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

Content Discovery and Brand Detection

Meltwater and Upfluence approach discovery from different angles. Meltwater (5/5 for brand mention detection) is an industry pioneer with 24+ years of experience. It monitors over 300 million online sources, including print, TV, and podcasts. It is designed for the PR professional who needs to know every time a brand is mentioned across any medium. However, Meltwater lacks specialized tracking for untagged short-form video content (1/5).

Upfluence (4/5 for discovery) focuses heavily on creator search. With 20+ advanced filters and a database of 4-12 million profiles, it is built for finding creators who align with a brand’s audience. While it excels at identifying influencers from your own customer base via 'Live Capture' technology, its brand mention detection (3/5) is less comprehensive than Meltwater’s global net. For those seeking even deeper tracking of specific video assets, comparing ShortsIntel vs Meltwater reveals significant gaps in how traditional tools handle modern video.

Influencer and Creator Management

Upfluence is a dedicated all-in-one influencer CRM. It offers commission-free affiliate payouts, automated outreach via AI (Jace AI), and native integrations with Shopify, Amazon, and Magento. This makes it a 5/5 for e-commerce integrations. However, users often report UI/UX issues, such as the inability to edit campaigns once they are live.

In contrast, Meltwater acquired the Klear influencer platform to bolster its suite. While it provides a massive database of 35 million profiles and strong analytics (4/5), the influencer tool is just one of eight products in the Meltwater suite. This can make the platform feel 'overly complex' for teams only interested in creator marketing. If you find these platforms too heavy, you might explore a Meltwater alternative that focuses strictly on social content.

Video Tracking and Rights Management

When it comes to modern social video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), both platforms have limitations. Upfluence (4/5) is better suited for campaign-based video tracking but struggles with untagged content. Meltwater (2/5) offers high-level social listening but doesn't provide specialized frame-by-frame analysis for short-form video.

Furthermore, rights management is a secondary thought for both. Meltwater (2/5) and Upfluence (3/5) offer basic tracking, but neither provides an automated, magic-link consent system for legal usage. Brands managing high volumes of UGC often find themselves looking for a Upfluence alternative to handle the legal complexities of content repurposing. For a head-to-head on how social listening compares to dedicated tracking, see ShortsIntel vs Upfluence or our comparison of Archive vs Meltwater.

Intelligence and AI Capabilities

Meltwater leads in AI-driven intelligence with its Mira Studio and GenAI Lens, which allows PR teams to track their visibility within Large Language Models (LLMs). It is ISO certified for AI security, making it the preferred choice for global enterprises like Asana and Western Union. Upfluence uses AI primarily for workflow automation, such as generating outreach responses. While useful, it lacks the deep 'consumer insights' engine that Meltwater has built over two decades. If your goal is more tactical, such as analyzing competitors' video formats, you may want to compare any two tools in our database to see which AI fits your specific workflow.