What Should You Switch to Now That Shield Analytics Is Shutting Down for LinkedIn Analytics?
If you just got the news that Shield Analytics is shutting down, you’re probably dealing with the same question a lot of LinkedIn marketers, founders, and B2B teams are asking right now: what’s the most practical replacement? And honestly, that’s a fair question.
Shield filled a very specific gap. It made LinkedIn analytics easier to read, easier to export, and easier to use for reporting. For people managing executive brands, creator accounts, or company content, it became one of those tools you quietly relied on every month. So if you used it to track impressions, engagement rate, follower growth, post performance, and historical trends, losing it is more than a small inconvenience.
The good news is this: you still have options. The less fun part is that no tool is going to feel exactly like Shield right away. So the better way to approach this is to ask: which replacement fits the way you actually report and make decisions?
What made Shield hard to replace?
Before jumping into alternatives, it helps to be clear about what people are really trying to replace.
Clean historical tracking across posts and profiles
Simple reporting exports for leadership or clients
Visibility into top-performing posts over time
Follower growth trend monitoring
Better organization than native LinkedIn analytics
That’s why this decision matters. If you report monthly for a B2B SaaS company, you don’t just need numbers. You need a tool that helps you answer questions like:
Which content themes are actually driving reach?
Are impressions growing consistently or just spiking randomly?
What posts influenced follower growth?
Can I export this cleanly without rebuilding the report every time?
If a tool can’t help with those questions, it’s probably not a real Shield replacement.
The main tools people are considering right now
There are a few names that come up over and over: Taplio, AuthoredUp, and some broader social media platforms. Here’s a more grounded look at them.
1. Taplio
Taplio is probably one of the most mentioned options in LinkedIn-heavy circles. It’s positioned more broadly than Shield, which means it mixes content support, scheduling, ideation, and analytics into one platform.
Where Taplio helps:
Post-level performance tracking
Some visibility into content trends and engagement
Useful if you also want writing or scheduling features in one place
Good fit for creator-led or founder-led LinkedIn strategies
Possible downside:
It may feel broader and less analytics-first than Shield
If your main need is clean reporting rather than content creation, parts of the platform may feel extra
If you’re doing a lot of posting and want one tool that covers more than analytics alone, Taplio may be worth testing.
2. AuthoredUp
AuthoredUp has built a strong reputation among LinkedIn power users, especially people focused on post creation, formatting, drafts, and workflow. It also offers analytics features, though many users know it first as a writing and publishing tool.
Where AuthoredUp helps:
Solid support for content publishing workflows
Helpful post analysis if you’re trying to improve content quality over time
Good fit for individuals or teams heavily invested in personal brand content
Possible downside:
Depending on your reporting needs, it may not feel as dedicated to analytics history as Shield did
Best for people who want content operations plus analytics, not just analytics alone
If your LinkedIn strategy is strongly content-led, AuthoredUp can be a very practical option.
3. Native LinkedIn analytics
It’s not the exciting answer, but it should still be part of the conversation. LinkedIn’s built-in analytics are improving, and for some teams they may be enough temporarily.
Where native analytics help:
Free and immediately available
Basic visibility into impressions, engagement, audience, and follower trends
No onboarding or tool migration needed
Limitations:
Historical reporting can feel limited
Exporting and trend analysis are not always as smooth as a dedicated analytics tool
Not ideal if leadership expects polished monthly reporting
For a short-term bridge, it works. As a full Shield replacement for many B2B teams, it often falls short.
4. Broader social media reporting tools
You may also want to look beyond LinkedIn-only tools. Platforms like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, and Metricool sometimes offer LinkedIn reporting as part of wider social media dashboards.
Where these tools help:
Stronger reporting infrastructure
Cross-channel visibility if you report on more than LinkedIn
Better executive-ready dashboards in some cases
Possible downside:
Less specialized for LinkedIn-specific creator analytics
You might pay for features you don’t really need
If your company wants a wider reporting setup and not just a Shield replacement, this category is worth serious attention.
How to choose the right replacement without overcomplicating it
If your requirements are similar to the Reddit post, here’s the easiest filter to use.
If you mainly need reporting and historical analytics: prioritize export quality, trend visibility, and dashboard clarity.
If you also want content creation support: look closely at Taplio or AuthoredUp.
If LinkedIn is only one part of your reporting stack: consider a broader social analytics platform.
If budget is tight right now: use native LinkedIn analytics temporarily while testing one paid tool.
A good practical question to ask during any trial is: can I recreate my monthly report from this tool in under 30 minutes? If not, it may look good on paper but still create extra work.
What features should matter most?
When a tool shuts down, it’s easy to get distracted by shiny extras. But if you want a replacement that actually helps, stay focused on the basics first.
Historical data access: Can you compare performance across weeks and months?
Post ranking: Can you clearly identify top-performing posts?
Engagement context: Does it show more than vanity metrics?
Follower trend tracking: Can you spot growth patterns over time?
Exporting: Can you turn the data into a report without manual cleanup?
Ease of use: Will your team actually use it consistently?
That last point matters more than people think. A tool can be powerful, but if it’s annoying, data discipline usually drops off fast.
A smart migration step people forget
Before choosing a replacement, make sure you export whatever you can from Shield immediately. Even if the data export isn’t perfect, having a backup matters.
You may also want to create a simple spreadsheet with:
Monthly impressions
Monthly engagement rate
Follower growth by month
Top 10 posts from the past 6 to 12 months
That way, even if your new tool handles metrics a little differently, you still have a baseline. This makes leadership reporting much less messy during the transition.
So, what should most B2B teams do next?
If you’re a B2B SaaS marketer or content lead and you used Shield mainly for performance reporting, the most realistic next step is this:
Export all available Shield data now.
Test Taplio if you want a mix of analytics and content workflow.
Test AuthoredUp if your LinkedIn process is heavily centered around writing and publishing.
Review broader reporting tools if LinkedIn is just one reporting channel.
Use native LinkedIn analytics as a temporary backup, not necessarily your final answer.
That approach keeps things practical. You don’t need the perfect tool on day one. You need a tool that can protect your reporting rhythm, preserve trend visibility, and help you make content decisions without guessing.
Final thoughts
Shield shutting down is frustrating because it solved a real problem cleanly. But this can also be a useful reset. It’s a chance to ask whether you just want analytics, or whether you now need a more complete LinkedIn system that includes content strategy, reporting, profile growth, and leadership visibility.
Write better LinkedIn content with EXEED AI
EXEED AI is an AI tool that helps you ideate, draft, and schedule content for your LinkedIn. Turn raw ideas into polished posts and stay consistent without the guesswork. Try EXEED AI.
