Buffer vs Hootsuite: Social Media Tool Comparison (2026)

The case for

• The free plan is permanent across three channels with 10 scheduled posts each, which covers a solo founder posting a few times weekly.
• Essentials costs 5 dollars per channel per month, so a two channel setup runs 10 dollars instead of a full team plan price.
• Annual billing is 60 dollars per channel a year against 5 dollars monthly, which works out as two months free rather than a token discount.

The catch

• Pricing is charged per connected channel, so ten accounts on Essentials runs around 50 dollars a month and agency bills scale with account count.
• Approval workflows, unlimited team members and custom access permissions only start on the Team plan at 10 dollars per channel per month.
• Instagram analytics only pull for accounts with 100 or more followers because of Meta API limits, so new accounts show no data.
• Analytics stop at post performance, engagement rates and audience growth, which reviewers find thin when reporting results to a client.

The case for

• The 14 day trial needs no credit card and does not charge you when it ends, so an evaluation cannot become an accidental subscription.
• Standard at 99 dollars a month covers 10 social accounts with unlimited scheduled posts and one inbox for replying to messages.
• Professional removes the account limit entirely, so an agency running many brand profiles stops counting connections.

The catch

• Fees are non-refundable and cancelling or downgrading does not stop the charge, because you keep paying through the end of the current term.
• Letting the card on file expire does not cancel anything, since Hootsuite keeps billing and holds you responsible for uncollected amounts.
• Approval workflows and message routing across a team start at Advanced, which is 399 dollars per user per month on annual billing.
• Trial accounts are held to 10 to 20 posts a day per organisation and bulk scheduling is switched off for the whole trial.