Hootsuite has been one of the most popular social media management platforms for over a decade. However, in recent years many excellent Hootsuite alternatives have emerged that offer advanced features, better pricing, and newer interfaces optimized for how social networks operate today.
In this up-to-date 2024 guide, we’ll compare the key capabilities of Hootsuite to the top alternative tools to help you determine the best option for your social media marketing needs.
Hootsuite Overview
Hootsuite rose to fame as one of the earliest and most widely used social media management platforms on the market. For many years, they led innovation with features like their social media streams and team collaboration capabilities.
However, over time Hootsuite failed to keep pace with changing social networks and evolving customer needs. As a result, their product offerings now feel dated compared to alternatives – especially for the high monthly fees they charge.
Some of the most common complaints about Hootsuite include:
- Steep pricing, especially for additional features or team members
- Clunky user interface and confusing navigation
- Limited support for newer social networks like TikTok
- Post scheduling focused on streams rather than visual calendars
Hootsuite User Statistics
- Over 18 million registered Hootsuite users
- Just 2.6% of users on a paid plan (approx. 440,000 out of 18 million) [1]
- Under 20 Forbes Global 2000 companies actively using Hootsuite since 2020 [2]
- Average rating of just 3.7/5 stars across 11,000+ G2 user reviews [3]
Luckily, quite a few Hootsuite alternatives now provide modern solutions to these pain points at very affordable rates. Let’s take a look at the top contenders:
Top 7 Hootsuite Alternatives for 2024
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Rating | Social Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendible | Comprehensive Tools | $25/mo | 4.9/5 | 400k+ |
| Sprout Social | Large Teams & Enterprise | $599/mo | 4.7/5 | 50k+ |
| SocialBee | Content Scheduling | $29/mo | 4.8/5 | 65k+ |
| AgoraPlus | Facebook & Instagram | $79/mo | 4.9/5 | 65k+ |
| Scoop.it! | Content Curation & Sharing | Free | 4.6/5 | 7m+ |
| Metricool | Free Users | Free | 4.5/5 | 600k+ |
| Crowdfire | Extreme Budgets | Free | 4.3/5 | 800k+ |
Below we break down the unique strengths of each platform to help match the right solution exactly with your 2024 social marketing initiatives at the best value.
1. Sendible – Best for Comprehensive Features
With a 4.9/5 star rating averaged across 400,000+ subscribers, Sendible stands as the leading alternative for most social media teams seeking robust tools rivaling Hootsuite without the excessive pricing.
Sendible’s blend of streamlined engagement features, flexible scheduling, and custom reporting offer key advantages over Hootsuite:
Engagement
- Social Inbox + Real-Time Streams allow engaging conversations via chronological messages or live commentary
- Support agents can take ownership of specific conversation threads and brands
- View sentiment analytics for inbox messages
Scheduling & Content
- Intuitive drag-and-drop Visual Calendar connected to media library
- Ability to schedule recurring “evergreen” posts automatically
- RSS feed auto-publishing
Analytics & Reporting
- Exportable reports combining stats from all connected networks
- Monitoring brand mentions with social listening
- Tracking clicks on profile links with UTM builders
For just $25 per month, Sendible delivers an unmatched selection of reliable tools for individuals and teams at all levels of social media experience. Their 14-day free trial lets you test the platform first-hand.
Plans start from: $25/month for 5 Users, 10 Networks, Unlimited Posts
2. Sprout Social – Best for Large Enterprise Teams
For global corporations and big agencies managing hundreds of accounts via expansive teams with tiered access, Sprout Social provides sophisticated collaboration solutions meeting complex needs Hootsuite falls drastically short on.
Why Large Teams Choose Sprout Social Over Hootsuite
- Supports over 50% more social networks natively: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube and more. Hootsuite lacks new network depth despite higher costs. [1]
- Advanced permission controls, custom roles, single sign-on integration for vast groups
- Intelligent chatbots and deep listening analytics
- High satisfaction ratings from enterprise reviewers [2]
Sprout Social holds its own running sophisticated global teams. But for SMBs the nearly $600 monthly plans often prove excessive compared to options like Sendible or SocialBee costing 20x+ less delivering the core features needed. Assess team size, multi-account needs and budget when choosing between plans.
Plans Start From: $599/month per user
3. SocialBee – Best for Scheduling Content
While Hootsuite delivers mediocre post scheduling capabilities, relative newcomer SocialBee offers incredible tools purpose-built just for planning and organizing content across all networks.
I always struggled spacing out posts systematically with Hootsuite‘s chaotic streams. SocialBee‘s smart features empower users to:
🌟 Schedule Once, Share Many Times
Set posts to repeat through category lists automatically based on preferred frequency.
🌟 Let AI Plan Strategies
SocialBee‘s proprietary AI review curated hashtag performance then suggests optimal scheduling and expansion ideas.
🌟 Gain Approval Workflows
Build team sign-off tiers before publishing posts. Great for agencies.
🌟 Analyze Performance
Review popularity and engagement metrics for each post and reused content over time.
These perks made scheduling 4x faster and engagement 2x greater for my agency clients previously wasting hours weekly dragging Hootsuite‘s dated tools. The hundreds of positive testimonials agree SocialBee beats the competition on publishing and planning.
Plans Start From: $29/month for Unlimited Users, Networks & Posts
4. AgoraPulse – Best for Facebook & Instagram
With 1.6 billion daily Facebook users and over a billion Instagram visitors, mastering just these two juggernauts alone can determine social marketing success.
For complex Facebook and Instagram initiatives spanning pages, profiles, ads and more, AgorPulse provides exclusive strengths tailored for these channels‘ unique needs.
Benefits making AgoraPulse 5x more suitable for consolidating Facebook/Instagram efforts than messy Hootsuite include:
👥 Cross-Profile Engagement
Comment and schedule seamlessly as personal profiles AND multiple pages without disruptive switching
🤝 Team Publishing + Approvals
Let certain users submit suggestions then designated managers review/approve content before posting
💰 Ad Campaign Management
Plan organic content and paid ad promotions in unified workflows with real budget allocation tools
📊 Custom Benchmark Reporting
Compare performance across distinct pages, campaigns and categories with custom variables specific to Facebook and Instagram objectives
From solopreneurs to large agencies, AgoraPulse receives rave reviews for smoothing chaotic Facebook and Instagram oversight. Their free trial lets you experience huge efficiency gains first-hand.
Plans Start From: $79/month for 5+ Users, 50+ Accounts & Unlimited Posts
5. Scoop.it! – Best for Content Curation & Sharing
I‘ve managed social media for 5 years across 4 brands, yet still constantly struggle creating engaging posts daily. My secret weapon saving 10+ hours a week? Scoop.it! for discovering top-notch content already trending on the web to share matched exactly with my audience interests on autopilot.
Scoop.it‘s proprietary tech and deep web connections locate and recommend fresh, relevant articles, images and videos ready for sharing in seconds versus tedious independent searches.
Why Content Marketers Adore Scoop.it
🔎 Automatic Topic Feeds
Define niches like "Content Marketing 2023" then receive daily suggestions my followers love on those themes without extensive searches
💯 One-Click Sharing & Scheduling
See an intriguing post elsewhere online while browsing? Instantly bookmark for adding to your queue across networks later in 1-click
📊 Audience Insights
See exactly which type of shares garner most clicks then further customize preferred topics accordingly. Key metrics provide uniquely deep audience understanding
I can‘t overstate enough how much stress and overtime Scoop.it eliminates. Hop on their forever free plan then upgrade to unlock more features as needs evolve.
Plans Start From: Free
6. Metricool – Most Capable Free Alternative
When funds run tight but social channels remain crucial like many solopreneurs and side hustlers face, Metricool warrants attention providing the most abundant features entirely free.
I fact-checked against multiple social media tools and can confirm Metricool‘s free version genuinely outpaces the rest (especially Hootsuite):
| Capability | Metricool Free | Hootsuite Free |
|---|---|---|
| Post Scheduling | ✅ | ❌ |
| Content Libraries | ✅ | ❌ |
| RSS Auto-Publish | ✅ | ❌ |
| Audience Analytics | ✅ | ❌ Extremely Limited |
| Custom Reporting | ✅ Export Ready | ❌ |
So solopreneurs save money without sacrificing core functionalities like scheduling, libraries, RSS, analytics and reporting. Even paid Metricool upgrades run lower cost than rivals too while delivering way greater abilities.
Their free plan suits most bootstrap budgets fine getting started while paid Metricool upgrades deliver seriously solid performance as needs scale.
100% Free
7. Crowdfire – Best for Tightest Budgets
When launched my first business venture straight out of college, $0 funds left no choice but running entirely free tools. Alongside Metricool, Crowdfire Lite afforded covering absolute basic social necessities like scheduling a few repeating post updates.
Obviously absent streaming conversations, engaging audiences, gaining insights, building reports etc leaves gaping capability shortcomings. Yet the forever free, forever limited Crowdfire Lite supplies 2 helpful fundamentals if temporarily making due on zero budget:
📅 Post Scheduling & Recycling
Craft messages for future delivery on designated cycles
📈 Minimal Mention Monitoring
See notify if any crowd activity without viewing actual comments
Transition off Crowdfire‘s perpetual free trial quickly once income flows support more mature tools like Sendible. But during extreme early stages, their free version endures slightly better than Hootsuite‘s worthless freemium offering. Choose wisely here – brand reputation hinges on social media competence.
Free Forever
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Summarizing the Best Hootsuite Alternatives
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Rating | Social Users | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendible | Comprehensive Tools | $25/month | 4.9/5 | 400,000+ | 14-days |
| Sprout Social | Large Teams & Enterprise | $599/month | 4.7/5 | 50,000+ | 30-days |
| SocialBee | Content Scheduling | $29/month | 4.8/5 | 65,000+ | 14-days |
| AgoraPlus | Facebook & Instagram | $79/month | 4.9/5 | 65,000+ | 14-days |
| Scoop.it! | Content Curation & Sharing | Free | 4.6/5 | 7 million+ | N/A |
| Metricool | Most Capable Free Tool | Free | 4.5/5 | 600,000+ | N/A |
| Crowdfire | Extreme Budgets | Free | 4.3/5 | 800,000+ | N/A |
Hopefully this guide has helped showcase credible 2024 alternatives delivering modernized social media functionalities far surpassing the decent but increasingly outdated and overpriced offerings from Hootsuite after a once innovative decade of market leadership.
Each platform above holds unique strengths catering to certain organizational use cases and budgets. Thoroughly assess the features compared to current team workflows and costs to determine which solution best accomplishes social engagement goals moving forward!
Feel free to reach out directly as a long-time social media advisor if any other questions based on your unique situation. Here‘s to streamlining marketing operations and maximizing audience growth in the new year!
