Hootsuite Review 2023: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

There might be hundreds of players in the social media management realm, but one name gets mentioned consistently: Hootsuite. Since its launch in 2008, it has been a go-to for many. 

But does this social media management tool still live up to its reputation?

This in-depth Hootsuite review aims to give you a comprehensive look, evaluating its current offerings and performance. By the end, you'll have a better understanding of whether Hootsuite is the right fit for your needs.

Let’s dive in!

Hootsuite review 2023: Is Hootsuite any good?

In our Hootsuite review, we've found it to be a comprehensive platform, continually evolving to serve social media managers. It has cemented its place as a preferred social media scheduling tool, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. The platform simplifies the planning and scheduling of posts across various channels.

Exploring Hootsuite's features, it's clear that it offers more than just standard social media management. Over the years, features like Grammarly integration have been added to enhance post quality, while its collaboration with Canva makes creating eye-catching graphics straightforward.

What’s more, the introduction of AI tools has streamlined social media management. And with connections to major social platforms, users can easily reach a diverse audience.

A standout feature is the Hootsuite Academy that provides training and certification on the best social media practices and strategies. This is particularly beneficial for newcomers to the world of social media.

In terms of post scheduling, not only can you plan posts across different channels, but the platform also supports bulk scheduling. This feature is a bonus for managers who deal with large volumes of posts regularly.

One of the primary advantages is the centralized access to all social media profiles. This unified approach means you can post content across various channels simultaneously, respond promptly to customer reviews and messages, and even consolidate keywords for brand listening. 

Hootsuite pricing plans

First of all, how much does Hootsuite cost? Let’s first review Hootsuite prices:

How much does Hootsuite cost for nonprofits?

Hootsuite provides special pricing for nonprofit organizations, offering up to a 75% discount on Professional or Team plans. To qualify:

• Your organization must be recognized as a charitable entity in the country where Hootsuite operates.

• Maintain good standing.

• Have a registration with TechSoup and fulfill the TechSoup Global Network's eligibility requirements.

• Adhere to Hootsuite’s specific eligibility guidelines.

For more details, visit the Hootsuite official website. 

Are there any Hootsuite coupon codes or promo discount vouchers?

We did the research, and it seems there are no Hootsuite coupon codes or discount vouchers at this time.

Hootsuite free vs paid: what’s the difference?

When comparing Hootsuite free vs professional plans, it's essential to note that as of March 31, 2023, Hootsuite discontinued its free plan. Now, users have three paid Hootsuite plans to choose from: Professional, Team, and Enterprise.

Hootsuite Professional Plan

Priced at $99 per month (billed annually), this plan is tailored for solo users with up to 10 social connections. 

Even as an entry-level option, it offers a robust suite of features, including a full content calendar, unlimited monthly post scheduling, analytics, and a centralized inbox. 

It’s ideal for most businesses aiming to intensify their social media game but might fall short for larger entities or agencies overseeing multiple businesses' accounts.

Hootsuite Team Plan

With a price tag of $249 per month (billed annually), this plan supports up to three users and lets you manage up to 20 social media accounts. 

Building upon the Professional plan's foundation, it introduces extras like automated link tracking and social content calendar sharing, which makes it a good fit for medium to large businesses that have an in-house marketing department.

Hootsuite Enterprise Plan

Tailored for large enterprises or growing agencies, this plan's pricing is customized. Users get to manage up to 50 social accounts with a five-user cap. Diving deeper, this plan offers more profound insights through advanced analytics, coupled with features like enhanced user permissions, approval workflows, and social media campaign planning, among others.

Hootsuite overview: what is Hootsuite & what is Hootsuite used for?

Hootsuite was one of the first tools created for social media management and remains a leading name in the field. At its core, Hootsuite is designed to streamline the complex task of managing multiple social media accounts, ranging from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok, Pinterest, X (previously Twitter), and YouTube.

As a well-known social media management tool, Hootsuite offers users a centralized platform to create, schedule, and publish posts across various networks. 

Beyond just scheduling, Hootsuite equips users with essential features such as social monitoring, performance analytics, and task management. These functionalities not only enhance a business's social media marketing strategy but also instill efficiency and organization through tools like content calendars.

Hootsuite excels at gathering social media data, giving social marketing teams useful insights to improve their strategies. 

As a result, businesses, especially those with robust in-house marketing teams, find Hootsuite invaluable for optimizing their outreach, engaging authentically with audiences, and making data-driven decisions. 

Hootsuite features list

The main features of Hootsuite are:

• Social media scheduling and publishing 

• Social media monitoring 

• Social inbox and engagement 

• Analytics 

• Integrations 

• AI tools 

• Ads
   

1. Social media scheduling and publishing 

With Hootsuite, you have the power to create and schedule posts for multiple social media accounts simultaneously, all from a unified Hootsuite dashboard. 

Not only can you see upcoming scheduled content, but you can also curate, create, and launch your content seamlessly. 

Hootsuite's scheduler allows you to plan your social media posts across all platforms in advance so that you're always ahead of the game. Want to save even more time? Use the Bulk Composer to schedule up to 350 posts in one go. 

This feature ensures you're always active and engaging on your social platforms without the constant manual effort.

2. Social media monitoring

With Hootsuite, you can monitor mentions of your brand, relevant keywords, and even your competitors across various social media platforms. Dive into current conversations, track your brand's presence, and analyze competitor activities, all from one centralized dashboard. 

Plus, you can set up tailored streams to instantly spot trends or important topics. Want to engage directly? Hootsuite lets you respond in real time within the stream. 

Whether you're aiming to connect with potential customers searching for products like yours or simply want to see what's being said about your competitors, Hootsuite's advanced search feature allows you to curate a dashboard that offers a comprehensive view at a single glance.

3. Social inbox and engagement 

With Hootsuite, you can elevate your audience engagement to the next level. Its unified social inbox consolidates all direct messages from various platforms so that you don't miss out on crucial conversations. 

What's more, the Hootsuite platform offers filters to distinguish between public and private interactions. You can delegate messages to suitable team members or tap into its AI-powered capabilities, which suggest pre-saved replies to recurring questions.

Hootsuite doesn’t just stop at monitoring; you can actively engage right from the platform, responding to likes, comments, and other reactions to your posts. Interacting on social media via Hootsuite often feels more intuitive and controlled than directly using the platforms themselves. 

4. Analytics 

Hootsuite's analytics feature provides a clear view of your social media performance. You can easily gather data from all your social accounts to understand your audience better. The feature allows you to compare your results to industry standards so that you're on the right track.

With Hootsuite analytics, you can analyze your posts, see when followers engage most, and identify the best times to share content. Their Benchmarking reports even show how you stack up against competitors, which can give you an edge in the market. 

5. Integrations 

Hootsuite connects with over 150 apps which makes it easier to manage your social media marketing. This includes popular tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot, Airtable, and Asana.

Need to work on visuals? You can use Canva directly within Hootsuite. For better content clarity, there's an integration with Grammarly to check your spelling and grammar.

If you use CRM tools like Salesforce or Dynamics 365, you can link them to Hootsuite for a more consolidated view of your data. Additionally, through Zapier, you can connect Hootsuite to many other apps.

6. AI tools

Hootsuite has introduced the OwlyWriter AI tool, which is designed to make your social media tasks easier. 

Using this tool, you can revamp your best posts, transform web content into social posts, and even generate content tailored for holidays. If you're a Hootsuite user, you can try OwlyWriter AI for free during its open beta phase. 

Additionally, there's the HeyDay FAQ Conversational AI chatbot. This tool lets you set up automated responses for frequently asked questions. It’s designed to understand the context and intent behind each message. 

You can automate entire conversations using this chatbot, which can respond in over 15 languages.

7. Ads

Hootsuite's Ads feature lets you manage paid and organic content on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. In one dashboard, you can oversee and evaluate ads. Noticed a post doing well? Hootsuite gives you the option to promote it. 

You can also tailor your ads to certain audiences, whether by location or other attributes. To understand how your ads perform, you can look at analytics comparing paid and organic posts. This helps refine your strategies. 

And for your best organic posts, Hootsuite can suggest promoting them, though you decide on the budget and which ones to boost.

Hootsuite pros and cons

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Hootsuite:

Hootsuite advantages

• Unified management: With Hootsuite, you have the power to manage and schedule posts for multiple social networks from a single platform. You can either post the same content across all networks or tailor it for each specific platform.

• Team collaboration: Hootsuite lets you work seamlessly with your team on a shared social content calendar so that everyone is on the same page. You can delegate messages from various social channels to specific teams. Plus, to avoid agent collision, you can view if a colleague is already responding or typing a message.

• Drive traffic: Create a custom 'link in bio' page to effortlessly redirect your social media traffic to your website.

• Bulk actions: The Bulk Composer allows you to schedule and post a multitude of social media content simultaneously. Plus, if plans change, you can easily suspend scheduled posts and pick up where you left off later.

• Free trial: Hootsuite offers a 30-day free trial. You can experience its capabilities firsthand before deciding on a long-term subscription.

• Unlimited posts: Regardless of the plan you opt for, Hootsuite allows for unlimited posts. That means you can schedule and publish to your heart's content.

• Rich media library: Hootsuite provides access to a library filled with free stock photos. What’s more, you can optimize and tailor these images using the in-built editing and sizing tools without ever leaving the platform.

• Efficient workflows: Hootsuite streamlines your tasks by allowing you to save approved post templates and images so that they're readily available for reuse whenever needed.
   

Hootsuite disadvantages

• Lacks a free plan: As of March 31, 2023, Hootsuite decided to discontinue its free plan, which can be a drawback for beginners or those wanting to test the platform without any financial commitments. There’s a free 30-day trial, and once the trial period is done, you need to upgrade to a paid plan. 

• High pricing plans: With a starting price of $99/month, Hootsuite sits on the pricier side of social media management tools. When compared to competitors like Zoho Social ($10/month) and Buffer (which offers a free plan), it may not be the most budget-friendly option, especially for small business owners and starting agencies.

• Occasional disconnects: Users have reported occasional disconnection of their social profiles from Hootsuite, and re-establishing these connections can sometimes be time-consuming.

• Limited reporting on basic plans: If you're on one of Hootsuite's lower-tier plans, you won’t be able to take advantage of some of the more powerful reporting features the higher plans offer. 

• File size restrictions: Hootsuite limits the size of files you can upload, which makes it challenging to schedule larger files, such as animations.

• Incomplete social media coverage: While Hootsuite covers a range of popular social platforms, it misses out on a few like Mastodon, Shopify stores, and Google My Business profiles. Competitors like Buffer provide support for these, so if you aim to have an expansive social presence, this is a factor worth considering.

Hootsuite complaints & praise (Hootsuite reviews from real customers)

Reviews of Hootsuite consistently highlight its user-friendly nature, particularly for scheduling posts across various channels. 

Users appreciate its AI tools that assist in content generation and the intuitive analytics that simplify sharing data with stakeholders. The platform's adaptability, demonstrated by its integration of trending features like GPT-based AI, is frequently praised. 

Many users find the calendar view beneficial for overseeing post schedules and appreciate the convenience of the unified inbox for responding to messages. What’s more, Hootsuite's training videos accelerate the learning curve. 

The platform's regular updates, such as the Grammarly integration, keep it ahead of the curve. For teams, Hootsuite streamlines role delegation and centralizes content management, even for larger brands with multiple sub-brands.

Its competitive edge in the market is clear, as users routinely prefer it over other social media tools.

Some negative Hootsuite reviews mention occasional disconnections from social platforms. A few users felt that the analytics were skewed more towards Instagram than LinkedIn. There's a learning curve, especially for those new to social media tools. 

The pricing and limitations on account connections for the free plan have raised concerns. A handful of users pointed out issues like missing mentions and unsent scheduled posts. 

Finally, the platform's interface might seem a bit overwhelming for those new to customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and users have suggested the need for a beginner's guide.

Review of Hootsuite support

Hootsuite provides a range of support options. Initially, users are connected to a bot for quick answers on how to use Hootsuite. 

For more complex queries, users are asked to enter their name and email to get help from a live agent. However, response times can vary, and some users have reported longer waits.

The Hootsuite blog is another resource, rich in insights. It covers topics like social media strategies, new feature announcements, hands-on experiences with new tactics, customer narratives, and thought leadership.

Support is also available 24/7 on X and Facebook, though it may not be ideal for technical issues or swift resolutions.

Additionally, for those who want to learn more about social media practices, Hootsuite Academy offers courses. They cover the platform's use and broader social media strategies. These courses are informative, but they cater more to learning and development rather than direct user support.

Is Hootsuite worth it? Our conclusion

Hootsuite is a comprehensive tool designed to make social media management smoother. With its user-friendly interface, it centralizes control over multiple accounts to help businesses better understand and engage their audiences. 

But the question, "Is Hootsuite worth it?" remains. The discontinuation of the free version and its higher price point compared to some other platforms on the market might make it less appealing for those on a tight budget or those requiring just the basics.

Let’s make the choice easier for you. 

Consider Hootsuite if:

• You're a social media manager juggling multiple client accounts.

• You're part of a large company with an elaborate social media strategy.

• You need an all-in-one tool that offers more than just scheduling posts.

• You value analytics and insights to tweak your strategies.

On the other hand, you might want to explore other options if:

• Budget constraints are a major concern for you.

• You prefer a simple and straightforward social media management platform.

• You need integration with social platforms like Mastodon, Shopify stores, and Google Business.

Consider what you really need from a social media management platform and factor in your budget. If Buffer isn't the right match, no worries! Look into the best Hootsuite alternatives that might better align with your business objectives.

Ultimately, choosing the best social media management tool boils down to discovering the right balance for your needs.

Our final Hootsuite rating

4/5

Hootsuite FAQs

Is Hootsuite safe?

Hootsuite places emphasis on user security by implementing essential measures that span both infrastructure and data safeguards. They encourage users to report any potential security incidents by offering an incentive: Amazon gift cards ranging from $50 to $100 CAD for valuable insights into these incidents.