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Hootsuite killed its free plan. The cheapest option is now Professional at $99/month. For a social media scheduler. Buffer charges $6/month per channel for the same core feature. So who’s still paying $99 for Hootsuite — and why? We broke down every plan, compared it to cheaper alternatives, and figured out when Hootsuite’s premium price actually makes sense.
All pricing verified March 2026 from hootsuite.com.
Every Hootsuite Plan
| Plan | Price | Users | Social accounts | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | $99/mo | 1 | 10 | Solo marketers |
| Team | $249/mo | 3 | 20 | Small marketing teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | 5+ | 50+ | Large organizations |
$99/month for one user. No free plan. No $20 starter tier. Hootsuite positioned itself as a premium tool and priced accordingly. The question: is it $99 better than Buffer at $30?
$1,188 vs $360 /year
Hootsuite Professional: $99 × 12 = $1,188/year
Buffer Essentials: $6 × 5 × 12 = $360/year
Hootsuite costs $828/year more. You’re paying for analytics, social listening, and team features.
What $99/Month Gets You
Professional includes:
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- 10 social accounts
- Best time to publish recommendations
- Custom analytics and reports
- Social listening (basic)
- Competitive benchmarking
- Canva integration (design in Hootsuite)
- AI caption writer
- Content calendar with approval workflows
What Professional doesn’t include: Team members (1 user only), advanced social listening, custom approval workflows, bulk scheduling. Those require Team ($249/mo).
Is Hootsuite Worth $99/Month?
Depends on what you use beyond scheduling.
- Just scheduling posts? No. Buffer at $30/month or Later at $16.67/month handle scheduling. Paying $99 for a scheduler is overpaying.
- Need analytics + competitive benchmarking? Maybe. Hootsuite’s analytics are deeper than Buffer’s. Custom reports save hours for agencies reporting to clients. But Sprout Social ($199) has better analytics if that’s your primary need.
- Social listening? Yes — if you need to monitor brand mentions, industry keywords, and competitor activity. Buffer and Later don’t offer this. Hootsuite’s social listening is included at $99.
- All-in-one platform? Yes — scheduling + analytics + listening + AI captions + Canva integration in one tool. The value is in not paying for 3-4 separate tools.
Hootsuite vs Alternatives
| Tool | Monthly cost (5 channels) | Scheduling | Analytics | Social listening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | $30 | Yes | Basic | No |
| Later | $16.67 | Yes | Good | No |
| SocialBee | $29 | Yes | Basic | No |
| Hootsuite | $99 | Yes | Advanced | Yes |
| Sprout Social | $199 | Yes | Best | Yes |
Hootsuite sits between budget tools ($16-30) and enterprise tools ($199+). If you need more than scheduling but less than Sprout Social’s full analytics suite, Hootsuite fills that gap.
Team Plan ($249/month): When Teams Need It
Team adds 3 users, 20 social accounts, custom approval workflows, and role-based permissions. For marketing teams where multiple people manage social media, the approval workflow prevents publishing mistakes.
$249/month = $2,988/year for 3 users. That’s $83/user/month. Compare to Buffer Team at $12/channel/month — for 5 channels and 3 users, Buffer costs ~$60/month total. Hootsuite Team is 4x the price but includes analytics and listening that Buffer doesn’t offer.
Who Should Pick What
Just need scheduling: Buffer ($6/channel) or Later ($16.67/mo). Don’t pay $99 for Hootsuite if scheduling is all you need.
Scheduling + analytics + social listening: Hootsuite Professional ($99/mo). The all-in-one value justifies the price when you’d otherwise pay for 2-3 separate tools.
Agency reporting to clients: Hootsuite Professional or Sprout Social ($199/mo). Custom branded reports save hours and look professional. Buffer’s basic analytics won’t impress clients.
Marketing team (3+ people): Hootsuite Team ($249/mo) if you need approval workflows and social listening. Buffer Team ($60/mo) if you just need collaborative scheduling.
Enterprise (5+ users, 50+ accounts): Hootsuite Enterprise or Sprout Social. Both handle large-scale social management with compliance features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Hootsuite remove the free plan?
Yes. Hootsuite eliminated its free plan in 2023. The cheapest option is now Professional at $99/month with a 30-day free trial. For free social scheduling, use Buffer Free (3 channels) or Later Free (1 social set).
Is Hootsuite worth it for small businesses?
Only if you need analytics and social listening beyond basic scheduling. Most small businesses are better served by Buffer ($30/month) or Later ($16.67/month). Hootsuite’s value kicks in when you need reporting depth, competitive benchmarking, and brand monitoring.
Hootsuite vs Buffer — which is better?
Buffer for simplicity and price. Hootsuite for analytics, social listening, and all-in-one features. If you just schedule posts, Buffer saves $828/year. If you need insights on what’s working and competitive analysis, Hootsuite earns its premium.
All pricing verified March 2026 from hootsuite.com.
