Social media management is more important than ever for brands looking to build an online presence and connect with customers. As one of the pioneers in the industry, Hootsuite has become a household name, with over 15 million users worldwide relying on its platform to handle social media marketing campaigns.
But in the competitive world of SaaS, Hootsuite faces stiff competition from a growing number of Hootsuite Competitors aiming to usurp the social media management throne.
This post provides a comprehensive comparison of Hootsuite and 8 of its biggest competitors on the market.
By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each platform, readers can gain key insights to determine the best solution for their unique business needs.
Whether you’re an existing Hootsuite customer looking to switch or a new user trying to decide where to begin, this analysis will help guide your decision when selecting a social media management tool. Let’s dive in and explore how Hootsuite stacks up against its rivals.
Hootsuite Overview
Hootsuite is one of the most popular and widely-used social media management platforms.
Its core features include:
- Social media scheduling and publishing across multiple networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.
- A unified inbox for monitoring and engaging with social conversations.
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting on social media activity and performance.
- Team collaboration features for managing social media as a group.
- Customizable workflows and approval processes for content publishing.
The platform is designed to help businesses and organizations streamline social media management, save time, and improve efficiency.
Hootsuite makes it easy to schedule and recycle social content, track campaign performance, and collaborate across teams.
Key benefits include the ability to manage unlimited social profiles, monitor brand mentions and trends, measure ROI, and optimize social strategies.
Hootsuite is used by over 18 million people and trusted by brands like Airbnb, Hulu, IBM, ModCloth, and more.
Hootsuite’s target audience is businesses, agencies, and organizations that manage multiple social media accounts.
It caters to social media managers, digital marketing teams, agencies, and enterprises with sophisticated social needs and workflows.
As one of the first social media management platforms, Hootsuite has established itself as an industry leader.
Its wide adoption, extensive feature set, and brand recognition make it a top choice for social media teams looking for an all-in-one solution.
Importance of Exploring Competitors
Understanding the competitive landscape is crucial for any business in today’s marketplace.
As technology evolves and new solutions emerge, it’s important to research alternatives to your current tools and processes.
Exploring competitors in the social media management space provides several key benefits:
- Identifies potential deficiencies or gaps in your current platform. By analyzing competitors, you may discover useful features you’re missing out on currently. This allows you to make a more informed decision about switching platforms or advocating for new developments.
- Highlights alternative pricing models and plans. Competitors may offer lower pricing, more flexible plans, or different models like per user versus per account. Looking at alternatives helps find potential cost savings.
- Provides inspiration for innovation. Tracking competitors pushes your own platform to constantly improve and add new capabilities. You can discover features to emulate or use as inspiration for brainstorming.
- Allows switching if a competitor is superior. Researching alternatives means you can pivot if a competitor ends up being a better fit. You won’t be locked in if assessing options on an ongoing basis.
- Keeps up with changes over time. Regular competitor analysis ensures you stay up-to-date as new platforms emerge and existing ones evolve. Don’t just rely on initial research.
- Prevents stagnation or complacency. It’s easy to stick with the status quo. Comparing competitors forces you to critically evaluate your current solution rather than becoming complacent.
Overall, thoroughly researching competitors is crucial before making any platform commitment. Don’t just default to your current solution without exploring alternatives first. An informed decision will ensure you select the best social media management platform for your specific needs.
Competitor 7 Overview: RecurPost
RecurPost is recognized for its unique approach to social media management, distinguishing itself as a top alternative to Hootsuite and other competitors with its focus on content recycling and automated scheduling. Designed for businesses, marketers, and entrepreneurs, RecurPost allows for the effective reuse of evergreen content, ensuring that your best posts gain maximum visibility and engagement over time.
Key features of RecurPost include:
- Smart content recycling, which automates the process of resharing evergreen content across your social profiles, maximizing the lifespan and reach of each post.
- A comprehensive content library, allowing for easy organization and access to all types of content, making scheduling and recycling straightforward.
- Advanced scheduling tools that not only allow for the planning and publishing of content across multiple platforms but also suggest optimal posting times based on audience engagement.
- Detailed analytics and reporting capabilities to track the performance of content and adjust strategies based on real-time data.
- White-label reports that offer businesses the ability to generate customized reports with their branding, ideal for agencies managing multiple clients.
- Highest success rate with your posts as they have built systems to handle over 800 common errors due to which posts fail. Most tools have ignored these minor details and that cause a lot of pain to users.
RecurPost’s pricing structure includes a very generous free plan, suitable for individuals and small businesses, offering access to basic features and the ability to manage a limited number of social media accounts. Paid plans start from $20.83/month (when billed annually) and scale up, offering additional features like more social accounts, team members, and advanced analytics.
The platform targets small to medium-sized businesses, digital agencies, and content creators who need an efficient and automated way to manage and recycle their social media content. It’s especially beneficial for users who want to ensure their evergreen content consistently reaches their audience without having to manually schedule repeats.
Comparing RecurPost to Hootsuite, the key differentiator is RecurPost’s emphasis on content recycling, making it an exceptional choice for users who wish to make the most out of their content libraries. While Hootsuite offers broader social media management tools and a wider range of integrations, RecurPost shines for those looking for efficient, automated content repurposing and a streamlined workflow.
RecurPost stands out as an invaluable tool for maximizing content engagement and efficiency in social media strategies, particularly for those who prioritize the longevity and recurring visibility of their content. Its unique features cater to a niche yet essential aspect of social media management, making it a standout choice for users looking to optimize their content’s impact over time.
Competitor 2 Overview: Later
Later is a visually focused social media management platform that stands out as a strong competitor to Hootsuite, especially for brands and businesses that prioritize image and video content. Later is renowned for its ease of use in scheduling and publishing visual content across key platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Key features of Later include:
- Visual content calendar for easy scheduling and organization of posts.
- Linkin.bio feature to create clickable, shoppable galleries that mimic Instagram feeds, driving traffic from social posts to product pages.
- Auto-publishing for Instagram posts, stories, and even Pinterest pins, saving time and maintaining consistency in posting schedules.
- User-generated content (UGC) curation tools that allow brands to easily find, curate, and credit content from their community.
- Advanced analytics and insights, including best times to post for maximum engagement.
In terms of pricing, Later offers a free plan for individuals and small businesses, with basic features and up to 30 posts per month. Paid plans start at $12.50/month when billed annually and scale up with additional features like more posts per month, additional social sets (profiles), and more advanced analytics.
Later’s target audience primarily consists of small to medium-sized businesses, marketers, and content creators who are heavily invested in visual storytelling and brand aesthetics. The platform is particularly popular among Instagram and Pinterest users due to its visual-first approach and user-friendly scheduling tools.
When compared to Hootsuite, Later focuses more on the visual aspects and ease of scheduling and publishing content, making it a favorite for businesses and creators who prioritize imagery and video in their social media strategy. Hootsuite offers broader capabilities across more platforms and more extensive tools for team collaboration and social listening. For users whose social media strategy is heavily reliant on visuals and looking for a straightforward tool to manage and plan their content visually, Later may offer a more tailored solution.
This overview positions Later as a compelling option for brands and businesses that lean towards visual storytelling, offering a suite of tools designed to enhance visual content management and engagement across popular social platforms.
Competitor 3 Overview: Buffer
Buffer is another major competitor to Hootsuite in the social media management space. Some of the key features offered by Buffer include:
- Streamlined social media scheduling and publishing across multiple networks
- Team collaboration tools, allowing for easy post drafting and approval processes
- Analytics and reporting on post performance and engagement
- Integration with major CRM systems for comprehensive customer interaction tracking
In terms of pricing, Buffer has tiered plans starting at $15/month for up to 3 social channels. The more advanced plans, such as the Premium and Business plans, offer additional features like unlimited users, advanced analytics, and priority support, priced at $65/month and $99/month respectively.
Buffer’s target market skews more towards small to mid-size businesses and digital marketing professionals who need a user-friendly interface with essential features for managing a smaller number of social media accounts. The platform is less ideal for larger enterprises with complex social media management needs.
When comparing Buffer to Hootsuite, a few noticeable differences emerge:
- Buffer offers a more straightforward user interface and focuses on simplicity, making it particularly appealing for smaller teams or those new to social media management.
- Hootsuite provides a broader set of features and integrations, catering to more complex social media management needs and larger teams.
- Buffer’s pricing model can be more accessible for small businesses, while Hootsuite’s comprehensive plans are suited for larger organizations needing extensive features.
Overall, Buffer is a leading alternative for businesses prioritizing ease of use and efficiency in their social media management, but Hootsuite remains a versatile option for those requiring a broader set of tools and integrations.
Competitor 4 Overview: Sendible
Sendible is another popular social media management platform that competes directly with Hootsuite. Some of its key features include:
- Advanced social media monitoring and listening tools across multiple platforms
- Comprehensive content scheduling and publishing capabilities
- Detailed analytics and reporting on campaign performance and audience engagement
- Collaboration features for teams, including customizable workflows and user permissions
- Mobile apps for on-the-go social media management
In terms of pricing, Sendible’s plans start at $29/month for up to 12 services, with services acting as a combination of social media accounts, monitoring keywords, or automation. The larger plans, like the Large plan priced at $199/month, offer up to 105 services, making Sendible scalable for both small businesses and agencies.
The target market for Sendible includes digital marketing agencies and medium to large businesses that require a comprehensive and scalable solution for managing and measuring their social media efforts.
Compared to Hootsuite, Sendible offers more advanced social media monitoring and analytics features, providing deep insights into campaign performance and audience behavior. However, Hootsuite maintains an advantage in terms of the sheer number of integrations with third-party apps and platforms. Therefore, for businesses focusing on analytics and reporting, Sendible may offer the edge, but Hootsuite’s versatility and integration options keep it a strong contender.
Competitor 5 Overview: Agorapulse
Agorapulse is a leading contender in the social media management space, known for its comprehensive feature set. Some standout features include:
- Advanced scheduling and publishing tools across major social platforms
- In-depth analytics and customizable reporting features
- CRM functionalities for tracking follower interactions and history
- Collaborative tools for teams, including content approval workflows and assignment tracking
- Automated moderation to streamline engagement and maintain brand voice
Agorapulse’s pricing starts at $79/month for small teams, with the Medium plan at $159/month, and the Large plan at $239/month, catering to a range of business sizes. The Enterprise plan offers custom solutions for larger organizations.
Targeting mid-market to large enterprises, Agorapulse provides a blend of robust analytics, CRM integration, and team collaboration tools. It stands out for businesses that require detailed reporting and a strong focus on engagement and community management.
In comparison to Hootsuite, Agorapulse offers a more streamlined approach to engagement and analytics, with features like automated moderation and a unified social inbox. While Hootsuite may provide a wider array of integrations and a flexible platform for managing diverse social media campaigns, Agorapulse focuses on efficiency and depth in social engagement and analytics, making it an excellent option for teams prioritizing interaction with their audience.
Competitor 7: Sprout Social
Sprout Social is one of the top competitors to Hootsuite when it comes to social media management platforms. Sprout Social offers robust social media engagement, publishing, analytics and reporting tools across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.
Some of the key features of Sprout Social include:
- Social inbox for managing all incoming messages and comments from social networks in one unified view. This allows you to easily respond, assign, track and report on messages.
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting on social media performance. You can track important metrics like engagement, sentiment, and impressions. Sprout also provides data visualizations.
- Smart social listening capabilities to monitor brand mentions, keywords, and hashtags. You can also track competitors and influencers.
- Social CRM tools to manage relationships and integrate social media into customer support workflows.
- Powerful social publishing and scheduling tools with team collaboration features and approval workflows.
- Instagram business profiles support to track analytics, schedule posts, and respond to Instagram comments and messages.
In terms of pricing, Sprout Social offers four paid plans: Standard ($99/mo), Advanced ($149/mo), Pro ($249/mo) and Enterprise (custom quote). There is also a 30 day free trial. This puts Sprout Social at a comparable or slightly higher price point than Hootsuite.
Sprout Social stands out with its focus on social listening, analytics, CRM and team workflows. The platform is ideal for social media teams who want robust analytics and collaboration features. However, Sprout lacks the breadth of social network integrations that Hootsuite supports. Hootsuite also offers more flexibility for managing multiple brand accounts.
Comparative Analysis
When evaluating Hootsuite against its competitors, some key similarities and differences emerge:
Similarities:
- All platforms offer core social media management features like content scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration capabilities.
- Most cater to small, medium, and large businesses rather than just individuals.
- Pricing tiers are generally based on number of users, accounts, and capabilities.
Differences:
- Unique features like video creation, employee advocacy, and lead generation differentiate the platforms. Hootsuite offers some of these capabilities while others specialize in different areas.
- Some competitors emphasize ease of use for beginners while others focus on advanced functionality for power users.
- Pricing and free plans vary significantly. Hootsuite’s free plan is one of the most limited.
Our Pick for Hootsuite Competitor
If you want to go with our recommendation it is RecurPost. It has everything that other tools have and then a lot more. It is built with customers’ needs in mind. Their support is best in the industry and the success rate of their posts is highest.
