Hootsuite: In-depth Review
Best For:
Pricing:
Top Features
Large businesses, Organizations
Per Month
- Prohibitively expensive
- Limited integration choices
- Limited content curation capabilities
- Lack of repeated posting and scheduling
- Missing social inbox functionality
Hootsuite Comparisons
Overview
Hootsuite has been one of the first popular social media management tools. While it enjoyed its incumbency for a long time, there are many Hootsuite alternatives in the market. In this article, we review the good, the bad and the ugly of Hootsuite.
Hootsuite is designed with the sole purpose of streamlining your social media management efforts. As a robust tool, It serves as your all-in-one platform that empowers you to stay organized. Hootsuite can help you effectively engage with your audience and analyze what is working and what not.
Let’s go through the details and explore what Hootsuite has to offer.
Hootsuite Ratings
In the sphere of social media scheduling tools, Hootsuite has long held a reputation as one of the pioneers. However, as the market evolves, newer and more feature-rich Hootsuite alternatives have emerged, e.g., RecurPost stands out as an exceptional option.
We will compare Hootsuite’s ratings with those of RecurPost in this section. You may find this useful that with RecurPost, you gain access to a plethora of powerful tools. The list includes recurring schedules, an AI assistant to generate images and captions, white-label reports and many others. These features surpass what Hootsuite has to offer, making RecurPost a compelling choice.
Let’s take a brief look at the ratings of both Hootsuite and RecurPost, which is an excellent alternative to Hootsuite.
| Feature | Hootsuite Rating | RecurPost Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Meets Requirements | 8.3 | 9 |
| Ease of Use | 8.4 | 9.1 |
| Ease of Setup | 8.4 | 9.2 |
| Ease of Admin | 8.5 | 9.7 |
| Quality of Support | 7.9 | 8.3 |
| Product Direction | 8.3 | 9.5 |
Hootsuite reviews
Positive Reviews
Hootsuite makes it easy for our distributed team of content contributors to submit content, and our internal team can then create a posting calendar and use automated posting to make the management of all of our social platforms fast and simple.
~ Brock P. (Capterra link)
Hootsuite serves as a social media management tool with millions of users. The platform allows viewing of up to five social networks simultaneously, while the intuitive interface enables switching between different social media profiles, campaigns, and customers. The tool does have limitations.
~ Shaheer M. (Capterra link)
Hootsuite enables users to manage multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard, making the platform popular for businesses with strong social media presence. The tool offers advanced scheduling and automation features that streamline social media management workflows. Hootsuite delivers detailed analytics and reporting capabilities that track social media engagement, performance, and customer interactions.
~ Ripon C. (Capterra link)
Hootsuite has been a lifesaver for my business! The platform is user-friendly and offers great features for managing multiple social media accounts. I love the scheduling capabilities, as well as the ability to monitor analytics and conversations. Hootsuite also provides great customer support – they are always willing to help and provide solutions quickly.
~ Sardorbek M. (Capterra link)
This tool functions as a network management system that delivers financial and commercial convenience for companies. The marketing system manages everything from content to campaign performance analysis. Hootsuite operates as a social media administration tool that handles different sites with accuracy and efficiency.
~ Deyna R. (Capterra link)
Negative Reviews
Awkward to use, I like using FB Meta and LinkedIn scheduling better. Seems like I’m always getting SM accounts disconnected and I find out later that my scheduled posts never posted. I don’t see any email correspondence or IMs or anything to alert me of this. I find out by accident. Customer Service. Hootsuite is not meeting my needs and I am underutilizing it as such. I asked for a partial refund and they refused. It’s a lot of money for something I can’t utilize easily. It’s a lot of money for just 10 SM accounts. I think that this platform is intended for deep-pocketed larger organizations with Social Marketing teams/depts. than for small business. There is no opt-out for auto-renewing subscriptions.
~ Erin D. (Capterra link)
We had an auto renewal on our subscription with no notifications about upcoming renewal sent (shady company practice), we ended up charged for another year when we hadn’t touched Hootsuite in over a year. They were unwilling to refund any portion of the annual subscription even though it was only three months into the year when I contacted them and they can see that we are an inactive user. This speaks volumes to their CS and values as a company. I would recommend to put your money elsewhere. There are plenty of tools available and choose companies who stand with start-ups during this period and beyond.
~ Sarah G. (Capterra link)
I didn’t like the fact that scheduling posts wasn’t as easy as some other software. I need the option to schedule recurring posts across multiple platforms and this just didn’t fit my content needs.
~ Shaniece M. (Capterra link)
Do not use their free trial. I used it for our social media page and was offered a 30 day free trail which i took. Three days before the trial ended i tried to cancel my subscription as we realised we couldn’t post certain images due to size and shape to Instagram but we could post those same images via mobile device or just logged in so we were having to manually upload when the point is to schedule defeating the objective. I called and mentioned that we were having problems cancelling from the back office. They told us to try again in a few hours we did still nothing. We then called again. I sent a tweet which was ignored, now we’ve been charged the full 1 year subscription for a service that doesn’t match our business needs and can’t seem to get in touch with anyone how very convenient. I can’t believe that in 2020 these are the types of tactics we result to, to steal consumers money.
~ Gloria G. (Capterra link)
Not user friendly and terrible customer service. I have been discussing with them for over a month on a very serious issue and they will not resolve it for me. Not happy with this company at all.
~ Anne-Lauren G. (Capterra link)
Hootsuite pros and cons
Pros
Extensive Platform Support:
Hootsuite’s main benefits for social media management include supporting a wide range of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok, which allows centralized account management from one dashboard.
You can schedule tweets with Hootsuite along with posts for all other supported platforms, making Twitter content planning and publishing seamless from the unified dashboard.
Hootsuite supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok. This platform compatibility enables management of accounts across various social media channels. The tool accommodates targeting specific demographics through different platforms while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Whether you’re targeting specific demographics or utilizing different platforms for various purposes, Hootsuite ensures comprehensive coverage.
Bulk Scheduling:
Saving time is crucial when it comes to managing social media accounts effectively. Hootsuite’s bulk scheduling feature allows you to plan and schedule multiple posts in advance. Bulk scheduling ensures a consistent and timely presence on your social media channels. By uploading multiple posts at once, you can dedicate more time to crafting high-quality content.
Built-in URL Shortener:
Hootsuite includes an integrated URL shortener that eliminates dependence on third-party tools. The feature shrinks long URLs and tracks click-through rates directly from the dashboard. These shortened links deliver insights about engagement and effectiveness of shared content.
Powerful Analytics:
Your social media performance is essential for optimizing your strategies.
Hootsuite offers robust analytics capabilities, providing valuable insights into your audience’s engagement, post reach, click-through rates, and more.
Hootsuite analytics include follower growth tracking, best posting times analysis, audience demographics breakdown, hashtag performance measurement, competitor benchmarking, and custom report generation across all connected social platforms.
Hootsuite presents your data in an easy-to-understand format, allowing you to track your progress, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. By measuring the impact of your social media efforts, you can refine your content and focus on strategies that drive meaningful results.
App Integrations and Customization:
Hootsuite allows you to integrate with a wide array of third-party apps and services. Integrations expand the functionality of Hootsuite and provide a customized experience tailored to your specific needs.
You can seamlessly connect with various tools and platforms that are essential for your social media strategy. It has support for most of the popular apps, such as Canva, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and more. You can leverage the power of these tools alongside Hootsuite’s core features.
Cons
Pricing Structure:
Hootsuite’s pricing structure presents challenges for small businesses and individuals with limited budgets. Though various plans exist for different needs, costs accumulate when advanced features or multiple social media accounts require management. Potential users must evaluate whether features justify the expense based on specific requirements.
Lack of AI-driven Features:
Hootsuite lacks advanced AI-driven capabilities for content generation and image recommendations. The platform provides social media management tools without the automation and AI-powered content creation found in competing solutions. Users need additional tools or manual processes to supplement these missing features for comprehensive social media management.
Limited Support for Advanced Analytics and White Label Reports:
Hootsuite’s analytics package lacks advanced functionalities like comprehensive sentiment analysis and detailed audience demographics. White label report customization options remain limited for presenting social media insights to clients or stakeholders. These limitations restrict the depth and presentation of analytics data compared to specialized reporting tools.
Platform Updates and Learning Curve:
Hootsuite’s regular updates introduce changes that require adaptation to new features and workflows. Users accustomed to specific processes face learning curves when navigating these modifications. These transitions can temporarily disrupt workflow efficiency until teams master the updated interface elements.
Customer Support:
Hootsuite provides support resources, including a knowledge base, community forums, and online tutorials, but direct customer support access varies by plan. Personalized support channels like phone or chat remain limited for lower-tier subscriptions. Response times and availability fluctuate when immediate assistance becomes necessary.
Hootsuite Pricing
Hootsuite offers 3 pricing plans:
- Standard
- Advanced
- Enterprise
The pricing starts at $99 per month, granting you access to their comprehensive suite of features. The cost can be on the higher side, meeting the needs of only businesses with extensive social media requirements. With a team of 5 or more people managing their social accounts, companies need to opt for either the ‘Advance’ or the ‘Enterprise’ plan, which can cost $88 per month and above.
Hootsuite Features
Bulk Scheduling
Hootsuite’s scheduling capabilities include bulk scheduling features that allow social media managers to plan and schedule multiple posts in advance across different platforms simultaneously. With this feature, you can easily schedule multiple social media posts in advance, eliminating the need for manual posting at specific times. By planning and queuing up your content in one go, you can maintain a consistent posting schedule, even when you’re busy or away. This ensures that your audience receives a steady stream of content, boosting engagement and brand visibility.
Social Inbox
The Social Inbox feature of Hootsuite acts as a centralized hub for managing all your social media messages, mentions, comments, and notifications. Instead of logging into each platform separately, you can conveniently view and respond to messages from different accounts within Hootsuite. This streamlines your communication process, allowing you to engage with your audience promptly and maintain excellent customer service.
URL Shortener
Hootsuite enables users to schedule Twitter posts through its platform while also including a built-in URL shortener that simplifies sharing links on social media platforms with character limits, such as Twitter.
By shortening long URLs, you can save precious space in your posts while still providing valuable content. Additionally, HootSuite’s URL shortener tracks click-through rates, enabling you to measure the effectiveness of your shared links and gain insights into audience behavior.
Caption Customization
Customizing captions for different social media platforms is crucial for optimizing engagement and resonating with your audience. Hootsuite allows you to tailor captions to the specific requirements and best practices of each platform. With the ability to write and adapt captions within the platform, you can craft compelling, platform-specific messages that capture attention and drive interaction.
Team Management
Collaboration is made seamless with Hootsuite’s team management feature. This feature enables you to invite team members, assign roles and permissions, and streamline your workflow. Whether you’re working with a social media team or collaborating with clients, Hootsuite ensures that everyone has the appropriate access and responsibilities. By facilitating effective teamwork and communication, you can enhance productivity and maintain a cohesive social media strategy.
Hootsuite’s boost feature functions as a paid promotion tool that amplifies your social media posts by increasing their reach and visibility across supported platforms, though specific boost functionality details vary by connected social network.
Looking for the best alternative to Hootsuite? Explore the Hootsuite vs HeyOrca comparison in this comprehensive guide and make an informed choice!
Conclusion
Hootsuite provides social media management features, but RecurPost delivers a more complete alternative for content creators, marketers, and businesses. RecurPost combines affordable pricing, AI-driven features, and extensive platform support for effective social media management.
RecurPost offers a user-friendly interface, robust scheduling capabilities, and cost-effective plans that enhance social media strategies and business outcomes. The platform balances functionality, convenience, and value.
RecurPost’s free trial allows a firsthand evaluation of these capabilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What social media platforms does Hootsuite support?
Hootsuite supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.
2. Is Hootsuite worth the money?
There are more affordable options for social media management tools than Hootsuite, especially for medium to large enterprises. Agencies can discover more cost-effective alternatives to Hootsuite, such as RecurPost, which offers comparable functionalities at a lower price point, effectively bridging the gaps in their social media management needs.
3. Is Hootsuite free to use?
No, Hootsuite does not offer a free plan. Hootsuite’s paid plans start from $99 per month, though the platform does offer a 30-day free trial for new users to test the features before committing to a subscription. You can explore more cost-effective options, such as RecurPost, one of the best alternatives to Hootsuite.
4. What are the limitations of Hootsuite?
The limitations of Hootsuite include its relatively high pricing, lack of advanced AI-driven features, limited support for advanced analytics and white label reports, platform updates that may require a learning curve, and availability and responsiveness of customer support.
5. Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
RecurPost emerges as the perfect selection for those seeking a Hootsuite alternative. It distinguishes itself by offering a more cost-effective option than Hootsuite and enables the convenience of handling numerous social media accounts from a single dashboard.
6. Can you schedule tweets with Hootsuite?
Yes, you can schedule tweets with Hootsuite. The platform allows you to compose, schedule, and publish tweets directly from the dashboard, along with managing your other social media accounts. Hootsuite supports both text tweets and tweets with images, and you can schedule individual tweets or bulk upload multiple tweets for future publishing.