Side by side
| Feature | Buffer | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Social media management tool for scheduling, publishing, and engaging across major platforms, for creators, small businesses, and agencies. | Social media management platform for scheduling, inbox, analytics and listening, with AI assistance, for marketing teams and brands. |
| Price from | 5 USD/mo | 99 USD/mo |
| Free plan | trial | trial |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, api, chrome | web |
| API | yes | not stated |
Buffer: key features
- Scheduling and publishing to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads and more
- Idea library and content creation tools
- Community inbox for replying to comments across channels
- Insights and analytics on post performance
- AI Assistant for brainstorming and rewriting posts
- Start Page link-in-bio hub and MCP/API connection for AI assistants
Hootsuite: key features
- Scheduling posts from one calendar across connected social accounts
- AI generation of posts and images (Wisdom AI assistant)
- Unified social inbox for private and public messages with saved and suggested replies
- Social listening, trend tracking and competitor monitoring
- Custom performance reports and trend forecasts up to 90 days ahead
- Employee advocacy via Parliament with pre-approved content
FAQ
Is Buffer or Hootsuite better?
It depends on the job - compare prices, free plans and features in the table above.
Are Buffer and Hootsuite free?
Buffer: There is a free trial. Forever-free plan: connect up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel (refillable), 100 ideas, 1 user, AI Assistant, Insights, 1 API key with 3,000 requests/month, community inbox. Paid plans include a 14-day free trial. Hootsuite: There is a free trial. 14-day free trial without a credit card on Standard, Professional and Advanced plans; trial accounts have daily posting limits of 10-20 posts per organization.