Archive vs Meltwater: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)

Comparing the pricing of Archive and Meltwater is a study in two very different business models. Archive uses a usage-based model that starts around $308/month for its Pro tier. For a team of five, the annual cost would likely start at approximately $3,696, though this can scale significantly based on the volume of UGC captured. Because costs are tied to content volume, fast-growing brands may find their monthly bills becoming unpredictable. For those seeking more stable costs, browsing Archive alternatives can reveal flat-rate options.

Meltwater is strictly an enterprise-level investment. There is no transparent public pricing, but industry data (via Vendr) suggests a median annual cost of $25,000. Their entry-level 'Essentials' plan starts at $6,000/year (billed annually), but most teams end up on the Suite or Enterprise plans, which range from $24,000 to $60,000+ per year. Furthermore, Meltwater requires a 12-month minimum commitment and often involves implementation or onboarding fees. For a 5-person team, you are looking at a minimum investment that is 5-10x higher than Archive.

In terms of value, Archive is the clear winner for small-to-mid-sized e-commerce teams focused on ROI from social content. Meltwater only makes financial sense for large corporations where the cost is justified by global risk management, PR outreach, and broad media monitoring. If these price points are out of reach, you can browse all alternatives to find mid-market solutions that bridge the gap.

Choose Archive if...

Archive is the ideal choice for D2C and e-commerce brands that live and breathe on social media. If your primary goal is to capture every mention on TikTok and Instagram—including those pesky untagged posts—Archive is built for you. It's perfect for small marketing teams that need to manage large-scale creator programs without hiring an external agency. If you are already using Shopify and want to turn your customer's videos into shoppable content, Archive's workflow is specifically designed for that use case. You can see how it compares to similar tools in our Archive vs MightyScout report.

Choose Meltwater if...

Choose Meltwater if you are an enterprise PR or Communications professional at a global organization. If your reporting needs extend beyond social media to include TV, radio, print, and podcasts, Meltwater is one of the few platforms that can handle that scale. It is also the right choice if you need a massive media contact database (700k+) for traditional PR outreach. Large organizations with strict security requirements and the budget for $25k+ annual contracts will benefit from Meltwater's comprehensive 8-product suite. For a deeper dive into its enterprise competitors, see our Meltwater alternatives guide.

Neither might be right if...

Neither tool is a perfect fit if you are looking for highly specialized short-form video insights without either the enterprise complexity of Meltwater or the volume-based pricing uncertainty of Archive. If you need a tool that is laser-focused on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts with a predictable flat-rate price, you might find both options frustrating. In this case, you should compare any two tools in our database to find a more specialized social listening solution that fits your specific workflow.