Top Dig Alternatives for 2026

TL;DR

While Dig offers elite video intelligence for the Fortune 500, many brands require more accessible Dig alternatives that include rights management and transparent pricing. ShortsIntel stands out as the best choice for UGC-focused brands, while tools like Brandwatch and Plot provide broader social listening and creative workflows.

Why Look for Alternatives?

Dig (dig.ai) has carved out a niche as a high-end, video-first social intelligence platform, but it isn't the right fit for every marketing team. One of the primary reasons users seek Dig alternatives is the platform's strictly enterprise-only positioning. With no public pricing, no free trial, and a mandatory sales-led onboarding process, smaller brands and agile marketing teams often find themselves locked out of the technology. For teams with budgets under $2,000 per month, the entry barrier is simply too high.

Another significant limitation is Dig's specialized focus. While its AI-driven video analysis is world-class, it can be a 'black box' for teams that also need to track text-based conversations or legacy social media mentions. If your brand needs to monitor sentiment on X (Twitter), Reddit, or news sites, you might find more value in a Brandwatch alternative or Critical Mention alternative, which offer broader coverage across multiple media types.

Furthermore, Dig lacks essential 'downstream' features for creator marketing. While it can detect narratives and identify influencers, it offers no built-in rights management, creator CRM, or outreach tools. This means marketing teams have to buy a second tool to actually use the content they find. Many users are switching to platforms like ShortsIntel vs Dig because they need a unified workflow that includes automated rights clearance and high-res asset libraries for ad creative.

Finally, the platform's complexity can be a double-edged sword. Dig requires significant brand-specific customization before it delivers accurate insights. For teams that need to launch a campaign quickly and start tracking UGC immediately, a self-serve Archive alternative or a creator marketplace like Collabstr alternative might offer a faster time-to-value without the enterprise red tape.

What to Look For in an Alternative

When evaluating potential alternatives to Dig, the first criterion should be the depth of video analysis. Dig’s strength is 'seeing' what happens inside a video; therefore, any viable alternative must offer multi-modal AI that goes beyond basic caption reading. Look for tools that can identify brand logos, detect voice mentions (transcription), and analyze visual themes without requiring a tag or hashtag. For a head-to-head on these technical capabilities, check out our ShortsIntel vs Dig breakdown.

Next, consider the 'Actionability' of the data. Knowing that a video is trending is only half the battle. Can the platform help you secure the rights to that video for your TikTok Spark Ads? Does it offer a way to contact the creator? If your goal is scaling UGC programs, prioritizing a platform with automated rights management—like the systems found in a ShortsIntel vs Archive comparison—will save your team hundreds of hours of manual grunt work.

Integration and accessibility are also vital. Dig's lack of a public API makes it difficult to pipe social intelligence data into your existing stack. If you need your social data to live alongside your sales data, look for an alternative with documented API access or native CRM integrations.

Lastly, evaluate the pricing model. Dig uses a custom, opaque pricing structure common in the enterprise software world. If your team values transparency, look for alternatives that offer flat-rate tiers. This allows you to scale your usage without fear of sudden price hikes during your next contract renewal. You can compare any two tools on our platform to see how their pricing models align with your specific budget and seat requirements.

Top Alternatives

1
ShortsIntel
Recommended
ShortsIntel is a purpose-built video social listening tool that excels at finding untagged UGC and managing creator rights automatically.

Key Differentiator

Combines deep AI video analysis with a built-in automated rights management system and high-res asset library.

Pricing

Starts at $99/mo with a 7-day free trial.

Learn more
2
Brandwatch
An enterprise-grade consumer intelligence suite with the world's largest archive of social conversations and deep historical data.

Key Differentiator

Unmatched historical data (1.7T+ posts) and official firehose access to X/Twitter and Reddit.

Pricing

Starts at $800/mo

Learn more
3
Plot
A next-gen tool that merges AI video social listening with a creative management workflow for social media teams.

Key Differentiator

The only tool that combines brand mention detection in video with a full creative production workspace.

Pricing

Free tier available; Paid starts at $15/mo

Learn more
4
Archive
Focuses on detecting and organizing brand content across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for e-commerce brands.

Key Differentiator

Claims to detect 400% more content than traditional tools through superior untagged post detection.

Pricing

Starts at $308/mo

Learn more
5
Sprout Social
A comprehensive all-in-one social media management platform that includes robust listening, publishing, and analytics.

Key Differentiator

The industry standard for mid-market and enterprise teams needing a unified inbox for all social activity.

Pricing

Starts at $199/mo

Learn more
6
Critical Mention
A media monitoring powerhouse that tracks TV, radio, news, and podcasts in addition to social media.

Key Differentiator

Real-time broadcast monitoring (TV/Radio) with results delivered in under 60 seconds.

Pricing

Custom Pricing

Learn more
7
Collabstr
A user-friendly influencer marketplace designed for finding, hiring, and paying creators directly for UGC.

Key Differentiator

Secure escrow payment system and a database of vetted, ready-to-work creators.

Pricing

Free tier available; Subscription starts at $299/mo

Learn more
Feature Comparison
Feature
ShortsIntel
Recommended
Dig
Content Discovery
UGC Discovery
5/5
3/5
Brand Mention Detection
5/5
5/5
Untagged Content Detection
5/5
4/5
Video Tracking
Short-Form Video Tracking
5/5
5/5
Creator Management
Creator Analytics
4/5
3/5
Rights Management
5/5
1/5
Intelligence & AI
Competitor Intelligence
4/5
4/5
AI Content Tagging
5/5
5/5
Platform & Integrations
Multi-Platform Support
4/5
3/5
Integrations
3/5
1/5
Reporting & Collaboration
Reporting Dashboards
4/5
3/5
Team Collaboration
3/5
2/5
API Access
3/5
1/5
Usability & Support
Ease of Use
4/5
2/5
Customer Support
4/5
3/5
Pricing Comparison
Plan Details
ShortsIntel
Recommended
Dig
Pricing Model
Flat Rate
Custom
Free Tier
Free Trial7 days
Pricing Tiers
Entry Tier
Starter$99/mo
EnterpriseCustom
Mid Tier
Pro$249/mo
Top Tier
Business & AgencyCustom
Annual Cost (5-Person Team)*$1,188
Contact Sales
Hidden CostsNone listed
  • Custom pricing only — no public pricing page, must request demo
  • Brand-specific customization and onboarding required
  • No self-serve option — enterprise sales process only
  • +1 more

* Annual cost calculated using entry tier pricing. Per-seat pricing multiplied by 5 users. Actual costs may vary based on specific plan and usage.

Pricing Analysis

The pricing landscape for Dig alternatives is highly fragmented, ranging from ultra-affordable 'prosumer' tools to high-five-figure enterprise contracts. Dig sits firmly at the top of the price bracket, often requiring a significant annual commitment. For brands that find this cost prohibitive, Plot alternative offers the most accessible entry point at just $15/month for its core features.

Mid-market brands typically land in the $100 to $400 per month range. ShortsIntel provides a high-value 'Starter' tier at $99/month, which is ideal for brands just beginning to scale their UGC efforts. Similarly, Archive alternative starts at $308/month, targeting e-commerce companies that need high-volume content capture. These platforms offer transparent, flat-rate pricing that avoids the 'sales call' friction associated with Dig.

On the enterprise side, Brandwatch and Sprout Social represent the higher end of the market. While their starting prices ($800 and $199 respectively) seem lower than Dig, the total cost of ownership can scale rapidly as you add seats, social profiles, and advanced listening modules. When deciding, it's essential to compare any two tools based on your specific volume of mentions and team size to avoid unexpected overage fees.

Who Is Each Product Best For?

ShortsIntel

Track and analyze UGC creator videos across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts with AI-powered insights and automated rights management

Best For

  • DTC/B2C brands running UGC creator campaigns
  • Marketing teams drowning in content but starving for insights
  • Brands needing to track creators who forget hashtags or tags
  • Teams wanting to build a library of ad creatives from UGC
  • Companies needing automated usage rights management
  • Early-stage teams wanting affordable video social listening

Not Ideal For

  • Brands needing general social listening across all content types
  • Companies requiring Instagram Stories tracking
  • Enterprise teams needing extensive third-party integrations
  • Agencies needing long-form video analysis
  • Teams focused on platforms beyond TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Dig

Video-first social intelligence platform for brand reputation monitoring, narrative detection, and influencer evaluation across social video

Best For

  • Enterprise brands needing deep social video intelligence and monitoring
  • Fortune 500 companies in luxury, CPG, and fashion verticals
  • Brand safety teams monitoring for deepfakes and disinformation
  • Market research teams analyzing video-first consumer narratives
  • Organizations requiring reputation intelligence across social video platforms

Not Ideal For

  • Small businesses and startups (enterprise-only, no accessible pricing)
  • Content creators needing UGC tracking and rights management
  • Teams needing text-based social listening across all social platforms
  • Companies wanting self-serve onboarding without sales process
  • Brands needing public API access or third-party integrations
  • Budget-conscious teams without enterprise-level budgets ($2K+/mo)
Use Case Analysis

Choosing the right Dig alternative depends heavily on your team's primary objectives. For DTC and E-commerce brands whose growth is fueled by UGC and TikTok ads, ShortsIntel is the premier choice. It bridges the gap between 'listening' and 'doing' by offering the rights management tools that Dig lacks. If your focus is purely on high-volume content collection, you might also consider an Archive alternative.

For Enterprise PR and Brand Safety teams, the choice often comes down to the breadth of coverage. If you need to monitor broadcast television or global news for reputation risks, Critical Mention alternative is the superior choice. If you require deep, multi-year historical data for market research and consumer sentiment analysis, Brandwatch remains the industry leader.

Social Media Managers at small-to-mid-sized agencies will likely prefer the all-in-one convenience of Sprout Social. It allows for seamless publishing and community management alongside its listening features. Conversely, for teams focused on creative production and video trends, the Plot alternative provides a unique workflow that integrates the discovery process directly into the content creation pipeline. You can see a full list of options on our browse all alternatives page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to try ShortsIntel?

Track UGC, discover creators, and monitor brand mentions across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.

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Last updated: January 30, 2026