Hootsuite alternatives: where to go and how to switch without losing your calendar
Ten destinations, one for each reason to leave, and a seven-step exit plan.
The short answer: Buffer if you run a handful of accounts on your own and want to pay per channel, Sprout Social if you want to stay premium with stronger reporting, Agorapulse or Vista Social if your team lives in the social inbox, Metricool if you want a free plan that actually does something. One thing to know first: Hootsuite exports your scheduled posts to CSV, but not your unscheduled drafts, and the media links in the export expire after a week. We compared all ten and checked every price on the vendor's own pricing page in 2026.
Some links are affiliate links. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why so many teams leave Hootsuite
Hootsuite is still a complete tool, and its scores on the big software review sites hold up. But recent reviews are mostly about money and support. Six complaints keep coming back.
Per-seat pricing that adds up fast
Standard is $99 per user per month, Professional $199, Advanced $399. Those prices assume annual billing and exclude tax. Three people on Professional cost more than $7,000 a year.
No free plan anymore
Hootsuite only offers a 14-day trial now, capped at 10 to 20 posts a day depending on the plan, and no bulk scheduling during the trial. If you ran two or three accounts for free, you either pay or move.
Renewals that catch people out
Public reviews describe charges after a trial people thought they had cancelled, and annual renewals they didn't want. Because the headline price is the annual one, the commitment is easy to miss.
Slow support
Several recent reviews mention waiting days for an email reply. When your scheduled posts are stuck, days is a long time.
Ten accounts on Standard
Standard caps you at 10 social accounts. A brand on five networks in two regions has to move to Professional, at $199 per user.
Native schedulers are often enough
Meta Business Suite and LinkedIn already schedule posts for free. A small team that skips the shared inbox and advanced reports is paying Hootsuite for a calendar.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Hootsuite alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Click your reason to jump to the card.
Priced per channel, from $5 per channel per month.
You want to stay premium, with better reportsSprout SocialFrom $79 per seat per month, billed annually.
Your team handles comments and DMsAgorapulseSocial inbox, 10 profiles included, 30-day trial.
You're an agency with lots of client profilesVista Social15 profiles and 3 users from $79 a month.
You need a free plan that's actually usefulMetricool1 brand and 20 posts a month, analytics included.
You want seats for a small team on a budgetSocial Champ6 accounts and 2 users for $29 a month.
Hootsuite alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why switch, who it's for, the catch, how to migrate and the entry price. Prices come from each vendor's pricing page and exclude tax. Watch the units: some bill per channel, others per user or per brand.
Buffer: pay per channel, not per person
SoloWhy switch to Buffer. Buffer charges for each connected channel, not each person. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. Essentials is $5 per channel per month, Team $10 per channel with team access.
Who it's for. A freelancer or small brand posting to three to five networks with no need for a shared inbox. Five channels on Essentials come to $25 a month, a quarter of Hootsuite Standard.
Who it's not for. An agency with forty profiles: per-channel pricing catches up with flat plans.
The catch. Analytics and inbox features stay light next to Hootsuite, and the free plan only keeps 30 days of analytics.
How to migrate. Reconnect your profiles, then rebuild upcoming posts from your Hootsuite CSV. Use the 14-day trial on paid plans to do the switch before you pay.
- Free
- 3 channels, 10 posts each
- Paid
- Essentials $5/mo per channel
- Best for
- solo, few accounts
- Catch
- light analytics
Sprout Social: stay premium, pay a bit less
PremiumWhy switch to Sprout Social. If you want a full suite known for its reporting without going back to Hootsuite. Essentials is $79 per seat per month billed annually ($99 monthly) with 5 profiles.
Who it's for. A mid-size marketing team that reports up to leadership and wants a tool nobody will question.
Who it's not for. A small shop leaving Hootsuite over price: higher tiers run up to $399 per seat.
The catch. Essentials only covers 5 profiles. Once you manage more, per-seat cost lands back in Hootsuite territory.
How to migrate. The 30-day trial needs no card. Export your Hootsuite reports before you close the account so you can compare numbers across tools.
- Free
- 30-day trial
- Paid
- Essentials $79/seat, annual
- Best for
- in-depth reporting
- Catch
- 5 profiles to start
Agorapulse: the social inbox for less
TeamsWhy switch to Agorapulse. It does what teams like about Hootsuite, one inbox for messages and comments, for less. Standard is $79 per user per month billed annually ($99 monthly), with 10 profiles included.
Who it's for. A community team that moderates a lot and wants approvals and reporting in the same place.
Who it's not for. A solo creator who posts but rarely replies: you'd pay for an inbox you don't use.
The catch. It's still per user, like Hootsuite. Professional is $119 annually, Advanced $149. With five people, the gap narrows.
How to migrate. The 30-day trial needs no card, and the account then drops to a limited free version. Start the trial a month before your Hootsuite renewal and run both tools side by side.
- Free
- 30-day trial, then limited free
- Paid
- Standard $79/user, annual
- Best for
- team moderation
- Catch
- per-user pricing
Vista Social: lots of profiles for agencies
AgenciesWhy switch to Vista Social. Professional is $79 a month and covers 15 profiles and 3 users. On Hootsuite, the same team would pay three times $199 just to go past 10 accounts.
Who it's for. An agency or marketing team juggling many client profiles that wants calendar, inbox and reports in one place.
Who it's not for. Anyone after a free plan: there isn't one. And teams that need social listening on day one: it comes with Advanced.
The catch. The real agency tier is often Advanced at $149 a month for 30 profiles and 6 users. Scale goes up to $349.
How to migrate. Set up one workspace per client before reconnecting profiles, then split your Hootsuite export by client. Our Vista Social review covers what each plan unlocks.
- Free
- no
- Paid
- Professional $79/mo
- Best for
- multi-client agencies
- Catch
- listening on Advanced
Metricool: the most useful free plan
Free planWhy switch to Metricool. It's the most direct answer to Hootsuite dropping its free plan. Free covers 1 brand, 20 posts a month, 30 days of analytics and 5 competitors to track.
Who it's for. A small business or creator who wants scheduling and analytics in one place, and a freelancer with a few brands: Starter covers 5 brands from $20 a month billed annually ($25 monthly).
Who it's not for. A team that needs roles and approvals from the first tier: team management only comes with Advanced, from $53 a month billed annually.
The catch. Metricool counts brands, not profiles. One brand groups its networks, so count your brands before picking a tier.
How to migrate. Create one brand per client or business line, connect its networks, then reload your posts from the Hootsuite CSV.
- Free
- 1 brand, 20 posts/mo
- Paid
- Starter from $20/mo, annual
- Best for
- schedule and measure
- Catch
- teams on Advanced only
Social Champ: budget seats, per profile or bundled
BudgetWhy switch to Social Champ. Two ways to pay: per profile from $5 a month for one profile, or bundled. Standard is $29 a month ($23.20 a month billed yearly) for 6 accounts and 2 users.
Who it's for. A small team that wants several logins without paying for every seat. Professional goes to 12 accounts and 5 users for $59 a month.
Who it's not for. A large team that needs advanced reporting and dedicated support.
The catch. The free plan only keeps 3 accounts, 1 user and 15 scheduled posts.
How to migrate. Reconnect your accounts, then reload upcoming posts. Start with one monthly billing cycle before committing to a year.
- Free
- 3 accounts, 15 posts
- Paid
- Standard $29/mo
- Best for
- small teams
- Catch
- basic reporting
SocialBee: recycle evergreen content by category
EvergreenWhy switch to SocialBee. SocialBee sorts posts into categories and republishes them on a schedule. Bootstrap is $29 a month for 5 profiles and one seat, Accelerate $49 for 10 profiles.
Who it's for. A creator or consultant with evergreen content who wants it to keep circulating without rescheduling each post.
Who it's not for. A small team: Bootstrap has one seat, and extra seats cost more.
The catch. Agency tiers climb fast: Pro50 at $179, up to Pro150 at $449 a month.
How to migrate. Sort your Hootsuite export by theme before importing: each theme becomes a SocialBee category. Our SocialBee review breaks down the tiers.
- Free
- trial only
- Paid
- Bootstrap $29/mo
- Best for
- evergreen posts
- Catch
- one seat to start
Later: built for Instagram and TikTok
VisualWhy switch to Later. Later is built around visuals: a picture-based calendar, Instagram grid preview and TikTok publishing. Starter is $18.75 a month billed annually for one social set.
Who it's for. Fashion, beauty and food brands that live on Instagram and TikTok.
Who it's not for. Teams that post heavily on LinkedIn or run many brands: each extra social set is $11.25 a month.
The catch. No real free plan, 30 posts per profile on Starter, and reviews that also complain about annual renewals charged without warning. Growth is $37.50.
How to migrate. Grab your media first: Later works from its media library. Our Later review covers each plan's limits.
- Free
- no
- Paid
- Starter $18.75/mo, annual
- Best for
- Instagram, TikTok
- Catch
- 30 posts per profile
Iconosquare: analytics first
AnalyticsWhy switch to Iconosquare. If you mostly used Hootsuite for reports, Iconosquare puts analytics at the center. Launch is €33 a month (€396 a year) for 5 profiles and 1 user; the vendor lists its prices in euros.
Who it's for. A brand or agency that has to prove results every month, mostly on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Who it's not for. A large team: each extra user is €16 a month on Scale and Excel.
The catch. The 5-profile base cap on every paid plan. Scale is €69 for 3 users, Excel €116 for 6.
How to migrate. Export the last twelve months of Hootsuite reports: history doesn't carry over between tools. Our Iconosquare review has the details.
- Free
- trial only
- Paid
- Launch €33/mo
- Best for
- monthly reporting
- Catch
- 5 base profiles
Swello: a European option billed in euros
EuropeanWhy switch to Swello. Swello is a French company that bills in euros, excluding VAT. Medium is €19 a month billed annually (€228 a year) for 1 user and 5 profiles.
Who it's for. A European business that wants an EU vendor and euro invoices. Large moves to 3 users and 10 profiles for €59 a month, billed annually.
Who it's not for. A global agency with dozens of profiles: the Entreprise plan stops at 5 users and 15 profiles for €99 a month.
The catch. The free-forever plan is narrow: 5 profiles (one per network, X excluded), 1 user, 40 scheduled posts a month.
How to migrate. Start on the free plan to reconnect your networks, then upgrade when your Hootsuite term ends. Annual billing gives you two months free.
- Free
- 5 profiles, 40 posts/mo
- Paid
- Medium €19/mo, annual
- Best for
- EU-based teams
- Catch
- 15 profiles max
Hootsuite and 10 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: Buffer for a solo operator, Agorapulse for a team that moderates, Vista Social for an agency, Metricool to start for free.
| Free plan | Entry paid plan and billing unit | |
|---|---|---|
| HootsuiteWhere you start | No, 14-day trial | Standard $99 per user per month, annual, 10 accounts |
| BufferSolo | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each | Essentials $5 per channel per month |
| Sprout SocialPremium | 30-day trial | Essentials $79 per seat per month, annual, 5 profiles |
| AgorapulseTeams | 30-day trial with no card, then a limited free version | Standard $79 per user per month, annual, 10 profiles |
| Vista SocialAgencies | No | Professional $79 a month, 15 profiles, 3 users |
| MetricoolFree plan | 1 brand, 20 posts a month | Starter from $20 a month, annual, 5 brands |
| Social ChampBudget | 3 accounts, 15 scheduled posts | Standard $29 a month, 6 accounts, 2 users |
| SocialBeeEvergreen | Trial only | Bootstrap $29 a month, 5 profiles, 1 seat |
| LaterVisual | No | Starter $18.75 a month, annual |
| IconosquareAnalytics | Trial only | Launch €33 a month, 5 profiles, 1 user |
| SwelloEuropean | 5 profiles, 40 posts a month | Medium €19 a month, annual, 1 user |
Entry prices exclude tax, are shown in the currency the vendor lists, and can change. Compare at the same number of users and profiles.
Leaving Hootsuite in seven steps
Order matters: each step protects your calendar, your media or your bill. Plan on one to two weeks overall.
Take stock of everything that runs
Day 1List connected profiles, who has access, approval workflows, saved replies, streams and scheduled reports. Note the apps connected to Hootsuite too.
Why? The export covers your posts, not your setup. Anything you don't write down gets rebuilt from memory.
- Time
- one to two hours
- If rushed
- approval flow forgotten
Check your renewal date
Day 1Hootsuite's listed prices are annual-commitment prices. Find your renewal date in billing settings and cancel before it: nearly every unwanted-charge review comes from a missed renewal. On a trial, cancel before day 15.
- Check
- renewal date
- If rushed
- a year paid for nothing
Export the calendar to CSV
Day 2From the calendar, export to CSV rather than PDF: CSV covers up to 365 days back or forward, PDF only one week, and past 500 posts CSV is the only option. The file keeps author, media type, links, approval history and internal comments.
What's missing: post targeting, Instagram location tags, ads and unscheduled drafts.
- Format
- CSV, up to 365 days
- Excluded
- unscheduled drafts
Download media and drafts
Day 2Media links in the export expire after one week, and the file doesn't contain the images. Download your visuals and videos the same day. Copy unscheduled drafts by hand, since they don't make it into the export.
- Deadline
- under a week
- If rushed
- lost creative
Save your reports
Day 3Export the last twelve months of performance reports. Your new tool won't pull Hootsuite's history, and these numbers are your baseline.
- Period
- last 12 months
- Why
- before/after baseline
Reconnect profiles and rebuild access
Week 1In the new tool, reconnect each profile with an account that has admin rights on the page or business account. Then rebuild the roles and approvals from step 1.
- Who
- an admin on each page
- If rushed
- profile won't connect
Reload upcoming posts, then switch Hootsuite off
Week 2The exported CSV isn't in bulk-upload format: reshape it to your new tool's template before importing, or reschedule by hand if there are only a few. Then delete posts still scheduled in Hootsuite so nothing goes out twice, and revoke Hootsuite's access to your accounts.
- Time
- half a day
- If rushed
- duplicate posts
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Hootsuite exit go wrong
The same mistakes show up again and again. These are the expensive ones.
Cancelling after renewal
The annual plan renews on its own. Cancel late and you've bought another year.
Exporting to PDF
PDF covers one week. CSV goes to 365 days, and it's the one to keep.
Waiting on the media
Export links expire in a week. Download the creative right away.
Forgetting drafts
Unscheduled drafts aren't exported. Copy them before closing the account.
Letting both tools publish
If posts are scheduled in both, they go out twice. Clear Hootsuite's calendar at cutover.
Comparing prices in different units
$5 per channel, $79 per user, $20 per bundle of brands: redo the math with your real headcount and profile count.
- Profiles, access, approvals and connected apps listed
- Renewal date noted, cancellation done before it
- Calendar exported to CSV
- Media downloaded within the week
- Unscheduled drafts copied
- Last twelve months of reports saved
- Profiles reconnected by an admin
- Upcoming posts reloaded and cleared from Hootsuite
- Hootsuite's access revoked
Hootsuite alternatives: frequently asked questions
Does Hootsuite still have a free plan?
No. Hootsuite only offers a 14-day trial on Standard, Professional and Advanced. During the trial, publishing is capped at 10 to 20 posts a day depending on the plan, and bulk scheduling is off.
What's the best free Hootsuite alternative?
Metricool to schedule and measure one brand (20 posts a month), Buffer for three channels, Social Champ for three accounts and 15 scheduled posts. Our social media tools ranking covers them all.
Which Hootsuite alternative is cheapest?
For one person, Buffer at $5 per channel or Social Champ at $5 per profile. For a small team, Social Champ Standard at $29 a month with 2 users. The math shifts fast with headcount, because Hootsuite charges per user.
Is it worth switching mid-contract?
Usually not. Annual plans are paid up front, so run the new tool in parallel during its trial and switch in the weeks before your renewal date.
What's the best option for an agency with many clients?
Vista Social or Agorapulse. Vista Social puts 15 profiles and 3 users in its first plan, Agorapulse 10 profiles per user. See our tools for agencies for more.
Can I export my scheduled posts from Hootsuite?
Yes, to CSV from the calendar, up to 365 days. The file has no images, media links expire after a week, and unscheduled drafts, targeting and ads aren't included.
Which alternative is best for Instagram and TikTok?
Later, built around a visual calendar and Instagram grid preview, from $18.75 a month billed annually. Iconosquare if measurement matters more. Our Later vs Iconosquare comparison settles it.
Is there a Hootsuite alternative with EU billing?
Swello, a French company, lists its prices in euros excluding VAT, from €19 a month billed annually. Iconosquare also lists euro prices, from €33 a month.
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