Buffer vs Hootsuite Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
Free
- 10 scheduled posts per channel - refill anytime
- 100 ideas
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant
- Insights
- API access
- Community inbox
- World-class customer support
Essentials
Popular- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant
- Advanced analytics
- API access
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
- World-class customer support
Team
- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- Unlimited team members
- AI Assistant
- Advanced analytics
- API access
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
- Access levels
- Content approval workflows
- World-class customer support
Standard
- Schedule unlimited social posts*
- Generate posts and images with AI
- Respond to messages from one inbox
- Monitor your brand and competitors
- Social accounts
- User seats
- Departmental organization
- Notification management
Professional
Popular- Manage unlimited social accounts
- Automate inbox replies and workflows
- Forecast social trends up to 90 days ahead
- Build custom performance reports
- Social accounts
- User seats
- Departmental organization
- Notification management
Advanced
- Review and approve content with your team
- Assign and auto-route messages to the right team members
- Coordinate content and customer care
- Measure team performance and efficiency
- Social accounts
- User seats
- Departmental organization
- Notification management
Enterprise
- Prove the impact of social with advanced analytics
- Uncover trends across social, digital, and AI with advanced listening
- Secure access with single sign-on (SSO)
- Stay compliant with custom compliance solutions
- Social accounts
- User seats
- Departmental organization
- Notification management
Buffer vs Hootsuite FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Buffer starts lower at $5/mo, compared to $99/mo for Hootsuite.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Buffer has a free plan. Hootsuite doesn't — though they do offer a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Both use a per-seat model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Buffer: This is the budget-friendly, self-serve end of the social media management category — cheap enough for solopreneurs to swipe a card without a sales call, unlike Sprout Social or Hootsuite which chase mid-market and enterprise budgets. Buffer's clearly optimizing for volume over ACV. Hootsuite: Hootsuite sits in the premium-to-mid range of social media management tools — pricier than scrappy challengers like Buffer or Later, but positioned as the enterprise-grade veteran with deeper analytics and integrations. They're chasing mid-market and enterprise teams willing to pay for reliability and breadth, not price-sensitive solo creators.
Still deciding? See the best Buffer alternatives or the best Hootsuite alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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