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 6 | DataEQ | Yes | 8.6 | ||
| 7 | Awario | No | $29/mo | Yes | 8.5 |
| 8 | BrandMentions | No | $79/mo | Yes | 8.4 |
| 9 | Brand24 | No | $199/mo | Yes | 8.3 |
| 10 | Muck Rack | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |
| 11 | Keyhole | No | 8.1 | ||
| 12 | Lucidya | No | $125/seat/mo | 8.0 | |
| 13 | Benchmark by Brandwatch | No | 7.9 | ||
| 14 | Brand Intel | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 15 | Mentionlytics | No | $69/mo | Yes | 7.7 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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