BuzzSumo
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if you're a funded PR or content team that will use the journalist database and mention alerts daily.
Comparison
BuzzSumo vs Meltwater
BuzzSumo and Meltwater both land on Depends.
Meltwater
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're a midsize-or-larger PR/comms team that needs global media monitoring and can absorb quote-based annual contracts.
| Compare | BuzzSumo | Meltwater |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | PR agencies pitching journalists | Enterprise PR and comms teams |
| Who it's not for | Solo bloggers . $199/mo for content ideas is overkill | Startups and small businesses on tight budgets |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.11 | Trust center, formal security program, Microsoft 365 certified, public vulnerability disclosure; registered as a California data broker. |
| Support quality | Trustpilot sits at 2.8/5 | Sales called hyper-aggressive; mixed service reports |
| Public sentiment | Users praise data depth and a clean interface, while Trustpilot service ratings lag at 2.8/5.³ | Users praise monitoring breadth and data coverage but consistently flag high prices and aggressive sales.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Free plan removed; cheapest real access is $199/mo billed annually upfront³ | No published price list; quotes vary by seats and needs. Expect annual commitments. |
Pick BuzzSumo when
- PR agencies pitching journalists
- Content teams needing topic research
- Comms teams tracking brand mentions
- Funded B2B marketing teams
When BuzzSumo is not a fit
- Solo bloggers . $199/mo for content ideas is overkill
- Small businesses without a PR function
- SEO-only teams . Ahrefs covers this cheaper
- Anyone wanting a free tier
Pick Meltwater when
- Enterprise PR and comms teams
- Global brand monitoring across markets
- Agencies needing reporter and influencer data
- Teams proving PR ROI to executives
When Meltwater is not a fit
- Startups and small businesses on tight budgets
- Anyone wanting transparent, self-serve pricing
- Teams that only need simple social scheduling
- Buyers allergic to pushy sales and annual contracts
Sources
- BuzzSumo Pricingbuzzsumo.comofficial
- BuzzSumo homepagebuzzsumo.comofficial
review
review
- BuzzSumo Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- BuzzSumo Reviews . TrustRadiustrustradius.comreview
review
- BuzzSumo Review: Top Content Ideas & Influencer Insightssinglegrain.comreview
official
- BuzzSumo Brand Monitoring Toolbuzzsumo.comofficial
- Nudge Security profile: buzzsumo.comnudgesecurity.comsecurity
- BuzzSumo as Meltwater alternativebuzzsumo.comofficial
- Meltwater Reviews on G2g2.comreview
- Trustpilot reviews of meltwater.comtrustpilot.comreview
- Meltwater thoughts . r/PublicRelationsreddit.comreview