Choosing the right social media management tool isn’t just about checking off features; it’s about saving time, growing your brand, and getting real results. This post will compare the two top contenders in this space, Hootsuite and Sprout Social, to see which one offers more value for your business.
To do this, we went beyond surface-level comparisons. We used both tools hands-on, tested their core features, and cross-referenced real user feedback from trusted sources like G2 and Capterra.
From publishing workflows and scheduling to analytics, collaboration, social listening, and pricing, we’ve looked at every detail that matters.
Let’s get into it and help you find the platform that’s right for you.
To give you the most accurate and actionable comparison between Hootsuite and Sprout Social, we conducted a deep dive across the features that matter most to social media pros. From content scheduling and engagement tools to analytics, reporting, team collaboration, CRM integration, and customer support – every key feature has been weighed.
Our review process is guided by first-hand experience, platform updates, and user feedback from trusted sources like G2 and Capterra. We also factored in pricing transparency, scalability, and learning curve to make sure the tools align with the goals of freelancers, agencies, and in-house marketing teams.
This post was written by digital marketers who use and test these platforms, so our recommendations aren’t just theoretical, but practical. Our goal is simple: to help you invest in the right tool for your team size, workflow, and growth goals.
You’re here because you’ve reached a crossroads in your social media journey where one path leads to Hootsuite, the other to Sprout Social. Both promise great features and smart workflows, but which one will take your social media strategy to the next level?
To find out, we went beyond the surface level. We tested both platforms ourselves and analyzed real user reviews on different review sites. The insights you’ll see here are based on real experiences, not just feature lists.
This comparison will help you choose the right platform for your workflow, goals, and budget. We’ve also included a quick look at SocialPilot to give you more context and help you make a better decision.
 Hootsuite |
 SproutSocial |
 SocialPilot |
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| Number of Reviews | 6164 | 4160 | 830 |
| Overall Star Rating | |||
| Ease of Use | |||
| Quality of Support | |||
| Ease of Setup | |||
| Minimum Pricing | $99/Month | $199/Month | $30/Month |
| Number of Social Accounts | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Number of Team Members | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Scheduling & Publishing |
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| Analytics |
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| Social Inbox |
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| Collaboration |
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| Whitelabel |
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| AI Assistant |
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| Best For | Professionals, Brands, Big Businesses, and Enterprises. | Multi-location brands, Enterprises | Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals |
| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
When comparing Hootsuite and Sprout Social, the differences in features, pricing, and user ratings are clear. Hootsuite starts at $99/month for one user and up to 10 social media accounts. Sprout Social starts at $199/month for 5 accounts. But Sprout Social beats Hootsuite in overall user satisfaction, with a 4.3-star rating compared to Hootsuite’s 4.0 stars and scores higher in ease of use and support quality.
Hootsuite is popular among professional teams and large enterprises. Sprout Social is geared towards medium businesses, agencies, and enterprises with features like social listening and advanced analytics. Both have great features, but it depends on your team’s needs and budget.
PS: If you know what Hootsuite and Sprout Social are in general, go straight to the Head-to-Head comparison. This is for those who don’t know what these two are.
Who Is Hootsuite Best For?
Hootsuite is one of the most well-known names in social media management, especially for big teams and enterprises that need to manage multiple accounts across multiple platforms from one dashboard. With support for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Pinterest, Threads, and YouTube, it’s great for businesses that need to plan content, engage with their community, and report at scale.
It covers all the basics: scheduling, publishing, analytics, social listening, customer care, and even ad management. Plus, Hootsuite has add-ons for advanced reporting and employee advocacy, so it’s a good option for enterprise-grade needs.
But according to G2 reviews, many users say Hootsuite has a steeper learning curve than competitors. Areas like ease of use, setup, admin, and support scored lower than Sprout Social. So while Hootsuite has a robust toolset, it may take more time and onboarding to get the most out of it; something smaller teams or fast-moving startups should consider before diving in.
In short, Hootsuite is best for teams that need depth and scalability and don’t mind investing time upfront to learn the platform.
Anati Z.
Hootsuite makes managing multiple social media accounts a breeze. I can schedule posts, track engagement, and analyze performance all in one place. The collaboration features make it easy to work with my team, and the app integrations help streamline our workflow.
Sprout Social is built for brands and multi-location businesses that prioritize strategy, usability, and data-driven decision-making in their social media management. With powerful tools for content scheduling, in-depth analytics, engagement, and industry-leading social listening, Sprout helps businesses not just post, but truly connect with their audience and track what matters.
Its clean, intuitive UI makes onboarding easy for teams, while its advanced features support everything from customer care and trend monitoring to performance benchmarking. The platform integrates seamlessly with key networks like Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Pinterest, making it a go-to hub for managing multiple accounts from one place.
Sprout is often recognized for its focus on analytics and team collaboration. Yes, it comes at a premium price. But for businesses seeking a polished, scalable, and insight-rich platform, the investment often pays off. Sprout is best for teams that want not just management tools, but a strategic edge.
Heide R.
I like that it’s intuitive and easy to work with and understand. I use it daily in my work and have not encountered any issues. If you’re coming from a competing scheduling platform, it’s a pretty easy switch.
Compared to Hootsuite and Sprout Social, SocialPilot is a value-packed solution for agencies, small businesses, and marketing teams that need powerful features without the big price tag. With a 4.5-star rating on G2 and 4.4 on Capterra, this platform excels in ease of setup, ease of use, and quality of support and outranks its competitors.
SocialPilot also has AI-powered features to help you optimise post captions, generate content ideas, and even schedule your posts with its AI Scheduler.
With support for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, Bluesky, YouTube, and Google Business Profile, it handles bulk scheduling, client management, and collaboration with ease. For teams looking for a user-friendly, efficient platform that delivers results without a steep learning curve, SocialPilot is the clear winner.
Marisol S.
Combined Reports are helpful and convenient when dealing with multiple clients. It’s easy to customize the text for each platform for one post, and fast customer support is available. Our Marketing Agency uses it daily because it’s easy for us to implement within each staff member. As a team, we can help each other by viewing all posts with the ease of integrating several platforms, making it easy for all of our clients to use.
Which Tool Is Right for You? Your Quick Decision Guide
Still torn between Hootsuite and Sprout Social? Here’s a quick, no-fluff checklist before we dive into the detailed feature comparison for each of these platforms. So, whether you’re a solo marketer, mid-sized agency, or large enterprise, this table cuts through the noise so you can make a confident, informed choice.
| What Your Need | Choose Hootsuite if… | Choose Sprout Social if… | Choose SocialPilot if… |
| Managing multiple accounts affordably | You need to manage a handful of accounts and prefer a familiar, established platform | You need high-end account management features, and you can stretch your budget | You manage 10–50 profiles and want full access to features without overpaying |
| Simplified post scheduling & publishing | You want easy drag-and-drop publishing with customizable views | You prefer advanced scheduling options with asset libraries | You want a clean interface, content calendar, and bulk upload in one place |
| AI-powered support | AI tools are limited to analytics and trending hashtags | Offers some smart inbox suggestions and automation tools | You want AI-generated captions, content ideas, and workflow enhancements |
| Analytics & performance reporting | You need solid reporting, but don’t mind upgrading for advanced features | You want deep insights, competitive benchmarking, and client-ready reports | You want advanced analytics plus white-label PDF reporting features without added cost |
| Collaboration & team workflows | You need flexible team management, approval workflows, and integrations at scale. | You manage complex teams with detailed permission structures, task assignment, and in-depth internal collaboration. | You need straightforward, built-in workflows, role-based access, and smooth client onboarding. |
| Instagram, TikTok & video scheduling | You want reliable scheduling with media previews and a visual calendar | You need campaign-level tools and audience targeting across video formats | You want easy scheduling for reels, carousels, and videos across platforms, plus bulk upload and AI support. |
| Budget-conscious decision-making | You want solid brand recognition and basic features at a starter price. | You have budget flexibility and need high-touch support and tools | You want maximum value and agency-grade tools at a small business-friendly price |
Scheduling and Publishing
Hootsuite and Sprout Social both have great publishing and scheduling capabilities to help you streamline your social media. Hootsuite’s bulk scheduling is perfect for managing lots of content across multiple channels, while Sprout Social focuses on timing with its built-in analytics.
Below, we’ve compared the publishing and scheduling features of these tools, along with SocialPilot, to help you find what’s best for you.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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| Smart & Advanced Queueing |
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| Customize Post for Each Platform |
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| Post Preview |
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| Canva Integration |
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| Unsplash Integration |
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| Slack Integration |
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| URL Shortener |
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| Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) |
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| UTM Parameters |
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| Cloud Storage |
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| Hashtag Suggestions |
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| Create Post Extension |
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| WordPress Social Media Plugin |
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| AI-powered Scheduling |
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| Advance Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Save Draft Posts |
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| AI Assistant |
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| Watermark on Images |
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| Bulk Scheduling |
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| Auto publishing from RSS |
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| Social media calendar |
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| Mobile App |
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| Browser Extension |
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| AI Suggested Best Time to Post |
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| Image Editor |
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| Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Reel Scheduling |
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| Support Album Posts |
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| Support Carousel Posts |
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| Alternate Text on Image |
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| Support Facebook First Comment |
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| Audience Targeting |
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| Boost Post Scheduling |
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| Support Mention and Hashtags |
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| Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Location Tagging |
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| Support Mention and Hashtags |
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| Support Multiple Image Posts |
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| Threads Scheduling |
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| Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Reel Scheduling |
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| Story Scheduling |
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| Carousel scheduling |
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| Tag Profiles on Images |
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| Location Tagging |
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| Support Instagram First Comment |
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| Instagram Grid |
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| Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Carousel scheduling |
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| Audience Targeting |
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| Support LinkedIn First Comment |
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| Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Shorts Scheduling |
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| Mention of Other YouTube Accounts |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial | |
For multi-location brands and enterprises managing high-volume content, Hootsuite offers efficiency through bulk scheduling, a visual content calendar, and multi-platform publishing across Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Threads, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile. The Canva integration simplifies creative collaboration. However, its cluttered interface can slow teams down, especially when handling multiple clients or profiles. Another limitation for agencies is that Hootsuite doesn’t support native first comment posting on Facebook, Instagram, or X, which can affect hashtag strategy and post visibility.
While Sprout Social offers similar scheduling tools, it adds value with AI-powered timing suggestions, integrated analytics, and built-in social listening, helping teams schedule smarter, not just faster. That said, its higher cost and restricted account limits per plan may not suit growing agencies or businesses with multiple brands. It also lacks native support for posting first comments.
SocialPilot is a practical choice for agencies and small businesses that need to publish content at scale without the complexity. It supports up to 500 posts in bulk, has a clean drag-and-drop content calendar, and publishes to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and more. What sets it apart is its simple interface for lean teams who want to move fast without onboarding delays.
Beyond core scheduling, SocialPilot has some nice touches that streamline content workflows from its browser extension, which lets you create and schedule posts while browsing, to a WordPress plugin that auto-publishes from your blog. The AI Scheduler integrates with tools like ChatGPT and has AI-powered timing suggestions to help your posts go live when they’ll get the most attention.
For teams managing multiple clients or campaigns, it’s a smooth, efficient experience built for speed and scale.
Analytics Capability Comparison
When it comes to analytics, Hootsuite and Sprout Social offer social media analytics across all major social media platforms with lots of metrics to help you optimize. Here’s a breakdown of the features of both tools compared to SocialPilot.
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SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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| Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format |
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| Email PDF Report to Client |
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| Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client |
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| Custom Report Builder |
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| Cross-Platform Analytics Dashboard |
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| Post-Level Performance & Top Content Insights |
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| Audience Growth & Engagement Metrics |
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| AI-Powered Performance Insights |
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| Team/Client Tagging in Reports |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Hootsuite has a full analytics suite for big teams and agencies that need custom reporting across platforms. You can track engagement, reach, clicks, follower growth, competitor analysis, and sentiment tracking to see how your audience sees you. Customizable dashboards let teams tailor reports to client or campaign goals. But advanced features like deep audience segmentation and ad performance insights are only available on higher-tier plans, which may limit flexibility for mid-sized teams.
Sprout Social is great for reporting depth and social intelligence. It has pre-built and fully customizable reports, white-labeling options, and auto-scheduling of report delivery. Its biggest advantage? Built-in social listening – teams can monitor brand mentions, keywords, and industry trends in real time. You also get competitive benchmarking and detailed engagement breakdowns. The catch? Expensive, which can be a stretch for smaller teams or startups.
SocialPilot simplifies analytics for agencies and small teams that need clear and actionable insights without the complexity. It offers performance tracking across platforms with metrics like engagement, follower growth, and top-performing content, along with best time to post suggestions to optimize reach. What makes it agency-friendly is the ability to generate custom-branded reports to share with clients.
Inbox/Listening Capability Comparison
Let’s look at how these tools handle social listening and inbox management for agencies and businesses managing multiple accounts. A central dashboard lets teams respond faster, stay organized and on brand voice, and show clients and audience you’re actively listening.
Here is a feature comparison table to give you an idea of how feature parity looks in both of these tools.
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SocialPilot |
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| Can Reply to Messages |
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| Can Reply Questions and Reviews |
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| Can Reply on Visitor Posts |
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| Reply to Comments and Mentions |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Hootsuite has basic social listening and inbox features for teams that need to monitor brand activity across Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. You can track mentions, comments, and keywords in real time through streams, but the interface can get cluttered if you’re an agency managing multiple clients.
Features like sentiment analysis and competitive tracking are available but are gated behind higher-tier plans, which may not be suitable for lean teams.
Sprout Social takes listening further with a more intuitive, data-rich experience. You can monitor brand mentions, conversations, and keywords across multiple networks. Sprout’s social listening is also more detailed than Hootsuite’s, with deep sentiment analysis, conversation tracking, and a unified inbox for streamlined engagement. But it’s more expensive and inaccurate, and YouTube may not be suitable for smaller teams.
SocialPilot’s Social Media Inbox is your one-stop shop to manage conversations across all social media platforms without switching tabs. You can reply to comments, messages, and reviews in real time, assign chats to team members, and track engagement from one dashboard. With real-time updates, smart filters, and collaboration features, it turns messy inboxes into organized conversations—saving time, boosting productivity, and your response game like never before.
When we talk about effective social media management, collaboration is essential because it ensures streamlined workflows, improves team efficiency, and ensures consistent messaging that stays true to your brand.
Take a look at our comparison table to know how these tools stack up against each other in essential collaboration features:
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| Free Unlimited Client Onboarding |
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| Per Post Multi-User Collaboration |
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| Access Management |
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| Content Approval Workflow |
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| Approval on-the-go |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Hootsuite supports team collaboration with features like role-based access and post approvals, which are helpful for agencies and teams managing multiple accounts. However, advanced tools like approval workflows and a unified inbox are only available in higher-tier plans, making it less ideal for smaller teams or budget-conscious businesses.
Sprout Social offers a more flexible collaboration setup, even in its entry-level plans. With features like task assignment, multi-user access, and a Smart Inbox for handling all interactions, it’s well-suited for larger teams and agencies. Still, its premium pricing may be a hurdle for smaller or growing teams.
In contrast, SocialPilot brings you the best of both worlds. This tool offers key collaboration features like client approvals, role-based access, and post-approval workflows at a much more accessible price point. It is a great option for agencies and small to medium-sized teams that want effective collaboration on a budget.
Pricing
Now, coming to the main aspect of this Hootsuite and Sprout Social pricing comparison. We have created a breakdown of each platform’s pricing tiers to help you choose the best fit for your business:
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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Professional
$99/per month
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Standard
$199/per month
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Essentials
$30/per month
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Small Team
$249/per month
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Professional
$299/per month
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Standard
$50/per month
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Enterprise
Custom
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Advanced
$399/per month
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Premium
$100/per month
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Enterprise
Custom
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Ultimate
$200/per month
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30 Days Free Trial
Credit Card Required
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30 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Hootsuite offers 2 pricing plans, starting at $99/month for 1 user and 10 social media accounts for the Professional plan. The Team plan costs $249/month, adding more users, social media accounts, and features such as links in bio and assigning DMs to teammates. While the minimal pricing plan is more affordable than Sprout Social, it charges additional fees for advanced features like in-depth analytics, centralized inbox, and approval workflows.
Sprout Social starts at a significantly higher price point, with the Standard plan at $199/month for 1 user and 5 social accounts. The Professional plan starts at $299 per seat/month and offers features like social listening and competitive analysis. While Sprout Social offers rich features like CRM integration, Smart Inbox, and robust analytics, it can be overkill for smaller businesses. There are multiple budget-friendly alternatives to Sprout Social that can be more valuable for the money and offer similar core features.
SocialPilot offers a more optimal solution for small teams and agencies than pricier platforms like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Its pricing starts at $30/per user/month for the Essentials plan, which includes 7 social accounts. For large teams who want to connect more users, the Standard plan costs just $50/2 users/month and includes up to 15 social accounts, offering ample room for collaboration. The Ultimate plan includes unlimited users, 50 social accounts, unlimited client onboarding, client approval, and White Labelling for agencies.
Ease of Use
The best social media management platforms are the ones that make management seamless by ticking all functionality boxes for your team. Let us now compare the two tools based on the ease of doing business.
Below is a table comparing Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and SocialPilot based on their key usability metrics:
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| Easy to Use | |||
| Easy to Set Up | |||
| Ease of Admin |
Hootsuite gives you a ton of functionality, but for small teams or agencies, it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. The setup takes time, and navigating the dashboard, especially with multiple profiles, can be a challenge. Admin tasks like managing roles or approvals aren’t always intuitive, often requiring some hand-holding or higher-tier access. But once you’re past that learning curve, it holds up well for day-to-day use.
Compared to Hootsuite, Sprout Social wins on all fronts, and it shows. Setting up accounts and workflows is quick, and the backend is organized, so admin tasks like user permissions and content approvals are a breeze. If you’re an agency or growing team that needs smooth onboarding and reliable workflows, Sprout makes it feel seamless even if you’re not a techie.
If you’re a lean marketing team or agency, SocialPilot nails the basics. It’s super easy to set up, even for new users, and the interface is clean and self-explanatory. Admin tasks like adding users, managing permissions, or organizing client accounts are straightforward and don’t require hours of training. It’s the kind of platform that just work,s so you can focus more on campaigns and less on figuring out how to use the tool.
Customer Support
And finally, Customer Support. Here’s a breakdown of their support.
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| Live Chat Support |
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| Email Support |
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| Training |
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| Setup Support |
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| Dedicated Account Manager |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Both Hootsuite and Sprout Social have great support for their customers. But Sprout stands out by giving teams access to resources like the Insights blog, Help Center, a video Learning Portal, and peer support via The Arboretum community. For fast-moving teams, its live support is a big win when answers are most important.
For businesses and teams that need quick support resolution, SocialPilot can be a good add-on. With all the major social media management features, it also has responsive support one click away. You can get your questions answered via Live chat, email, and phone (24/5). If you get stuck setting it up, the team will hop on a call to resolve it quickly and help you get the most out of your social media.
Final Verdict
And finally, what to choose?
If you’re an agency or a big business, Hootsuite is a simple platform for managing multiple accounts, bulk scheduling, and basic analytics. But in-depth analytics, CRM tools, sentiment analysis, and detailed reporting are only available on higher plans.
Sprout Social has a robust social media tool with CRM and detailed reporting, so it’s good for bigger businesses. But at $199/month for the base plan, Sprout Social is expensive, especially for small teams that won’t fully utilize those premium features.
But other Sprout Social alternatives like SocialPilot are a balanced option for agencies and SMBs, with features like bulk scheduling, work approvals, client collaboration, and white labeling. So it’s a good choice for businesses that want efficient social management within a budget.
