Buffer vs Hootsuite (2026): price per channel or price per seat
Buffer charges per channel and has a free plan. Hootsuite charges per user and starts at $99 a month. Here is who each one suits.
Short answer
Pick Buffer if you are one person or a small team posting to a handful of channels: it has a free plan and paid channels start at $5 a month on annual billing. Pick Hootsuite only if you need a team platform with approvals and an inbox and can pay $99 or more per user per month.
| Buffer | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5 / channel / mo | $99 / user / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Not listed | Not listed |
| Networks | 11 | 9 |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| AI assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Fits | Solo, Small team | Agency, Enterprise |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| X | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Google Business | Yes | No |
| Mastodon | Yes | No |
How the pricing differs
The two tools price on different units, which matters more than the headline number.
- Buffer charges per channel. Essentials is $5 per channel per month and Team is $10, both on annual billing. Five channels on Essentials come to $25 a month.
- Hootsuite charges per user. Standard is $99 per user per month on annual billing and covers 10 social accounts. Hootsuite does not publish its month-to-month price.
For a solo operator with five channels, that is $25 against $99 a month. The gap only closes for teams that need Hootsuite's workflow features.
Free plans
Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels, 1 user and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Hootsuite has no free plan.
Networks
Buffer lists more networks, including Google Business Profile and Mastodon. Hootsuite covers the major networks, and handles Google Business Profile through a separate app integration rather than its core publisher.
Who should choose which
- Buffer: creators, freelancers and small teams who mostly need a reliable queue across many networks.
- Hootsuite: larger teams that need approvals, a shared inbox, listening and analytics in one place, and budget per seat.