Hootsuite alternatives: what to use instead of Hootsuite in 2026

Hootsuite's pricing model is Per user per month, prices based on annual billing, excluding taxes.It has no free plan, and offers a Free 14 day trial on Standard, Professional, Advanced; no credit card required.

For a large company with a social media department, that pricing buys a lot: analytics, an inbox across many networks, an AI assistant and approval workflows on higher plans. For a two person agency or a shop owner, the per user model is harder to justify, because adding a freelancer or a part time helper changes the bill even when the number of accounts stays the same.

The other reasons people give are simpler needs (they mostly schedule and answer comments), a wish to bring clients into approvals without paying for their seats, and networks Hootsuite does not name on its publishing page. Hootsuite names Instagram (feed, Reels, Stories), Facebook Pages, X, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky named on the publishing page. If any of these describe you, an alternative is worth testing.

Sprout Social is priced Per seat per month; $ shown, currency not named. Its Essentials plan is $79 per seat per month billed annually; $99 per seat per month billed monthly; 5 social profiles and its Professional plan is $299 per seat per month (annual billing); unlimited profiles. Its inbox is described as Yes, Smart Inbox: 'comments, DMs and mentions across your connected social profiles', approvals as Yes, 'workflows to guide internal and external team members through approving messages', and it offers 30 days, no credit card required. Sprout describes its Professional plan as Standard: "Perfect for small teams managing a few profiles across social networks". Professional: "Best for teams handling a lot of profiles with high engagement".. Teams leaving Hootsuite for Sprout usually do it for reporting and workflow, not for price.

Metricool has a free plan and paid plans tiered by brands. Its Advanced plan is From $67 per month billed monthly or $53 per month billed annually (15 brands); €54 / €43. Up to 50 brands: $210 / $159, and it includes Advanced and Custom: 'Post approval system'. Its inbox covers Yes; Free: Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, TikTok, YouTube; paid adds LinkedIn; X via add on. For agencies with many small clients, that structure can cost far less than per user pricing.

Schedulely's Agency plan, once plans start, is $99 a month for up to 30 channels with unlimited team members. That suits agencies whose clients mostly need Instagram care and publishing. Agencies that sell analytics reports to clients will be better served by Sprout Social or Metricool.

Hootsuite remains strong in several areas that a smaller tool may not match:

• Inbox breadth: Yes, every plan includes the social inbox; comments and DMs across Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads (Threads limited to comments).
• Automation: Yes, automated Instagram DMs sent when 'a user comments a specific keyword on your post'.
• Analytics: Yes, 'Analytics and reporting' from Standard; custom reports on Professional.
• AI help: Yes, Wisdom AI assistant on every plan; 'Generate posts and images with AI'.
• Bulk scheduling: Bulk scheduler, 'up to 350 posts at once'.
• Apps: iOS and Android.

If your team uses most of these, the per user cost buys real value, and switching would mean losing features rather than saving money. That is especially true for teams that answer WhatsApp, LinkedIn or TikTok conversations in the same place as Instagram.

A fair test: write down which Hootsuite features your team opened last month. If the list is scheduling, a calendar and Instagram comments, try Schedulely free during early access with one or two clients before you decide. If the list includes reports and several inbox networks, stay where you are. Running both tools side by side for a fortnight costs little and shows you the answer in your own numbers rather than in a sales page.