Hootsuite vs Lately 2026: Which One Should You Pick?
TL;DR - Quick Answer
11 min readSee which tool is better for you. We compare pricing, features, and ease of use.
Quick answer: Hootsuite ($99/month) offers social listening and OwlyWriter AI. Lately ($119/month) specializes in AI content repurposing from long-form content.
Choose based on your primary need: monitoring vs repurposing.
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Pricing Side-by-Side
Hootsuite Pricing
Lately Pricing
You need to monitor what people say about your brand online. Which tool?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Key Differences
Social Listening
Hootsuite:
- ✅ Brand mention monitoring
- ✅ Sentiment analysis
- ✅ Competitor tracking
- ✅ Crisis detection
- ✅ Trend identification
Lately:
- ❌ No social listening
- Focus on content creation only
Winner: Hootsuite. Lately doesn't compete here.
AI Content
Hootsuite OwlyWriter:
- Generates captions and posts
- Quick and easy
- Works immediately
- Part of existing workflow
Lately Voice Model:
- Learns your brand voice
- Repurposes long-form content
- Turns blogs/videos into 20+ posts
- Requires 20-40 hours setup
- 60-70% accuracy (needs editing)
Winner: Depends on need. Hootsuite for quick AI. Lately for advanced repurposing.
You produce weekly blog posts and want AI to turn them into social posts. Which tool is built for this?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Setup & Learning Curve
Hootsuite:
- 1-2 hours to get started
- Moderate learning curve
- Extensive features take time
- Widely documented
Lately:
- 20-40 hours initial setup
- Voice Model training required
- Steep learning curve
- Complex for beginners
Winner: Hootsuite. Much faster to start.
Platform Support
Hootsuite: 35+ platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and many more
Lately: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram (4 platforms)
Winner: Hootsuite. Far more platforms.
Integrations
Hootsuite: 150+ integrations (Salesforce, Zendesk, Canva, etc.)
Lately: Limited (Hootsuite, HubSpot, Salesforce, Sprinklr)
Winner: Hootsuite. More ecosystem options.
Cost Comparison
Similar Price Point
Hootsuite is $20/month cheaper with more features for most users.
Team Scenario (3 users)
Lately is cheaper for teams, but lacks Hootsuite's listening features.
You need AI content AND brand monitoring. Budget is $150/month. Best choice?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Pros and Cons
Hootsuite Pros
- ✅ Social listening included
- ✅ 35+ platforms
- ✅ 150+ integrations
- ✅ OwlyWriter AI
- ✅ Reasonable setup time
Hootsuite Cons
- ❌ Gets expensive for teams
- ❌ Per-user pricing
- ❌ Complex interface
- ❌ No content repurposing like Lately
Lately Pros
- ✅ Excellent content repurposing
- ✅ Voice Model learns your brand
- ✅ Multi-format input (video, audio)
- ✅ Enterprise advocacy features
Lately Cons
- ❌ No social listening
- ❌ 20-40 hour setup
- ❌ Only 4 platforms
- ❌ AI needs editing (60-70% accuracy)
- ❌ Steep learning curve
Who Should Use Which?
Pick Hootsuite if you:
- Need brand monitoring
- Want quick AI content
- Use many platforms
- Need lots of integrations
- Want faster setup
- Budget is $99-249/month
Pick Lately if you:
- Produce lots of long-form content
- Need AI content repurposing
- Have 20-40 hours for setup
- Don't need social listening
- Focus on 4 main platforms
- Run employee advocacy programs
Feature Comparison Table
Final decision: Marketing manager at mid-size company needing scheduling, analytics, and brand monitoring. Hootsuite or Lately?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Best Alternative: SocialRails
Want AI content without Hootsuite's complexity or Lately's setup time?
Try SocialRails free →Quick Answers
Is Hootsuite or Lately cheaper? Hootsuite ($99/month) is $20/month cheaper than Lately ($119/month).
Which has better AI? Different strengths. Hootsuite for quick AI posts. Lately for content repurposing.
Which has social listening? Only Hootsuite. Lately doesn't offer brand monitoring.
Which is easier to set up? Hootsuite (1-2 hours) vs Lately (20-40 hours).
Which supports more platforms? Hootsuite (35+) vs Lately (4).
Summary
Hootsuite: Best for teams needing social listening, AI content, and broad platform support.
Lately: Best for enterprises with substantial content needing AI repurposing at scale.
For most users: Hootsuite offers more features at a lower price.
Best alternative: SocialRails at $29-99/month for unlimited AI with quick setup.
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialRelated
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