Top Hootsuite Alternatives & Competitors based on 387 Reviews
| Brand | Rating | Pricing |
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★ ★ ★ ☆ 3.2 | Hootsuite offers four pricing tiers: Free plan with limited features, Professional plan starting at $19/month for one user and additional features, Team plan at $99/month for three users with enhanced functionalities, and Business plan at $499/month for five users with more advanced tools and custom features. |
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★ ★ ★ ☆ 3.9 | Buffer’s pricing includes a Free plan with basic features, Essentials plan starting at $15/month per channel with more advanced tools, Team plan at $65/month for additional users and features, and Agency plan starting at $99/month for managing multiple brands with comprehensive capabilities. |
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★ ★ ☆ 3 | Later provides a Free plan for individuals, with three paid tiers: Starter at $12.50/month for one social set, Growth at $20.83/month for three social sets, and Advanced at $33.33/month for multiple accounts and analytics, with additional features varying by plan. |
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★ ★ ☆ 2.2 | Sprout Social offers three pricing plans: Standard at $249/month for individuals, Professional at $399/month for teams with more advanced capabilities, and Advanced at $499/month for large teams needing extensive features and analytics, with all plans including a 30-day free trial. |
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Why should you be looking for a Hootsuite alternative?
Users often seek alternatives to Hootsuite due to specific feature needs, ease of use, budget constraints, and varying levels of customer support. Some may find Hootsuite’s interface cumbersome or may require features like enhanced analytics or visual scheduling that better suit their workflows. Budget-conscious teams might look for more affordable options. This article explores three top alternatives: Buffer, known for its simplicity; Later, which excels in visual content planning; and Sprout Social, tailored for robust analytics and team collaboration. Each option will be evaluated based on features, pricing, and target users.
Quick Overview of Top Hootsuite Competitors
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Buffer
- Main Value Proposition: Simplifies the social media scheduling process with a user-friendly interface.
- Unique Features: Offers a customizable posting schedule and the ability to collaborate with team members easily.
- Strengths Compared to Hootsuite: Focuses on simplicity and effectiveness, making it ideal for small businesses and solo users.
- Characteristic: Best for Ease of Use.
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Later
- Main Value Proposition: Visual social media planning tool specifically designed for Instagram, but also supports other platforms.
- Unique Features: Includes a drag-and-drop content calendar and built-in hashtag suggestions for improved engagement.
- Strengths Compared to Hootsuite: Provides a more visually oriented approach to content scheduling, particularly beneficial for visually-driven brands.
- Characteristic: Best for Visual Content Planning.
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Sprout Social
- Main Value Proposition: Comprehensive social media management tool with advanced analytics and reporting features.
- Unique Features: Offers in-depth social listening capabilities and competitor analysis, along with a powerful CRM tool.
- Strengths Compared to Hootsuite: Better suited for larger businesses that require detailed insights and robust monitoring of social media interactions.
- Characteristic: Best for Detailed Analytics.
Hootsuite Alternatives: Feature by Feature Comparison
| Feature | Buffer | Later | Sprout Social | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Interface | Clean, minimalist design that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. | Visual content calendar that emphasizes drag-and-drop functionality for easy scheduling. | Comprehensive dashboard with customizable features tailored to specific user needs. | More complex interface that can be overwhelming for new users; however, offers powerful features. |
| Scheduling | Flexible scheduling options with real-time posting features and the ability to re-schedule. | Unique visual scheduling feature for Instagram, allowing users to see post aesthetics. | Advanced scheduling options, including optimal post timing based on audience engagement data. | Powerful auto-scheduling capabilities but can lack visual scheduling features like Later. |
| Analytics | Provides insightful performance metrics including engagement stats, audience insights, and link analytics. | Offers basic analytics focused on Instagram posts and story performance, includes link tracking. | Advanced analytics covering multiple networks with detailed reports on overall performance. | Extensive analytics capabilities but can be overly complex for basic users. |
| Social Media Platforms | Supports Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn integration primarily. | Specializes in Instagram but also supports Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. | Supports a wider range of platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. | Covers a broad range of social media channels including YouTube and TikTok. |
| Content Planning | Easy-to-use content calendar for planning and visualizing posts ahead of time. | Visual content calendar that’s particularly effective for planning Instagram feeds. | Dynamic content calendar with team collaboration features to streamline planning. | Content calendar is available but less visual than Buffer, Later, and Sprout Social. |
| Team Collaboration | Offers team collaboration as part of most plans with roles and permissions. | Limited collaboration tools; primarily designed for single-user scenarios. | Strong team collaboration features, including task assignments and approvals before posting. | Collaboration capabilities are robust but can be cumbersome in larger teams. |
| Customer Support | Provides email support, extensive help center, and community resources. | Email support is available, plus a variety of tutorials and guides. | Excellent customer support with proactive assistance, live chat, and dedicated account managers. | Varying levels of customer support depending on the plan; generally good resources available. |
| Unique Features | Offers a browser extension for quick sharing and scheduling directly from the web. | Strong emphasis on visual content scheduling and auto-publishing for Instagram Stories. | Comprehensive CRM features, social listening capabilities, and competitive analysis tools. | Strong monitoring features but lacks the unique visual planning aspects of Later. |
| Integrations | Integrates with popular tools like Zapier, MailChimp, and others for enhanced functionality. | Integrates well with various media platforms and tools for Instagram but limited for others. | Offers extensive integrations with major CRM tools, third-party applications, and websites. | Wide range of integrations but can be expensive when adding multiple apps. |
| Pricing | Competitive pricing models with a free tier and straightforward upgrade paths. | Offers a free version with visually-oriented upgrade plans focusing on Instagram. | Pricing is on the higher side, targeting businesses needing advanced features and analytics. | Varied pricing that can be perceived as expensive compared to alternatives for similar features. |
This table outlines the key features of Buffer, Later, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite, highlighting the unique or superior aspects of each tool, particularly in terms of user benefits.
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Integration Capabilities for each Hootsuite competitor
| Alternative | Supported Integrations | Compatibility Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, HubSpot, WordPress, Canva, Slack, Google Drive, Trello | Wide range of integrations with popular marketing and project tools. |
| Buffer | Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Shopify, Blog integrations (WordPress, Medium), Zapier | Focus on social platforms with e-commerce integration capabilities. |
| Later | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, Shopify, Google Drive, Dropbox, Unsplash | Primarily focused on visually-driven platforms. |
| Sprout Social | Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, HubSpot, Zendesk, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Bitly | Emphasis on customer relationship management and analytics tools. |
Pros and Cons of each Hootsuite Alternative
Here’s a comparison table highlighting the primary pros and cons of the alternatives "Buffer", "Later", and "Sprout Social" compared to "Hootsuite":
| Alternative | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | – User-friendly interface. | – Limited reporting and analytics features compared to Hootsuite. |
| – Strong scheduling capabilities for social media posts. | – May require additional tools for in-depth social listening and engagement features. | |
| – Affordable pricing plans, suitable for small businesses. | – Lacks support for some social networks available in Hootsuite. | |
| – Browser extension for quick content sharing. | ||
| Later | – Visual content calendar, ideal for planning Instagram posts. | – Primarily focused on visual platforms, limited features for text-heavy platforms. |
| – Intuitive drag-and-drop interface. | – Scheduling capabilities are not as robust for all platforms as Hootsuite’s. | |
| – Integrates with a content library for easy media management. | – Less suitable for social listening and user engagement tracking compared to Hootsuite. | |
| – Free plan available with limited features. | ||
| Sprout Social | – Comprehensive analytics and reporting tools. | – Higher pricing tiers compared to Hootsuite, potentially limiting for small businesses. |
| – Excellent customer support and training resources. | – May have a steeper learning curve for new users due to extensive features. | |
| – Strong collaboration tools for team-based social media management. | – Some features overlap with Hootsuite, but May be considered as less intuitive by some users. | |
| – Effective social listening and engagement features. |
This table provides an objective listing of strengths and weaknesses relevant to typical use cases for each tool compared to Hootsuite.
Hootsuite vs Competitors: Traffic & Marketing Comparison
Traffic Comparison:
In December 2023, Hootsuite led with an impressive organic traffic count of 1,876,375, while Buffer follows with 778,609. Later achieved 707,123, and Sprout Social garnered 862,796 during the same period. For January 2024, Hootsuite continues to dominate with 1,697,783, showcasing a significant lead. Buffer’s traffic of 715,035 and Sprout Social’s 768,903 stay notably lower. Overall, Hootsuite appears to be the clear leader, whereas Buffer has the lowest traffic figures, indicating potential growth areas for them.
Top Performing Keywords:
Hootsuite excels in rankings with multiple keywords on the first page, such as "social media marketing website" (1), "social media software" (1), and "social media management tools" (1). Buffer also performs well, notably ranking for "social media content management system" (1) and "social media marketing" (1). Later leads in specific categories like "social media calendar" (1), while Sprout Social ranks consistently for "social media insights" (1). Hootsuite dominates in keyword diversification, indicating a stronger keyword strategy.
Conclusions on Visibility and Reach:
Hootsuite showcases the strongest online visibility, dominating organic traffic and keyword rankings, particularly in the social media management niche. Buffer, while performing well for specific keywords, lacks the overall traffic strength of Hootsuite. Later exhibits potential in specific tools like "social media calendar" but remains behind the competition. Sprout Social maintains competitive keyword reach but exhibits lower traffic overall. Hootsuite clearly stands out as the leader, with significant opportunities for Buffer in expanding visibility.
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Other “Hootsuite” Alternatives & Competitors that you can find for free
Here are five alternatives and competitors to Hootsuite, along with their key features, strengths, and value propositions:
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HubSpot
- Key Features: Social media management, analytics, automation, CRM integration, content scheduling, and engagement tracking.
- Strengths: Comprehensive marketing platform, strong CRM capabilities, and seamless integration with other HubSpot tools.
- Value Proposition: HubSpot offers an all-in-one solution for inbound marketing, making it easy to manage social media alongside other marketing efforts.
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SocialBee
- Key Features: Content categorization, post recycling, audience targeting, analytics, and scheduling across multiple platforms.
- Strengths: Flexible content management with the ability to organize posts, strong focus on content recycling to maximize engagement.
- Value Proposition: SocialBee helps users maintain an active social presence with organized content management and automation features that boost longevity and engagement.
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Agorapulse
- Key Features: Social media publishing, monitoring, reporting, inbox management, and team collaboration tools.
- Strengths: User-friendly interface, in-depth reporting, and competitive pricing model for small to medium businesses.
- Value Proposition: Agorapulse simplifies social media management with a focus on collaboration and community engagement, providing clear insights into performance.
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Sendible
- Key Features: Content scheduling, social listening, analytics, blog posting, and client management tools.
- Strengths: Designed for agencies, intuitive interface, and strong client collaboration tools.
- Value Proposition: Sendible helps agencies manage their clients’ social media presence by providing a comprehensive suite of features that cater specifically to their needs.
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CoSchedule
- Key Features: Editorial calendar, marketing automation, social media scheduling, analytics, and team workflow management.
- Strengths: Strong focus on content marketing and project planning, useful for teams with multiple marketing channels.
- Value Proposition: CoSchedule enables teams to streamline their marketing efforts, merging social media management with content planning and collaboration.
These alternatives each cater to different needs and preferences, offering unique strengths that can benefit various users in the realm of social media management.
