Zoho Social vs Hootsuite
Zoho Social or Hootsuite
Zoho Social Overview
Zoho is a unified cloud software suite that empowers teams to streamline business processes, including social media workflows, sales, and marketing. Trusted by over 100 million users across 150+ countries, Zoho offers 55+ integrated applications that break down departmental silos for social media managers seeking centralized control.
Backed by 700 000 businesses worldwide, Zoho’s platform helps digital marketers harness AI-powered insights and automate content publishing within a single interface, so they can focus on strategy instead of tool-hopping.
Hootsuite Overview
Social media managers and digital marketers know how vital it is to stay on top of every channel, every comment, and every trend. Hootsuite brings all your profiles into one clean dashboard, so you can schedule posts, track conversations, and measure results without juggling tabs.
With powerful analytics and AI-driven insights at your fingertips, Hootsuite helps you plan content that resonates, engage in real time, and prove the value of your efforts, all from a single pane of glass.
Overview
Choosing the right social media management tool is critical for businesses and individuals looking to enhance their online presence and streamline social media marketing efforts. With numerous tools on the market, it can be difficult to decide which one offers the best features, pricing, and support. In this comparison of Zoho Social vs Hootsuite, I’ll share my experience with both platforms to help you determine which one is the most suitable for your needs.
Zoho Social vs Hootsuite: User Rating
| Rating Categories | Zoho Social | Hootsuite |
| Star Rating (Out of 5) | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| Meets Requirements (Out of 10) | 8.8 | 8.3 |
| Ease of Use (Out of 10) | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| Ease of Setup (Out of 10) | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| Ease of Admin (Out of 10) | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| Quality of Support (Out of 10) | 8.7 | 7.9 |
| Business Partnership (Out of 10) | 9.0 | 8.3 |
| Product Direction (% positive) | 9.2 | 7.3 |
Zoho Social:
- – Rating: 4.6/5 on G2 from over 2500+ reviews.
- – Users love Zoho Social’s detailed reporting and how it integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM, but some mention that the interface can feel a bit overwhelming for beginners.
Hootsuite:
- – Rating: 4.3/5 on G2 with over 4,500 reviews.
- – Hootsuite is praised for its easy-to-use interface and extensive integrations. However, some users feel the analytics could be more advanced for businesses with complex reporting needs.
Zoho Social vs Hootsuite: Feature Comparison
| Features | Zoho Social | Hootsuite |
| Pricing (per month in USD) | $10 | $149 |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms Supported | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, YouTube, TikTok | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok |
| Bulk Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| RSS feeds | No | No |
| Recurring Posts | No | No |
| Social Inbox | No | Yes |
| AI Content Generation | No | No |
| Hashtag Storage | No | Yes |
| Caption Customization | No | No |
| AI Images | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | No | No |
| White Label Reports | No | No |
| URL Shortener | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Workspaces | No | No |
| Team Management | No | No |
a. Scheduling and Automation:
The scheduling feature is easy to use, and I particularly liked how you could create a social media content calendar that syncs seamlessly with the rest of the Zoho suite. The SmartQ feature suggests the best time to post based on past interactions and audience behavior. Hootsuite’s AutoSchedule is a popular feature, which helps in scheduling posts based on an optimal time. However, I found that it doesn’t offer as much customization in terms of timing compared to Zoho Social’s SmartQ, which takes historical data into account.
b. Supported Social Media Platforms:
Supports major platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google My Business, and YouTube. I found the integration with Google My Business especially useful for local businesses.
Similar to Zoho Social, Hootsuite supports a variety of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. However, Hootsuite supports a broader range of third-party integrations, which is useful for businesses that use other tools like Slack, Shopify, or WordPress.
c. Analytics and Reporting:
Zoho Social offers in-depth analytics with features like detailed social listening and performance reports. For example, I used it for a client who needed to track customer sentiment across different channels, and the platform made it easy to track engagement metrics.
While Hootsuite also provides analytics, I found it less detailed compared to Zoho Social. The reporting tools are more basic, which might not be ideal for businesses requiring in-depth, customized reports. However, it does integrate well with Google Analytics for website tracking.
d. User Interface and Experience:
The interface is intuitive and clean, which is perfect for users who need to manage multiple profiles and campaigns efficiently. However, it may take some time to get used to all the features and integrations, especially if you’re new to Zoho’s ecosystem.
Hootsuite is known for its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy to jump right in, even for beginners. The dashboard is clean, and everything is visible at a glance, making it ideal for fast-paced teams. However, the simplicity sometimes comes at the cost of deeper functionality.
Pros and Cons of Using Zoho Social
Pros
- A clear navigation that works well for beginners.
- Provides detailed analytics and reporting
Cons
- Users report slow response times and unhelpful answers from support team
- Poor handling of videos and images
Ideal Use Cases:
Zoho Social – Best For:
- – Small to medium-sized businesses already using Zoho CRM.
- – Social listening and customer engagement tracking.
- – Businesses looking for detailed analytics to improve their social media strategy.
For instance, if you’re a local business using Google My Business and need to track customer sentiment, Zoho Social is the ideal choice.
Hootsuite – Best For:
- – Agencies and teams managing multiple social profiles.
- – Businesses that need third-party integrations for tools like Slack, Shopify, or Salesforce.
- – Larger teams that require team collaboration features like task assignments, approvals, and more.
For example, if you’re an agency managing campaigns across multiple client accounts, Hootsuite’s team collaboration features can make managing approvals and assignments much easier.
Conclusion of Zoho Social vs Hootsuite Comparison
Both Zoho Social and Hootsuite offer excellent social media management solutions, but they cater to different needs. Zoho Social is ideal if you’re already using Zoho CRM and need in-depth analytics and social listening features. It also works well for smaller businesses that want a more affordable solution.
On the other hand, Hootsuite excels if you need a user-friendly interface, team collaboration features, and third-party integrations. It’s the better option for larger teams managing a wide range of social profiles.
Ultimately, choosing the right tool depends on your specific needs and budget.
If you’re looking for something more cost-effective and flexible, RecurPost is another solid alternative. I found RecurPost particularly beneficial for businesses needing affordable social media scheduling with a focus on content recycling and advanced analytics. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with multiple social media channels.
RecurPost is a powerful social media management tool and a strong alternative to Hootsuite and Zoho Social, designed to save time, boost engagement, and simplify workflows. Unlike basic schedulers, it goes beyond posting by automating content recycling, streamlining bulk scheduling, and maximizing reach across all major platforms.
Trusted by over 100,000 businesses in 163 countries, RecurPost has powered more than 60 million posts and generated 130 million engagements worldwide. Users typically save up to 75% of their time while enjoying an 18% boost in engagement thanks to its innovative automation features.
What sets RecurPost apart are its advanced extras: hashtag generators, bio creators, Instagram grid planning, seasonal content libraries, RSS feed integration, and even royalty-free image access. With a unified inbox, first-comment automation, white-label analytics, and collaborative calendars, RecurPost delivers enterprise-level functionality at startup-friendly pricing, making it the wise choice for growing businesses and agencies.
The cost of Zoho social and Hootsuite can also be a speed breaker. Zoho Social offers a free plan, but it’s not very useful, you need to upgrade to their paid plan to run your social media marketing effectively. While there aren’t drastic differences between the paid plans of RecurPost and Zoho Social, there is a clear distinction in the quality of features.
You can visit the Zoho Social pricing page to explore every feature in detail. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Hootsuite pricing is significantly higher than RecurPost, making it less suitable for businesses in the early stages of marketing. Paying such a high amount during the initial stages of marketing can be a significant drawback, so this factor should definitely be taken into account.
