People search for CrowdTangle alternatives free of charge because CrowdTangle was never something you bought. Access was by invitation, for partners such as newsrooms and researchers, and then Meta closed it on August 14, 2024. So the real question is not "what is free" but "what does each free option actually let me do". The answers are more limited than most lists admit, so here they are plainly.
The honest summary
No free tool gives everyone the public Facebook data that CrowdTangle did. What you can get without paying falls into three groups: free for a few people, free to try, and free with real limits. Pick based on who you are and what you need to watch.
Option 1: AyeWatch Free Preview, free to try with no card
Who it suits: anyone who wants alerts about a topic across social apps and the news.
AyeWatch lets you describe what you want to follow in a normal sentence, such as "rumours about the new stadium on TikTok and Instagram". It then checks new posts and articles and alerts you only when one matches, with a short summary and links.
What the free part gives you:
- Three monitoring runs in total, across up to three topics.
- Daily or slower checks.
- No credit card.
What it does not give you: the runs do not renew, so it is a trial rather than a forever-free plan. When it ends, Pro costs $9 a month with hourly checks. There is no Facebook coverage at any price, and no like or share counts.
Why it is first here anyway: it is the only option on this page that anyone can open today, that covers Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit, YouTube and LinkedIn, and that tells you what happened instead of handing you a list to read.
Option 2: Meta Content Library, free for approved researchers
Who it suits: researchers at a university or a research nonprofit.
Meta Content Library is Meta's official research tool. Meta charges no fees for access or computing. It includes public posts from Facebook Pages, groups and events, Instagram business and creator accounts, and Threads profiles with at least 100 followers.
The limit is access. You apply through Meta's Research Tools Manager on a computer, and an independent body reviews each application. Journalists, brands and hobbyists without an academic or nonprofit research affiliation will not qualify.
Option 3: Awario free trial
Who it suits: small teams that want old-style keyword listening.
Awario offers a free trial before its paid plans. After the trial, the cheapest plan is $29 a month on annual billing, or $49 month to month, for three topics and one user. It is keyword based, so expect to add exclusions to cut noise.
What about the big names
NewsWhip, Lumen by Talkwalker (the new name for Talkwalker) and Brandwatch are serious tools, but none shows a public price or a free plan on its site. They start with a sales demo. If you are reading an article about free options, they are probably not for you yet.
Side by side
| Option | Free part | Facebook data | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| AyeWatch | 3 runs, up to 3 topics, no card | No | Anyone |
| Meta Content Library | Free access and computing | Yes | Approved researchers |
| Awario | Free trial | Check its source list | Anyone |
| NewsWhip, Talkwalker, Brandwatch | None shown | Ask in the demo | Sales-led |
How to get the most from a free trial
Treat the trial as a test of one question. Pick the topic you care about most, write it as one clear sentence, and add a line about what to skip, such as reposts of things you have already seen. Then compare the alerts you get with what you find by scrolling yourself. If the alerts catch what matters and skip what does not, the paid plan is worth $9 a month. If not, you have lost nothing.
Quick answers
Is CrowdTangle free? It was invite-only rather than sold on a price list. It shut down in August 2024, so it is no longer available at any price.
Which free option is closest to CrowdTangle? For Facebook data, Meta Content Library, if you qualify. For following topics and accounts across other apps, AyeWatch's free preview.