What is Hootsuite?
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets businesses plan and publish content, manage messages, listen to online conversations and measure results across many networks from one dashboard. It supports Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, WhatsApp, Pinterest and Bluesky. Hootsuite has been in the category for about 18 years and serves teams from small businesses to large enterprises.
The platform is grouped into modules: content planning and publishing with bulk scheduling and best times to post, a social inbox for customer care with routing and saved replies, analytics with competitor benchmarking, listening with trend tracking and sentiment, and Parliament for employee advocacy. An AI assistant helps create posts and interpret data. Hootsuite also offers more than 100 integrations and MCP connectors for AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude. Pricing is per user, and Standard covers 10 social accounts while higher plans allow unlimited accounts.
Hootsuite at a glance
How does Hootsuite work?
- Connect your social accounts
Add your networks; Standard includes 10 accounts and higher plans allow unlimited accounts.
- Create and schedule content
Write posts with AI help, add images from Canva or Adobe Express in the composer and schedule them on a shared calendar.
- Manage conversations
Handle public and private messages in the inbox, assign them to teammates and use saved or suggested replies.
- Listen to the market
Track brand mentions, competitors, hashtags and trends, with sentiment analysis.
- Measure and improve
Review analytics, benchmark competitors and build custom reports to show results and plan next steps.
Hootsuite key features
Publishing and planner
Schedule across networks from one calendar, with bulk scheduling and best-time recommendations.
AI assistant
Helps write posts, generate images and turn analytics into recommendations.
Social inbox
Unifies messages and comments with routing, assignments, internal notes and automated Instagram DMs.
Analytics and benchmarking
Tracks performance, revenue impact and best times to post, with up to 20 competitors benchmarked on Professional.
Listening and trends
Monitors topics, brands and hashtags with sentiment and trend forecasting, covering 30+ networks in listening.
Employee advocacy
Parliament lets employees share approved brand content, included on Enterprise.
Integrations and MCP
More than 100 apps, including Canva, Salesforce, HubSpot and Slack, plus MCP connectors for AI assistants.
Customer care tools
Advanced adds message assignment, skill-based routing, satisfaction surveys and team performance tracking for support teams.
Why use Hootsuite?
- One platform covers publishing, inbox, listening, analytics and advocacy.
- It scales from a single user to large teams with approvals and routing.
- Built-in listening reduces the need for a separate monitoring tool.
- Wide integration library connects social work with CRM and design tools.
- A 14-day trial without a credit card lets teams test paid features.
Who is Hootsuite best for?
A good fit for
- Mid-size and enterprise marketing teams
- Customer care teams handling social messages
- Agencies managing many accounts with approvals
- Brands that want listening and advocacy in the same tool
Less suited to
- Solo creators or very small budgets
- Users who only need basic post scheduling
- Teams wanting a free plan
Hootsuite pricing
| Pricing model | Subscription |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Starting price | $99/user/month billed annually |
Standard starts at $99, Professional at $199 and Advanced up to $399 per user per month on annual billing. Enterprise is custom and adds SSO, compliance, advocacy and Salesforce integration.
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official Hootsuite pricing page before you buy.
Hootsuite pros and cons
Pros
- Broad feature set in one platform
- Strong inbox and listening tools
- Large integration library
- Supports many networks, including WhatsApp and Bluesky
Cons
- Expensive per-user pricing for small teams
- No free plan
- The breadth of features takes time to learn
Hootsuite integrations and platforms
Works with
Available on
Hootsuite alternatives
See the full shortlist in Best Social Media Management Tools.
Hootsuite FAQ
Is Hootsuite free?
No. Hootsuite does not list a free plan. It offers a 14-day free trial on Standard, Professional and Advanced plans with no credit card required, though trials have daily posting limits and no bulk scheduling. Paid plans started at $99 per user per month billed annually in October 2026.
How much does Hootsuite cost?
Hootsuite pricing is per user. In October 2026, Standard started at $99, Professional at $199 and Advanced up to $399 per user per month on annual billing. Monthly billing is available at a higher rate. Enterprise pricing is custom and adds SSO, compliance, longer listening history and advocacy.
Hootsuite vs Buffer: what's the difference?
Hootsuite is a full suite with publishing, a social inbox, listening, analytics and employee advocacy, priced per user. Buffer focuses on simple scheduling, analytics and comment replies with low per-channel pricing and a free plan. Hootsuite suits larger teams, while Buffer suits small businesses and creators.
Which social networks does Hootsuite support?
Hootsuite supports Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, WhatsApp, Pinterest and Bluesky for management. Its listening features cover conversations across more than 30 networks. Mobile apps for iOS and Android let teams manage accounts on the go.
Does Hootsuite integrate with Canva?
Yes. Hootsuite integrates with Canva and Adobe Express inside its post composer, so you can design visuals without leaving the dashboard. It also connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Shopify, Dropbox and many others through more than 100 apps and integrations.
Sources
This overview is based on Hootsuite's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.