CoSchedule vs Hootsuite: Which is Best for Your Business?

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite: Quick Comparison Overview

Picking a social media management tool can feel like choosing a new phone. Both look shiny, but only one fits your daily work.

People searching for “CoSchedule vs Hootsuite” usually want a fast snapshot, not a long sales pitch. This section sets up that snapshot so you can see where each platform makes life easier for your team.

What is CoSchedule?

CoSchedule is a marketing calendar first, social media management tool second. It pulls social media posts, blog content, campaigns, and tasks into one shared calendar for marketing teams.

The product line has a free Marketing Calendar and paid calendars for social media, agencies, and full marketing work. So, you can plan social media, content marketing, and bigger marketing projects on one visual calendar instead of juggling many tools.

What is Hootsuite?

Hootsuite is a social media management platform built for brands that live on many social media platforms at once. It covers social media scheduling, an in-app content calendar, analytics reports, social listening, and one inbox for replies and DMs.

Teams use it to schedule posts, watch social media feeds, track performance, and manage approvals across a large set of social media accounts.

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite Comparison Table

Here is a quick CoSchedule vs Hootsuite view before you dig into details later:

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite Features Comparison

Core Features Overview

Both CoSchedule and Hootsuite sit in the social media management space. You connect your social media accounts and schedule posts across several social media platforms. The real split in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite is how they arrange daily work.

CoSchedule feels like a marketing calendar and content calendar at the center of a small marketing suite. You see social media posts, tasks, and marketing projects on one visual calendar. That suits marketing teams that already think in campaigns and projects, not just scheduling.

Hootsuite feels more like a social media management dashboard. It leans into social media scheduling, streams for social listening, and one unified inbox for replies. This layout fits brands and agencies that juggle many social media accounts and multiple clients.

CoSchedule Key Features

• Marketing calendar first: CoSchedule runs on a shared marketing calendar and social calendar. Social media posts, content, and tasks live on the same board.
• Social media scheduling with ReQueue: You get basic scheduling plus queues for evergreen content. The tool can resend top posts so social media stays active on busy days.
• Team collaboration on projects: Team collaboration, CoSchedule style, lives right on the calendar. You can assign tasks, use task assignments, and run an approval workflow for each project.
• Light marketing suite and project management: Higher plans add more project management and marketing workflows. That suits marketing teams that want more than just scheduling.

Hootsuite Key Features

• Multi-platform scheduling and planner: Hootsuite handles social media scheduling for many social media platforms in one place. You can schedule posts, queue content, and reuse templates inside a planner view.
• Streams and social listening: Columns show social feeds, replies, and brand mentions across channels. Paid plan tiers add richer social listening for comments and tags.
• Unified inbox and collaboration features: A unified inbox pulls DMs and comments together for social management. Teams can assign tasks, leave notes, and keep work tidy for multiple clients.
• Content tools and media library: Built-in AI tools write and tweak captions. Hootsuite links with Canva and a media library, so teams build posts without jumping tabs.

Unique Features: CoSchedule vs Hootsuite

At a glance, Coschedule vs Hootsuite looks like a clash of two social media management tools. Under the hood, they feel quite different.

CoSchedule centers a marketing calendar and content calendar for marketing projects. It suits small businesses and marketing teams that want one place for social media and content marketing. The tool treats social media as part of a wider marketing suite, not the whole show.

Hootsuite packs more social listening, a stronger unified inbox, and richer collaboration features. It fits brands with heavy social media traffic, more social media accounts, and work across multiple clients. So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule leans toward planning while Hootsuite leans toward live social management.

Analytics and Reporting Capabilities

Both tools track performance, but the depth changes by plan. CoSchedule leans toward basic analytics tied to the calendar. Hootsuite leans toward advanced analytics, in-depth reporting, and deeper analytics on higher tiers.

This matters if your team cares about numbers, audience demographics, and fine-grained performance tracking. If you just want a quick pulse on social media, both tools handle that well enough. If you need branded decks and Hootsuite’s reporting dashboards, Hootsuite pulls ahead.

CoSchedule Analytics Tools

CoSchedule shows basic analytics right beside your marketing calendar. You see clicks, engagement metrics, top social media posts, and follower growth for each profile. These views link back to the content calendar, so you can tweak future social media campaigns.

Reports stay simple and easy to read for busy marketing teams. Most tools inside CoSchedule feel built for quick checks, not hour-long data sessions. That suits small businesses that want numbers without a steep learning curve.

Hootsuite Analytics Tools

Hootsuite leans harder into numbers. Dashboards pull in engagement metrics from many social media platforms. Teams can slice data by channel, tag, campaign, or team.

You can build custom reports, export charts, and send summaries to managers. Higher tiers bring more advanced analytics, listening data, and topic views around industry trends. Many teams compare other social media tools vs Hootsuite mainly for this reporting power.

User Interface and Ease of Use: CoSchedule vs Hootsuite

Interface Design Comparison

CoSchedule looks like a big marketing calendar. You see a content calendar and social calendar with clear cards for tasks and social media posts. The layout feels user-friendly if you think in dates.

Hootsuite looks more like a control panel for social media management. Streams, inbox, planner, and analytics sit in different views. On first login, it can feel busier than CoSchedule.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule leans toward a clean calendar view. Hootsuite leans toward a packed dashboard for many social media platforms.

Learning Curve and User Experience

CoSchedule keeps most work on the main marketing calendar. You drag posts, assign tasks, and see marketing projects in one place. New users settle in fast, with a light learning curve.

Hootsuite packs in social listening, a unified inbox, and many tabs. New users need more time to get comfy with everything. For big teams, that steeper learning curve can pay off.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule feels simple and calm. Hootsuite feels busy, but strong for heavy social media management work.

Mobile App Functionality

CoSchedule’s mobile app leans on the calendar. You check the social calendar, tweak social media posts, and mark tasks done. Good for quick checks on content marketing and social media campaigns.

Hootsuite’s app leans on live social work. You jump into the unified inbox, answer incoming messages, and queue posts across social media accounts. Great for brands that live in comments and DMs.

On mobile, Coschedule vs Hootsuite comes down to your day. Calendar-first teams fit CoSchedule. Reply-heavy teams lean toward Hootsuite.

Team Collaboration Features

Social media management rarely sits with one person. Posts, replies, and reports move across marketing teams all week. So, CoSchedule vs Hootsuite needs strong team collaboration from day one.

Workflow Management and Approval Processes

CoSchedule uses the marketing calendar as the home for every task. Each card holds social media posts, content marketing work, and other marketing projects. Teams build marketing workflows with checklists, due dates, and task assignments on those cards.

Inside the CoSchedule Marketing Suite, these marketing workflows stretch across bigger marketing projects. Every post can pass through an approval workflow before it goes live. You can assign tasks to writers, designers, and managers right on the calendar, which makes managing approvals clear.

Hootsuite runs workflows inside its planner, inbox, and streams. On higher-paid plan tiers, teams set an approval workflow for posts and replies. That setup suits agencies and brands that run social media campaigns for multiple clients.

Role-Based Permissions and User Management

CoSchedule calendars run on role-based access. Owners, managers, and contributors see different buttons inside the same marketing calendar. Marketing teams can keep project management tidy while still sharing the big picture.

Hootsuite leans on organizations, teams, and seats. Admins place users into teams by brand, region, or client. From there, they gate publishing, analytics views, and inbox work by role.

In CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, the gap grows at a larger scale. CoSchedule fits small businesses and mid-sized marketing teams with fewer layers. Hootsuite fits social media management setups with many social media accounts and stricter user control.

Team Communication Tools

CoSchedule keeps most chats tied to each calendar card. Teammates leave comments on social media posts and marketing projects. Notifications bring updates back to email or in-app alerts.

Hootsuite centers teamwork inside the unified inbox and streams. Agents assign tasks on messages, tag conversations, and push tricky cases to senior teammates. This flow matches social management teams that deal with heavy incoming messages each day.

For some users, Hootsuite’s inbox feels like a smart inbox across channels, not just scheduling views. Streams pull in social feeds, comments, and DMs, so the team sees live chatter in one place.

So, on team collaboration, CoSchedule vs Hootsuite splits again. Team collaboration, CoSchedule leans on the marketing calendar and content calendar. Hootsuite leans on inbox-driven collaboration features built around replies, routing, and tags.

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite for Content Management

Content Scheduling and Publishing

CoSchedule feels like a shared marketing calendar. You see a content calendar and social calendar with social media posts, blogs, and tasks in one view. Drag cards around to line up social media campaigns fast.

ReQueue keeps evergreen content in smart queues, so you don’t spend all day rescheduling. It suits marketing teams that plan weeks of work at once.

Hootsuite leans on its planner and composer. You create posts, pick social media platforms, and queue them across many social media accounts. Great for social media management teams that live inside a scheduling tool all day.

Content Library and Asset Management

In CoSchedule, each calendar item stores briefs, links, and files. Content marketing and social media posts sit inside campaigns, so you see progress at a glance. That makes content planning and project management feel joined up.

Hootsuite leans more on a media library. Images, videos, and templates sit ready beside the composer. Canva and other tools plug in, so new posts come together fast.

Multi-Platform Support

Both tools handle multi-platform scheduling across major social media platforms.

CoSchedule connects profiles, then lines them up on the marketing calendar. You see every slot on one timeline, which suits calm content planning.

Hootsuite plugs into a longer list of channels inside one dashboard. You queue social media posts across brands and multiple clients in one place.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, calendar fans drift to CoSchedule, while heavy social management teams drift to Hootsuite.

Social Media Management Capabilities

Social media management is more than lining up posts. You also watch brand mentions, see mood shifts, and jump into replies. Here is how CoSchedule vs Hootsuite handles that side of social media.

Social Listening and Monitoring Tools

Both tools watch what people say on social media platforms. But the depth and style feel different in Coschedule vs Hootsuite.

CoSchedule Listening Features

CoSchedule leans on Social Inbox instead of heavy social listening. Comments, replies, and brand mentions from linked social media accounts land in one place. You scan social feeds, pick urgent notes, and act fast.

This suits marketing teams and small businesses that care more about day-to-day chats. The focus stays on posts tied to your marketing calendar and social calendar. It feels simple rather than like a huge listening command center.

Hootsuite Listening Features

Hootsuite leans harder into social listening. Streams track brand mentions, tags, and keywords across many social media platforms. You stack streams by channel, topic, or campaign.

On higher-paid plan tiers, Hootsuite adds wider listening across many sites. Teams can spot industry trends, mood shifts, and rising topics around social media campaigns. This fits larger social management teams and agencies with multiple clients.

Engagement and Response Management

CoSchedule treats engagement as part of content planning. Social Inbox pulls in comments and incoming messages for linked profiles. You reply, assign tasks, and keep track inside the same content calendar.

Hootsuite leans on a unified inbox that feels close to a smart inbox. Messages from many social media accounts stream into one queue. You tag threads, route tricky cases, and keep the team on the same page.

In CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule keeps replies close to the marketing calendar. Hootsuite leans into fast, high-volume response work. Great for brands that live in DMs all day.

Social Media Management Tools Compared

Both platforms sit in the social media management tool space. The day-to-day feel is not the same, though.

CoSchedule suits marketing teams that start with content planning and a visual calendar. Social media scheduling links with project management and marketing workflows. It works well for small businesses that run social media as part of content marketing.

Hootsuite suits teams where social management is the main job. Streams, social listening, and the unified inbox sit at the center. That mix fits larger marketing teams and agencies running social media campaigns for multiple clients.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule leans toward calendar-led social management. Hootsuite leans toward inbox-led social media management with heavier listening.

Marketing and Automation Features

Campaign Management Tools

CoSchedule treats every campaign like a row on the marketing calendar. You can group social media posts, blog work, and other marketing projects under one campaign card. Tasks, dates, and approval workflow steps all sit inside that view.

This layout suits marketing teams that want one content calendar for social media campaigns and wider content marketing. You can see gaps, move pieces, and keep the whole marketing suite in sync.

Hootsuite runs campaigns through its planner, tags, and dashboards. Teams tag posts by campaign, brand, or client, then review them in bulk later. That style fits social media management teams who run fast campaigns for multiple clients at once.

Marketing Analytics

CoSchedule leans toward simple, clear numbers tied to your marketing calendar. You see basic analytics like clicks, engagement metrics, and follower growth for each channel. These views sit close to the content calendar, so you spot which social media campaigns carry your marketing strategy.

Hootsuite leans toward advanced analytics and in-depth reporting. Dashboards pull in data from many social media platforms at once. Teams can track progress on campaigns, compare tags, and see audience demographics on higher paid plan tiers.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule suits teams that want quick checks, while Hootsuite suits teams that live in charts.

Automation Capabilities

CoSchedule builds social media automation into the calendar. ReQueue keeps evergreen content in smart queues, so strong posts return without fresh work each week. You can schedule posts in bulk and let the system refill empty slots on the social calendar.

Hootsuite leans on AI tools and time-saving tweaks. Its AI tools write draft captions, suggest times to schedule posts, and speed up social media scheduling. For teams that manage many social media accounts, this cuts down on repeat work.

In Coschedule vs Hootsuite, both tools cut manual tasks, but in different ways. CoSchedule ties automation to long-term content planning and marketing workflows. Hootsuite ties it to day-to-day social media management and quick posting speed.

Integrations and Platform Compatibility

Native Integrations Comparison

Integrations decide how your social media management tool talks to other tools. Here, Coschedule vs Hootsuite take slightly different paths.

CoSchedule leans into marketing workflows and content marketing. Hootsuite leans into social media management and customer chats.

CoSchedule Integrations

CoSchedule plugs into WordPress, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and email tools like Mailchimp. You can pull in blog drafts, send tasks to project tools, and sync events with your marketing calendar.

It also connects with design tools and storage such as Canva and Dropbox. That mix suits marketing teams that run many marketing projects from one marketing suite.

Hootsuite Integrations

Hootsuite links to a huge list of apps through its app directory. You get ties to tools like Canva, Dropbox, Google Drive, HubSpot, Zendesk, and more social media platforms.

Brands can add review sites, messaging apps, and CRM systems to one social media management hub. That range works well for agencies and teams with multiple clients.

Third-Party Apps and API Access

Both tools play nicely with other tools through third-party apps and APIs.

CoSchedule connects with Zapier and similar services, so teams push tasks into project tools or pull data back in. This keeps the marketing calendar close to other tools in your marketing stack.

Hootsuite has a long-running app ecosystem plus an API for custom flows. Larger marketing teams wire Hootsuite into support desks, BI tools, and custom dashboards.

So, for integrations in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule feels tuned for content planning and marketing projects. Hootsuite feels tuned for wide social management across many channels and other tools.

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite Pricing and Plans

CoSchedule Pricing Tiers

• Social Calendar: For individuals and small teams.
  • Starts at $19 per user/month, billed annually.
  • Includes 3 social profiles (more profiles at extra cost).
• Agency Calendar: For agencies that manage multiple clients.
  • Starts at $59 per user/month, billed annually.
  • Includes 5 social profiles and client-oriented extras like social approvals and read-only sharing.
• Content Calendar: For teams that want all content and social on one calendar.
  • Call sales for pricing.
  • Comes with more project and campaign management features.
• Marketing Suite: For larger marketing teams that need a full coschedule marketing suite setup.
  • Call sales for pricing.
  • Adds things like sub-calendars, request forms, and extra team management controls.

Pricing scales by users and calendars. So small businesses can stay on one simple marketing calendar. Larger marketing teams can grow into a fuller marketing suite without changing tools.

Hootsuite Pricing Tiers

• Standard: Entry plan.
  • 1+ users, up to 10 social accounts.
  • Includes unlimited post scheduling, an AI assistant, and one inbox.
• Advanced: For teams that need stronger analytics and workflows.
  • 1+ users, unlimited social accounts.
  • Adds custom analytics reports, bulk scheduling, and team approval workflows.
• Enterprise: Custom plan for large organizations.
  • Custom pricing, 5+ users, unlimited social accounts.
  • Adds advanced inbox, advanced analytics, listening add-ons, SSO, and more admin controls.

It works well for brands and agencies that treat Hootsuite as their main social media management tool. As your social media campaigns grow, you step up to plans with more power. That jump can raise the bill, but it also cuts down on other tools.

Free Trial and Free Plans

CoSchedule leans on trials more than a big free version. You can test the marketing calendar, social media scheduling, and content calendar for a short time. After that, you move to a paid plan if the calendar fits your team.

Hootsuite also runs a trial window on its plans. In the past, it had a light free plan, though limits made it tough for busy social media management setups. Right now, Hootsuite leans harder on paid plan tiers with a trial rather than a long-term free version.

Value for Money: Which Offers Better ROI?

For small businesses that live in a marketing calendar, CoSchedule can feel like strong value. You get content planning, social media posts, and marketing projects in one place. Less hopping between other tools keeps work calmer.

For brands with many social media accounts and heavy social management, Hootsuite can win on value. You get social listening, a unified inbox, and deep analytics in one hub vs Hootsuite, plus three or four extra tools. That can save time for teams that live in replies and reports.

So, in Coschedule vs Hootsuite, think about your day. Calendar-led content planning? CoSchedule may bring better ROI. High-volume social media management with many profiles? Hootsuite may pull ahead.

Customer Support and Resources

Support Options and Response Times

CoSchedule uses email and live chat for customer questions. The support team is around Monday through Friday during business hours, which suits marketing teams that like clear, set times.

Hootsuite support runs through in-app chat, a ticket form, and social channels. You can message the team from the dashboard, send a request, or ping them on X (Twitter) or Facebook, with social replies running 24/7.

For CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule leans on weekday support with a smaller crew, while Hootsuite feels more global for busy social media management teams.

Training, Onboarding, and Documentation

CoSchedule has an in-app support center with docs, tips, and a searchable knowledge base. You also get guides, a marketing blog, and the Actionable Marketing Institute for longer-form learning around content planning and marketing projects.

Hootsuite runs a large help center with tutorials, demos, and FAQs for social media platforms and features. Business and Enterprise plans can add onboarding services plus Hootsuite Academy courses and certifications, which suit marketing teams that want structured training.

Community and User Resources

CoSchedule leans on its blog, guides, and online courses for extra learning. Marketers can read playbooks, watch short videos, and pick up ideas for social media posts, content marketing, and marketing calendars.

Hootsuite runs a rich mix of webinars, blog content, templates, and Academy lessons. This wider library suits social media management teams who enjoy live sessions, case studies, and on-demand classes around social media and social management.

So, in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite, CoSchedule keeps resources close to its marketing calendar world, while Hootsuite surrounds its social media management tool with a broad learning hub.

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite: Which Should You Choose?

Picking between CoSchedule vs Hootsuite comes down to how your team works every day. Think about calendars, inboxes, reports, and how loud your social media channels feel.

When to Choose CoSchedule

Pick CoSchedule if your world runs on a marketing calendar. You want a content calendar and social calendar in one place, with social media posts, blogs, and marketing projects on the same grid.

It suits marketing teams and small businesses that care about content planning first and social media management second. You need project management, task assignments, and an approval workflow more than heavy social listening.

CoSchedule also fits if you like evergreen content queues, but still want a wider marketing suite. You want one social media management tool to run campaigns, track progress, and keep marketing workflows tidy without a steep learning curve.

When to Choose Hootsuite

Pick Hootsuite if social media is your main job. Your team juggles many social media accounts, multiple clients, and a busy stream of comments and incoming messages.

You like a packed dashboard with streams, a unified inbox, social listening, and deep analytics. You need advanced analytics, in-depth reporting, and more social management power in one place.

Hootsuite makes sense for larger marketing teams and agencies that need social media scheduling plus social listening at scale. If your day is full of replies, DMs, and brand mentions, vs Hootsuite choices can lean this way fast.

Key Decision Factors for Your Business

Here are a few points to check before you lock in CoSchedule vs Hootsuite:

• Work style: Calendar fans who think in campaigns fit CoSchedule. Dashboard fans who live in feeds and a smart inbox fit Hootsuite.
• Team size and roles: Smaller marketing teams that blend content marketing and social media lean toward CoSchedule. Bigger social management teams with strict roles and many seats lean toward Hootsuite.
• Data needs: CoSchedule suits basic analytics tied to a marketing calendar. Hootsuite suits deep analytics, audience demographics, and Hootsuite’s reporting dashboards.
• Budget and paid plan tiers: If you want project management and social scheduling without heavy extras, CoSchedule can feel lighter. If you want social listening, social media automation, and more social media management in one hub, Hootsuite’s higher paid plan tiers make more sense.

Better Alternatives to Consider

Still stuck on CoSchedule vs Hootsuite and want a third path? RecurPost steps in as a social media management tool built around evergreen content and a simple social calendar.

RecurPost shines for small businesses, creators, and marketing teams that want:

• Evergreen content recycling: Content libraries and queues keep social media posts running again and again without just scheduling them once. Most tools stop at basic scheduling, while RecurPost leans into long-term content planning and recycling.
• Clear social calendar and content planning: A visual calendar keeps social media management simple across many social media platforms. You see what goes out, when, and on which profile, without digging through a maze of tabs.
• Automation and AI tools: Bulk scheduling, queues, and AI tools for captions cut busy work down. That mix suits marketing teams that want social media automation without a steeper learning curve.
• Good value for multiple clients: Plans suit agencies that handle multiple clients and want recurring posts, content libraries, and basic analytics in one place.

So, if CoSchedule feels too close to a full marketing suite, and Hootsuite feels too heavy for daily use, RecurPost sits in the middle. You still get a strong social calendar, evergreen content, and social media scheduling, without the bulk that many social media management tools carry.

CoSchedule vs Hootsuite FAQs