Hootsuite Review 2026: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Hootsuite: Pioneered social media management. Still relevant in 2026?

At $99/month with no free plan, you need to know what you're actually getting.

Quick Verdict

Best for: Mid-size to enterprise organizations needing social listening and AI content assistance.

Not for: Small businesses, solopreneurs, budget-conscious teams. See cheaper alternatives like Postoplan ($6.90/mo with unlimited users), Postfity ($20/mo with AI content), or PostFlow ($12/mo).

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Pricing Breakdown

2026 Plans

Annual Costs

• Solo user: $1,188/year
• 3-person team: $2,988/year
• Enterprise: $6,000-20,000+/year

Hidden Costs

• No free plan (eliminated 2023)
• Per-user pricing scales fast
• Advanced features locked to Enterprise
• 2-3 weeks learning curve

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Core Features

Publishing & Scheduling

What works:

• Multi-platform support (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube)
• Visual content calendar
• Bulk scheduling (upload spreadsheets)
• Best Time to Publish suggestions

What doesn't:

• Interface feels dated
• Calendar can get cluttered with many accounts

Verdict: Solid but not special. Similar scheduling available for $20-50/month elsewhere.

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OwlyWriter AI

What it does:

• Generates caption drafts
• Suggests hashtags
• Adjusts tone
• Creates variations

Reality check: Usable first drafts that need editing. Not as advanced as dedicated AI tools.

Verdict: Helpful but not a differentiator. Many competitors offer similar or better AI cheaper.

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Social Listening (Hootsuite's Strength)

What you get:

• Brand mention monitoring
• Keyword tracking
• Competitor tracking
• Trend spotting
• Sentiment analysis (Enterprise)

Verdict: Hootsuite's genuine competitive advantage. If brand monitoring is critical, Hootsuite delivers.

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Analytics & Reporting

What's included:

• Post performance metrics
• Audience growth tracking
• Custom reports
• Competitive benchmarking

Quality: Comprehensive. Reports are polished enough for executive presentations.

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Inbox Management

Features:

• Unified inbox across platforms
• Message routing and assignment
• Response templates
• Tags and filters

Reality: Functional but cluttered. Sprout Social's Smart Inbox is more polished.

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Pros and Cons

What Hootsuite Does Well

Where Hootsuite Falls Short

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Who Should Use Hootsuite?

Right For

• Mid-size companies (10+ social accounts)
• Teams needing social listening
• Organizations with compliance requirements
• Enterprises with dedicated social staff
• Agencies with budget for premium tools

Wrong For

• Solopreneurs and freelancers
• Small businesses on a budget
• Teams only needing basic scheduling
• Users wanting simple, intuitive tools
• Visual-first Instagram marketers

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Hootsuite vs Competitors

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Is Hootsuite Worth It?

For enterprises: Maybe. If you need social listening and compliance, Hootsuite delivers. But Sprout Social often wins at enterprise level. See our Sprinklr vs Sprout Social comparison for enterprise options.

For small teams: No. You're paying premium for features you don't need. Better options at $30-50/month.

For solopreneurs: Definitely not. $99/month for one user is overpriced. Buffer (free) or SocialRails ($29) are smarter choices.

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Better Alternatives

For X/Twitter-focused teams, see TweetDeck vs Hootsuite. For AI features at lower cost, compare Viraly pricing.

Try SocialRails free →

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Quick Answers

Is Hootsuite free? No. Free plan eliminated in 2023. Starts at $99/month.

Is Hootsuite worth the money? For enterprises needing social listening, maybe. For small businesses, usually not.

What's the cheapest plan? Professional at $99/month (1 user, 10 accounts).

Does Hootsuite have AI? Yes. OwlyWriter AI generates captions and suggestions.

How does it compare to Buffer? Buffer is simpler and cheaper. Hootsuite has more features at higher cost.

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Final Verdict

Rating: 3.4/5

Hootsuite is capable but showing its age. Social listening is genuinely valuable, and OwlyWriter helps with content. But the cluttered interface, high pricing, and lost free plan push many users toward alternatives.

Recommendation: Try the 30-day free trial if you need social listening. For most users, alternatives deliver 80% of the value at 30% of the price.

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Related

Comparisons:

• Hootsuite vs Ocoya
• Hootsuite vs Narrato
• Hootsuite vs Quuu
• Hootsuite vs OnlyPult
• FeedHive vs Hootsuite
• Emplifi vs Hootsuite
• SOCi vs Hootsuite
• Vista Social vs Hootsuite
• Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
• Hootsuite vs Loomly
• Tailwind vs Hootsuite
• Iconosquare vs Hootsuite
• Zoho Social vs Hootsuite
• eClincher vs Hootsuite
• Agorapulse vs Hootsuite
• Metricool vs Hootsuite
• Canva vs Hootsuite
• Buffer vs Hootsuite
• Nuelink vs Hootsuite
• SocialPilot vs Hootsuite
• SocialBee vs Hootsuite
• Statusbrew vs Hootsuite
• ContentStudio vs Hootsuite
• SocialBu vs Hootsuite
• Crowdfire vs Hootsuite
• Oktopost vs Hootsuite
• HeyOrca vs Hootsuite
• Hootsuite vs Circleboom
• Hootsuite vs Social Champ
• Hootsuite vs Lately
• Hootsuite vs Sociality
• Postcron vs Hootsuite
• Radaar vs Hootsuite

Budget Alternatives:

• Postcron Review
• Postcron Pricing
• Radaar Review
• Radaar Pricing

Enterprise Tools:

• Emplifi Review
• Emplifi Pricing
• Emplifi Alternatives
• Contently Review - Enterprise content creation
• Contently Pricing
• Kapost Review - B2B content operations
• Kapost Pricing
• Kapost Alternatives

Alternatives:

• Hootsuite Alternatives
• Hootsuite Alternatives for Nonprofits
• Cheaper Than Hootsuite
• Hootsuite Pricing
• MavSocial Alternatives
• MavSocial Review
• MavSocial vs Hootsuite
• SocialFlow Alternatives
• SocialFlow Review
• SocialFlow vs Hootsuite

AI Content Tools:

• Predis Review - AI social media generator
• Predis Pricing
• Predis Alternatives

Enterprise Visual Platforms:

• Dash Social Review - Vision AI platform
• Dash Social Pricing
• Dash Social Alternatives
• Cheaper Than Dash Social

More Reviews:

• SocialBee Review
• SocialBee Pricing
• Metricool Review
• Metricool Pricing
• Circleboom Review
• Circleboom Pricing
• Social Champ Review
• Social Champ Pricing
• SocialBee Alternatives
• Metricool Alternatives
• Enji Alternatives - Small business tools
• ContentStudio Review
• ContentStudio Pricing
• SocialBu Review
• SocialBu Pricing
• Crowdfire Review
• Crowdfire Pricing
• Sprinklr Review
• Sprinklr Pricing
• Lately Review - AI content repurposing
• Lately Pricing
• Sociality Review - Social listening alternative
• Sociality Pricing

Niche & Regional Tools:

• Postpone Review - Reddit scheduler (~$20/mo)
• Lomavis Review - German social tool (€24/mo)