Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social: Which is Better For your Business?

Hootsuite vs. Sprout Social: Which is Better For your Business?

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

Hootsuite

Start with $99

Professional Teams, Small business, Enterprises

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

Start with $249

Small Business, Enterprise, Agencies

SocialPilot

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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Number of Reviews 3781 2131 473
Overall Star Rating
Ease of Use
Quality of Support
Ease of Setup
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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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can't Miss to Compare
Minimum Pricing $99/Month $249/Month $30/Month
Number of Account 35 Unlimited 30
Number of Team Member 5 1 6
Number of Post that can be scheduled Unlimited 10000 Unlimited
Core Capabilities
Scheduling & Publishing check check check
Analytics check check check
Inbox check check check
Collaboration check check check
Competitor Tracking check check check
Whitelabel check check check
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
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Reviews

Positive

  • With Hootsuite, you can effortlessly manage and schedule posts on multiple social networks in one place, saving your time and increasing your social media productivity.
  • Hootsuite's content planner is extremely easy to use and provides a clear view of the planned content, making it a more user-friendly experience.
  • 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

  • While posting from Hootsuite is simple and convenient, the process of deleting a post can be somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming. It requires multiple steps and can be a hassle for users looking to quickly remove a post.
  • While Hootsuite does offer Instagram Business functionality, it does have some limitations, such as needing to open the app in order to complete certain actions. This may cause inconvenience for some users.
  • Sometimes the social profiles get occasionally disconnected from the platform, and it is difficult to reconnect the profiles.

Positive

  • Customer support of Sprout Social's knowledgeable team provide accurate solutions to all questions.
  • Sprout Social has many features you need, including custom UTM tracking of assets for accurate reporting and tracking.
  • Sprout Social's approval workflows allow team members to work collaboratively on social media efforts while maintaining a level of control and oversight.

Negative

  • Users have reported frustration with team conversations on posts waiting for approval, as they tend to disappear when edits are made on the post. It makes it challenging to keep track of the conversation and ensure that all team members are on the same page.
  • 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 add-ons offered by Sprout Social are priced excessively high and often do not function properly, causing frustration and dissatisfaction among users. It can result in a poor experience.

Positive

  • SocialPilot can schedule posts in advance on multiple platforms at once while customizing the post for each one of them for the scheduler.
  • You can prevent delays and ensure that everything gets published according to schedule. As a result, with SocialPilot, your consistency on social networks remains uninterrupted.
  • 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

  • Users have reported that accounts may occasionally become disconnected, resulting in failed scheduled posts. However, it is a simple process to reconnect the account and reschedule the post, as all posts get saved.
  • Users have expressed a desire for more information on setting up accounts and configurations for approvals. Some have struggled with this aspect and had to face challenges in figuring it out.
  • 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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Professional
$99/per month
Standard
$249/per month
Professional
$30/per month
Small Team
$249/per month
Professinal
$399/per month
Small Team
$50/per month
Business
$739/per month
Advanced
$499/per month
Agency
$100/per month
Enterprise
Custom
Enterprise
Custom
Agency+
$200/per month
30 Days Free Trial
Credit Card Required
30 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Smart & Advanced Queueing check check check
Customize Post for Each Platform check check check
Post Preview check check check
Canva Integration check check check
URL Shortner check check check
Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) check check check
UTM Parameters check check check
Cloud Storage check check check
Hashtag suggestions check check check
Advance Publishing Capabilities
Save Draft Posts check check check
Bulk Scheduling check check check
Content Curation check check check
Auto publishing from RSS check check check
Social media calendar check check check
Mobile App check check check
Browser Extension check check check
Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Support Album Posts check check check
Support Carousel Posts check check check
Alternate Text on Image check check check
Support Facebook First Comment check check check
Audience Targeting check check check
Boost Post Scheduling check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities
Location Tagging check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Support Multiple Image Posts check check check
Threads Scheduling check check check
Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Story Scheduling check check check
Tag Profiles on Images check check check
Location Tagging check check check
Support Instagram First Comment check check check
Instagram Grid check check check
Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities
Audience Targeting check check check
Support LinkedIn First Comment check check check
Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities
#shorts Scheduling check check check
Mention of Other Youtube Accounts check check check
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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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format check check check
Email PDF Report to Client check check check
Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client check check check
Custom Report Builder check check check
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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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can Reply Message check check check
Can Reply Questions and Reviews check check check
Can Reply on Visitor Posts check check check
Real time Social Listening check check check
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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.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

SproutSocial

SproutSocial

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Free Unlimited Client Onboarding check check check
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check check check
Access Management check check check
Content Approval Workflow check check check
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sprout Social better than Hootsuite?

Hootsuite and Sprout Social are multifaceted social media management tools with a bunch of diverse features, including scheduling and publishing, analytics, social inbox, and team collaboration. From a pricing perspective, Sprout Social comes at a lesser cost than Hootsuite for its Agency plan. But both tools are quite overpriced for smaller businesses and marketing agencies.

What are Sprout Social and Hootsuite?

Sprout Social and Hootsuite are both diverse social media management tools that automate your content scheduling activities, monitor their performance, and much more for multiple social accounts simultaneously.

Why is Sprout Social better?

Sprout Social is a close competitor of Hootsuite but offers better pricing at its business-level plan. But it is not suitable for smaller brands and solopreneurs. Also, it has a browser extension, URL shortener, and support for Instagram's first comment, which is lacking in Hootsuite.

Do people still use Hootsuite?

Of course, people still use Hootsuite. As it has been in the social media marketing business for the longest time and has a loyal customer base, it's still an industry leader. However, due to frequent and unreasonable price-hikes, many users have migrated to more cost-effective tools like SocialPilot. It provides all the features Hootsuite does and more at a fraction of its price point.

Who is Hootsuite best for?

Hootsuite is best suited for enterprise-level or large businesses which require an all-rounded social media management solution with a capacity for unlimited posting and elaborate team and client workflows.

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