Hootsuite vs. Buffer – Which Social Tool is Best?

Hootsuite vs. Buffer: Which One Should You Use?

Over 60% of the world’s population is now on social media, so it’s hard for any company to stay off of it no matter what it does.

And with so many social channels to manage it’s easy to feel like it’s too much, which leads to not taking advantage of what all social media has to offer.

This is where various social tools come in like Hootsuite and Buffer.

No matter if you’re looking to make money on Instagram or TikTok, boost your following, increase engagement, or just get started, Hootsuite and Buffer make it easier.

Hootsuite vs. Buffer Overview

Hootsuite is one of the most popular social media management platforms with over 18 million users worldwide.

Buffer is a close second with over 10 million users.

Both Hootsuite and Buffer allow you to connect multiple social media accounts, schedule posts, track your analytics, and more.

However, there are some key differences between Hootsuite and Buffer that you should take into account before deciding which platform to use, which we’ll cover more below.

What is Hootsuite?

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that gives users the ability to track all their social channels in one place.

You can also schedule and publish content, track who’s talking about your brand, and measure your performance with analytics reports.

What is Buffer?

Buffer is a social media management platform that helps users grow their social following and engagement.

You can also use Buffer to schedule and publish content, track your brand mentions, and analyze your results.

Hootsuite vs. Buffer

Both Hootsuite and Buffer offer similar features, but there are various differences.

Hootsuite Pricing

Hootsuite offers a free plan that lets you connect up to 3 social media accounts and schedule 30 posts in advance.

1) Professional Plan

The Professional Plan is $29 per month and is good for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs.

It offers the following:

  • Up to 10 social profiles
  • One user account
  • Ability to schedule unlimited messages
  • Real-time analytics features
  • An unlimited number of RSS integrations

2) Team Plan

The Team plan is best for small marketing teams looking to scale up their social presence.

It’s $129 per month and offers the following features:

  • Includes up to 20 social profiles
  • Has support for up to 3 users
  • Custom analytics
  • 1 each of custom branded URLs and Social Media Certification
  • Everything that comes with the Professional Plan

3) Business Plan

The Business plan is best suited for larger businesses and digital marketing agencies.

It’s $599 per month and includes all features of the above plans, along with the following:

  • Up to 35 social profiles
  • Up to 10 users
  • Data export features
  • Approval based publishing
  • Integration with premium apps
  • 24/7 support
  • Special onboarding and training

4) Enterprise Plan

The Enterprise plan is best for large organizations with custom requirements.

This plan provides custom features such as:

  • Tailor-made social media solutions
  • Integrations with premium business apps such as Adobe and Talkwalker
  • Developer APIs
  • Curated training services

The price of this plan will depend on what exactly you need.

Buffer Pricing

Like Hootsuite, Buffer follows a freemium model.

1) Pro Plan

The Pro plan is $15 lets 1 user post on up to 8 social channels and schedule up to 100 posts per channel.

You get access to all integrations and apps, community support, and limited planning and scheduling options.

It lacks in team management features.

2) Premium Plan

At $65 per month, the Premium plan gives you access to everything the Pro plan offers.

Additionally, you get up to 2,000 scheduled posts per channel each month, plus planning and scheduling with some team management features.

3) Business Plan

The Business plan is for larger enterprises and provides access to 25 social channels with up to 2,000 scheduled posts per channel.

It includes up to 6 users and gives access to the complete Buffer toolset. It comes in at $99 per month.

You can get free trials with all plans.

Buffer offers a 14-day free trial while Hootsuite offers a 30-day free trial.

Buffer vs. Hootsuite 2024 – Which Is Best for Social Media

Hootsuite vs. Buffer: Pros and Cons

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of each platform, let’s compare their pros and cons.

Hootsuite Pros

1) Hootsuite is great for managing multiple social media accounts in one place.

2) Hootsuite provides users with extensive analytics reports.

3) Hootsuite’s Professional and Business plans offer a lot of features for a reasonable price.

4) Hootsuite offers a free plan that includes some basic features.

5) Hootsuite integrates with many third-party apps.

Hootsuite Cons

1) Hootsuite can be difficult to use, especially for beginners.

2) Hootsuite’s interface is not as user-friendly as Buffer’s.

3) Hootsuite doesn’t offer as many features as Buffer does.

Buffer Pros

1) Buffer is much easier to use than Hootsuite.

2) Buffer’s interface is more user-friendly than Hootsuite’s.

3) Buffer offers more features than Hootsuite, such as the ability to post to Instagram Stories.

4) Buffer’s plans are cheaper than Hootsuite’s plans.

5) Buffer integrates with many third-party apps.

Buffer Cons

1) Buffer doesn’t offer as many features as Hootsuite does for managing multiple social media accounts.

2) Buffer doesn’t provide users with as many analytics reports as Hootsuite does.

3) Buffer’s free plan is very limited.

Hootsuite vs. Buffer: Which One is Best?

Let’s go category by category.

User Interface (UI) and Ease of Use

When it comes to UI and ease of use, Buffer is the clear winner. Hootsuite’s interface is dated and not as user-friendly as Buffer’s.

Buffer’s interface is modern and easy to use. Even if you’re a Hootsuite user, you’ll find that Buffer is easier to use.

Features

Hootsuite and Buffer offer different features. Hootsuite is better for managing multiple social media accounts while Buffer is better for posting to social media channels.

Both platforms offer a variety of features, but Hootsuite offers more features than Buffer does.

Pricing

Hootsuite’s plans are more expensive than Buffer’s plans. However, Hootsuite’s Professional and Business plans offer a lot of features for a reasonable price.

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, Buffer is the way to go. But if you’re willing to pay more for a platform with more features, Hootsuite is the better option.

Integrations

Both Hootsuite and Buffer integrate with many third-party apps. However, Hootsuite has more integrations than Buffer does.

Buffer provides support for the following social media networks:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

So does Hootsuite. But Hootsuite also offers integrations with YouTube and WordPress.

Buffer integrates with all the main social networks, but Hootsuite does have an edge overall if platforms like WordPress are important.

Scheduling and Publishing

Both Hootsuite and Buffer offer scheduling and publishing features. Hootsuite’s scheduling features are more robust than Buffer’s, but Buffer’s publishing features are better.

Buffer’s Instagram Stories feature is a great example of this. With Buffer, you can post to Instagram Stories directly from the platform.

With Hootsuite, you can’t post to Instagram Stories directly from the platform. You have to use a third-party app like Later to do it.

Analytics

Hootsuite provides users with more extensive analytics reports than Buffer does. However, both platforms offer basic analytics features that allow you to track your social media performance.

Team Management and Collaboration

Hootsuite’s Professional and Business plans come with team management and collaboration features. With these plans, you can add team members to your Hootsuite account and assign tasks.

Buffer doesn’t offer team management or collaboration features. However, Buffer’s plans are cheaper than Hootsuite’s plans.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers team management and collaboration features, Hootsuite is the better option. But if you don’t need these features, Buffer is a cheaper alternative.

Social Conversation Management

Hootsuite’s social conversation management features are better than Buffer’s. Hootsuite allows you to track social media conversations and engage with your audience.

Buffer’s social conversation management features are limited. With Buffer, you can only track Twitter mentions and hashtags.

Content Curation

Hootsuite’s content curation features are better than Buffer’s. Hootsuite allows you to find and share content from a variety of sources.

Buffer’s content curation features are limited. With Buffer, you can only share content from your Twitter timeline.

Customer Support

Hootsuite and Buffer both offer excellent customer support. Hootsuite offers 24/7 phone and live chat support while Buffer offers email support.

Both platforms also have extensive knowledge bases that are filled with helpful articles and tutorials.

Platform Security

Hootsuite and Buffer both use encryption to protect your data. Hootsuite is SOC 2 Type II compliant while Buffer is ISO 27001 certified.

Both platforms are secure and you can trust them with your data.

Resources for Training

Hootsuite Academy offers information on the following topics:

  • How to use Hootsuite
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Social Selling Training
  • Advanced Social Advertising Training

Buffer’s website also provides info on FAQs, guides, blog, and other material.

But Hootsuite’s Academy has more comprehensive resources for users who want to learn more about social media marketing.

Hootsuite vs. Buffer – Why I Switched from Buffer to Hootsuite

Hootsuite vs. Buffer – FAQs

Is Hootsuite good for small business?

Yes, Hootsuite is a good tool for small businesses.

It offers a variety of features that can help you manage your social media presence and grow your business.

Is Hootsuite free?

Hootsuite offers a free plan that includes basic features.

However, if you want access to all of Hootsuite’s features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

Is Buffer better than Hootsuite?

It depends on your needs. Hootsuite and Buffer are both excellent social media management tools.

However, Hootsuite has more features than Buffer does. If you need more robust scheduling, publishing, and analytics features, Hootsuite is the better option.

Is Hootsuite worth the money?

Yes, Hootsuite is worth the money. It’s a comprehensive social media management tool that offers a wide range of features.

If you need help managing your social media presence, Hootsuite is a good investment.

How much does Hootsuite cost?

Hootsuite plans start at $19 per month. However, the price goes up to $599 per month for enterprise plans.

Buffer plans start at $15 per month. The price goes up to $99 per month for business plans.

Hootsuite is more expensive than Buffer, but it also has more features.

If you need a comprehensive social media management tool, Hootsuite is worth the investment.

What are the benefits of Hootsuite?

Some of the benefits of Hootsuite include:

– Hootsuite allows you to manage multiple social media accounts from one platform.

– Hootsuite provides robust scheduling, publishing, and analytics features.

– Hootsuite offers team management and collaboration features.

– Hootsuite has excellent customer support.

– Hootsuite uses encryption to protect your data.

– Hootsuite Academy provides comprehensive resources for users who want to learn more about social media marketing.

How do Buffer and Hootsuite compare to Loomly, Sprout Social, and TweetDeck?

Loomly is a social media management tool that offers similar features to Hootsuite and Buffer. However, Loomly is more expensive than both Hootsuite and Buffer.

Sprout Social is a social media management tool that offers similar features to Hootsuite and Buffer. However, Sprout Social is more expensive than both Hootsuite and Buffer.

TweetDeck is a social media management tool that offers similar features to Hootsuite and Buffer. However, TweetDeck only supports Twitter accounts.

Is Later a good tool for social media marketing and management like Buffer and Hootsuite?

Yes, Later is a good tool for social media marketing and management. However, Later is more expensive than Hootsuite and Buffer.

What’s the best social media management tool?

The best social media management tool depends on your needs.

Hootsuite and Buffer are both excellent social media management tools.

However, Hootsuite has more features than Buffer does.

If you need more robust scheduling, publishing, and analytics features, Hootsuite is the better option.

Hootsuite vs. Buffer: Which One Should You Use?

So, which platform should you use? Hootsuite or Buffer?

There is no easy answer. It depends on your needs and preferences.

If you need a platform that is great for managing multiple social media accounts and provides extensive analytics reports, then Hootsuite is the better choice.

If you need a platform that is easier to use and is cheaper on average, then Buffer is the better choice.

It really comes down to what you need and what you’re looking for in a social media platform.

Both Hootsuite and Buffer are great platforms with a lot to offer users. It really just depends on what you need and which platform better meets those needs.

Software Blade

SoftwareBlade.com covers today's software and tomorrow's emerging technology.

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