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Hootsuite review

by Hootsuite Inc.Social media management tools

A per-user social media suite with publishing, a shared inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks from Standard at $99 per user a month billed annually.

Facts checked
  • 14-day free trial
  • No card needed
  • Self-serve
  • Per seat
  • Public prices
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What you're paying for

  • Built-in reach (main value)
  • Compliance included

Publishing, a shared inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks for every major network in one seat, backed by audited security.

From Standard at $99 per user a month on annual terms, one seat publishes to ten networks, answers comments and messages from a shared inbox, runs 7-day listening searches and benchmarks five competitors, so a team does not buy separate listening or inbox tools at the start. Hootsuite states an annual SOC 2 Type II audit and lists ISO 27001:2022 in its trust center, and publishes a DPA it can sign electronically. Approvals and branded reports start on Advanced, and SAML SSO on Enterprise.

  • Ten networks on every planThe integrations page lists Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Threads, the Bluesky page says all paid plans publish to Bluesky, and a Google My Business app creates posts.Evidence: Integrations page, Bluesky page and Standard plan page (2026-10-16)
  • Listening and competitors on the entry planThe plan table lists listening Quick Search with 7 days of history and benchmarks for 5 competitors on Standard, rising to 30 days and 20 competitors on Professional.Evidence: Plans page comparison table (2026-10-16)
  • Audits in Hootsuite’s own nameThe security practices page says Hootsuite undergoes a SOC 2 Type II audit annually; the trust center lists ISO 27001, 27017, 27018 and 27701 certificates and a SOC 3 report.Evidence: Security practices page and trust center (2026-10-16)
Best for
Marketing and social teams that want listening, competitor benchmarks and a shared inbox alongside publishing, and expect a security review.
Good to know
The price is per user, so it grows with the team; approval workflows need Advanced ($399 per user on annual terms) and SAML SSO needs Enterprise.

How Hootsuite compares

Against 3 other products we reviewed in Social media management tools: what you pay for with each, the five access facts, the plan limits we recorded and each review's bottom line. The note under the table says how each one was checked.

Hootsuite compared with Later, Buffer, Sprout Social
MetricHootsuiteLaterBufferSprout Social
What you're paying forBuilt-in reachPublishing, a shared inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks for every major network in one seat, backed by audited security.Worth the priceA visual planner for Instagram, TikTok and six more networks, with approvals and an inbox on a flat plan that costs less than one seat elsewhere.Worth the priceScheduling for every major network, priced per channel with unlimited team members on Team, and a free plan to start.Compliance includedA full social team workspace (inbox, approvals, competitor reports and branded reporting) on one seat, with SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 behind it.
Overall score6.67.4Best6.66.5
Free option14-day free trialFree planFree plan30-day free trial
Card to startNo card neededCard requiredNo card neededNo card needed
Getting accessSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serveSelf-serve
Starter priceCheapest paid plan$99/user/mo$18.75/mo$5/channel/mo$79/seat/mo
Pricing modelPer seatFlat rateTieredPer seat
Pricing pagePublic pricesPublic pricesPublic pricesPublic prices
Billing unitPer user per month; each plan has a social account allowanceFlat plan with Social Sets (one profile per network) and users; extra sets and users as add-onsPer connected channel per month, lower per channel above 10Per seat per month; 5 profiles on Essentials and Standard, unlimited from Professional
Free optionNo free plan; 14-day trial, no card (plans page)Free plan in the help center (1 Social Set, 1 user, 12 posts per profile a month); 14-day trial, card requiredFree plan: 3 channels, 1 user, 10 scheduled posts per channel; 14-day Team trial, no cardNo free plan; 30-day trial, no card
Reference scenario (3 users, 10 profiles, annual)$297/mo on Standard (3 × $99), computed$41.25/mo on Growth ($37.50 + 1 extra user at $3.75), computed$100/mo on Team (10 × $10), computed$897/mo on Professional (3 × $299), computed
Month-to-month price$149 per user on Standard ($149 / $299 / $499 for the three listed plans)$50 on Growth ($25 / $50 / $110 for the three listed plans)$12 per channel on Team for channels 1–10 ($6 on Essentials)$399 per seat on Professional ($99 / $249 / $399 / $499 for the four listed plans)
Networks for publishingFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky; Google Business Profile through its appInstagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube (Shorts), Pinterest, Threads, Snapchat; not XFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube (Shorts), Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Google Business Profile, MastodonFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Google Business Profile, Reddit, Snapchat
Approval workflowsAdvanced ($399 per user, annual) and EnterpriseGrowth and ScaleTeamProfessional and up; external approvers on Advanced
Unified inboxComments and messages on every planSocial Inbox (beta) on Growth: Instagram and Facebook messages and comments, TikTok commentsCommunity inbox for comments on every plan; no direct messagesSmart Inbox for comments and messages from Standard (not on Essentials)
Social listeningQuick Search with 7 days of history on Standard; 30 days from ProfessionalScale: mentions, brand health and competitor benchmarkingNot offeredKeyword and brand monitoring from Standard; the Listening add-on through sales
SOC 2 / ISO 27001SOC 2 Type II audited annually; ISO 27001:2022SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 listed in the trust center (archived copy)Blog post says "SOC 2 compliant", report type not stated; ISO 27001 not statedSOC 2 Type 2 audit; ISO/IEC 27001:2013
SAML SSOEnterprise only (priced by sales)Legacy Enterprise plan onlyNot statedSAML 2.0; set up through Enterprise or a customer success manager
DPAPublished, with an electronic signature optionOn request by email, with the reasonsPublished (linked from the legal page)Published and part of the terms
Bottom lineFrom its public pages, Hootsuite is a broad suite: ten networks, an inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks on Standard, and an audited security file. Seats are priced per user, and approvals start on Advanced.From its public pages, Later is the lowest-cost way here to give a small team approvals and an inbox, priced by Social Sets. Its network list leaves out X, Bluesky and Google Business Profile, and listening starts on Scale.From its public pages, Buffer is a straightforward publisher priced per channel, with unlimited users, approvals and a free plan. It covers comments but not direct messages, and lists no listening, SSO or certifications.From its public pages, Sprout Social is the most complete team workspace here, with the inbox, approvals, competitor reports and audits on Professional. It is also the most expensive per seat, and listening is priced by sales.

Evidence: Hootsuite: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Later: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Buffer: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run; Sprout Social: facts checked 2026-10-16 from its public sign-up and pricing pages, no completed hands-on run. Prices in USD as listed, excluding tax. "–" means not recorded.

Compare side by sideAll Social media management tools
Score breakdown
Pricing clarity
6.0 / 10, Good
scenario plan priced; can be bought online; month-to-month price published; billed per user or profile; plans page says the trial does not turn into a paid plan automatically; the terms and account FAQ say it is charged when the trial ends; plan table lists custom user permissions on every plan; the permissions help article lists Advanced and Enterprise; plan table lists inbox data export from Professional; the help article lists Enterprise with Advanced Inbox; FAQ network list leaves out Bluesky, which the Standard plan page and Bluesky page include
Free plan and trial
3.0 / 10, Fair
no free plan; 14-day trial, no card needed
Price for 3 users, 10 profiles
4.6 / 10, Fair
$297/mo on Standard, annual terms: 3 users × $99 ($1,188 per user a year); Standard includes exactly 10 social accounts; assumes the 10-account cap is shared by the organization, as the FAQ example implies
Networks and publishing
8.8 / 10, Excellent
10 of 10 networks; approval workflows on a higher self-serve plan; bulk scheduling on the scenario plan
Engagement and reporting
9.0 / 10, Excellent
unified inbox on the scenario plan; social listening on the scenario plan; competitor analytics on the scenario plan; custom or branded reports on a higher self-serve plan
Security and team controls
8.0 / 10, Excellent
SOC 2 Type II; ISO 27001; 2FA; DPA published; SAML SSO enterprise or through sales only; roles or permissions on a higher self-serve plan

Review from public pages

Written from Hootsuite's public pages (pricing, security or privacy, and docs) as read on Oct 16, 2026. We did not sign up, and no hands-on run is published yet.

What the public pages show

We read Hootsuite's plans page with its comparison table and FAQ, the Standard, Professional, Advanced and Enterprise plan pages, the integrations and Bluesky pages, the security practices page, trust center, DPA, self-serve terms, brand assets terms and help center articles on approvals, bulk scheduling, permissions, SSO, two-step verification, calendar and inbox export and billing on Oct 16, 2026; we did not sign up, start a trial or call the API. The plans page fills in its prices by script; the US dollar figures come from the price feed it loads and match the page's structured data.

The plan ladder is clear: Standard, Professional and Advanced at $99, $199 and $399 per user a month on annual terms, or $149, $299 and $499 month to month. Standard covers 10 social accounts; the higher plans are unlimited. Trial accounts have a daily posting limit of 10 to 20 posts per organization and no bulk scheduling.

A few points need a question to Hootsuite. The plans FAQ says the trial needs no card and is not charged automatically, while the self-serve terms and the account FAQ describe a charge when the trial ends. The plan table and help articles place custom permissions and inbox data export on different plans.

Strengths

  • Listening and benchmarks without a separate tool

    Standard includes listening Quick Search with 7 days of history and benchmarks for 5 competitors; Professional extends these to 30 days and 20 competitors.

    vs Sendible: Buffer and Sendible list no social listening; Later keeps listening and competitor benchmarking on Scale.

  • Inbox for comments and messages on every plan

    The Standard page lists public and private messages from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads, TikTok, Google Business Profile and WhatsApp in one inbox.

    vs Buffer: Buffer’s community inbox handles comments only.

  • Broad publishing coverage

    All ten networks we count, including Bluesky and Threads, plus bulk scheduling of up to 350 posts from a CSV file on every paid plan.

  • Audited security and a signable DPA

    An annual SOC 2 Type II audit, ISO 27001:2022 and other certificates in the trust center, two-step verification with an authenticator app, and a published DPA that can be signed electronically.

    vs Sendible: Sendible and Buffer state no SOC 2 Type II report on their own pages.

Things to know

  • Per-user pricing adds up for teams

    Every seat costs the plan price: 3 users on Standard are $297 a month on annual terms, about three times Buffer’s Team plan for 10 channels.

    Workaround: Standard’s 10 accounts are shared by the team, so only people who log in need a seat.

  • Approvals and branded reports start on Advanced

    The plan table and the approvals help article put approval workflows on Advanced and Enterprise; adding a logo to reports and CSV/XLSX export are also Advanced and up.

    Workaround: Professional ($199 per user) adds custom reports with PDF and PowerPoint export.

  • SAML SSO through sales

    The plan table shows single sign-on only on Enterprise, which is priced by sales.

  • Annual terms are non-refundable

    The billing FAQ calls annual billing one non-refundable payment, and the terms say plans renew automatically and cancelling does not refund the rest of the term.

    Workaround: Month-to-month prices are published for Standard, Professional and Advanced.

Pricing reality

Hootsuite bills each user seat per month, with a social account allowance per plan. For our scenario, 3 users on Standard cost 3 × $99 = $297 a month on annual terms ($3,564 a year), or $447 month to month (computed), before tax, with exactly the 10 accounts Standard allows. An 11th account means Professional (3 × $199 = $597 a month, computed). Approval workflows need Advanced (3 × $399 = $1,197 a month, computed). Listening beyond 30 days and SSO are on Enterprise, priced by sales. Every plan includes 100 AI credits a month; the page does not say whether per user or per organization.

Exit path

The content calendar exports to CSV or PDF, scheduled drafts included (the plan table lists this on every plan; PDF covers up to one week). Analytics reports export to PDF or PowerPoint from Professional and to CSV or XLSX from Advanced. A documented REST API exists; the plans table does not say which plans can use it. The help article on exporting an organization’s content did not load for us.

Compared with

  • Sprout Social

    Side by side: Hootsuite and Sprout Social
    Pick Hootsuite when
    You want listening searches, competitor benchmarks and bulk scheduling on the entry plan, at $99 per user on annual terms.
    Pick Sprout Social when
    You want approval workflows, unlimited profiles and branded reports on one plan, Professional at $299 per seat on annual terms.

  • Buffer

    Side by side: Hootsuite and Buffer
    Pick Hootsuite when
    You need direct messages in the inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks.
    Pick Buffer when
    You want unlimited users, approvals and a free plan, with 10 channels on Team at $100 a month (annual).

  • Sendible

    Side by side: Hootsuite and Sendible
    Pick Hootsuite when
    Your security review asks for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 from the vendor itself.
    Pick Sendible when
    You want unlimited users on every plan and 12 profiles for $59.75 a month on Core with one extra workspace (annual).

Choose it if

  • You want publishing, a shared inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks from one vendor.
  • Your security review asks for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 from the vendor.
  • A few people need seats and 10 social accounts cover your brand.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need approval workflows below $399 per user.
  • Many people need to log in and you want to avoid per-seat pricing.
  • You want a permanent free plan.

Bottom line

From its public pages, Hootsuite is a broad suite: ten networks, an inbox, listening and competitor benchmarks on Standard, and an audited security file. Seats are priced per user, and approvals start on Advanced.

Plan limits at a glance

LimitAs recorded
Billing unitPer user per month; each plan has a social account allowance
Free optionNo free plan; 14-day trial, no card (plans page)
Reference scenario (3 users, 10 profiles, annual)$297/mo on Standard (3 × $99), computed
Month-to-month price$149 per user on Standard ($149 / $299 / $499 for the three listed plans)
Networks for publishingFacebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky; Google Business Profile through its app
Approval workflowsAdvanced ($399 per user, annual) and Enterprise
Unified inboxComments and messages on every plan
Social listeningQuick Search with 7 days of history on Standard; 30 days from Professional
SOC 2 / ISO 27001SOC 2 Type II audited annually; ISO 27001:2022
SAML SSOEnterprise only (priced by sales)
DPAPublished, with an electronic signature option

Read from the vendor's public pages on Oct 16, 2026. No hands-on run is published yet. How we check

Hootsuite lists 4 plans. The cheapest paid plan, Standard (billed annually), costs $99/user/mo.

  • HootsuiteLowest price
    Standard
    $99/user/mo
    Billed annually ($1,188 per user a year); $149 month to month; 10 social accounts
    • Publishing and bulk scheduling (up to 350 posts by CSV)
    • Inbox for comments and messages
    • Listening Quick Search (7 days), 5 competitors
    • 100 AI credits a month
  • Hootsuite
    Professional
    $199/user/mo
    Billed annually ($2,388 per user a year); $299 month to month; unlimited social accounts
    • Custom reports, PDF and PowerPoint export
    • Listening with 30 days of history
    • 20 competitors
    • Inbox automated responses, tags and smart replies
  • Hootsuite
    Advanced
    $399/user/mo
    Billed annually ($4,788 per user a year); $499 month to month; unlimited social accounts
    • Approval workflows
    • Branded reports and CSV/XLSX export
    • Inbox assignment and routing
    • Reports sent to external email
  • Hootsuite
    Enterprise
    Contact sales
    • SAML single sign-on
    • Listening with 13 months of history (Talkwalker)
    • ROI reporting
    • Invoiced annual contract

Prices as listed, USD, excluding tax; observed 2026-10-16.

Source: hootsuite.com pricing page. Prices change; the observed date above is when our agent read them.

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