Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the established enterprise social management platform: publish, monitor and route a shared inbox across networks, with Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening. It bills per user and has no free plan.
Verified against: hootsuite.comhootsuite.com as of 2026-09-18
Quick verdict: Hootsuite earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment as the enterprise leader — the most capable platform here, with a shared inbox, approval and routing workflows, and Wisdom AI/Talkwalker listening. It fits larger teams that need multi-network monitoring and governance in one seat, with the caveat that Standard at $99/user/month billed annually is the priciest entry and is hard for a solo operator to justify. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Strongest dimension: Functionality (5/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Usability (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: 14-day free trial (no credit card) · $99/user/mo (annual, Standard)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-18. Sources: hootsuite.com, hootsuite.com
Hootsuite pricing details
- 14-day free trial (no credit card)
- paid plans from $99/user/mo (annual, Standard)
- standard $99/user/mo · Professional $199/user/mo · Advanced $399/user/mo (annual billing)
- standard $99/user/mo · Professional $199/user/mo · Advanced $399/user/mo (billed annually)
Hootsuite has no free plan (removed March 2023) — only a 14-day trial with no card. It bills per user, annually. Standard $99/user/mo (up to 10 accounts). Professional $199/user/mo (unlimited accounts, inbox automation). Advanced $399/user/mo (approval workflows, routing). Enterprise is custom. Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening.
In our index: No free plan (14-day trial, no card required); Standard $99/user/mo billed annually; Professional $199/user/mo; Advanced $399/user/mo; per-user
How Hootsuite scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 5/5 (research only)
- Usability: 3/5 (research only)
- Stability: 5/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 5/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 3/5 (research only)
Score rationale: The most capable platform in the cluster for large teams (core 5/5, collaboration 5/5, stability 5/5): approval workflows, routing and a shared inbox Buffer/Publer do not match. The cost is the per-user, annual-only bill — Standard $99/user/mo is the priciest entry in this cluster (value 3/5). Heavier UI (ease 3/5). Research figures from the official plans page.
What Hootsuite does well
- Most capable platform in the cluster (core 5/5, collaboration 5/5, stability 5/5)
- Shared inbox with approval and routing workflows for teams
- Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening
- 14-day trial does not require a credit card
Where Hootsuite falls short
- Priciest entry in the cluster: Standard $99/user/mo, billed annually, no free plan
- Per-user, per-account bill scales fast for large teams
- Heavier enterprise UI with a steeper learning curve
How Hootsuite compares to other Social Media Scheduling tools
Our index tracks 5 Social Media Scheduling tools. Hootsuite sits at 4.1/5, with standard $99/user/mo · professional $199/user/mo · advanced $399/user/mo (billed annually). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- Metricool — 4.2/5 · Free plan · $20/mo (annual)
Metricool is an all-in-one social planner plus analytics platform: schedule across networks, run a content calendar and get built-in analytics and competitor tracking. It bills by brand and has a genuinely useful free tier. - Buffer — 4.0/5 · Free plan · $5/channel/mo (annual)
Buffer is a social scheduling tool built around one clean idea: queue and schedule posts across Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and Threads from a single feed. It bills per channel, not per seat, and its free tier is a real standing plan (3 channels, 1 user) rather than a trial. - Publer — 4.0/5 · Free plan · $5/account/mo (annual)
Publer is a low-cost social planner that bills per account on a flat workspace with unlimited scheduling. Its free tier covers 3 social accounts, and its paid entry is among the cheapest in the cluster when a small team needs many accounts without the per-seat math. - Later — 3.8/5 · 14-day trial (credit card required, auto-charge at expiry) · $18.75/mo (annual)
Later is a social-first scheduler built around a visual Instagram-first grid. It has no free plan — only a 14-day trial that requires a credit card and auto-charges — and bills by 'Social Set' (a bundle of profiles and posts) rather than per user.
Frequently asked questions about Hootsuite
How much does Hootsuite cost?
14-day free trial (no credit card); paid plans from $99/user/mo (annual, Standard); standard $99/user/mo · Professional $199/user/mo · Advanced $399/user/mo (annual billing); standard $99/user/mo · Professional $199/user/mo · Advanced $399/user/mo (billed annually). Billing detail: Hootsuite has no free plan (removed March 2023) — only a 14-day trial with no card. It bills per user, annually. Standard $99/user/mo (up to 10 accounts). Professional $199/user/mo (unlimited accounts, inbox automation). Advanced $399/user/mo (approval workflows, routing). Enterprise is custom. Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening. Figures verified 2026-09-18.
Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
No free plan is listed for Hootsuite, but a trial is offered (14-day free trial (no credit card)). Paid plans start at $99/user/mo (annual, Standard).
What is Hootsuite rated in our index?
Hootsuite sits at 4.1/5 in our index, strongest on functionality (5/5, research only) and weakest on usability (3/5, research only). Hootsuite earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment as the enterprise leader — the most capable platform here, with a shared inbox, approval and routing workflows, and Wisdom AI/Talkwalker listening. It fits larger teams that need multi-network monitoring and governance in one seat, with the caveat that Standard at $99/user/month billed annually is the priciest entry and is hard for a solo operator to justify. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
What are the drawbacks of Hootsuite?
Priciest entry in the cluster: Standard $99/user/mo, billed annually, no free plan Per-user, per-account bill scales fast for large teams Heavier enterprise UI with a steeper learning curve.
What does Hootsuite do well?
Most capable platform in the cluster (core 5/5, collaboration 5/5, stability 5/5) Shared inbox with approval and routing workflows for teams Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening 14-day trial does not require a credit card.
How was Hootsuite verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-18. Sources: hootsuite.com, hootsuite.com.
What are the alternatives to Hootsuite?
We track Buffer, Later, Metricool, Publer as the closest alternatives in our Social Media Scheduling index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against Hootsuite are available.