The best Hootsuite alternative depends on what you would keep. If you mainly schedule posts, Buffer, Metricool or Later do it for a fraction of the price. If you need the inbox, approvals and client reports, Vista Social covers them for less. If you want more reporting rather than less, Sprout Social. And if the slow part is writing the posts, Skryvo, which we make.
The short version: Hootsuite starts at $99 a user a month billed yearly, so a team of three on Standard pays about $297 a month. Most small businesses use the scheduler and little else, and every tool below schedules for less than one Hootsuite seat. Prices are from each tool's own pricing page, read on October 27, 2026, in US dollars before tax.
In this guide
- Hootsuite alternatives at a glance
- Why do people leave Hootsuite?
- 1. Buffer: the cheapest switch for a few channels
- 2. Metricool: the best free Hootsuite alternative
- 3. Later: eight profiles for under $20
- 4. Skryvo: if writing is the real cost
- 5. SocialBee: evergreen content on rotation
- 6. Postiz: open source with an MCP server
- 7. Vista Social: Hootsuite's features for less
- 8. Sprout Social: if you want more, not less
- Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
- What is cheaper than Hootsuite for a small business?
- How to switch from Hootsuite
Hootsuite alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Starts at | Free plan | Trial | Included at the entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite (for reference) | $99 a user a month, billed yearly | No | 14 days | 10 social accounts, inbox, listening |
| Buffer | $5 a month per channel | Yes: 3 channels | 14 days | Unlimited scheduled posts, comment inbox |
| Metricool | $20 a month yearly | Yes: 1 brand, 20 posts a month | Not listed | 5 brands, analytics, 100 competitors |
| Later | $18.75 a month yearly | No | 14 days | 8 profiles, 1 user |
| Skryvo | $15 a month, $149 a year | Yes, for writing | No | Every connected channel, posts written in your voice |
| SocialBee | $29 a month | No | 14 days | 5 profiles, 1 user |
| Postiz | $29 a month ($23 yearly) | Self-hosting is free | 7 days | 5 channels, MCP server and API |
| Vista Social | $99 a month, $950 a year | No | 14 days | 15 profiles, 2 users, inbox |
| Sprout Social | $79 a seat a month yearly | No | 30 days | 5 profiles per seat |
Why do people leave Hootsuite?
- The per-user price. Standard is $99 per user per month billed yearly, Professional $199 and Advanced up to $399, and monthly billing costs more.
- No free plan. There is a 14-day trial, then every seat is paid.
- Unused depth. Listening, inbox routing and benchmarking are worth it for a social team; a founder or small business often uses only the calendar.
If you do use the inbox, listening and reports every day, Hootsuite is a fair price for what it does, and the honest alternative is Sprout Social or Vista Social, not a scheduler.
1. Buffer: the cheapest switch for a few channels
Free for 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each; Essentials $5 a month per channel and Team $10 per channel with unlimited users. Every plan has a comment inbox. Three channels on Essentials cost $15 a month against $99 for one Hootsuite seat. Read Buffer vs Hootsuite for the side-by-side.
2. Metricool: the best free Hootsuite alternative
The free plan schedules 20 posts a month for 1 brand with 30 days of analytics, though not on LinkedIn or X. Starter is $20 a month billed yearly for 5 brands with unlimited posts under fair use, PDF reports and up to 100 competitors, which covers most of what small teams use Hootsuite's reports for.
3. Later: eight profiles for under $20
Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly for one profile on each of 8 networks and 1 user; Growth $37.50 for 2 sets and 2 users. No free plan; 14-day trial.
4. Skryvo: if writing is the real cost
We make Skryvo. It writes each post in your brand's voice, a version per network, and publishes it on schedule from the app or from Claude, ChatGPT and other AI agents. Free to write; Hobby $15 a month with 20 posts queued at once; Pro $49 with 5 brand voices for agencies. It publishes to 12 networks today, including LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, Pinterest and TikTok, while Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube wait for platform review, and it has no inbox. Our Skryvo and Hootsuite comparison goes line by line.
5. SocialBee: evergreen content on rotation
Bootstrap $29 a month for 5 profiles, Accelerate $49 for 10, Pro $99 for 25 profiles with 3 users per workspace and 5 workspaces. Content categories and reposting suit brands with a library of evergreen posts.
6. Postiz: open source with an MCP server
Hosted from $29 a month ($23 yearly) for 5 channels up to $99 for 100, with a 7-day trial; open source under AGPL-3.0 to host yourself. Every plan includes an MCP server, CLI and API, so AI agents can schedule posts through it.
7. Vista Social: Hootsuite's features for less
Professional is $99 a month for 15 profiles and 2 users, with inbox, review management and reports, against $99 per user at Hootsuite. Advanced is $199 for 30 profiles, Scale $449 for 70. 14-day trial, no card.
8. Sprout Social: if you want more, not less
Essentials is $79 a seat billed yearly with 5 profiles; Standard $199 a seat adds the inbox, monitoring and reviews. It costs more than Hootsuite for most teams and is the alternative for deeper reporting, not savings. See Skryvo vs Sprout Social.
Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?
Yes: Buffer's free plan (3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each, with a comment inbox) and Metricool's (1 brand, 20 posts a month, analytics). Postiz is free if you host it yourself. Skryvo's free plan writes posts in your voice, and scheduling starts at $15.
What is cheaper than Hootsuite for a small business?
Every tool on this list except Sprout Social. For one person with up to 8 profiles, Later's Starter ($18.75) or Metricool's Starter ($20) cost about a fifth of one Hootsuite seat; Skryvo's Hobby ($15) also writes the posts. For a team that needs an inbox, Vista Social's $99 covers 2 users and 15 profiles.
How to switch from Hootsuite
- Export what you need. Download your reports and any scheduled posts before the plan ends.
- Reconnect channels in the new tool. Each network asks you to sign in again; nothing carries over.
- Rebuild one week, not the backlog. Schedule the next week of posts and compare before you cancel.
Comparing more widely? See the best social media management tools and Buffer alternatives.
Let your agent write the next one in your voice
Skryvo drafts each post in your saved voice and publishes it after your go-ahead. Free to start.
