Hootsuite vs. Buffer: Grow fast with the best social media management solution
Social media managers consistently rate Hootsuite number one, but how does it stack up to Buffer? To sum it up: Hootsuite can earn you more wins online with smarter analytics, a better inbox, and publishing to more networks.
Hootsuite is the only Buffer alternative worth your consideration. Here’s why we’re the best.
Better for engaging your audience
Unlike Buffer, Hootsuite offers a single inbox where you can respond to private messages and public comments in one place.
Better for growing businesses
Hootsuite is designed for growing teams with affordable per-user rates, up to 50 social accounts, and unlimited posts.
Smoother publishing
With Hootsuite, you can publish to all your favorite social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Better for bringing all your tools to one place
Hootsuite has 100+ integrations that bring all your favorite tools into one dashboard. Add Google My Business, Hubspot, and more.
Feature | Hootsuite | Buffer |
|---|
Price | starts at $99 | starts at $5 |
Total customers | 25 million | 4.5 million |
Platforms | | |
Scheduling and publishing | ||
|---|---|---|
Facebook ads | Yes | No |
Instagram ads | Yes | No |
LinkedIn ads | Yes | No |
Twitter (X) ads | Yes | No |
YouTube videos | Yes | No |
Pinterest boards | Yes | No |
Google Business Profile updates | Yes** | No |
Meta Threads | Yes | No |
Bulk scheduling | up to 350 posts at once | with integration |
X (Twitter) threads | Yes** | Yes |
Calendar view | Yes | Yes |
Instagram posts | Yes | Yes |
Instagram carousels | Yes | Yes |
Instagram Stories | Yes | Yes |
Instagram Reels | Yes | Yes |
Facebook posts | Yes | Yes |
Facebook group posts | Yes | Yes |
X (Twitter) posts | Yes | Yes |
TikToks | Yes | Yes |
LinkedIn page posts | Yes | Yes |
LinkedIn personal profile posts | Yes | Yes |
Pinterest Pins | Yes | Yes |
Analytics and reporting | ||
|---|---|---|
Recommended time to publish based on goal | Yes | No |
TikTok analytics | Yes | No |
Competitive benchmarking | Yes | No |
Instagram analytics | Yes | Yes |
Facebook analytics | Yes | Yes |
Twitter analytics | Yes | Yes |
Instagram analytics | Yes | Yes |
LinkedIn analytics | Yes | Yes |
Web analytics integration | Yes* | No |
Social ROI analysis | Yes* | No |
Team productivity reporting | Yes | No |
Customizable reports | Yes | Yes |
White-label reports | Yes | Yes |
Content creation | ||
|---|---|---|
AI-powered hashtag generator | Yes | No |
Post templates | Yes | No |
Product tags for Instagram posts | Yes | No |
Content suggestions for reposting/content curation | Yes | No |
Canva | Yes | with integration |
AI caption writer | Yes | Yes |
Link shortener | Yes | Yes |
Photo editor | Yes | Yes |
Alt text for Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook | Yes | Yes |
Social listening | ||
|---|---|---|
Social listening | Yes | No |
Quick search | Yes | No |
Sentiment analysis | Yes | No |
Monitor mentions, topics, and hashtags | Yes | No |
Monitor mentions in images and videos | Yes* | No |
AI-powered summaries | Yes* | No |
AI-powered sentiment analysis | Yes* | No |
AI-powered peak detection | Yes* | No |
AI-powered smart alerts | Yes* | No |
News websites | Yes | No |
Blogs | Yes | No |
Forums | Yes | No |
Review sites | Yes | No |
Google My Business integration | Yes | No |
Advertising | ||
|---|---|---|
Facebook ads | Yes | No |
Instagram ads | Yes | No |
LinkedIn ads | Yes | No |
Boost Instagram posts | Yes | No |
Boost LinkedIn posts | Yes | No |
Boost Facebook posts | Yes | No |
Ad campaign management | Yes | No |
Employee advocacy | ||
|---|---|---|
Employee advocacy | Yes* | No |
Messaging and customer service | ||
|---|---|---|
Inbox for private messages and comments | Yes | No |
Message spike alerts | Yes* | No |
Message prioritization | Yes* | No |
Business hours | Yes* | No |
Message tags and topics | Yes* | No |
Auto-resolve conversations | Yes* | No |
Auto-responder | Yes* | No |
Chatbot support | Yes* | No |
Agent availability | Yes* | No |
Manage reviews | Yes* | No |
CRM integrations/API access | Yes* | No |
CSAT surveys | Yes* | No |
Saved and suggested replies | Yes* | for comments only |
Collaboration | ||
|---|---|---|
Project management integrations | Yes | No |
Assign posts to team members | Yes | No |
Export content calendar for stakeholders | Yes | No |
Roles and permissions | Yes | Yes |
Approval workflows | Yes*** | Yes |
Give feedback on drafts | Yes | Yes |
Shopping | ||
|---|---|---|
Social commerce integrations | 3, including support for Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce | No |
Shoppable Instagram posts | Yes | Yes |
Integrations | ||
|---|---|---|
App store | 100+ | 28 |
Artificial intelligence (AI) | ||
|---|---|---|
AI hashtag generator | Yes | Yes |
AI caption writer | Yes | Yes |
Chatbot integration | Yes* | No |
Creator tools | ||
|---|---|---|
Track influencer trends | Yes* | No |
One centralized inbox to communicate with influencers across platforms | Yes | No |
Custom VIP lists in inbox | Yes | No |
Manage Twitter lists | Yes | No |
Content curation and user-generated content (UGC) | ||
|---|---|---|
Collect the best customer content from social media and clear the rights | Yes** | No |
Streams to follow and share relevant content | Yes | No |
RSS feeds | Yes* | with integration |
Strategy guidance | ||
|---|---|---|
In-app Social Score to help you improve in real-time | Yes | No |
Platform certification training | Yes | No |
Exclusive live social media coaching sessions | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
*available with add-on **available with integration ***enterprise only
Last updated Nov. 8, 2024
What we do better
Social media managers consistently rate Hootsuite the best tool for managing their channels. Here’s how we help brands of all sizes crush their goals on social media.
Post to all your social media channels with one tool
Schedule posts to all your networks in one place. Hootsuite publishes to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. Buffer currently doesn’t support publishing for YouTube or Pinterest. Hootsuite also offers analytics for all your preferred platforms, not just a select few.
Never outgrow your social media management tool
Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media management tool that grows with you. Buffer’s most basic plan only lets you link three social media channels (with a fee for each additional channel), while Hootsuite plans start out at 10. Plus, Hootsuite suits teams of all sizes, from one team member to a dozen with no additional fee.
Boost engagement and save time
Hootsuite lets you complete the same tasks in fewer clicks than any other platform. Save time with a unified inbox that lets you respond to messages and comments across platforms in one place. Buffer only allows you to reply to Facebook and Instagram comments, not messages.
Managing content on Hootsuite is easier than Buffer. Hootsuite has a big advantage over Buffer in that the team collaboration in Hootsuite is really effective and sharing of data with the team as well.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Hootsuite is the clear winner in the battle of social media management tools. Hootsuite beats Buffer in content creation, publishing, inbox management, and analytics.
Create stunning posts faster in Hootsuite with customizable Canva templates. Plus, speed up caption-writing and hashtags with the help of artificial intelligence.
Those posts are going to get a ton of attention, so you're going to need a powerful tool to manage them. With Hootsuite, you can respond to and manage messages and comments in one easy workflow. Buffer only displays public comments.
To see for yourself why Hootsuite wins, sign up for a free trial right now!
No platform offers analytics that are as comprehensive or easy to use as Hootsuite's. In one glance, you get a clear visualization of what you're doing well and where you can improve.
In Hootsuite, you can track performance on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok in one tab. Plus, see the best times to post based on your unique audience and goal.
Unlike Buffer, Hootsuite provides reporting on paid and organic posts. It also shows you how you compare to the competition with industry benchmarking.
On the surface, Hootsuite and Buffer seem similar. They're both tools that can help you level up your social media game. But what makes them different?
For one, Hootsuite is more feature-rich than Buffer. It offers more options when publishing, tracking, and enhancing your content. Thanks to Hootsuite's over 100 integrations and world-class add-ons, it's also more customizable than Buffer.
Hootsuite is packed with features that address the challenges of social media managers. One inbox for comments and messages, Canva templates at your fingertips, AI-powered hashtags and captions. It's all about smart tools that save you time and take your message further.