9 Best Hootsuite Alternatives in 2026
Hootsuite has been around for a long time, and many teams have used it to schedule posts and track results. But many end up looking for something else.
The reasons are usually the same. Hootsuite discontinued its free plan in 2023, so the only way to try it now is the 30-day trial. Its pricing also grows with the number of user seats, which gets costly once you add a few teammates.
The good news is that plenty of Hootsuite alternatives exist. Many cover the same basics: social media scheduling, a content calendar, social media analytics, and a way to manage multiple social accounts in one place. Some add extras like social listening, a shared inbox, or client approval tools, and many cost less.
Below are the best Hootsuite alternatives in 2026.
Why Look for Hootsuite Alternatives?
Hootsuite works well for big organizations with large budgets and many users. For everyone else, a few issues come up often:
- Cost. Per-seat pricing means every new teammate raises the bill.
- No free plan. You can’t keep using it for free once the trial ends.
- A lot to learn. The dashboard has many streams and settings, which can feel heavy for small teams.
- Team features by plan. Some collaboration tools depend on which plan you pick.
If any of this sounds familiar, one of the Hootsuite competitors below may fit better.
9 Best Hootsuite Alternatives in 2026
Here are the 9 best Hootsuite alternatives to try in 2026, from free plans to full agency tools.
1. SocialBu
Best for: Freelancers, small businesses, and agencies that want automation at a fair price
SocialBu is a strong pick among Hootsuite alternatives for teams that want a lot of features without a high bill. It schedules posts across platforms and automates tasks like replies and reposts, which cuts down on repetitive work.
It also offers a unified inbox, a content calendar, AI writing tools, and performance tracking. The layout is simple, so most people can start scheduling within minutes. A free plan is also available, which makes it easy to try.
Key Features
- Post scheduling across platforms
- Automation for replies and reposts
- Content calendar
- Unified social media inbox
- AI assistant and content generation
- Content curation
- Performance tracking
- Team collaboration
Common Use Cases
SocialBu suits people who want to automate routine tasks, reuse content, and manage multiple social accounts without paying for extra seats. Agencies can also use it for client-ready reports.
Pricing
SocialBu’s Starter plan usually begins around $29/month. Higher plans go up depending on accounts and features.
2. Buffer
Best for: Beginners and small teams that want a simple tool
Buffer is one of the most popular Hootsuite alternatives for people who want something clean. Scheduling takes a few clicks, and the calendar view makes it easy to see what is going out.
It also has a free plan. The free plan covers three channels and one user with basic scheduling, so you can use it for real work without paying. Paid plans are priced per channel.
Key Features
- Quick scheduling
- Simple calendar view
- Basic analytics
- Link-in-bio tool
- Free plan available
- Pricing per channel
Common Use Cases
Buffer works well for solo creators, freelancers, and small businesses that manage a few accounts and want to start without training.
Pricing
Free plan available. Paid plans start around $6/month per channel.
3. Metricool
Best for: Marketers who want scheduling and analytics together
Metricool puts reporting up front. It covers social media analytics, scheduling, and a content calendar, and it also tracks ads, competitors, and website traffic.
Metricool offers a free plan, which makes it a useful pick if you want Hootsuite alternatives free to start with.
Key Features
- Social and ad analytics
- Competitor tracking
- Website tracking
- Content calendar
- Scheduling
- Report generation
- Free plan available
Common Use Cases
Metricool is a good fit when you want one place to plan posts and see how they performed, especially if you run paid and organic campaigns together.
Pricing
Starts around $25/month.
4. Sendible
Best for: Agencies that manage many client accounts
Sendible is often called the closest match to Hootsuite, with a stronger focus on client work. It offers client dashboards, client approval tools, and white-label reports, which cut down the back-and-forth with clients.
It is one of the better Hootsuite alternatives for agencies that want branded reports and a smooth review process. It offers a 14-day free trial.
Key Features
- Client dashboards
- Client approval workflows
- White-label reports
- Content suggestions
- Scheduling and publishing
- Team collaboration
Common Use Cases
Sendible works well when you want clients to review posts, leave feedback, and receive reports with your agency’s logo.
Pricing
Starts at around $35/mo, 1 workspace.
5. SocialPilot
Best for: Small agencies that want flat, predictable pricing
SocialPilot is built for people who handle many profiles. Instead of charging per seat, it uses a flat bundle price that covers a set number of accounts, which can work out cheaper for agencies that manage many client profiles.
It also supports bulk scheduling, client approval, white-label reports, and AI help for captions.
Key Features
- Bulk scheduling
- Client workspaces
- Client approval workflows
- White-label reports
- AI content help
- Content calendar
- Analytics
Common Use Cases
SocialPilot suits agencies and small teams that add new clients often and want to plan large batches of posts at once.
Pricing
Starts around $30/month.
6. Agorapulse
Best for: Teams that spend a lot of time on comments and messages
Agorapulse is built around the social media inbox. Comments and direct messages from different networks show up in one place, so your team can reply faster.
It also includes scheduling, reports, comment moderation, and competitor tracking. It offers a 30-day free trial, which gives you time to test it.
Key Features
- Unified social media inbox
- Comment moderation
- Reports
- Competitor tracking
- Scheduling
- Team collaboration
Common Use Cases
Agorapulse is a good choice when community management is a big part of your work, such as answering customers and keeping conversations going.
Pricing
It costs $99 per user /month.
7. Zoho Social
Best for: Small businesses that already use Zoho
Zoho Social is an affordable option with solid basics. It has smart scheduling, a monitoring dashboard, team collaboration features, and CRM integration.
It is a practical choice for small businesses already inside the Zoho ecosystem. A free plan has also been listed, but check the current limits on their site before you rely on it.
Key Features
- Smart scheduling
- Social media monitoring dashboard
- CRM integration
- Team collaboration
- Reporting
Common Use Cases
Zoho Social suits businesses that want good value and already run their sales and support tools through Zoho.
Pricing
It costs $15/month for businesses and $320/month for agencies.
8. Sprout Social
Best for: Larger teams that need deep analytics and social listening
Sprout Social is a premium option. It is known for detailed social media analytics, social listening, CRM tools, and reports that are ready to share with clients.
It costs more than most of the tools on this list, so it fits teams with a bigger budget. It offers a 30-day free trial.
Key Features
- Deep analytics
- Social listening
- CRM tools
- Team workflows
- Client-ready reports
- Smart inbox
Common Use Cases
Sprout Social helps larger businesses and agencies whose clients want detailed performance numbers and brand monitoring.
Pricing
It costs $199 per seat/month.
9. Later
Best for: Visual planning and Instagram-heavy accounts
Later is built around visual planning. Its drag-and-drop content calendar and media library let you see how a feed will look before posts go live.
It also has hashtag suggestions and a link-in-bio tool. It works best for brands that rely on images and is less suited to complex multi-platform work.
Key Features
- Drag-and-drop content calendar
- Media library
- Hashtag suggestions
- Link-in-bio tool
- Visual planning
Common Use Cases
Later fits brands in fashion, food, lifestyle, and creator accounts where the look of the feed matters.
Pricing
Starts at around $25/month.
Which Hootsuite Alternative Should You Choose?
It depends on what you need most.
For the best all-round value, SocialBu is a good place to start. Buffer is the easiest pick if you want something simple, and Metricool works well if you care about analytics.
If you want Hootsuite alternatives for agencies, look at SocialBu, Sendible and SocialPilot first. Both have client approval tools and white-label reports. Agorapulse is a good match if you answer many comments and messages, and Sprout Social suits larger teams with bigger budgets.
For Hootsuite alternatives for small businesses, Buffer, SocialBu, Metricool, and Zoho Social are easy to set up and easy on the budget. Later works well for visual brands.
Hootsuite Alternatives Free: What to Know
If you want to spend nothing, start with the tools that offer a free plan. Buffer, Metricool, and SocialBu all have free options, and Zoho Social has listed one too. Free plans usually limit the number of channels, scheduled posts, or users, so check the limits against your needs.
A free plan is a good way to test a tool, but it may not be enough once you add more clients or teammates.
Final Thoughts
Hootsuite is still a solid platform for large teams, but it is no longer the only choice. The best Hootsuite alternatives give you the same core tools, like scheduling, analytics, and a shared inbox, often for less money and with an easier setup.
If you want a good mix of price and features, SocialBu is a sensible first tool to try. If you run an agency, Sendible and SocialPilot are worth testing. If you just want to keep things simple, Buffer is easy to start with.
Don’t choose a tool based only on the longest feature list. Pick the one that fits how you work every day. Try two or three on real work, then keep the one you like using.
FAQs
Q: What are the best Hootsuite alternatives in 2026?
A. Some of the best Hootsuite alternatives are SocialBu, Buffer, Metricool, Sendible, SocialPilot, Agorapulse, Zoho Social, Sprout Social, and Later. Each one covers social media scheduling, a content calendar, and analytics, but they differ in price, team features, and focus.
Q: Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
A. Yes. Hootsuite discontinued its free plan in 2023, but several Hootsuite alternatives free to use are available. Buffer, Metricool, and SocialBu all offer free plans. Free plans usually limit the number of channels, scheduled posts, or users, so check the limits before you commit.
Q: What is the cheapest alternative to Hootsuite?
A. It depends on your setup. Buffer charges per channel, which keeps costs low if you have only a few accounts. SocialPilot uses flat plans, which can cost less if you manage many profiles. Hootsuite charges per user, so these cheaper Hootsuite alternatives often save money as your team grows.
Q: What are the best Hootsuite alternatives for agencies?
A. SocialBu, Sendible, and SocialPilot are good Hootsuite alternatives for agencies. All offer client approval tools and white-label reports. Agorapulse is useful if your team answers many comments and messages, and Sprout Social suits agencies that need deep analytics and social listening.
Q: What are the best Hootsuite alternatives for small businesses?
A. Buffer, SocialBu, Metricool, and Zoho Social are easy to set up and fit small budgets. Later is a good choice if your content is mostly images, such as for Instagram.
Q: Can I manage multiple social accounts with these tools?
A. Yes. All the tools in this guide let you manage multiple social accounts from one dashboard. Some, like Sendible and SocialPilot, are built for handling many client accounts at once.
Q: How do I choose the right Hootsuite alternative?
A. Start with what made you want to leave Hootsuite, such as price, features, or ease of use. Then try a free plan or trial with real work. Connect your accounts, schedule a week of posts, and invite a teammate. Keep the tool that feels easiest to use.
Q: Do I need to pay for a social media management tool?
A. Not always. If you manage a few accounts and post a few times a week, a free plan may be enough. You may want to pay once you add more channels, more teammates, or clients who need reports and approvals.
Author: Awais Younas
Awais Younas, co-founder of SocialBu, writes about SEO, marketing, and building socialbu.com. When not creating content, he enjoys video games and snooker.
