Hootsuite
Social media suite for publishing, inbox and social listening
- #2 of 10 in best social media management tools
- Subscription
- WebiOSAndroid
Ranked 2 of 10 in best social media management tools
A broad suite with a shared inbox, social listening and AI post generation, and approvals on the Advanced plan. Pricing starts at $99 per user a month, so larger teams should compare seat counts.
Best for Teams that want listening and inbox in one suite
About Hootsuite
Hootsuite groups its products under the Social OS name. Perch handles content planning and publishing, Nest runs the social inbox and customer care, and Lumen covers insights and listening. Standard plans manage up to 10 accounts from one calendar, and they include AI post and image generation, a shared inbox and brand monitoring.
Professional plans add unlimited accounts, inbox automation and custom performance reports. Advanced plans add content review and approval with team routing. Plans start at $99 per user a month, and every user needs a seat, which raises the cost for larger teams. The company offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card.
Key features
- Perch publishing
- Nest social inbox
- Lumen listening
- AI post generation
- Approval workflows
Strengths
- Shared inbox and social listening in one tool
- AI post and image generation on Standard
- Approval workflows on the Advanced plan
Limits
- Priced per user, so larger teams pay more
- Approvals and custom reports need higher tiers
Where Hootsuite ranks
How Hootsuite compares
| Product | Score | Price | Platforms | Hosting | Approval steps | AI assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 Sprout Social | 93.5 | Subscription | WebiOSAndroid | Vendor cloud | Post approval workflows on Pro and Advanced | Enhance Post by AI Assist |
| #2Hootsuite | 92.5 | Subscription | WebiOSAndroid | Vendor cloud | Approvals on the Advanced plan | AI post and image generation |
#3 Buffer | 91.0 | Free plan, paid upgrades | WebiOSAndroid | Vendor cloud | Approval workflows on the Team plan | AI Assistant for drafts and repurposing |
#4 Agorapulse | 90.0 | Subscription | Web | Vendor cloud | Simple and multi-step approvals | Agorapulse AI and Archie |
#5 Later | 88.5 | Subscription | WebiOSAndroid | Vendor cloud | Approvals and collaboration | AI captions and content tools |
The full comparison table for best social media management tools has all 10 products.
Alternatives to Hootsuite
All 9 alternatives- Sprout SocialSocial media management suite with publishing, inbox and reporting
- BufferHas a free option.
- AgorapulseSocial inbox, publishing and reporting for social teams
- LaterSocial media planner and scheduler with analytics and an inbox
MetricoolHas a free option.
LoomlySocial media calendar and approval workflows for marketing teams
Related rankings
Questions about Hootsuite
- Is Hootsuite free?
- Hootsuite is a paid product (subscription). 14-day free trial; plans from $99 per user a month.
- Is Hootsuite open source?
- No. Hootsuite is proprietary software; its source code is not public.
- Which platforms does Hootsuite support?
- Hootsuite is available on: Web, iOS, Android.
- What is Hootsuite best for?
- Teams that want listening and inbox in one suite. In our ranking of social media management tools it is number 2 of 10 with a score of 92.5.
- What are the best alternatives to Hootsuite?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Sprout Social, Buffer, Agorapulse, Later.
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