Hootsuite alternatives: cheaper picks by team size and need
Hootsuite starts at $99 per user a month billed yearly. Alternatives with flat team pricing, a free plan or a cheaper suite, priced from each vendor's page.
The best Hootsuite alternative depends on what you're paying for: a team on a budget should look at Sendible or SocialPilot, which don't charge per user; a small business can start free on Zoho Social or Buffer; and if you want a full suite like Hootsuite, Agorapulse is the closest at a lower per-seat price.
What this means for you
Hootsuite charges for every person who logs in. One person on the entry plan costs $99 a month on yearly billing, and three people cost three times that. Most alternatives below charge one price for the whole team, or start free. Pick the one that fixes your biggest cost, and check that it covers your networks.
The details
What Hootsuite costs today. Standard is $149 per user a month, or $99 billed yearly, for 10 social accounts. Professional is $299 or $199 per user for unlimited accounts, and Advanced is $499 or $399 per user, adding approvals and team workflows. There is no free plan; the 14-day trial needs no card but is limited to 10 to 20 posts a day. More on the Hootsuite tool page and in the full Hootsuite review.
| Users | Hootsuite Standard, billed yearly |
|---|---|
| 1 | $99 a month |
| 3 | $297 a month |
| 5 | $495 a month |
You have a team: pay once, not per person
- Sendible: unlimited users on every plan. Core is $29.75 a month billed yearly for 6 profiles; Plus is $84.15 for 18 profiles, 3 workspaces and approvals. Built for agencies with client workspaces.
- SocialPilot: Standard is $42.50 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts, 3 users, an inbox, analytics and approvals. Premium is $85 for 25 accounts, 6 users and client approvals.
- Vista Social: Professional is $79.17 a month billed yearly for 15 profiles and 2 users; Advanced is $159.17 for 30 profiles and 3 users.
- Zoho Social: Premium is $40 per brand a month billed yearly, with 3 team members and approvals.
For three people, SocialPilot Standard costs $42.50 a month against $297 on Hootsuite Standard, with 15 accounts instead of 10.
You want the same kind of suite for less
- Agorapulse: inbox, publishing and reporting from $79 per user a month billed yearly, for 10 profiles. Still per seat, but $20 less per person than Hootsuite Standard.
- Sprout Social: the closest match in reporting depth. Essentials is also $79 per user billed yearly, but it stops at 5 profiles; see Hootsuite vs Sprout Social.
- Statusbrew: flat plans with an inbox and moderation rules. Standard is $129 a month billed yearly for 3 users and 10 profiles; Premium is $229 for 6 users, 15 profiles, approvals and listening.
You only need to schedule
- Buffer: free for 3 channels, then $5 per channel a month billed yearly. A second user needs the Team plan at $10 per channel. See Buffer vs Hootsuite.
- Zoho Social: free for one brand with 6 channels and 1 team member.
- PlanPost: one price for the account, from $16.58 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts and 1,000 posts a month, with an API. There's a free plan for 2 accounts and 30 posts a month, the 7-day trial on paid plans needs a card, and it covers 7 networks, without Pinterest or Google Business Profile.
Not sure which fits? The scheduler picker matches tools to your networks and team.
What to do next
- Business owners: If you're the only person posting, start with Zoho Social's or Buffer's free plan before paying for a suite.
- Marketers and agencies: Count your users, then price SocialPilot or Sendible against your Hootsuite renewal: per-seat pricing is where the difference is.
- Developers: Nothing new. Each platform's API rules are in the API changelog.
Questions people ask
What is cheaper than Hootsuite for a team?
Tools that don't charge per user. Sendible includes unlimited users from $29.75 a month billed yearly, and SocialPilot Standard covers 3 users and 15 accounts for $42.50. Three users on Hootsuite Standard cost $297 a month billed yearly.
Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
Yes. Zoho Social's free plan covers one brand with 6 channels, and Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each. Hootsuite has no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
Which Hootsuite alternative is most like it?
Sprout Social and Agorapulse are the closest: both are full suites with an inbox, publishing and reporting, and both charge per user. Agorapulse starts at $79 per user a month billed yearly for 10 profiles.
Sources
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