8 Social Media Tools Worth Using: Design, Reporting, Monitoring and Planning

September 11th, 2019   |   Updated on October 13th, 2026

Most brands today need a presence on several social platforms, and that is where the work multiplies. Monitoring, managing, and creating engaging content takes more time than it looks, and it often comes with a budget attached. That is why it pays to track your social media results and know which tools are earning their place. If you are still deciding where to be active, start with our guide on choosing the right social media platform.

Tools, both free and paid, can help with the workload. Plans change often, though, and some tools that were free a few years ago no longer are. The eight tools below are the ones we think are worth exploring, with notes on what each does best and what to check before you sign up.

Quick answer: which social media tool does what?

A practical social media toolkit covers a handful of separate jobs: designing graphics, reporting results, managing links, listening to brand mentions, researching content ideas, scheduling posts, understanding your audience, and planning campaigns. You do not need a tool for every job. Start with the one that solves your biggest bottleneck.

Tool	Best for	Free option (checked October 2026)
Canva	Designing social media graphics	Free plan; premium assets and heavier AI use are paid
DashThis	Automated client and campaign reports	15-day free trial
Bitly	Shortening and tracking links	Limited free plan (5 links and 2 QR codes per month)
Social Mention / Mention	Tracking brand mentions	Social Mention is free but unreliable; Mention is a paid tool, so check its current plans
BuzzSumo	Finding trending content and influencers	No permanent free plan; short free trial
Hootsuite	Scheduling and managing multiple profiles	No free plan; free trial only
Followerwonk	Analyzing X (Twitter) audiences	Check current plans
Milanote	Planning content and creative projects	Free plan (up to 100 notes, images, and links)

Design and content creation

1. Canva

If you want to stay relevant, you need to be able to design social media graphics. Canva lets you create professional-looking images quickly, with a wide range of templates, filters, stock images, backgrounds, and fonts.

Beginners will find the interface friendly, and Canva offers tutorials to get started. Canva has a permanent free plan. Premium content, brand tools, and heavier use of its AI features (Magic Studio) require a paid plan, and AI usage is capped by credits. Pricing varies by region, so check Canva’s pricing page for your country. For most small teams, the free plan is enough to find out whether the paid features are worth it.

Reporting and link management

2. DashThis

Clients expect marketers to give them exactly the information they need. DashThis addresses this by collecting your data in one report that can be emailed or exported as a PDF.

It connects with more than 30 marketing data sources, and its dashboards update automatically, so you can follow a campaign’s progress and spot key performance indicators (KPIs) without rebuilding reports by hand. DashThis offers a 15-day free trial, which is enough time to see whether its integrations and design options suit your monthly reporting. Paid plans are priced by the number of dashboards you need, so check current rates.

3. Bitly

Link shorteners like Bitly keep your posts tidy. A short link is easier to share and read, and it can be tracked. Shortening a link does not by itself increase traffic, but the click data helps you see which posts and channels send visitors to your site. Bitly can shorten a long URL in seconds.

You can also brand your links and create QR codes to fit your social media strategy. Bitly’s free plan has become quite limited: it currently allows 5 new links and 2 QR codes per month, and free-plan links have reportedly started showing an interstitial page before redirecting. If you create links regularly, want branded domains, or need longer click history, you will need a paid plan, so compare plans (and alternatives) before you commit.

Social listening and content research

4. Social Mention and Mention

Social listening means tracking what people say about your brand, products, and competitors online. Social Mention was a well-known free tool that gathered user-generated content into one stream, making it easier to evaluate your online presence. However, the original socialmention.com has been widely reported as unreliable or no longer maintained, so test it before depending on it.

For ongoing monitoring, a dedicated tool such as Mention (linked above) tracks brand mentions across social media and the wider web. It is a paid service, so check its current plans. Free options such as Google Alerts can cover basic needs while you decide.

5. BuzzSumo

Strong social media presence depends on publishing relevant content and joining conversations on topics people care about. Instead of combing through news sites and blogs by hand, content marketers use BuzzSumo to see which content is performing well, how much engagement it earns, and where it is being shared.

That information helps you plan your social media campaigns around topics and channels that are already getting attention. BuzzSumo also helps you identify influencers who write or share about specific subjects. It is a paid service, and recent reviews note that the old free version is gone and only a short free trial remains. The trial length has changed over time, so confirm the current terms when you sign up.

Scheduling, analytics, and audience insight

6. Hootsuite

Social media tools work like a virtual assistant, especially for beginners still learning the business, by keeping you updated on performance. Hootsuite remains a long-standing favorite because it lets you switch between social profiles from a single dashboard.

You can schedule posts in advance and track analytics such as follower and growth statistics. One important change: Hootsuite no longer has a free plan (it was removed in 2023), so the entry point is now a paid plan after a free trial. Pricing is also structured per user on some tiers, so costs rise with team size. If budget is tight, look at free tiers from other scheduling tools such as Buffer or Metricool, and verify their current limits first.

7. Followerwonk

Followerwonk is for people who want to understand their audience at a deeper level. It focuses on X (formerly Twitter): you can search bios, compare accounts, and find out which influencers are relevant. It also lets you analyze followers by the accounts they follow, their location, their bio, and more, which can help you shape content around what your audience actually does.

Two caveats. It covers X only, and third-party X tools depend on the platform’s API rules, which have changed repeatedly. Check Followerwonk’s current plans and features before relying on it.

Planning and collaboration

8. Milanote

Milanote organizes social media creative projects into visual boards. Its social media calendar template gives you a ready-made starting point. It feels like working on the wall of a creative studio (visual, tactile, and sometimes a bit messy), which makes it a good fit for social media managers who work in remote teams.

Key features:

• Write notes and to-do lists, upload images and files, and save things you find on the web.
• Organize visually with a flexible drag-and-drop interface.
• Boards are private by default, but one click turns one into a shared workspace for your team.
• Built-in templates help you start projects, from mood boards to creative briefs.

Milanote has a free plan limited to 100 notes, images, and links (with a cap on file uploads). Paid plans remove the limits.

How to choose the right social media tools

• Start with the problem, not the tool. If you spend hours on graphics, start with Canva. If clients ask for monthly reports, start with a reporting tool.
• Check which platforms a tool supports. Some tools only work with one network, and platform rule changes can limit what third-party tools can do.
• Test before you pay. Use free plans and trials, and confirm current limits on the vendor’s pricing page, because they change often.
• Watch per-user pricing. A tool that is affordable for one person can become expensive for a team.
• Add tools gradually. Two or three well-used tools beat eight half-configured ones.

Used well, these tools help you manage your accounts more efficiently, schedule posts, create graphics, and improve engagement. Set aside time to learn each tool’s features properly before judging whether it is worth the cost.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need all of these social media tools?

No. Most small teams do well with a design tool, a scheduler, and a way to track results. Add listening, content research, or reporting tools as your needs grow.

Is Hootsuite free?

No. Hootsuite removed its free plan in 2023. You can try it free for a limited period, then you need a paid plan. Other schedulers offer free tiers with limits.

Is Canva free?

Yes, Canva has a permanent free plan with templates and basic design tools. Premium content, brand controls, and higher AI usage require a paid plan.

Is Bitly free?

Bitly has a free plan, but it is limited to a small number of new links and QR codes each month. Branded links and longer analytics history need a paid plan.

What is the difference between social listening and social media analytics?

Analytics measure how your own accounts and posts perform. Listening tracks what people say about your brand, products, or competitors across social media and the web, including places where you are not tagged.

How many social media platforms should a brand be on?

There is no fixed number. Choose the platforms where your audience is active and where you can publish consistently. Our guide on choosing the right social media platform can help you decide.

What is the best free tool for a beginner?

Canva’s free plan for graphics and Milanote’s free plan for planning are good starting points. Pair them with the built-in analytics on each social platform before paying for anything.