Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
An honest side-by-side comparison of two of our top social media tools picks — pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and who each one is really for.
Hootsuite
Ranked #2 of 18 in this directory
The world's most widely used social media management platform
Sprout Social
Ranked #4 of 18 in this directory
Powerful social media management for growing brands
Our pick: Hootsuite. Our editors rank Hootsuite higher overall in Social Media Tools — but Sprout Social can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case below. How we review
Compare the details
| Hootsuite | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | See website | See website |
| Category | Scheduling Publishing | Scheduling Publishing |
| Editorial rank | #2 of 18 | #4 of 18 |
Strengths
Hootsuite
- ✓Most feature-rich social media platform
- ✓Enterprise team workflows and approvals
- ✓Strong analytics and reporting
- ✓Social listening included
Sprout Social
- ✓Best-in-class analytics and reporting
- ✓Strong social CRM and customer care
- ✓Excellent team collaboration
- ✓Comprehensive social listening
Watch out for
Hootsuite
- !Expensive ($99+/month)
- !Steep learning curve
- !No free plan (only trial)
Sprout Social
- !Very expensive ($249+/month)
- !No free plan
- !Overkill for small teams
Best use cases
Hootsuite
- →Enterprise social media teams
- →Marketing agency client management
- →Multi-brand social management
Sprout Social
- →Brand social media management
- →Enterprise social customer care
- →Agency analytics reporting
About each tool
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the most widely used enterprise social media management platform, trusted by over 18 million users and 800 Fortune 500 companies. It offers powerful scheduling, team workflows, social listening, analytics, and campaign management across all major networks. The go-to choice for enterprise social media teams.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a premium social media management platform that combines publishing, analytics, social listening, employee advocacy, and customer care in one platform. Known for its best-in-class analytics and reporting, it's the choice for brands that need deep insights and team collaboration.
Still deciding? Browse all 18 options with honest pros, cons, and pricing.
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