Analytics history limits: the data you lose without noticing

Analytics history limits: the data you lose without noticing

Most schedulers quietly cap how far back your analytics go. Cancel or downgrade and your history can vanish.

Retention windows
✔ Sprout: long retention, exportable archives, data survives if you keep paying
✔ Metricool: imports historical data on connect, decent backfill
✖ Buffer: shorter analytics windows on lower tiers
✖ Later: limited historical depth on cheaper plans
✖ Most: downgrade and older reports disappear from the UI

The defensive move: export a PDF/CSV monthly regardless of tool. Owned data beats rented dashboards. Year-over-year comparisons are impossible if you only have rented access.

Pricing: Sprout from $199/seat, Metricool from $18/mo, Buffer from $6/channel.

Best for: Sprout if multi-year trend analysis is a real need; Metricool for solid backfill on a budget.

Pick a long-retention tool if YoY reporting matters — and export monthly no matter what you pick.