Hootsuite Alternatives: 15 Tools Compared on Price (2026)

Florian and I run 4 brands from one Pozy workspace: Pozy, Distribb, his podcast and his own accounts. That's 14 social accounts on Instagram, X, YouTube and Threads, and we both work in it.

On Hootsuite, that setup doesn't fit the first plan. Standard stops at 10 accounts. So it's Professional, at $199 a person a month billed yearly. For the two of us, $398 a month.

On Pozy it's the Pro plan: $39 a month billed yearly, for 30 accounts and as many people as we want. I co-founded Pozy, so read my first pick with that in mind. It's also the social media scheduler I grew my own Instagram with.

Most people leaving Hootsuite don't need another big tool. They need the part of Hootsuite they really use, at a price that doesn't grow with every person on the team. That's what this list sorts out.

#How I tested them

I've tried each of these 15 tools, and our own posting runs on Pozy. I compared all 15 next to Hootsuite on what makes people leave it:

• What you really pay for 3 setups, from each tool's own pricing page, next to Hootsuite's price for the same setup.
• Whether it keeps what you use Hootsuite for: the inbox for comments and DMs, approvals, reports.
• The small print: accounts per plan, people per plan, X add-ons, what the free plan leaves out.
• Which plans let Claude or ChatGPT post for you.

Two rules for the prices. I compare yearly prices everywhere, because they're lower, and say so. A "user" or a "seat" is one person who logs in. An account, channel, profile or page all mean one connected social account.

#Why people leave Hootsuite

Hootsuite does a lot: scheduling, one inbox, reports, listening, employee advocacy. Most people leave over the price, not the features.

• You pay per person. Standard is $99 a user a month billed yearly. A team of 3 pays $297 a month before anything else.
• Standard stops at 10 accounts. One more and you're on Professional, at $199 a user.
• Approvals cost the most. Its plans page puts "Review and approve content with your team" on Advanced, at $399 a user.
• There is no free plan. The 14-day trial caps posting at 10 to 20 posts a day, and bulk scheduling is off until you pay.
• You use a fraction of it. If you schedule posts and answer comments, you still pay for brand monitoring and trend forecasts you may never open.
• Support and billing. On Trustpilot, Hootsuite scores 1.3 out of 5 from 556 reviews (8 Nov 2026). More on that below.

Hootsuite still wins on some things: listening (tracking what people say about your brand) across social and the web, employee advocacy (getting your staff to share posts), and big teams whose messages get sent to the right person automatically. If that's you, look at Sprout Social or stay.

#What Hootsuite costs in 2026

From its plans page on 8 November 2026, billed yearly, before tax:

On 8 November a fall sale took 50% off Standard.

#The best Hootsuite alternatives at a glance

#What you'd pay instead of Hootsuite

The cheapest switch depends on how many accounts you run and how many people log in. Prices are per month, billed yearly, before tax, from each pricing page on 8 November 2026.

How I counted:

• The setups. 3 accounts means Instagram, X and LinkedIn. The 10 accounts don't need X.
• Hootsuite: Standard at full price, $99 a user, for up to 10 accounts ($49.50 during its fall sale on 8 November).
• Pozy: 10 accounts are its Team plan, with no limit on people. X posts add X's own price: 1.5 cents, or 20 cents with a link.
• Statusbrew: Lite is 1 user and 5 profiles. Standard is 3 users and 10 profiles.
• Publer: the price per account drops as you add more, from its own calculator, and a team adds 2 members.
• SocialPilot: Essentials has 7 accounts and 1 user, extra accounts are $4 each, and Standard has 15 accounts and 3 users.
• Later: needs Growth past 8 profiles, plus $3.75 for a third user.
• Planable: prices are per workspace, with unlimited users.
• Vista Social: Professional is 2 users and 15 profiles ($950 a year). Advanced is 3 users ($1,910 a year).
• Sendible: Core has 6 profiles and Plus has 18, both with unlimited users.
• CoSchedule: Starter is 1 user and 3 profiles, with extra profiles at $5 and X profiles at $16. Professional is 2 users and 5 profiles, plus $29 a seat.
• SocialBee: Bootstrap has 5 profiles and 1 user, 5 more profiles are $150 a year, and each extra user is $100 a year. Pro has 25 profiles and 3 users.
• Metricool: counts "brands", one account per network each, so 10 accounts take 1 to 10 brands. Teams need Advanced.
• Sprout: needs Professional past 5 profiles.

#Where the inbox and approvals start

If you use Hootsuite for the inbox or for approvals, check the plan you'd need. From each pricing page on 8 November 2026, billed yearly:

#The 15 best Hootsuite alternatives

Pozy comes first. It's built for your AI to do the posting. After that come the closest replacements for Hootsuite's inbox and team features, then the simpler and cheaper schedulers.

#1. Pozy

Pros: Claude or ChatGPT posts, answers comments and reads your numbers for you. The inbox, approvals and bulk scheduling are on every plan. You pay one flat price, and from Team up, never per person.

Cons: No free plan, X posts cost extra at X's own price, and no social listening.

For who: Founders and small teams who want Hootsuite's posting and inbox without paying for every person who logs in.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on pozy.ai/pricing): Standard is $29 a month, or $23 billed yearly, for 5 channels and 1 person. Team is $39, or $31 billed yearly, for 10 channels and unlimited people. Pro is $39 billed yearly for 30 channels. 7-day free trial, card required.

Next to Hootsuite: approvals sit on Hootsuite's $399 Advanced plan. On Pozy, every plan can hold posts until you approve them.

You add Pozy to Claude with one link (ChatGPT needs its developer mode turned on), then ask in plain words. It posts to 13 networks, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky and Google Business.

What else it does:

• One inbox. Comments, DMs and reviews in one list (reply to comments).
• Instagram trial Reels from your AI. A trial Reel is shown to people who don't follow you first: a free way to test a new hook (how trial Reels work). Florian posted one on @profitablefounder on 4 November 2026.
• A month at once. Send a spreadsheet of posts and Pozy checks every row before it schedules (bulk upload).

Try this in Claude once Pozy is connected:

Use Pozy for this. Post this video on Instagram as a trial Reel with this hook: [hook]. Let me decide later whether my followers see it.

#2. Buffer

Pros: The simplest free plan here, cheap per-channel pricing, and ChatGPT and Claude connections on every plan, even free.

Cons: Approvals are only on Team, which costs twice as much per channel.

For who: Solo creators and small businesses who only used Hootsuite to schedule.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on buffer.com/pricing): Free for 3 channels, with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time. Essentials is $5 a channel a month, billed yearly ($60 a year per channel). Team is $10 a channel. 14-day trial.

Next to Hootsuite: a solo account with 3 channels pays $15 a month instead of $99. You keep a comment inbox, even on free, but give up brand monitoring.

#3. Agorapulse

Pros: Unlimited posts and one inbox for messages and comments, the part of Hootsuite most teams live in. A free plan, a 30-day trial with no card, and a Claude and ChatGPT connection on every plan.

Cons: Approvals start on Professional, at $119 a user, bulk scheduling on Advanced at $149, and every plan is priced per user.

For who: Community managers who spend their day answering comments and DMs.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on agorapulse.com/pricing): Standard is $79 a user a month billed yearly ($99 monthly) for 10 profiles. Professional is $119 and Advanced $149. X has its own add-ons, price on request.

Next to Hootsuite: the same 10 profiles and one inbox for $20 less a user, plus a free plan.

#4. Sprout Social

Pros: Reports a boss can read, best send times, and a 30-day free trial with no card.

Cons: It costs as much as Hootsuite, and Essentials and Standard stop at 5 profiles.

For who: Companies with a social team that reports to management and wants a cleaner Hootsuite.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on sproutsocial.com/pricing): Essentials is $79 a seat a month billed yearly ($99 monthly) for 5 profiles. Standard is $199 a seat, with the inbox and review management. Professional is $299 a seat, with no profile limit. Its AI teammate, Trellis, comes with every plan. Trellis Plus is $28 a seat a month on top.

Next to Hootsuite: this is a switch for the reports, not for the price.

#5. Sendible

Pros: Unlimited users on every plan, an inbox, bulk scheduling and reports ready for clients.

Cons: Core stops at 6 profiles and 100 posts sent a day, and approvals start on Plus.

For who: Agencies and multi-location businesses with many people in one account.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on sendible.com/pricing): Core is $30 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly) for 6 profiles. Plus is $84 billed yearly ($99 monthly) for 18 profiles and 3 workspaces. 14-day trial.

Next to Hootsuite: a team of 3 with 10 accounts pays $84 instead of $297.

#6. SocialPilot

Pros: 7 accounts from $25.50, a connection to Claude and ChatGPT listed on its plans, and extra users at $5 a month from Standard.

Cons: Bulk scheduling starts on Premium, at $85 a month, and Essentials is 1 user.

For who: Small teams and freelancers who want more accounts per dollar.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on socialpilot.co/plans): Essentials is $25.50 a month billed yearly ($30 monthly) for 7 accounts and 1 user. Standard is $42.50 for 15 accounts and 3 users. Premium is $85 for 25 accounts. Extra accounts are $4 a month.

Next to Hootsuite: Standard gives 3 people the inbox and approvals for $42.50 a month, all three together.

#7. Vista Social

Pros: 15 profiles and 2 users from $79, an inbox, DM automations and a Claude and ChatGPT connection listed on its plans.

Cons: X is a $29 a month add-on on every plan, and full listening is $75 a month more.

For who: Small teams that want scheduling, the inbox and DM automations in one tool. A DM automation sends a reply by DM on its own, like a link to anyone who comments a word.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on vistasocial.com/pricing): Professional is $950 a year (about $79 a month, or $80 monthly) for 2 users and 15 profiles. Advanced is $1,910 a year (about $159 a month) for 3 users. 14-day trial.

Next to Hootsuite: two people and 15 profiles cost less than one Hootsuite Standard seat at full price.

#8. Statusbrew

Pros: One inbox and bulk scheduling on every plan, rules that handle comments on their own from Standard, and free help moving from your old tool.

Cons: Lite costs $69 for 1 user and 5 profiles, and its Claude and ChatGPT connection is on Enterprise only.

For who: Brands with busy comment sections that need moderation more than posting.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on statusbrew.com/pricing): Lite is $69 a month billed yearly ($89 monthly) for 1 user and 5 profiles. Standard is $129 for 3 users and 10 profiles. Premium is $229 for 6 users and 15 profiles, with approvals and listening. 14-day trial, no card.

Next to Hootsuite: a team of 3 with 10 profiles pays $129 instead of $297.

#9. Planable

Pros: Your first 50 posts are free, with no time limit. Unlimited users, approval steps for clients, and a Claude and ChatGPT connection on every plan.

Cons: Basic publishes 1 X post every 24 hours, and the inbox and analytics are paid add-ons.

For who: Agencies and teams where a client or a boss approves every post.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on planable.io/pricing): Basic is $33 a workspace a month billed yearly, for 60 posts and 4 social pages. Pro is $49 for 150 posts and 10 pages. Analytics is $12 and the inbox $7.50 a workspace a month on top.

Next to Hootsuite: approvals for the whole team at $33 a workspace, instead of $399 a user.

#10. Publer

Pros: The lowest paid price here for 1 to 3 accounts, a free plan with 3 accounts, and a Claude and ChatGPT connection on its Business plan.

Cons: No inbox listed on any plan, and no X on the free plan.

For who: Solo creators and small teams who want unlimited scheduling for the least money.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on publer.com/pricing): Free for 3 accounts. Professional is $5 an account a month, or $4 billed yearly. Business is $10, or $8 billed yearly.

Next to Hootsuite: 3 accounts with X for $9.60 a month instead of $99.

#11. Metricool

Pros: Free analytics for 30 days of data, 5 competitors to watch, and a Claude and ChatGPT connection listed on the free plan.

Cons: No LinkedIn or X on free, and X costs $10 a month per account on every paid plan.

For who: People who used Hootsuite's reports and post on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on metricool.com/pricing): Free for 1 brand and 20 scheduled posts a month. Starter from $20 a month billed yearly ($25 monthly) for up to 5 brands. Advanced from $53 a month billed yearly.

Next to Hootsuite: 5 brands for $20 a month, against $99 for one Hootsuite seat.

#12. Later

Pros: Built around Instagram and TikTok, with a best time to post for both and a link in bio page on Starter.

Cons: X isn't in Later's networks at all, and Starter lets you schedule up to 30 posts per profile a month.

For who: Creators and brands whose feed lives on Instagram and TikTok.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on later.com/pricing): Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly, for one "social set" (one account per network) and 1 user. Growth is $37.50 for 2 sets and 2 users. Scale is $82.50. 14-day trial. On 8 November a banner offered 6 months free on yearly Growth and Scale plans.

Next to Hootsuite: an Instagram-first planner for a fifth of the price, if you can live without X.

#13. SocialBee

Pros: Content categories that re-share your evergreen posts (ones that stay useful for months) on a schedule, and an AI Copilot.

Cons: 1 user until Pro (extra users are $100 a year), and no Claude or ChatGPT connection listed.

For who: Solo marketers who want a steady mix of posts without writing new ones every day.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on socialbee.com/pricing): Bootstrap is $24.20 a month billed yearly ($290 a year) for 5 profiles and 1 user. Accelerate is $40.80 for 10 profiles. Pro is $82.50 for 25 profiles and 3 users. 14-day trial.

Next to Hootsuite: 5 profiles for about a quarter of one Standard seat.

#14. Loomly

Pros: 12 accounts and 3 people on the first plan, with approval steps and reports.

Cons: You pay for the team even alone, and its integrations page lists no X.

For who: A team of 2 or 3 that wants approvals without per-user pricing.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on loomly.com/pricing): Starter is $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year) for 12 accounts and 3 users. Beyond is $249 a month billed yearly for 60 accounts and unlimited users.

Next to Hootsuite: 3 people with approvals for $49 a month, instead of $1,197 on Advanced.

#15. CoSchedule

Pros: One calendar for blog posts and social posts, automatic re-sharing of your best posts, and a free plan.

Cons: X profiles cost $16 a month each, and Starter is 1 user and 3 profiles.

For who: Marketers who plan blog content and social posts together.

Pricing (checked 8 Nov 2026 on coschedule.com/pricing): Starter is $29 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for 1 user and 3 profiles, plus $5 a month per extra profile. Professional is $49 for 2 users and 5 profiles. The free plan holds up to 15 scheduled posts at a time on 1 profile.

Next to Hootsuite: one person with 3 profiles pays $29 a month instead of $99.

#Can your AI post for you?

Most of these tools now connect to Claude or ChatGPT through MCP. That's the open standard that lets an AI assistant use another app for you, like a plug.

Hootsuite has its own: Perch for posts, Nest for the inbox, Lumen for listening and Parliament for advocacy. Its Perch connector drafts and schedules posts from Claude or ChatGPT, and its examples include publishing. Its FAQ says "organizations maintain control over publishing".

On 8 November 2026:

So you don't have to leave Hootsuite to get an AI connection. You leave it for the price. On Pozy, your AI can also post Instagram trial Reels and answer DMs, on every plan.

#The X (Twitter) costs

X changes the price more than any other network. On 8 November 2026:

• Later: X isn't in its networks at all.
• Loomly: its integrations page lists no X.
• Publer: no X on the free plan.
• Metricool: $10 a month for each X account.
• Vista Social: X is a $29 a month add-on.
• CoSchedule: $16 a month for each X profile.
• Agorapulse: sells X add-ons, price on request.
• Planable: 1 X post every 24 hours on Basic.
• Pozy: X's own price per post, 1.5 cents, or 20 cents with a link.

#The best free Hootsuite alternatives

Hootsuite has no free plan. These do:

• Buffer: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, and AI connections even on free.
• Metricool: 1 brand, 20 posts a month, 30 days of analytics. No LinkedIn or X.
• Publer: 3 accounts, 10 scheduled posts each. No X.
• Planable: your first 50 posts, with no time limit and no card.
• CoSchedule: up to 15 scheduled posts at a time on 1 profile.
• Agorapulse: a free plan you can keep, says its pricing FAQ.
• Meta Business Suite: Meta's own tool, free, for Facebook and Instagram only.

The others are free only during their trial, Pozy included.

#The cheapest Hootsuite alternatives

For one person with 3 accounts, Buffer's free plan, then Publer at $9.60 a month. For a team of 3 with 10 accounts, four sit within $12 of each other. Pozy's Team plan is $31, plus X posts at X's rate. Publer is $32, with no inbox. Later is $41.25 and SocialPilot $42.50. Hootsuite charges $297.

#How to switch from Hootsuite without losing a post

1. Export your calendar. Hootsuite's plans page lists content calendar exporting. Export the posts still to come into a spreadsheet, and keep your images and videos ready to attach again.
2. Write down your accounts and who can do what. Which profiles are connected, who drafts and who approves.
3. Start the trial and connect your accounts. Each one signs in on its own network's page.
4. Rebuild your approvals before any post goes through the new tool.
5. Import the spreadsheet, if your new tool takes one, or rebuild the queue by hand. Check the images and videos came along.
6. Run both for a week. Delete each post from Hootsuite once the new tool has it, so nothing goes out twice.
7. Cancel in writing before your renewal date. Keep your exported reports first.

With Pozy, step 5 is one message, plus your media. Give Claude the export and ask:

Use Pozy for this. Turn this spreadsheet into scheduled posts on the same accounts and times. Check every row first and tell me about any that would fail. If you cannot see Pozy's tools yet, tell me how to connect Pozy first.

#How to choose your Hootsuite alternative

Ask yourself four questions:

• What do you really use in Hootsuite? Only scheduling: Buffer, Publer or Pozy. The inbox: Agorapulse, Statusbrew, Vista Social, Buffer or Pozy. Reports for a boss: Sprout Social or Metricool.
• How many people log in? Per-user prices (Hootsuite, Agorapulse, Sprout) grow with the team. Sendible, Planable and Pozy's Team plan don't.
• Does someone approve posts? Planable, Sendible, Loomly and Pozy have approvals without the $399 plan.
• Do you want your AI to do the work? Pick one whose connection posts, not just drafts.

#What users say

Hootsuite's recent reviews on Trustpilot keep coming back to three things:

• Support. One reviewer in March 2026 put it in five words: "Pricey, but leaves customers stranded."
• Accounts that disconnect. In August 2026, a long-time customer wrote that all their accounts vanished overnight, and reconnecting them one by one took months.
• Renewals. Several reviewers say they were charged again after they thought they had cancelled.

#Which one should you pick?

• You'd rather tell your AI what to post and answer: Pozy. That's why we built it.
• You want it free: Buffer for 3 channels, Metricool if you want the numbers too.
• You pay for 1 to 3 accounts, alone: Publer for the price.
• You live in the inbox: Agorapulse, or Statusbrew for heavy moderation.
• You're an agency: Sendible for unlimited users, Planable for client approvals.
• You're a team of 3: Pozy's Team plan ($31), Publer ($32), SocialPilot ($42.50) or Loomly ($49) for approvals.
• Your feed is Instagram and TikTok: Later.
• You report to a boss: Sprout Social.

#Questions

What is the best alternative to Hootsuite? If you want your AI to post and answer for you, Pozy. Otherwise, it depends on what you used Hootsuite for. Buffer for simple scheduling, Agorapulse for the inbox, Sendible for agencies, Sprout Social for company reports.

Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite? Yes. Buffer is free for 3 channels. Metricool, Publer, CoSchedule and Agorapulse have free plans too, and Planable gives your first 50 posts free. Meta Business Suite is free for Facebook and Instagram.

Does Hootsuite have a free plan? No. It has a 14-day free trial, with 10 to 20 posts a day and no bulk scheduling until you pay.

How much does Hootsuite cost in 2026? Standard is $99 a user a month billed yearly, for 10 accounts. Professional is $199 and Advanced $399 a user. Enterprise is on request. On 8 November 2026 a sale took 50% off Standard.

What is the cheapest Hootsuite alternative? Buffer's free plan, then Publer for 1 to 3 paid accounts. For a team of 3 with 10 accounts, three sit close. Pozy's Team plan is $31, plus X posts. Publer is $32. Later is $41.25.

Is Buffer cheaper than Hootsuite? Yes. Buffer is $5 a channel a month billed yearly, so 3 channels cost $15. Hootsuite starts at $99 a user.

Which is better, Hootsuite or Buffer? Buffer for small accounts that only schedule. Hootsuite for big teams that need the inbox, listening and advocacy.

What's the best Hootsuite alternative for agencies? Sendible, for unlimited users and client reports. Planable if clients approve every post. Pozy if you want one project per client and your AI doing the posting, with no limit on people from Team up.

What's the best Hootsuite alternative for small businesses? Buffer or Publer for 1 to 3 networks. Pozy if you already use Claude or ChatGPT at work. SocialPilot for a small team on a budget.

Does any Hootsuite alternative include social listening? Statusbrew's Premium plan includes it, and Loomly's Starter plan includes a little. Sprout Social, Agorapulse, Vista Social and Planable sell it as an add-on. Pozy doesn't.

Can I switch from Hootsuite without losing my posts? Yes. Export your calendar from Hootsuite, import it in the new tool, and run both for a week before you cancel.

Can Claude or ChatGPT post through Hootsuite? Yes. Hootsuite's Perch connector drafts and schedules posts from Claude or ChatGPT, and its FAQ says "organizations maintain control over publishing". Pozy's connection also posts trial Reels and answers DMs. It shows you the plan first.

Is Pozy free? No. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial, card required. After that it's from $23 a month billed yearly. Cancel before the 7 days end and you pay nothing for the plan.