Sprout Social
Sprout Social
6
Overall Score / 10
Hootsuite
Hootsuite Inc.
5.5
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Sprout Social if:
- —Enterprise teams needing comprehensive social media management
- —Agencies requiring social listening and competitor analysis
- —Customer care teams using social media as a support channel
Choose Hootsuite if:
- —Mid-size to enterprise teams needing social listening
- —Agencies managing many client accounts
- —Teams needing deep analytics and custom reporting
The biggest difference: Sprout Social wins on analytics depth, CRM features, and modern UX. Hootsuite wins on lower price and social listening at the Team tier.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Sprout Social | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $249/mo (Standard)Source: Sprout Social pricing page → | $149/mo (Standard)Source: Hootsuite Inc. pricing page → |
| Free Tier | No No free plan. 30-day free trial available. | No No free plan (removed in 2023). 30-day free trial available. |
| Value for Money | 4 | 4 |
| Ease of Use | 7 | 6 |
| Feature Power | 9 | 8 |
| Setup Ease | 7 | 7 |
| Migration Ease | 4 | 5 |
| Transparency | 5 | 4 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA | SOC 2, GDPR, FedRAMP (Enterprise) |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
22 features compared · 17 differences
| Feature | Sprout Social | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Ad management | None | Full |
| Automated publishing | Full | None |
| Best time to publish | None | Full |
| Bulk scheduling | None | Full |
| Competitive analysis | Full | None |
| Competitor analysis | None | Full |
| Content calendar | Full | Full |
| CRM features | Full | None |
| Employee advocacy (add-on) | Full | None |
| Influencer marketing (add-on) | Full | None |
| Smart inbox | Full | None |
| Team collaboration | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| Analytics & custom reports | Full | Full |
| Approval workflows | Full | Full |
| Chatbots (Advanced) | Full | None |
| OwlyWriter AI | None | Full |
| Sentiment analysis (Advanced) | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | Full |
| Security | ||
| Social inbox | None | Full |
| Social listening (add-on) | Full | None |
| Social listening (Enterprise) | None | Full |
| Social media scheduling | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Sprout Social Pricing
1 user, 5 social profiles, scheduling, content calendar, review management
1 user, unlimited profiles, competitive reports, custom workflows, optimal send times
1 user, chatbots, sentiment analysis, automated rules, CSAT/NPS surveys
Custom users, custom profiles, SSO, premium analytics, dedicated support
Hootsuite Pricing
1 user, 10 social accounts, unlimited posts, basic analytics
3 users, unlimited accounts, bulk scheduling (350 posts), custom reports, approval workflows
5+ users, social listening, advanced analytics, SSO, dedicated support. Min $15k/year.
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Sprout Social
Best for
- Enterprise teams needing comprehensive social media management
- Agencies requiring social listening and competitor analysis
- Customer care teams using social media as a support channel
Avoid if
- You're a small business or solopreneur (pricing starts at $199/user/mo annual)
- You need budget-friendly social scheduling (Buffer starts at $6/channel)
- You don't need advanced analytics or social listening
Who should choose Hootsuite
Best for
- Mid-size to enterprise teams needing social listening
- Agencies managing many client accounts
- Teams needing deep analytics and custom reporting
Avoid if
- You're a solopreneur or small team on a budget (Buffer is much cheaper)
- You want a free plan (Hootsuite dropped theirs)
- You want a modern, clean interface (Hootsuite feels dated)
Switching Guidance
Switching from Sprout Social
Common triggers to leave:
- •Per-user pricing is extremely expensive for teams
- •Add-ons (listening, advocacy) cost extra on top of high base price
- •Overkill for basic scheduling needs
Potential blockers:
- •Social listening alerts and historical data
- •CRM social profiles
- •Team workflows and approval chains
- •Custom report templates
Switching from Hootsuite
Common triggers to leave:
- •High price ($99+/mo for 1 user)
- •No free plan
- •Interface feels dated compared to newer tools
- •Price increases (40%+ increase in recent years)
Potential blockers:
- •Social listening data and alerts
- •Analytics history and reports
- •Team workflows and permissions
- •Enterprise integrations
Try Sprout Social
Plans from $249/mo
Try Hootsuite
Plans from $149/mo