Dig vs YouScan: Which Is Better? (2026 Comparison)

Comparing the pricing of Dig and YouScan is a study in 'Custom' vs 'Flat-rate' models. YouScan provides a public entry point with its Starter 3 plan at $499/month (billed annually at $5,988). This plan allows for 3 topics and 15,000 mentions per month and includes unlimited users—a rarity in this space. However, potential buyers should be wary of hidden costs: the 'Visual Insights' (image recognition) and 'Audience Insights' are paid add-ons only available on the Unlimited plan.

Dig, on the other hand, operates on a strictly custom pricing model. There is no public pricing, no free tier, and no trial. Based on its target audience of Fortune 500 companies and its enterprise-only positioning, teams should expect a minimum investment of at least $2,000/month, often scaling much higher depending on the volume of video analysis required. Dig also requires brand-specific customization and dedicated onboarding, which may incur additional service fees.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for a 5-person team annually:

• YouScan: ~$5,988 (assuming the Starter 3 plan meets the 15k mention limit). Because YouScan offers unlimited users, the cost doesn't scale with team size until you hit mention limits or need the Unlimited tier.
• Dig: Likely $24,000+ (estimated based on enterprise market position). The lack of self-serve options means your TCO must include the 'soft cost' of the lengthy sales and onboarding process.

For smaller teams or agencies that find $500/month too steep, looking for a YouScan alternative with a lower entry point is common. Likewise, those who don't have an enterprise-level budget should view Dig alternatives that offer more flexible, self-serve tiers. If you are specifically tracking creator content, the ShortsIntel vs YouScan comparison shows how specialized tools can often provide better value for specific video-focused use cases.

Choose Dig if...

You are a Fortune 500 brand in a high-stakes industry like luxury, CPG, or tech, and your primary concern is video-first reputation management. Dig is built for brand safety teams who need to monitor narratives, detect deepfakes, and understand the context of thousands of videos across TikTok and Reels. It is the right choice if you have an enterprise budget and require a proprietary LLM stack that understands natural language briefs. If you need a partner backed by Google and Meta for high-level social intelligence, Dig is your tool. Check our ShortsIntel vs Dig comparison if you want to see how it differs from creator-focused tools.

Choose YouScan if...

You are a mid-market to enterprise brand that needs comprehensive social listening with industry-leading visual analytics. YouScan is ideal for consumer brands (like PepsiCo or Nestle) that need to track how their logo appears in social media images or want to perform aspect-level sentiment analysis on 500M+ sources. It is also the best choice for teams that want a conversational AI assistant (Insights Copilot) to explore data without writing complex queries. If you need a tool that offers unlimited users and a transparent starting price, YouScan is the winner. For those looking for similar visual capabilities elsewhere, a Brandwatch alternative might be worth exploring.

Neither might be right if...

You are a small business, a startup, or a DTC brand primarily focused on UGC tracking and creator marketing. Dig is too expensive and enterprise-focused, while YouScan’s visual insights are geared toward logo detection rather than short-form video performance. Neither tool offers robust creator CRM tools, automated rights management, or high-res video asset libraries for ad repurposing. In these cases, you might be better off looking at a Collabstr alternative or an Archive alternative to manage your creator relationships and content rights more effectively.