Overview
What is Hootsuite Used For?
Hootsuite is a market leader among social media management tools that helps businesses to manage their social media marketing activities from a single space. With a versatile set of features to automate and streamline social media activities, it makes complicated tasks achievable in a shorter time.
Social media management entails many activities, including planning your content strategy, scheduling your posts, monitoring analytics, listening to conversations online, and much more. Well, Hootsuite does it all. It also lets the users onboard their team members and clients into the workflow and collaborate successfully.
Hootsuite will enable you to run multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard as it supports many significant social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. So all you have to do is connect accounts from these platforms, and you’ll hold all their controls from your Hootsuite account.
According to users’ opinions, Hootsuite has a very intricate UI, which, if mastered, can make the tool a great asset. But it takes a lot of time to learn the tool thoroughly.
What is Sprout Social?
Sprout Social also is a social media management tool. And just like Hootsuite, it is a multipurpose tool that can take care of all facets of social media marketing. Sprout Social integrates multiple social platforms so you can manage them all from a single space.
The tool supports Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Youtube, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Google Business Profile, and Whatsapp. Other than these social platforms, Sprout Social also accumulates many other app integrations like Canva, Bitly, Google Analytics, Feedly, Salesforce Cloud Intelligence, and many more. Together, these help users scale up their overall marketing efforts to a greater extent.
Industry pros prefer Sprout Social because of its commendable strength in data and analytics. Few Sprout Social alternatives can match what it offers in its robust data-backed insights, which in turn support and strengthen its various other capabilities. And another notable feature of the tool is its social listening. You can engage with your audience proactively and monitor your brand image in the public eye from Sprout Social. This also makes for excellent customer care.
When you go to publish a post, the tool tells you the best possible time to schedule it for!
Best Suitable for
Hootsuite
Start with $99
Professional Teams, Small business, Enterprises
SproutSocial
Start with $249
Small Business, Enterprise, Agencies
SocialPilot
Start with $30
SMB's, Agency
At a Glance
If we compare some of the basic but essential facts about these tools, it will become apparent that Hootsuite and Sprout Social have different strengths and weaknesses.
Hootsuite has a slightly lower overall star rating than Sprout Social. As mentioned earlier, Hootsuite is a difficult tool to get used to. So Sprout Social scores higher in ease of its setup process, usability, as well as quality of its customer support than Hootsuite.
Note: Compared to Hootsuite or Sprout Social, SocialPilot is a much more user-friendly tool, scoring higher than the other two in ease of use, support, and the setup process.
Have a look at the user ratings of Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social along with SocialPilot to get a clearer view.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Reviews | 3781 | 2131 | 473 |
| Overall Star Rating | |||
| Ease of Use | |||
| Quality of Support | |||
| Ease of Setup | |||
| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Quick Comparison
Now, let’s dive a little deeper into the specifics to get a clearer picture to see which tool comes out on top, Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social.
If you compare it to Hootsuite alternatives, the tool itself is priced fairly high, but Sprout Social’s primary paid plans seem to leave the former in the dust. However, Hootsuite charges a whopping $739 per month for its Business pack, while Sprout Social’s Advanced plan costs $499 for the same time.
If we talk about the broader spectrum of features related to a social media management tool, both Hootsuite and Sprout Social have all of them.
When comparing Sprout Social vs. Hootsuite, both the tools have users worldwide, but only Sprout Social supports multiple languages, including English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. In the case of customer support, both tools provide email and chat support. But only Hootsuite provides support through tweets. Another aspect that Sprout Social lacks from Hootsuite is providing white-label solutions. Any marketing agency using Hootsuite can customize its tool to give its clients a branded experience, but Sprout Social doesn’t possess that ability.
However, it’s hard not to mention that SocialPilot provides all the features, including white-label, making a great Hootsuite alternative at an unbelievable price!
Note: Despite having a much lower price point, SocialPilot trumps the other two in customer support. It has a very active support team, available to all its users through chat, email, and phone calls. They even help out with customer queries on social media platforms.
Have a look at all the notable features, Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social along with SocialPilot to get a direct perspective.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Can't Miss to Compare | |||
| Minimum Pricing | $99/Month | $249/Month | $30/Month |
| Number of Accounts | 35 | Unlimited | 30 |
| Number of Team Members | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | 10000 | Unlimited |
| Core Capabilities | |||
| Scheduling & Publishing |
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| Analytics |
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| Inbox |
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| Collaboration |
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| Competitor Tracking |
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| Whitelabel |
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| Localization | English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish | English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
| Support | Email, Chat, Tweet for Support | Priority Email & Chat Support | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial | |
Reviews
Positive
- It has a 30-days free trial for marketers who are getting started and also has a Hootsuite academy that provides all resources about social media management.
- The tool provides the best time to post on the networks so that your large audience can see your post.
- Hootsuite has an analytics section that allows one to customize how the report looks and has multiple analytical reports for each platform which can be shared with anyone.
Negative
- Hootsuite price is on the higher end, making it an unaffordable software for smaller businesses and digital marketing agencies. Many other social media management softwares are available at lower prices.
- Hootsuite doesn't provide competitor analysis to keep track of one’s own performance with respect to competitors. This can make it more challenging to gauge one’s standing in the market and make informed decisions for future strategy.
- The lower plans have limited reporting capabilities, which could greatly impact your ability to effectively monitor and analyze your social media performance.
Positive
- Customer support of Sprout Social's knowledgeable team provide accurate solutions to all questions.
- Sprout Social's approval workflows allow team members to work collaboratively on social media efforts while maintaining a level of control and oversight.
- Sprout Social offers insights on the top-performing posts, including information on the best posting times, the impact of photos versus videos, and other relevant data.
Negative
- The rise in the cost of Sprout Social has resulted in a substantial monthly fee, making it a costly investment. It can be a significant burden for smaller companies and may limit the accessibility of this platform to a wider range of users.
- The chat support feature of Sprout Social is unsatisfactory, as responses often get redirected to email, and it can take up to a day to receive a reply. It can result in a slow and inconvenient experience for users who require prompt assistance.
- The lack of an easy way to store frequently used hashtags in Sprout Social can be a hindrance for users, making the process of tagging and organizing content more time-consuming.
Positive
- SocialPilot's interface is easy to use. Unlike other tools, it doesn't require a learning curve hence users get used to it pretty quickly.
- SocialPilot allows users and clients to collaborate efficiently and save a great deal of time managing social networks.
- SocialPilot's tech support is excellent. Whether the user is facing a technical issue or has a general query, the team is quick to respond and help out.
Negative
- Although the Bitly integration is convenient, you'd like to see all these features built natively within SocialPilot or have automated workflows that create UTM links for all campaigns and other variables.
- Some users have reported receiving error messages with scheduled posts. However, they acknowledge that this issue is not unique to SocialPilot and is also present in other social posting platforms. It is simply a minor inconvenience at times.
- One disadvantage of SocialPilot not offering a social listening feature is that it may not be the best choice for businesses or individuals who require comprehensive social media monitoring and analysis.
Pricing
Now, let us consider one of the most vital aspects when comparing Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social, i.e., their pricing models. Before starting, it’s important to note that pricing can vary based on various factors. Hootsuite and Sprout Social have four paid plans, so we compare them one by one.
Hootsuite charges way more than Sprout Social for its monthly agency plan. At $739 per month, 5 team members can connect 35 social accounts and schedule unlimited posts. In comparison, Sprout Social costs $499 per month for its agency plan and allows connecting an unlimited number of social accounts but has a limitation of 10000 posts that can be scheduled. Also, 10 users can work from the same Hootsuite account under this plan.
Note: If you refer to the information given in the table below, it is apparent that SocialPilot’s corresponding plans cost just a fraction of what Hootsuite’s or Sprout Social’s plans do.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of all pricing plans, Sprout Social vs. Hootsuite along with SocialPilot to get a clearer view.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
|---|---|---|
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Professional
$99/per month
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Standard
$249/per month
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Professional
$30/per month
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Small Team
$249/per month
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Professional
$399/per month
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Small Team
$50/per month
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Business
$739/per month
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Advanced
$499/per month
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Agency
$100/per month
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Enterprise
Custom
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Enterprise
Custom
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Agency+
$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 | Start Your free Trial |
In-depth Scheduling and Publishing Capabilities Comparison
In this part of the debate of Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social, we will discuss the features which make the bedrock of any social media scheduling tool, i.e., scheduling and publishing.
Both tools have advanced capabilities in post-scheduling, including platform-specific customization, cloud content storage, and more. However, if we split hairs for comparing Sprout Social vs. Hootsuite, the former lacks advanced queuing for smart scheduling and URL shortening. In contrast, Sprout Social does not have hashtag suggestions in its repertoire.
Another very important feature that Sprout Social lacks is the ability to schedule Instagram reels, which is an important part of marketing strategies. SocialPilot, however, does have the capability of scheduling Instagram and Facebook reels, making it a very cost-effective Sprout Social alternative.
Regarding in-app integrations, Sprout Social has many, but Hootsuite takes the cake in this one with over 40 app integrations. One more fact worth mentioning in this comparison is that Hootsuite lacks a browser extension.
Note: It is interesting to see that features like URL shortening and browser extension, missing from Hootsuite, is present in a much lesser-priced tool, SocialPilot. Also for platform-specific customizations, SocialPilot lets users schedule first comments along with the posts for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, which is missing from both Hootsuite and Sprout Social.
Here is an in-depth analysis of all the scheduling and publishing features, Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social, along with SocialPilot, for a more transparent analysis.
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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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| 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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| Content Curation |
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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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| 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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| 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 | |||
| 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 | |
In-depth Analytics Capability Comparison
Now we come to analytics and reporting, which acts like a roadmap for any user to retrace their strategic steps or plan for the path they want to take in the future.
Be it Hootsuite or Sprout Social, both contenders are quite skilled when it comes to data-related insights. Both provide powerful analytics for all the business pages you have connected and generate PDF reports for them in a neat and comprehensive dashboard.
Following is a comparative chart of the analytics capabilities, Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social, along with SocialPilot.
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Hootsuite |
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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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
In-depth Inbox/Listening Capability Comparison
Now, we will discuss the listening capabilities of Hootsuite and Sprout Social. Although none of them boasts a specialty in this feature, they are more than adequately able to manage all social conversations with their social inbox.
Here is all you need to know about the listening capabilities of Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social and SocialPilot for a better perspective.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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| Can Reply Message |
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| Can Reply Questions and Reviews |
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| Can Reply on Visitor Posts |
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| Real-Time Social Listening |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
In-depth Social Media Collaboration Capability Comparison
When it comes to businesses managing their social media or a marketing agency doing it for their clients, team workflows and multi-user capabilities are necessary. That is why collaboration is yet another aspect of social media management tools we can’t ignore.
Hootsuite and Sprout Social have team workflow capabilities and unlimited client onboarding allowance with the right pricing plans. You can define roles for each team member and have a content approval workflow to smoothen the back-and-forth communication.
Below is the representation for you, showing how both Hootsuite and Sprout Social are competent in their collaborative capabilities and see SocialPilot match them feature for feature.
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Hootsuite |
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
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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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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
