Meltwater is a popular choice for global media monitoring, but let’s face it—not every business has the same needs. Depending on your goals—whether you’re after a more cost-effective solution, deeper local insights, or a tool tailored to your specific requirements—there are other options that might be a better fit for your brand.
Below, I’ll walk you through three strong alternatives to Meltwater that give you a broad range of media monitoring tools.
Best Meltwater Alternatives for Media Monitoring
1. Media Meter
Why Media Meter stands out:
If you’re a business that focuses on the Philippine market, Media Meter could be the perfect companion for your media monitoring needs. It’s designed to give you local insights that you won’t easily find with bigger, more global tools like Meltwater.
Media Meter delivers real-time tracking across TV, radio, print, and digital platforms. It goes further by offering detailed sentiment analysis in both Filipino and English, capturing the nuances of local perception that global tools might miss. If you’re looking to truly understand how your brand resonates with local audiences, Media Meter could be the ideal partner to guide your strategy.
Key features:
-
- Intuitive, user-friendly dashboards that make monitoring feel less like a chore
-
- Real-time alerts, so you never miss a story that could impact your brand
-
- Sentiment analysis in both English and Filipino languages
-
- Detailed reports highlighting top authors, publications, and trending topics in the Philippine media landscape
Why you’ll love it:
The flexibility in pricing is a big win, especially for businesses that don’t need extensive global monitoring but want powerful, in-depth insights. Media Meter is specifically built to provide detailed analysis of the Philippine market, making it a strong choice for brands looking to connect locally.
Things to consider:
If you need to track global media or you’re planning international expansion soon, Media Meter might be limited in covering all your bases. Its regional focus means it may not offer the same coverage, data sources, or language capabilities as global platforms, which could limit its effectiveness for worldwide monitoring needs.
2. CisionOne
What makes CisionOne special:
CisionOne is a well-rounded PR tool with a strong global footprint. It doesn’t just offer media monitoring; it’s equipped with PR outreach tools, influencer management, and an enormous media database. For companies that are looking to do more than just monitor mentions—maybe launch global campaigns or establish relationships with key media players—CisionOne has you covered.
Key features:
-
- Global media and influencer database at your fingertips
-
- Social media tracking with built-in PR analytics
-
- Localization options for more targeted media outreach
-
- Press release distribution and media relationship management
Why you’ll love it:
If you’re managing large-scale PR efforts, especially across different countries, CisionOne makes it easier to keep everything under one roof. From monitoring mentions to sending out press releases, it’s a full-service tool. Plus, the level of detail in its analytics will give your team a ton of insight into what’s working and what’s not.
Things to keep in mind:
It comes with a learning curve and a price tag. If you’re new to media monitoring or don’t need all the bells and whistles, it might feel a bit overwhelming.
3. Talkwalker
Why Talkwalker is a strong contender:
If social media is where your brand lives and breathes, Talkwalker is a fantastic choice. What sets it apart is its AI-powered trend analysis, which helps you stay ahead of the curve when monitoring online conversations. Whether you’re trying to manage a crisis or keep tabs on your brand reputation in real-time, Talkwalker’s advanced tools give you actionable insights for your strategy.
Key features:
-
- AI-powered trend analysis for real-time social listening
-
- Multi-channel tracking (social, print, broadcast—you name it)
-
- Tools for crisis management and sentiment analysis
Why you’ll love it:
The sentiment analysis is incredibly accurate, and the tools for tracking conversations across multiple platforms make it a dream for marketers or PR pros who need to keep their finger on the pulse of public opinion. It’s particularly great for larger brands or agencies that deal with high volumes of data and want something that helps manage potential crises before they escalate.
Things to think about:
The level of detail might be overkill for smaller businesses, and pricing can quickly add up if you’re using its more advanced features.
Meltwater vs. Media Meter, Cision, Talkwalker: At a glance
| Meltwater | Media Meter | Cision | Talkwalker | |
| Overview | Media, social, and consumer intelligence platform offering global media monitoring, social listening, and analytics, focused on social and online media. | Media monitoring platform with a strong focus on an extensive range of local (Philippine) and regional media, covering both large and small sources across traditional and online outlets. | All-in-one PR platform offering media monitoring, social listening, media outreach, analytics, and investor relations. | Consumer intelligence platform with real-time media monitoring, social listening, and customer insights with a strong focus on AI-powered sentiment analysis. |
| Media Monitoring | Real-time monitoring of global media, with a stronger focus on social media and online news, ideal for international markets. | Real-time tracking across a wide array of Philippine TV, radio, blogs, newspapers, magazines, and online news sites. | Tracks online, print, social, broadcast, and podcasts from 100+ million sources in 190+ countries. | Real-time monitoring across news, blogs, forums, print, broadcast, social media, and customer surveys. |
| Media Outreach | Global media relations tools to connect with journalists and influencers. | Tracks local journalists and influencers across regional and national media, ranking them via Author Score for their influence in the PH media landscape. | Large media database, press release distribution, and relationship management with journalists and influencers. | Identifies influential publications, authors, and journalists through Custom Scoring to optimize media outreach. |
| Visualization | Customizable reports with Spike Detection, sentiment scoring, and global comparative analytics. | Customizable reports and visual dashboards that highlight key metrics like story value, AVE, and media performance. | Interactive dashboards for trends, sentiment, and amplification. | Provides visual dashboards, sentiment analysis, and real-time alerts for media performance. |
| Custom Alerts | AI-powered alerts for global media mentions, sentiment shifts, and competitor activity, particularly on social media. | Delivers real-time alerts for specific media mentions, competitors, and brand keywords. | AI-driven alerts for mentions, crises, and competitors. | Real-time alerts with notifications for key media updates, trends, and mentions relevant to your brand. |
| Free trial | No free trial, demo upon request. | Yes | No free trial, demo available. | No free trial, but a custom demo is available. |
| Pricing | Typically ranges from $6,000-$12,000/year depending on features, with a global focus and annual contracts. | Custom pricing, generally more affordable and tailored for brands focused on local/regional media in the Philippines. | Starts from $7,200/year, custom quotes required, annual contracts only. | Starts from $9,600/year with access to 10,000 monthly results. Additional costs for image recognition and advanced AI features. |
| Client Support | Mixed reviews on customer support, with some users citing declining service quality over time. | Strong support, particularly for local brands looking to monitor and analyze media coverage in the Philippines and nearby regions. | 24/7 support, but some users report slow responses. | Strong customer support but can be complex to set up, especially for teams handling large volumes of data. |
| Best For | Mid-sized to large businesses focusing on global social media and consumer insights. | Brands focused on tracking local (Philippine) and regional media, with a strong emphasis on media impact and reputation analysis. | Large enterprises, investor relations, global media outreach, and compliance. | Large organizations focused on media monitoring, customer insights, and social analytics, with extensive use of AI for sentiment analysis. |
How to choose the right Meltwater alternative for you
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to media monitoring, but here’s a simple checklist to help guide your decision:
-
- Define your goals: Are you mainly focused on regional media, global reach, or social listening? Knowing this will help you filter out unnecessary features.
-
- Think about budget: It’s tempting to go for the tool with all the bells and whistles, but your budget will help you decide which features are non-negotiable.
-
- Test the platforms: Most tools offer demos or free trials. Don’t hesitate to test a few to see which feels the most intuitive.
-
- Evaluate customer support: Whether you’re a local brand or a global player, responsive customer support is important. Check reviews to make sure your chosen tool won’t leave you hanging in times of need.
-
- Compare features: Think about which features you can’t live without. Do you need crisis alerts, sentiment analysis, or detailed reports?
Finding the right media monitoring tool can make all the difference in managing your brand’s reputation and staying ahead of trends. Whether you’re after local insights with Media Meter or advanced social analytics with other options, there’s a tool out there that fits your needs.
Media Meter provides you with media monitoring services that cover real-time stories across traditional and online publications. Contact us for inquiries or view our sample media reports.
