Brandwatch vs Modash: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)

Calculating the Total Cost of Ownership

The pricing structures of Brandwatch and Modash are worlds apart, reflecting their different target markets. Brandwatch follows a custom enterprise model where even the 'entry-level' tiers start around $800/month. For a team of five users requiring standard social intelligence, the cost quickly escalates to roughly $2,500/month. When you factor in implementation fees (which can range from $5,000 to $20,000) and add-ons for custom reports, a mid-market brand can expect to spend $35,000+ in their first year.

Modash offers more transparent, flat-rate pricing. The Essentials tier starts at $99/month, while the Performance tier is $599/month. For a 5-person team, the Performance tier is the most logical choice as it includes untagged content collection. This results in an annual cost of $5,988—significantly more affordable than Brandwatch for influencer-specific tasks. However, users should be aware of 'profile unlock' limits; if your team does heavy discovery, you may face additional costs to see more than your tier's monthly allowance.

Value for Money

For a ShortsIntel vs Brandwatch comparison on value, Brandwatch only makes sense if you utilize the historical archive and deep listening capabilities. If your goal is simply to track 50 influencers, the $800/month entry point is a poor ROI. Conversely, if you are a Shopify-based brand, the Modash alternative of manual tracking is too time-consuming, making their $99/month tier a high-value investment. Teams should also consider 12-month contract lock-ins; Brandwatch typically requires a year-long commitment, while Modash offers more flexibility.

Choose Brandwatch if...

You are an enterprise brand or agency that requires deep consumer insights and market research. If your team needs to track 15 years of historical sentiment on X (Twitter) or monitor brand health across thousands of global forums and news sites, Brandwatch is the industry standard. It is the best fit for analysts who are comfortable with complex queries and need a Brandwatch alternative that functions as a full social media management suite, including publishing and engagement.

Choose Modash if...

You are a consumer brand (specifically on Shopify) focused on scaling an influencer program. Modash is built for marketers who need to find 200 new creators every month, vet their audiences for fake followers, and track campaign ROI. It is ideal for teams of 1-50 people who want an intuitive, fast interface without the enterprise 'bloat' or the need for extensive technical training. You can see how it stacks up against other specialized tools in our ShortsIntel vs Modash guide.

Neither might be right if...

You are specifically focused on short-form video content (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) and need to track 'untagged' mentions where creators forget to use your @handle. Brandwatch lacks specialized video frame-by-frame analysis, and Modash's untagged detection is limited to its most expensive tiers. Additionally, if you need automated legal rights management to repurpose UGC for ads, both tools will leave you doing a lot of 'grunt work' manually. In these cases, browsing our all alternatives list or a specialized compare any two tools search may yield better results for video-first marketing strategies.