How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Buffer is the simplest Hootsuite alternative, with publishing, community replies, and insights across every major platform.
- Sprout Social suits larger teams that need engagement, listening, and influencer tools, starting at 79 dollars per month.
- Agorapulse and Metricool both offer genuinely free plans, making them the best no-cost starting points.
- Sendible includes unlimited users on every plan, which undercuts per-seat pricing from Hootsuite, Sprout, and Agorapulse.
- Zoho Social suits businesses already on Zoho, with CRM and Desk integrations built in.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Buffer | Simple scheduling | See website | Free |
 Sprout Social | Large teams | $79 per month | Free trial |
 Later | Creators and influencers | See website | See website |
 SocialPilot | Agencies on a budget | $30 per month | See website |
 Agorapulse | Free plan plus ROI | See website | Free |
 Sendible | Unlimited users | $35 per month | Free trial |
 Zoho Social | Zoho ecosystem | See website | Free trial |
 Metricool | Free analytics | See website | Free |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best Hootsuite alternatives
#1Buffer
Best for: Simple scheduling4.3/5 on
G2 (1,041 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit buffer.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree
Buffer is social media management for everyone, built around a workspace with Publish, Create, Community, and Insights spaces. Scheduling covers every platform that matters, from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, Google Business, Mastodon, X, and Substack. Community triages comments from all channels in one dashboard, Insights answers what works rather than dumping analytics, and an AI Assistant generates and refines posts. Buffer also connects to Claude and ChatGPT through MCP and API, so content can be planned and queued from a conversation. Buffer suits individuals and small teams that want Hootsuite's core scheduling without its complexity.
What we like- Publishing to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, Google Business, Mastodon, X, and Substack
- Community replies at 10x speed claim
- Insights with top posts and monthly charts
- AI Assistant and Start Page
- MCP and API connections to Claude and ChatGPT
- Human support worldwide
Watch out for- Homepage shows no pricing
- Advanced enterprise features thinner than Sprout
Starting price$79 per month
Free planFree trial
Sprout Social covers the full workflow: plan and schedule content, engage with customers using AI replies, analyze performance against business goals, and discover trends through real-time listening. Integrations span TikTok, Instagram, Zendesk, Slack, Threads, Salesforce, WhatsApp, Reddit, Yelp, LinkedIn, Adobe Express, Bluesky, and Shopify, and AI-powered influencer tools find brand-safe creators by topic and measure campaign performance. Pricing runs from 79 to 399 dollars per month, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required. Sprout suits larger teams and brands that need engagement, listening, and influencer marketing in one platform.
What we like- Plan and schedule content with optimal send times
- AI-assisted engagement replies
- Analytics tied to business goals
- Real-time listening and trends
- AI influencer marketing tools
- 30-day free trial with no credit card
- 4.4 rating from 6,200 reviews
Watch out for- Starting price of 79 dollars per month rising to 399 dollars is steep for small teams
- Enterprise plans need a demo
#3Later
Best for: Creators and influencers4.5/5 on
G2 (384 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit later.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planSee website
Later has shifted toward influencer marketing built for creators and trusted by brands, with scheduling still driving 136 billion annual impressions from scheduled posts. The platform analyzes over 20 million creators across platforms, tracks over 1 billion Link in Bio transactions, and reports over 2 billion dollars in verified influencer-driven purchases, with Later EdgeAI matching creators by behavior, trends, and purchase data. Brands named include Nike, Wayfair, Southwest, Unilever, Crumbl, and Chewy. Later suits brands and creators where influencer campaigns matter as much as scheduling.
What we like- Influencer marketing built for creators and trusted by brands like Nike, Wayfair, and Unilever
- 20 million plus creators analyzed
- 136 billion annual impressions from scheduled posts
- 1 billion plus Link in Bio transactions tracked
- Later EdgeAI for creator matching and campaign decisions
Watch out for- Homepage shows no scheduling-plan pricing
- Influencer focus may exceed pure scheduling needs
Starting price$30 per month
Free planSee website
SocialPilot is a social media scheduling and management tool that helps agencies and brands grow their presence, with an intuitive interface that makes onboarding team members, managing client approvals, and scheduling posts easy. Reporting tools give teams and clients complete analytics for multiple profiles, and support runs on phone, email, chat, and app from day one. Pricing starts at 30 dollars per month. SocialPilot suits agencies that want Hootsuite-style client management at a lower price.
What we like- Intuitive interface with no learning curve
- Client approvals and team onboarding
- Complete analytics for multiple profiles
- On-demand support by phone, email, chat, and app
- Economical positioning against larger rivals
Watch out for- Homepage extract is thin, so feature depth and trial terms rest on the pricing page
- Smaller brand presence than Sprout or Buffer
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree
Agorapulse drives real impact from engagement to ROI, with a centralized inbox for tracking and responding to all interactions, a scheduler with shared calendars, social listening for brand and competitor mentions, and reports that tie posts to sales, leads, and traffic through Google Analytics. The free plan covers 1 user and 3 social profiles with 10 scheduled posts, a basic inbox, and basic reporting, while paid plans add full ROI reporting and collaboration. Support averages a 30-minute response with 96 percent satisfaction, and over 31,000 social media managers use the tool daily. Agorapulse suits teams that want a free start and ROI proof as they grow.
What we like- Free plan with 1 user, 3 social profiles, 10 scheduled posts, basic inbox, and basic reporting
- 30-day free trial with no card
- Centralized inbox for all interactions
- Social listening across networks, news, and blogs
- Social ROI tracking tied to Google Analytics
- Support response averaging 30 minutes with 96 percent satisfaction
- 31,000 plus social media managers daily
Watch out for- Free plan limited to 10 scheduled posts
- Paid pricing not shown on the homepage extract
Starting price$35 per month
Free planFree trial
Sendible is built for agencies that hate per-seat pricing: unlimited users come on every plan, so whole internal teams and clients join without extra monthly bills. Plans run from Core at 35 dollars per month through Plus at 99, Premium at 199, Elite at 299, and Enterprise at 750 dollars, with a 15 percent discount on annual billing and a 14-day free trial with no credit card. Migration from Hootsuite or Sprout takes minutes via CSV bulk import, and workspaces separate client brands with granular permissions. Sendible suits agencies managing many clients where per-seat fees would explode costs.
What we like- Unlimited users on all plans, unlike per-seat rivals
- Core at 35 dollars, Plus at 99, Premium at 199, Elite at 299, Enterprise at 750 dollars per month
- 14-day free trial with no credit card
- CSV bulk import from Hootsuite or Sprout
- Workspaces with granular client permissions
- White label on Elite and Enterprise
Watch out for- No free plan beyond the trial
- White label costs extra on higher tiers
#7Zoho Social
Best for: Zoho ecosystem4.6/5 on
G2 (2,976 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit zoho.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Zoho Social is AI-ready social media management for business, predicting the best time to post, spotting engagement spikes before they peak, and turning comments into CRM leads automatically. Scheduling uses best-time predictions or custom queues with unique time slots per day, the monitoring dashboard tracks keywords, hashtags, and reviews, and analytics run from pre-built reports to custom builds. Integrations with Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, and Canva close the loop from social comment to support ticket to sale. A 15-day free trial requires no credit card. Zoho Social suits businesses already running Zoho apps.
What we like- AI predictions for best posting times and engagement spikes
- Comments converted to CRM leads automatically
- Visual content calendar with custom queues
- Monitoring columns for keywords and hashtags
- Pre-built and custom reports
- Integrations with Zoho CRM, Zoho Desk, and Canva
- 15-day free trial with no credit card
Watch out for- Homepage shows no plan pricing
- Agency features need Agency or Agency Plus plans
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree
Metricool combines planner, assistant, and calendar in one tool: drag and drop content into the calendar, find the best times to post, schedule across networks, or build automated content lists with an AI assistant. Analytics turn channel performance into decisions without number crunching, reports automate with AI analysis and campaign dashboards, and the inbox gathers all messages and comments in one place. Flows turn interactions into customers through DM automation, Smartlinks handle link-in-bio pages, and unified ads cover Google, Facebook, and TikTok. The free plan runs forever with 1 brand. Metricool suits small businesses and creators who want scheduling plus analytics free.
What we like- Free plan forever with 1 brand, one profile per network, content planning, auto-publishing, and message management
- Drag-and-drop planner with best times
- Analytics without number crunching
- Automated reports with AI analysis
- Unified inbox
- Smartlinks for link in bio
- Flows DM automation
- Unified Google, Facebook, and TikTok ads
Watch out for- Each brand covers one profile per network, so multi-location brands need separate brands
- Advanced features like Data Studio and API need the Advanced plan
How we chose
We opened each vendor homepage and compared scheduling, engagement, analytics, free plans, and pricing transparency. Prices not shown on homepages are recorded as "See website" rather than invented, and free-plan claims are stated only where the homepage confirms them.
How to pick the right Hootsuite alternative
Start with team size and budget. Solo creators and small teams should start free with Buffer, Agorapulse, or Metricool and pay only when limits bite. Agencies should price per seat carefully: Sendible's unlimited users can halve costs against per-seat rivals, while SocialPilot's 30-dollar start suits smaller client rosters.
Then match the missing Hootsuite feature. If engagement is the gap, Sprout and Agorapulse lead on inbox and listening. If influencer work matters, Later is the only choice here built for it. If the business runs on Zoho, Zoho Social's CRM loop is hard to beat. Finally, migrate on a trial: import scheduled posts via CSV where offered, reconnect profiles, and run both tools for two weeks before canceling Hootsuite, so no scheduled content falls through the gap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Hootsuite alternative?
Agorapulse and Metricool lead for free plans. Agorapulse offers 1 user and 3 profiles with 10 scheduled posts, while Metricool offers 1 brand free forever with scheduling and analytics.
Is Buffer cheaper than Hootsuite?
Buffer positions itself as simpler and more affordable, though its homepage shows no pricing. Compare current plan prices directly, since both vendors change pricing frequently.
Which Hootsuite alternative is best for agencies?
Sendible leads for agencies with unlimited users on every plan and client workspaces, while SocialPilot offers agency features from 30 dollars per month.
Does Sprout Social offer a free trial?
Yes. Sprout Social offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, with plans from 79 to 399 dollars per month.
Can I migrate scheduled posts from Hootsuite?
Yes. Sendible supports CSV bulk import of scheduled posts from Hootsuite or Sprout Social, and most rivals offer guided migration with support help.
Which alternative is best for influencer marketing?
Later leads for influencer marketing, with creator matching, campaign management, and over 2 billion dollars in verified influencer-driven purchases.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://buffer.com/
- https://sproutsocial.com/
- https://later.com/
- https://www.socialpilot.co/
- https://agorapulse.com/
- https://www.sendible.com/
- https://www.zoho.com/social/
- https://metricool.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.