Transparent

Hootsuite

Your All-in-One Marketing Suite

Best For : Professionals, Brands, Big Businesses, and Enterprises.

Pricing: $99/mo

Quick Summary

Number of Reviews (G2) 4561
Overall Star Rating (G2)
Ease of Use
Quality of Support
Ease of Setup
Minimum Pricing $99/Month
Number of Social Accounts 10
Number of Team Members 1
Scheduling & Publishing check
Analytics check
Social Inbox check
Collaboration check
Whitelabel check
Best For Professionals, Brands, Big Businesses, and Enterprises.

Hootsuite is a versatile social media management tool that centralizes planning, scheduling, and managing posts across networks like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. It offers key features such as advanced scheduling with bulk options, real-time social listening, analytics for in-depth reporting, and a unified inbox for managing messages, comments, and reviews in one place.

Hootsuite’s Streams allow users to track mentions, keywords, conversations, and trends, making it ideal for brand tracking and engagement across platforms. With collaboration tools, customer support via chat and email, and an Enterprise option for dedicated account management, Hootsuite is an all-in-one option for teams managing multi-channel social strategies.

Pros

  • Hootsuite provides an overview of all social media platforms in one place, making it easy to manage and track social media interactions and performance.
  • The tool provides suggestions for the best times to post to enhance your post reach and maximize your social media efforts’ ROI. 
  • 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 the report’s appearance, and there are multiple analytical reports for each platform that can be shared with anyone.

Kelby S.

Hootsuite provides a one stop shop to streamline the posting and customizing process for content across multiple platforms in a central hub where my collaborators and I can preview the content before it goes public. The analytics tab is also a terribly helpful amalgamator of data for grant reporting and strategizing.

Verified G2 Review

Cons

  • The plans are priced on the higher end compared to other competitive social media tools.
  • While Hootsuite provides valuable reporting capabilities, you can only distribute reports to multiple stakeholders internally if you are on the highest-level subscription plan.
  • Sometimes, the social profiles get occasionally disconnected from the platform, and it is difficult to reconnect the profiles.
  • The lower plans have limited reporting capabilities, which could significantly impact your ability to monitor and analyze your social media performance effectively.
  • While using Hootsuite to post images on Facebook and Instagram, there can be instances where non-square images may get cut off, leading to a loss of visual impact. This limitation of Hootsuite is a factor to consider when scheduling your posts.

Verified User in Marketing and Advertising

Not a fan of the price. It used to be more affordable, but now is more than double what it used to be.

Verified G2 Review

In-Depth Hootsuite Features Analysis

Publishing and Scheduling

Smart & Advanced Queueing check
Repeat Posts check
Social Media Calendar check
Auto Publishing from RSS check
Bulk Scheduling check
Post Preview check
AI Assistant check
Support Facebook First Comment check
Support Instagram First Comment check
Support LinkedIn First Comment check
Instagram Collaboration Posts check
TikTok Carousel Posts check
LinkedIn Carousel Posts check
Shorts Scheduling check

Hootsuite’s publishing and scheduling suite includes smart queueing, content calendar, post preview, and auto-posting from RSS feeds. Advanced features like bulk scheduling up to 200 posts, Instagram and LinkedIn carousel support, and TikTok carousel scheduling make it versatile for cross-platform management.

Planner

However, it lacks the ability to add a first comment directly. These tools streamline content planning and allow users to manage posts across networks efficiently with minimal manual intervention, supporting consistent brand visibility and engagement.

Analytics and Reporting

Detailed Social Media Analytics check
Multi-Account Combined Analytics check
Engagement Metrics check
Hashtag Performance Analysis check
Custom Report Builder check
Email PDF Report to Client check
Auto-Schedule Report for Team and Client check
Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format check

Hootsuite’s analytics capabilities offer detailed insights across all your social media profiles, covering essential metrics like follower growth, engagement, post-performance, traffic, and audience demographics. Because of the 360-degree view it offers of your social media performance, setting performance benchmarks and monitoring improvements becomes easy with Hootsuite.

Analytics

Users can customize reports to include data on likes, shares, comments, and reach, helping them assess the effectiveness of their content and marketing campaigns. Additionally, Hootsuite Analytics allows users to schedule reports for automated delivery through email, making it easy to share performance summaries with clients or team members weekly or monthly. The platform also integrates with Google Analytics and Talkwalker for enhanced data analysis, making it a valuable solution for data-driven decision-making in social media strategy.

Social Inbox

Reply to Posts and Comments check
Can Reply to Messages check
Reply to Questions and Reviews check
Can Reply on Visitor Posts check
Unified Social Inbox check
Reply to Stories check

Hootsuite’s Social Inbox offers a unified platform to handle all social interactions. It consolidates messages, comments, visitor posts, and reviews from networks like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more, all in one place.  Users can reply to posts, respond to direct messages, address questions, and engage with reviews directly through its social inbox.

Additionally, it supports replies to Stories, making it easy to stay connected with your audience in real time. This feature streamlines customer service and engagement, helping teams provide timely, consistent responses across channels.

Social Media Collaboration

Content Approval Workflow check
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check
Comments on Post check
Access Management check
Free Unlimited Client Onboarding check

Hootsuite’s social media collaboration capabilities facilitate teamwork and streamline workflows. Teams can assign tasks, such as responding to messages or creating content, to specific members, ensuring clarity and accountability. The platform enables draft approvals and post reviews so content can be reviewed and refined before it goes live.

Marketing

For larger organizations and enterprises, Hootsuite supports role permission levels, allowing admins to control who can access or edit specific content or accounts. These collaboration features make Hootsuite ideal for businesses managing multiple social media profiles or handling high volumes of customer conversations, ensuring that social media tasks are completed efficiently and with proper oversight. 

Ease of Use/Setup

UI/UX User-friendly but can be overwhelming
Ease of Setup
Setup Time Required Medium

Hootsuite is designed to be user-friendly. Its intuitive interface simplifies social media management tasks. The setup process is straightforward, with guided prompts to connect your social media accounts and configure settings.

While basic functionalities are accessible to beginners, the platform offers advanced features for experienced users. Hootsuite provides a range of tutorials and support resources to assist users in maximizing the platform’s capabilities.

Customer Support

Live Chat Support check
Email Support check
Training check
Setup Support check
Dedicated Account Manager check

Hootsuite’s customer support includes live chat, email, training, and setup assistance, covering essential bases for user support. A dedicated account manager is available with the Enterprise plan, offering an additional layer of personalized service for larger teams.

This comprehensive support structure ensures users, especially on premium plans, have resources for troubleshooting, onboarding, and maximizing the platform’s features.

Pricing and Plans

Professional

$99.00

Per Month
  • 1 User
  • 10 Social accounts

Features

  • Unlimited posts
  • Post scheduling
  • Access to messages in one inbox

Team

$249.00

Per Month
  • 3 Users
  • 20 Social accounts

Professional Features +

  • Roles & permissions
  • Assign posts to team members

Enterprise

Custom

Per Month
  • Starts at 5 users
  • Starts at 50 Social accounts

Business Features +

  • Social ads management
  • Social ads analytics & reporting
  • Employee advocacy
  • Team productivity reporting

Hootsuite offers tiered pricing plans to cater to various needs, from small businesses to large enterprises. These plans typically scale based on features, the number of users, and account integrations, providing flexibility for various budgets and social media management needs.

The Professional and Team plans are often suited for smaller teams, while the Business and Enterprise plans include advanced features and additional support options. For the latest detailed plan structures, refer directly to Hootsuite’s official pricing page.

Alternatives to Hootsuite

There is nothing called a one-solution-fits-all. Every business or team has a different set of requirements, and before making the final call, consider 3-4 options. To help you with this, we have briefly compared Hootsuite with four industry-leading social media management tools. Go through our comparison table to get a detailed view of the main capabilities and decide accordingly.

 
SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Hootsuite

Hootsuite

Buffer

Buffer

Agorapulse

Agorapulse

Sprout Social

Sprout Social

Pricing Starts at $25/Month Starts at $99/Month Starts at $36/Month Starts at $69/Month Starts at $199/Month
Best for Agencies & Small Businesses Brands & Enterprises Mid-size Businesses Brands & Big Businesses Brands & Enterprises
Social Profiles 10 10 6 10 5
Ease of Use
 
 
 
 
 
Support
 
 
 
 
 
Publishingarrorrgt
Bulk Scheduling 500 Posts 350 Posts check 200 Posts 350 Posts
Smart Queues check check check check check
Repeat Post check Very easy check Complex check check check
First Comment check check check Only Facebook & Instagram check check
Audience Targeting check check check check check
Content Planning & Creationarrorrgt
Calendar View check Easy to read check Complex checkHard-to-read check Confusing check Overwhelming
AI Assistant check check check check check
Custom Call-To-Actions check check check check check
Content Library check check check check check
Instagram Collab Posts check check check check check
Location Tagging check check check Only Instagram check check
Holiday Calendar check check check check check
Engagementarrorrgt
Social Inbox check Unified inbox checkMultiple inboxes check Limited Features checkMultiple inboxes checkComplex
Reply to Reviews & Queries check check check check check
Reply to DMs & Comments check check Only Facebook and Instagram check Seperated Inbox check
Analyticsarrorrgt
Detailed Social Media Analytics check Easy to read check Complex check Complex check Complex check Complex
Custom Report Builder check check check check check
Auto-Schedule Report Sharing to Clients check check check check check
Team and Client Collaborationarrorrgt
Client Management check check check check check
Approval Workflows check Advanced check Confusing check Basic check Technical glitches check Tracking glitches
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check check check check check
Approval-on-the-go check check check check check
White Labelingarrorrgt
White Label Dashboard check check check check check
White Label Downloadable Report check check check check check
  Learn More Learn More Learn More Learn More

SocialPilot

If you are looking for a Hootsuite alternative that offers the same capabilities but neglects the high pricing and complexity, SocialPilot can be a powerful alternative. SocialPilot provides a comprehensive suite of social media management tools that balance ease of use with powerful capabilities.

With features like scheduling, analytics, and a unified inbox, SocialPilot makes it simple to manage content across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Its user-friendly interface and flexible pricing plans are well-suited for small to mid-sized teams, agencies, and businesses looking to streamline their social efforts.

Additionally, SocialPilot’s bulk scheduling, client management, and white-labeling options cater to agencies and SMBs who want to manage multiple accounts efficiently. SocialPilot provides a seamless experience without the premium price tag for those seeking a straightforward but robust platform.

Streamline your social media strategies without spending hours learning complicated tools and features—you can dive right in and start posting.

Final Verdict

Hootsuite is a powerful tool for social media management. It offers advanced scheduling, real-time social listening, and multi-channel engagement, making it well-suited for teams and businesses with complex needs.

The intuitive UI, diverse integrations, and collaborative features stand out, while recent improvements like AI-powered tools and enhanced Inbox management make it competitive. However, setup can be time-intensive, and features like first-comment posting are limited. Overall, Hootsuite is a solid choice for comprehensive social media management, though smaller teams may find more straightforward, affordable options a better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hootsuite used for?

Hootsuite is a tool used for managing your social media posts and ads, all in one place. With Hootsuite, you can create, schedule, and publish your content and see how it's doing in real time. This way, you are able to spend more time on other important aspects of your business.

What is the most popular feature of Hootsuite?

The most popular feature of Hootsuite is that it lets you plan and post content on many social media accounts at once, all from a single screen.

What platforms are supported by Hootsuite?

9 platforms are supported by Hootsuite, namely Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, Linkedin, Google Business Profile, and WhatsApp.

How to get Hootsuite for free?

A common question that many face today is – Is Hootsuite free or is there a free version of Hootsuite? What you need to know is that there is a free Hootsuite plan with very limited feature set. For paid plans, Hootsuite’s costs are too high.

To get a free Hootsuite account, sign up for a 30-day trial of Hootsuite Professional. After 30 days, you can choose to stick to the Professional plan or again switch to free.

Is it worth paying for Hootsuite?

Although paid Hootsuite plans offer effective publishing and monitoring of social media content, Hootsuite’s cost is very high. You can get similar or better functionalities at lower costs and a better user interface.

What is better than Hootsuite?

Top Hootsuite alternatives include:

  • SocialPilot
  • Sprout Social
  • Zoho Social
  • Buffer
  • Cloud Campaign
  • Agorapulse
  • Later
  • EClincher

About the Author

Picture of Jimit Bagadiya

Jimit Bagadiya