Best LinkedIn analytics tools for 2025: Buyer’s Guide

In 2025, LinkedIn is a core driver of growth.

Founders rely on it for pipeline. Marketers for awareness. Sales teams for conversations.

The problem? Native analytics stop at surface metrics impressions, likes, clicks. They don’t tell you which activities drive revenue.

That gap matters. Because founders who track deeper metrics see 3–5x more reach, 2–3x higher reply rates, and measurable pipeline growth.

This guide shows you how to use LinkedIn analytics the right way to move from vanity numbers to revenue-driving insights.

That’s why specialized LinkedIn analytics tools exist. They help you track engagement, benchmark performance, and connect outcomes to revenue.

---

TL; DR: Top picks for best LinkedIn analytics tools (at a glance)

---

Why LinkedIn Analytics Matter

In 2025, LinkedIn is one of the most effective platforms for business growth.

The issue: native analytics only give you surface numbers impressions, likes, clicks. They don’t explain what drives reach, engagement, or revenue.

That’s why LinkedIn analytics tools exist. They provide deeper insights: post performance, audience data, competitor benchmarks, campaign attribution, and reporting that decision-makers can act on.

To pick the right tool, you need to know where you fit:

---

How we chose: evaluation criteria and testing methodology

Below are the lens and rubric we used to evaluate tools. If a tool fails in more than one category, it shouldn’t make the “top picks.”

Data accuracy and API/TOS compliance

• Must use LinkedIn’s official API (or be otherwise permitted) so metrics are reliable.
• Must comply with LinkedIn’s Terms of Service to avoid risk of account restrictions.
• Cross‑check sample reports with native LinkedIn analytics to verify consistency.

Metrics depth: posts, audience, competitors, hashtags, ads

• Post‑level metrics: impressions, reach, engagement (likes, comments, shares), video metrics, document clicks, link clicks, etc.
• Audience: demographics, growth, retention, attrition, job titles, seniority, sectors.
• Competitor or peer benchmarking.
• Hashtag / trend tracking: which hashtags bring reach, how trending topics are shifting.
• Ads metrics: if applicable, attribution, cost, ROI.

Reporting: custom dashboards, tagging, exports

• Ability to build custom dashboards.
• Tagging (by content pillar, campaign, format) so you can group posts.
• Exports: CSV/Excel, PDF reports, integration with BI tools.
• White‑label options for client presentations.

Integrations: CRM, Looker Studio, Power BI, Slack

• Does the tool integrate with CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce etc.) to pull or push data?
• Ability to send data to Looker Studio, Power BI etc.
• Notifications/integrations with Slack, Teams for real‑time alerts.

Data retention, historical backfill, and limits

• How far back does the data go? Can you access old posts and metrics?
• Are there limits (e.g. 30 days, 3 months) before metrics disappear?
• Does “historical backfill” exist (i.e. if you connect now, can tool fetch past data)?
• Are there rate limits or caps on number of profiles/pages or posts analysed?

Ease of use, onboarding, and support

• How quickly can you get going, set up dashboards, connect pages?
• Quality of UI/UX.
• Support: via docs, videos, live chat, dedicated account managers.
• Onboarding for enterprises or agencies.

Pricing transparency and value

• Clear pricing tiers; know what features are locked behind higher plans.
• Free trial or free tier.
• Value per dollar: how many profiles/pages, seats/users, data retention, features per plan.

---

Category winners: best tools by use case

---

Best LinkedIn Analytics Tools: in‑depth reviews

Below are reviews of the top tools, what they do well, where they fall short, and for whom they are ideal.

OutXAI: Founder’s first Design

Best For

• Creators, teams, and agencies.
• Anyone serious about LinkedIn growth.
• If you're done guessing this is for you.

Standout Features

OutXAI does the heavy lifting. You don’t just get metrics you get answers.

• Content scoring
• Post breakdowns (what worked, what flopped)
• Smart recommendations based on patterns
• Predictive analytics know what will work before you post.

Pricing

No bloated pricing pages.

• Pro Plan $49/month (or $39/month Yearly)
• Expert $249/month (or $119/month Yearly)
• Ultimate $999/month (or $199/month Yearly)

Bottom Line: If you want more than charts and vanity metrics

if you want to understand what’s really working, why it’s working, and what to do next

OutXAI is the smartest move you can make for LinkedIn analytics in 2025.

---

Shield: creator‑first LinkedIn analytics

• Shield Ideal for solo creators and personal brands who post often and want performance clarity.
• Strength: real‑time insights, post format tracking, clean interface.
• Weakness: lacks cross‑platform support and campaign tagging in base plans.
• Great for creators who want to double down on what works.

---

Taplio: content + analytics in one place

• Taplio Combines AI‑powered content ideas, scheduling, and analytics in one tool.
• Strength: time-saving workflows for small teams and solopreneurs.
• Weakness: AI content can feel generic; white-label and advanced reporting limited.
• Best for creators scaling into small teams who want fewer tools in the stack.

---

SocialInsider: campaign tagging & dashboards

• Social Insider Offers strong reporting, benchmarking, and content tagging features.
• Strength: dashboards for campaign vs pillar comparisons; competitor insights.
• Weakness: lacks built-in ideation/scheduling; steeper cost and learning curve.
• Best for SMBs or small agencies running structured content campaigns.

---

Sprout Social: enterprise‑grade reporting & collaboration

• Sprout Social Full-featured platform for large teams managing multiple LinkedIn accounts.
• Strength: cross-platform analytics, scheduling, team roles, and compliance.
• Weakness: expensive for individuals or small teams; may feel bloated.
• Best for agencies or enterprises needing deep insights and secure workflows.

---

Hootsuite: cross‑network analytics with scheduling

• Hootsuite Good if you already use Hootsuite for other networks, want content scheduling + LinkedIn analytics in same tool.
• Strength: scheduling + unified social inbox + basic analytics.
• Weakness: LinkedIn‑specific depth (e.g. video ‹ retention, document posts etc.) often weaker than specialized tools.
• Best for small‑medium teams who want simplicity & consistency across platforms.

---

SocialPilot: SMB‑friendly reporting and scheduling

• Social Pilot More affordable than enterprise tools.
• Decent scheduling, calendar, basic analytics, best time suggestions.
• Some constraints on data depth in lower plans.
• Good for SMBs trying to build consistent LinkedIn presence without big investment.

---

Keyhole: hashtags, campaigns, and competitor tracking

• Keyhole Strong for real‑time hashtag tracking, sentiment, campaign monitoring.
• Enables you to monitor what hashtags are trending, which competitors are doing what, etc.
• More expensive than lightweight tools; may need paid plan for full benefit.

---

Brand24: social listening for LinkedIn mentions

• Brand24 Helps track mentions, sentiment around your brand, what’s being said in posts / comments etc.
• Useful if employer branding / reputation is important.
• Less focused on post‑level performance metrics or scheduling.

---

Social Status: paid, influencer and LinkedIn reporting

• Social Status Good if you work with influencers or want to see influencer content impact.
• Mix of paid posts reporting, cross‑profile comparison, branded content tracking.

---

Iconosquare: customizable reports and dashboards

• Iconsquare Usually strong multi‐platform dashboards; good visuals.
• Good if reports are shared with non‑marketing stakeholders.
• May lack the most advanced LinkedIn‑specific metrics in lower tiers.

---

Rival IQ: competitor benchmarking and insights

• Rival IQ Useful if you want to see not just your growth but how you compare vs others.
• Good for trends over time, share of voice, etc.
• Higher price; likely best if justification exists (competitive market, need to stay ahead).

---

AgencyAnalytics: white‑label reporting for agencies

• Agency Analytics Strong point: white‑label dashboards & reports.
• Good multi‑client support, consolidating metrics from multiple profiles / Pages.
• If you're an agency, you may put this one into your stack.

---

Vaizle (Free): 30‑day snapshot LinkedIn analyzer

• Vaizle Offers a free snapshot / limited period view of your recent posts & metrics.
• Useful for quick audits or trialing what metrics matter to you.
• Not sufficient for long‑term, ongoing tracking or deep comparisons.

---

LinkedIn Native Analytics: free baseline for pages and profiles

• Already built into LinkedIn.
• Tracks impressions, clicks, engagement, audience demographics (limited), follower growth, etc.
• No cost, no external learning curve. Perfect baseline.
• But lacks many of the advanced features above: limited export, no white labeling, limited historical data sometimes, limited campaign tagging etc.

---

Comparison: features, data sources, and pricing at a glance

Features checklist by use case (creator, team, agency)

Here’s a simplified checklist you can use when evaluating:

---

Pricing tiers, free plans, and trials

Here’s a comparison snapshot (as of mid‑2025):

Data retention, export formats, and API access

• Many tools will give you 3‑12+ months of historical data, but only higher tiers retain longer.
• Export formats usually CSV/Excel; sometimes PDF for reports. BI integrations (Power BI, Looker Studio) are often in mid‑to‑high plans.
• API access is sometimes limited / custom; agencies may need to negotiate or get enterprise plans.

---

Native LinkedIn analytics vs third‑party tools: pros, cons, and gaps

Personal profiles vs Company Pages vs Ads accounts

• LinkedIn native analytics works reasonably well for company pages and basic posts / content. But it often lacks detailed breakdowns (e.g. document clicks, post format comparison over long time, robust historical data).
• Ads accounts also have separate dashboards; third‑party tools either tie into ads APIs or rely on LinkedIn’s data exports. Always check ads support if you run paid content.
• For personal profiles (creator mode), native analytics has improved but still misses many of the deeper insights (growth of audience segments, evergreen content, competitor comparisons etc.).

Creator Mode, newsletters, Events / Live, and thought leadership

• Newer LinkedIn features (Live, Events, Newsletters, etc.) often aren’t fully covered in all tools yet. Some tools have patched in support; others still lag.
• Also, algorithm changes (e.g. what LinkedIn boosts) can render past “best practices” obsolete; you need analytics tools that adapt quickly.

---

LinkedIn metrics that matter: a practical glossary

Here are the metrics you should track focus on those that help you improve, avoid vanity traps.

Impressions, reach, ER, CTR, saves, profile views

• Impressions = how many times content is shown.
• Reach = how many unique users saw it (some tools approximate this).
• Engagement Rate (ER) = (likes + comments + shares + saves) ÷ impressions or reach.
• Click‑Through Rate (CTR) = link clicks ÷ impressions.
• Saves = signals of content value (people saving to revisit).
• Profile Views = good proxy for topical resonance, thought leadership.

Audience growth and demographics

• How many new followers / connections over time.
• Breakdown by job title, seniority, company size / industry.
• Geographic location, perhaps language. (Know where your content is being seen.)

Post‑level metrics: video retention, document clicks, link clicks

• If posting video: what percent of video viewed, drop‑off points.
• If posting document carousels/slides: how many swiped, dwell time.
• Link clicks: measure content → action. If driving website or landing pages, UTM tracking matters.

UTMs and attribution to leads, pipeline, and revenue

• Tag links (in posts, profile etc.) with UTMs so you can map them back to web analytics / CRM.
• For companies: attribute leads or pipeline to LinkedIn content (post, ad, page) to see ROI.
• Don’t assume content → sale immediately; often multiple touchpoints.

---

Setup for accuracy: quick‑start checklist

Here are concrete steps so your analytics don’t lie and you build something sustainable.

Connect accounts and grant correct permissions

• For LinkedIn Pages: make sure tool is authorised with admin rights.
• For profiles: ensure permissions to fetch full data (profile views, demographics) are granted.
• If spanning ads: connect ad accounts, ensure necessary API access.

Standardize UTM conventions and link tracking

• Decide on consistent UTM parameters (e.g. utm_source=linkedin, utm_medium=post, utm_campaign=xyz).
• Use link shorteners or branded links if needed.
• Establish consistency early (so reports later are clean).

Tag campaigns and content pillars for reporting

• Label posts by type (e.g. “thought leadership”, “case study”, “company news”, “recycled content”).
• Use content pillars for organized learning.
• Have a campaign tag (if you run coordinated content + paid / partner content) so that you can group metrics.

Build dashboards and a weekly reporting cadence

• Decide core metrics you’ll track weekly / monthly.
• Build dashboards (in your tool or external BI) for visibility.
• Review performance weekly; plan content accordingly.

---

Playbooks: how to use analytics to grow on LinkedIn

Analytics should inform action. Here are playbooks for turning data into growth.

Find best posting times and cadence

• Track when your audience is most active (days & hours). Test variations.
• Don’t post every day just because you think you should; focus on consistency.
• Use high engagement days to test new formats; lean into what works.

Content optimization: hooks, formats, and topics

• Identify top‑performing hooks (question, list, story, etc.).
• Test formats video, document/carousel, images, text only.
• Look at topics: what themes generate “saves”, what are shared most. Then double down.

Competitor and hashtag research workflows

• Pick 3‑5 competitors / peers; track their best posts; see what's working in your niche.
• Track trending hashtags relevant to your audience. Use that to find content ideas.
• Use tools that monitor keyword / hashtag trends.

Employee advocacy and team performance tracking

• If employees share content, track reach + engagement via them.
• Incentivize or spotlight high performers.
• Use analytics to see which voices amplify company messaging best.

Client/stakeholder reporting templates

• Build reports that focus on what stakeholders care about (reach, lead gen, brand awareness, etc.).
• Use visuals: growth curves, heatmaps, top‑posts vs low performers.
• Keep reports short and actionable focus on 3‑5 key insights + actions.

---

Conclusion and next steps

Download the checklist & comparison sheet

If you want, I can send you a comparison sheet (Excel or Google Sheets) that lays out all the tools above vs features, pricing, etc., so you can overlay your priorities. Let me know if you want it.

Try our top picks with free trials

Don’t commit immediately. Use the free trials for tools like Shield, Taplio, Sprout to:

1. Set up your first dashboard
2. Connect your LinkedIn profile/page
3. Run for 2‑4 weeks to see what insights emerge
4. Compare with native LinkedIn metrics

Once you have data from a couple of tools, you’ll know which tool’s cost justifies its benefit for you.

---

FAQs about LinkedIn analytics tools

How do I see my LinkedIn analytics (profile and page)?

• For profiles: go to your profile → “Analytics” section (if in Creator Mode) to see post views, search appearances, etc.
• For Pages: use the “Analytics” tab in page dashboard in LinkedIn; you’ll see metrics for content, visitors, updates, followers.

Can I analyze a personal profile without a Company Page?

• Yes. Many tools (including Shield, Taplio, etc.) support personal profile analytics.
• Native LinkedIn analytics for profiles is improving, especially for those in Creator Mode.

What counts as an impression on LinkedIn?

• Generally: number of times your content is shown in someone’s feed / screen.
• It does not mean unique people necessarily (unless tool says “reach unique”). Some impressions are multiple exposures.

What’s the best free LinkedIn analytics tool?

• Native LinkedIn Analytics is the go‑to.
• For more snapshots, Vaizle offers free or trial snapshots.

How far back can I see analytics data?

• Varies: native LinkedIn generally keeps historical data for posts/pages for many months or years but with limited query flexibility.
• Tools: some give only 3 months in basic plans, others 6‑12 months or more in paid or enterprise plans.

Can I export to Excel, Looker Studio, or Power BI?

• Yes. Many tools have CSV/Excel export, some have built‑in connectors to BI tools. Sprout Social and others often allow Power BI / Looker Studio integrations.