As a marketer, you are well aware of the challenges involved in maintaining visibility for your company or your clients on social media.
One effective way to simplify your tasks is using a social media automation solution to create and schedule posts in advance and track their performance.
Although Hootsuite is widely recognized as the leading tool for managing social networks, it may not necessarily be the best fit for your specific business needs.
Check out these 5 best alternatives to Hootsuite we have picked to help you embark on your social media success journey.
What is Hootsuite?
The platform has many features that let businesses and marketers optimize their social media presence. With the Hootsuite app, you can streamline your social media activities, save time and effort, and still get great results.
Here’s what you can do with Hootsuite:
- Schedule and publish: You can plan, create, and schedule your social media posts in advance across various platforms with social content calendars and bulk scheduling features.
- Monitor and engage: With Hootsuite’s hashtag suggestions and pre-built templates, you can create engaging posts for your audience and stay on top of conversations, comments, and posts across multiple channels.
- Analyze and optimize: Hootsuite lets you measure the performance of your posts and tells you the best time to publish them. With key metrics, you track the effectiveness of your campaigns and refine your strategy for maximum impact.
- Discover and curate content: Stay ahead of the curve by discovering relevant content, industry trends, and influencers, enabling you to curate and share compelling posts that resonate with your audience.
- Pricing: No free plan. Paid plan starts at $99/month.
- Ease of setup: 8.4/10
- Ease of use: 8.4/10
- Quality of support: 7.9/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.1 out of 5 in G2.
Why Look for a Hootsuite Alternative?
Given the numerous options available, it’s evident why Hootsuite is highly favored. However, it may not be the ideal choice for all businesses, particularly small or mid-sized businesses. Here are several reasons to consider alternatives to Hootsuite.
Look for Better Pricing
Starting from the end of March, Hootsuite no longer offers its free plan. Companies are required to subscribe to a Professional plan starting at $99 per month.
For small and medium-sized businesses, committing to a yearly fee of $1188 becomes highly restrictive when alternatives exist for much less money with more options.
Find More Features
Hootsuite is one of the most expensive software but that doesn’t necessarily mean more options compared to its competitors.
It is worth noting that the Professional plan lacks collaborative tools such as approval workflows and user access authorization options, which are only available in higher-tier plans.
Get Better Customer Service
One major drawback we have encountered with Hootsuite is its service quality. The waiting times for assistance are often lengthy, sometimes stretching to days before receiving a response.
In contrast, several Hootsuite alternatives provide superior support, with some even offering 24/7 availability. This ensures that you can promptly resolve any issues and continue with your work without unnecessary delays.
5 Alternatives to Consider Instead of Hootsuite
If you are seeking a user-friendly and cost-effective social media automation software, we have taken the initiative to explore the best alternatives to Hootsuite.
Publer
- Pricing: Free plan available. The professional plan starts at $12/month.
- Ease of setup: 9.4/10
- Ease of use: 9.5/10
- Quality of support: 9.5/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 in G2.
| Publer | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business, YouTube, WordPress & Telegram. | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok. |
| Free Plan | Forever Free plan. • OpenAI integration • 3 social accounts (except Twitter) • 1 user, 1 workspace • 10 pending scheduled posts per account • 25 saved drafts • 24 hours posts history • Canva Integration • Import from Drive, Unsplash, etc | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. |
| For Startups and Small Businesses | Starting at $12/month • 3 social accounts (+$4 dollar for each additional social account) • Twitter integration • Post scheduling & drafts • Unlimited workspaces for approval workflow and user permission • Eternal posts history • RSS Feed | Starting at $99/month • 10 Social accounts • Unlimited posts • Post scheduling • Social inbox • No approval workflow or user permission • No social calendar sharing • Hashtag suggestions • Canva integration |
| For Agencies and Companies | Starting at $21/month • 3 social accounts (+$7 dollar for each additional social account) • Unlimited AI prompts • Analytics reports • Best times to post • Hashtag suggestions • Design videos | Starting at $249/month • 20 Social accounts • Roles & permissions but no approval workflow • Hashtag suggestions |
Why Switch to Publer?
We might be biased, but we feel that Publer is the most powerful Hootsuite alternative on the list.
Publer is a social media tool designed to handle everything from scheduling to managing all your social media channels in one place. Overall our app offers a wide range of options that are comparable to those of Hootsuite.
However, the major distinction lies in the pricing, making Publer a significantly more affordable choice. Specifically, Publer provides the flexibility to pay only for the social networks you actively utilize.
In contrast, Hootsuite requires payment for a package of 10 social networks without granting the option to select only the ones you need.
Like Hootsuite, Publer users can also use both Canva and VistaCreate (Crello) integrations to make the process of posting on your socials.
Another noteworthy aspect is Publer’s customer service, which is highly responsive compared to Hootsuite. If you experience any issues with the installation process or encounter problems with the application itself, you can directly contact us through live chat support.
Our team will promptly address your concerns and provide assistance to resolve the issue you’re facing.
Later
- Pricing: No Free plan. Paid plan starts at $18/month.
- Ease of setup: 9.1/10
- Ease of use: 9.2/10
- Quality of support: 8.9/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 in G2.
| Later | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest. | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok. |
| Free Plan | No Free plan. • You can explore any of the paid plans for a trial period of 14 days. | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. |
| For Startups and Small Businesses | Starting at $18/month • 30 posts allowed per social profile • Analytics limited to 3 months • Customizable Link in bio page | Starting at $99/month • 10 Social accounts • Unlimited posts • Post scheduling • No Link in bio page |
| For Midsized Companies | Starting at $40/month • 3 users • 150 posts per social profile • Full analytics (up to 1 year of data) • Customizable Linkin.bio page • Team and brand management tools | Starting at $249/month • 3 Users • 20 Social accounts • Linkin.bio page • Roles & permissions but no approval workflow |
| For Enterprises | Starting at $80/month • 6 Users • Unlimited posts • Full analytics (up to 1 year of data) • Customizable Linkin.bio page • Team and brand management tools • Live chat support | Starting at $739/month • 5 users • 35 Social account • Approval workflows • Content & asset library • Customer support |
Later vs. Hootsuite Takeaway
While Later may be a more budget-friendly alternative to Hootsuite, it does have limitations when it comes to available features. Notably, unlike Publer or Hootsuite, Later does not support YouTube integration.
Additionally, the number of monthly posts you can make per social profile depends on the Later plan you choose. For instance, the Starter plan allows only 30 posts per month for each social profile, significantly restricting your social media presence.
Social Pilot
- Pricing: No Free plan. The professional plan starts at $30/month.
- Ease of setup: 9.1/10
- Ease of use: 9.0/10
- Quality of support: 8.9/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 in G2.
| Social Pilot | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business, YouTube. | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok. |
| Free Plan | No Free plan. • You can explore any of the paid plans for a trial period of 14 days. | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. |
| For Startups and Small Businesses | Starting at $30 • 10 Social Media Accounts • RSS Feed • Social inbox | Starting at $99/month • 10 Social accounts • Unlimited posts • Post scheduling • Social inbox • No RSS Feed |
| For Midsized Companies | Starting at $50/month • 3 Users • 20 Social Media Accounts • Content Library | Starting at $249/month • 3 Users • 20 Social accounts • Roles & permissions but no approval workflow • No content library |
| For Enterprises | Starting at $100/month • 6 Users • 30 Social Media Accounts • Client Approval • Content Library | Starting at $739/month • 5 users • 35 Social account • Approval workflows • Content library • Customer support |
| Additional Features for Enterprises | Starting at $170/month • Unlimited Users • 50 Social Media Accounts • Unlimited Clients • Client Approval • Content Library | Custom pricing • Start at 5 users • Start at 50 social accounts • Social ads management • Social ads analytics & reporting • Employee advocacy • Team productivity reporting |
Social Pilot vs. Hootsuite Takeaway
Social Pilot is a highly recommended alternative to Hootsuite, offering similar functionalities. Similar to Publer, it allows you to automate posts directly from your RSS feed, a feature only available on the Enterprise plan on Hootsuite.
Additionally, Social Pilot includes a content library in its second-tier plan, which is beneficial for medium-sized businesses. In comparison, Hootsuite only provides this option in its third-tier plan, which is considerably more expensive at $739 per month.
Agorapulse
- Pricing: No Free plan. The professional plan starts at $69/month.
- Ease of setup: 9.1/10
- Ease of use: 9.0/10
- Quality of support: 9.1/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 in G2.
| Agorapulse | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok, Google Business Profile. | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok. |
| Free Plan | Free plan available with limited options. • 3 social profiles, 1 user • 10 scheduled posts • Social inbox • Basic reporting • Limited Social Media ROI report | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. |
| For Startups and Small Businesses | Starting at €69/month • 10 social profiles • Posts scheduling • Unlimited posts • Unified Publishing Calendar • Social inbox • Limited content library • Report export | Starting at $99/month • 10 social profiles • Unlimited posts • Post scheduling • Social inbox • Canva integration |
| For Midsized Companies | Starting at €99/month • 10 social profiles • First comment scheduling (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) • Twitter threads scheduling • Team workflow • Canva integration • Social Listening • Team performance reports • Limited content library | Starting at $249/month • 3 Users • 20 Social accounts • Roles & permissions but no approval workflow • No content library |
| For Enterprises | Starting at €149/month • 10 Social account • Content Library • 5 Shared Calendars • Bulk publish content • Content queues • Advanced spam management • Automated Inbox Assistant • Inbox bulk actions • Publishing content labels • Advanced Social Media ROI reports | Starting at $739/month • 5 users • 35 Social account • Approval workflows • Inbound/outbound tagging • Saved replies and auto-resolve conversation • Content & asset library • Customer support |
Agorapulse vs. Hootsuite Takeaway
Agorapulse is an excellent alternative to Hootsuite, providing comparable functionality at a significantly lower cost. Unlike Hootsuite, Agorapulse offers a content library in both of these first tiers, although limited to 10 images and 2 videos which may be restrictive.
However, unlike Hootsuite or Publer, the first tier of Agorapulse does not offer Canva integration. Overall, Agorapulse offers a reliable software solution suitable for all types of businesses, and it remains a much more affordable option compared to Hootsuite.
Sprout Social
- Pricing: No Free plan. The professional plan starts at $249/month.
- Ease of setup: 8.8/10
- Ease of use: 8.9/10
- Quality of support: 8.8/10
- Platform availability: Desktop and mobile (iOS & Android)
- Reviews: 4.4 out of 5 in G2.
| Sprout Social | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok. | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok. |
| Free Plan | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. | No Free plan. • 30 days trial for plans with limited features to test. |
| Starter Plan | Starting at $249/month • Each additional user +$199/mo • 5 social profiles • Social inbox • Social content calendar • Review management • Profiles, keywords and locations monitoring • Tasking and social CRM tools • Paid promotion tools to boost Facebook posts | Starting at $99/month • 10 social profiles • Unlimited posts • Post scheduling • Social inbox |
| For Midsized Companies | Starting at $399/month • Each additional user +$299/mo. • Unlimited social profiles • Competitive reports • Message tagging • Custom workflows • Scheduling for optimal send times • Trend analysis for Twitter keywords and hashtags • Paid social reporting • CRM and Social Commerce integrations | Starting at $249/month • 3 Users • 20 Social accounts • Roles & permissions • Assign posts to team members |
| For Enterprises | Starting at $499/month • Each additional user +$349/mo • Message Spike Alerts for increased message activity • Digital asset and content library • Chatbots with automation tools • Saved and suggested replies • Automated link tracking • Twitter surveys to define CSAT or NPS • External approvals | Starting at $739/month • Approval workflows • Inbound/outbound tagging • Saved replies and auto-resolve conversation • Content & asset library • Customer support |
Sprout Social vs. Hootsuite Takeaway
Sprout Social offers a wide range of features and a strong framework, making it well-suited for large and medium-sized businesses.
As a result, its pricing reflects this target audience. Interestingly, although Sprout Social’s starter plan is pricier compared to Hootsuite, its subsequent plans offer more affordable options for marketing teams.
Final Words
With 5 great Hootsuite alternatives to try, the best way to figure out which one suits your needs is to test them.
Most of the social media tools that we’ve discussed today offer a free trial or a free version so you can easily compare Hootsuite to its competitors and find the perfect solution for your business.
Moreover, it’s hard to be objective in this case, but Publer is the only solution on this list that offers extensive features (even in the Free plan).
Plus, it’s the most affordable if you are a social media influencer, small business, or even midsize.
You will simplify your social media process with Publer and profit from its integration and many features.
Start your free trial and find out what differentiates Publer from the competition!
Denisa Lamaj
