📊 Our Test Results:
- 💰 Pricing Value: Metricool $18/mo vs Hootsuite $99/mo — Metricool wins
- 📊 Analytics Depth: Metricool competitor tracking vs Hootsuite custom reports — Metricool wins
- 👂 Social Listening: Metricool minimal vs Hootsuite full suite — Hootsuite wins
- 🎯 Ease of Use: Metricool intuitive vs Hootsuite steep learning curve — Metricool wins
- 🔌 Integrations: Metricool basic vs Hootsuite 200+ apps — Hootsuite wins
Are you drowning in social media chaos?
Managing posts, tracking analytics, and engaging followers across platforms feels like a full-time job.
You need a social media management tool that actually works.
Two names keep popping up: Metricool and Hootsuite.
But which one deserves your time and money?
I tested both platforms for over a month.
In this Metricool vs Hootsuite comparison, the results might surprise you.
Overview
To give you the most accurate comparison, I spent weeks using both Metricool and Hootsuite.
I scheduled posts, analyzed metrics, and tested every major feature.
I even put their customer support to the test.
Now I am sharing my findings to help you make the right choice.
Spoiler: the price difference alone might make your decision easy.
What is Metricool?
Metricool is a social media management platform built for analytics lovers.
It helps you plan, schedule, and track your social media performance in one place.
Think of it as mission control for your social media universe.
Over 70% of Metricool users report saving at least 5 hours per week.
The platform connects to 14 different social networks per brand.
Metricool
Analytics-first social media management with competitor tracking, content scheduling, and unified ad reporting. Perfect for freelancers, agencies, and small businesses on a budget.
Metricool Pricing
Here is what Metricool costs in 2026.
The good news: there is a free plan forever.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Testing basic features, 1 brand |
| Starter | $18/month | Freelancers managing up to 5 brands |
| Advance | $45/month | Agencies managing up to 15 brands |
| Custom | Contact for the pricing | Large organizations with 50+ brands |
Free trial: Yes. The free plan lasts forever with no credit card required.
Money-back guarantee: Annual plans are refundable within the first 14 days of purchase.
📌 Note: Annual billing saves you about 18% compared to monthly payments. That works out to two months free each year.
⚠️ Warning: Twitter/X is not included by default in any Metricool plan. You need a paid add-on at $5 per connected Premium account.
Key Benefits of Metricool
Here is why Metricool stands out from the competition:
- Competitor Analysis: Track up to 100 competitor profiles and see exactly what is working for them. You can spy on their posting schedules and engagement rates.
- Best Time Heatmaps: Metricool shows you when your audience is most active. No more guessing the perfect posting time.
- Unified Ad Tracking: Monitor Facebook, Instagram, Google, and TikTok ads from one dashboard. This feature alone saves hours each week.
- Link-in-Bio Tool: Create custom landing pages with SmartLinks. Drive traffic from your social profiles to multiple destinations.
- Looker Studio Integration: Connect your data to Google Looker Studio for advanced custom reporting.
- AI Social Media Assistant: Generate copy ideas and content suggestions powered by artificial intelligence.
Metricool Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Free plan lasts forever with no credit card needed
- Analytics are detailed and easy to understand at a glance
- Competitor tracking is powerful and included in paid plans
- Interface is clean and beginner-friendly
- Pricing is 80% cheaper than Hootsuite
❌ Cons
- Social listening is minimal compared to enterprise tools
- Team collaboration features lack depth for large organizations
- Customer support response times can lag during busy periods
- Twitter/X requires an additional paid add-on
What is Hootsuite?
Hootsuite is the OG of social media management tools.
Founded in 2008, it has been helping businesses manage their social presence for over 15 years.
Think of it as the Swiss Army knife for enterprise social media teams.
Hootsuite connects with over 200 third-party apps including Salesforce, Slack, and Adobe Creative Suite.
The platform is built for large teams that need deep reporting and custom analytics.
Hootsuite
Enterprise-grade social media management with powerful social listening, 200+ integrations, and advanced team workflows. Built for large organizations managing complex social operations.
Hootsuite Pricing
Here is what Hootsuite costs in 2026.
Fair warning: the free plan is gone.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $99/per month | Solo creators with up to 10 accounts |
| Advanced | $249/per month | Teams needing unlimited accounts |
| Enterprise Suite Custom | Custom Pricing | Large organizations with complex needs |
Free trial: Yes. 30 days free trial available. Skip the trial and get 10% off your first year.
Money-back guarantee: Contact support for refund requests within 30 days of purchase.
📌 Note: Hootsuite pricing is per user. Adding team members doubles or triples your monthly cost. Enterprise plans start around $15,000 annually.
⚠️ Warning: Hootsuite removed its free plan in 2023. Many small businesses were forced to find alternatives or pay the $99 minimum.
Key Benefits of Hootsuite
Here is why Hootsuite remains popular with enterprise teams:
- Social Listening: Track millions of conversations about your brand across the web. See real-time sentiment analysis and trending topics in your industry.
- OwlyWriter AI: Generate captions, images, and campaign ideas using their AI assistant. It answers social media questions instantly.
- 200+ Integrations: Connect with Salesforce, Slack, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Asana, and hundreds more apps you already use.
- Bulk Scheduling: Upload and schedule up to 350 posts at once. Perfect for planning entire campaigns in advance.
- Employee Advocacy: Empower your team to share approved content on their personal accounts. Great for B2B companies.
- Social Advertising Dashboard: Manage paid social campaigns alongside organic content from one place.
Hootsuite Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Social listening is the best in the industry
- 200+ app integrations connect your entire tech stack
- Enterprise security features meet strict compliance requirements
- Bulk scheduling saves hours for large content teams
- Customer support is reliable for paid plan users
❌ Cons
- No free plan makes it unaffordable for beginners
- Pricing at $99/month is 5x more than competitors
- Per-user pricing makes costs scale quickly for teams
- Learning curve is steep for new users
- Many basic features are locked behind enterprise plans
Feature Comparison
Ready to see how Metricool and Hootsuite stack up head-to-head?
I tested 10 key features that matter most to social media managers.
Here is what I found.
| Feature | Metricool | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (free forever) | $99/month |
| Free Plan | ✅ | ❌ |
| Social Listening | ❌ Minimal | ✅ Full Suite |
| Competitor Tracking | ✅ Up to 100 profiles | ✅ Enterprise only |
| AI Content Assistant | ✅ | ✅ OwlyWriter |
| Bulk Scheduling | ✅ 2,000-5,000 posts/mo | ✅ 350 posts at once |
| Third-Party Integrations | ❌ Limited (Canva, Zapier) | ✅ 200+ apps |
| Unified Ad Tracking | ✅ All paid plans | ✅ All plans |
| Team Collaboration | ✅ Advanced plan | ✅ All plans |
| Best For | Small teams, agencies | Large enterprises |
1. Social Media Scheduling
Metricool: The visual content calendar makes planning feel intuitive. You can drag and drop posts, see your best posting times with heatmaps, and schedule up to 2,000 pieces of content monthly on the Starter plan. The interface is clean and beginner-friendly.
Hootsuite: Schedule posts in bulk with up to 350 posts uploaded at once. The calendar view shows all your accounts side by side. Built-in Canva templates speed up content creation. However, the interface feels cluttered compared to Metricool.
2. Social Media Analytics
Metricool: Analytics are the heart of this platform. Real-time dashboards show reach, engagement, and follower growth at a glance. The competitor analysis feature lets you track up to 100 rival profiles. Downloadable PDF and PPT reports make client presentations easy.
Hootsuite: Custom analytics dashboards let you display data thousands of unique ways. The reporting is powerful but overwhelming for beginners. Advanced reports require the $249 plan. Historical data is limited to 30 days on lower tiers.
💡 Test Result: Metricool analytics are easier to understand at a glance. Hootsuite offers more customization but requires more setup time.
3. Social Listening
Metricool: Social listening is minimal here. You can track hashtags and analyze competitor content, but you cannot monitor brand mentions across the web. This is Metricool’s biggest weakness.
Hootsuite: This is where Hootsuite shines brightest. Track millions of real-time conversations about your brand. Monitor sentiment, predict trends, and compare your mentions to competitors. Every Hootsuite plan includes social listening.
⚠️ Warning: If brand monitoring is critical for your business, Hootsuite is the clear winner in this category. Metricool simply cannot compete here.
4. AI Content Creation
Metricool: The AI Social Media Assistant helps generate copy ideas and improve content. It is useful for brainstorming but does not create full posts or images automatically.
Hootsuite: OwlyWriter AI goes further. It generates captions, images, campaign strategies, and answers your social media questions. The AI never stores or uses your data for training, which matters for regulated industries.
5. Integrations
Metricool: Integrations are limited compared to Hootsuite. You can connect Canva, Looker Studio, and Zapier on paid plans. Website analytics integration works with WordPress, Shopify, and Wix.
Hootsuite: Connect over 200 apps including Salesforce, Slack, Adobe Creative Suite, Asana, OneClick.bio, Canva, and Upfluence. If you have an existing tech stack, Hootsuite probably integrates with it.
6. Team Collaboration
Metricool: Team features require the Advanced plan at $45/month. You get role management, post-approval workflows, and client access. However, some users report that team notifications only go to account owners.
Hootsuite: Built for teams from the ground up. Group calendars, cooperative writing, and synchronous editing are standard features. Share engagement streams with your entire team. The approval workflow is more polished than Metricool.
7. Social Inbox
Metricool: The social inbox is rudimentary. You can manage comments and messages from one place but advanced features like saved replies and sentiment analysis are missing.
Hootsuite: The inbox reduces chaos with saved and automated replies. Message assignments help teams collaborate. Sentiment analysis flags urgent issues. You can turn it into a full customer care tool with message routing and CSAT surveys.
8. Ad Campaign Management
Metricool: Track Facebook, Instagram, Google, and TikTok ads from one unified dashboard. Ad tracking is included in basic paid plans, which is rare. You get clear ROI insights without switching between platforms.
Hootsuite: Every plan includes social ad campaign management. Plan, publish, and improve paid content alongside your organic posts. The integration works smoothly but you are paying much more for the privilege.
9. Ease of Use
Metricool: The interface is genuinely intuitive. Setup takes minutes, not hours. The learning curve is gentle enough for complete beginners. Planning and metrics live together in one clean view.
Hootsuite: The learning curve can be steep at first. The stream-based interface offers power but overwhelms new users. Once you learn the system, it becomes second nature. Customer support helps bridge the gap.
💡 Test Result: Metricool took me 15 minutes to set up and start scheduling. Hootsuite took over an hour to understand the basics. Beginners should start with Metricool.
10. Pricing & Cost
Let me compare the pricing side by side.
| Plan Tier | Metricool | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month (forever) | ❌ Discontinued |
| Entry Level | $18/month | $99/month |
| Mid Tier | $45/month | $249/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | $15,000+/year |
Metricool: The pricing structure is designed for small businesses and agencies on a budget. You get 80% of the features at 20% of the cost. Annual billing saves two months. The free plan is genuinely useful, not a bait-and-switch.
Hootsuite: The per-user pricing adds up fast. A 3-person team on the Standard plan pays $297/month. Many essential features like advanced analytics and inbox support are locked behind enterprise plans starting at $1,000/month.
💡 Test Result: Metricool costs $18/month. Hootsuite costs $99/month. For identical core features, Metricool saves you $972 per year. That is money back in your pocket.
Different Scenarios
Not sure which tool fits your situation?
Use this decision matrix to find your answer.
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tight budget | Metricool | 80% cheaper than Hootsuite |
| Social listening | Hootsuite | Industry-leading brand monitoring |
| Competitor tracking | Metricool | 100 profiles on paid plans |
| 200+ integrations | Hootsuite | Connects your entire tech stack |
| Free plan forever | Metricool | No credit card required |
| Enterprise security | Hootsuite | SSO and compliance features |
| Beginner-friendly | Metricool | 15-minute setup, no learning curve |
💰 Your Budget
If you are watching every dollar, Metricool is the obvious choice. The free plan works for single brands, and the $18/month Starter plan beats Hootsuite’s $99 minimum by a wide margin.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
If you use Salesforce, Slack, or Adobe Creative Suite, Hootsuite integrates natively. Metricool’s integrations are limited to Canva, Looker Studio, and Zapier, which may require workarounds for your workflow.
📝 Your Content Strategy
Both platforms handle scheduling well. Metricool wins on analytics and competitor insights. Hootsuite wins on bulk scheduling and AI content creation with OwlyWriter.
🎓 Your Experience Level
Beginners should start with Metricool. The interface is cleaner and the learning curve is almost flat. Hootsuite’s power comes with complexity that takes weeks to master.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Metricool offers a free plan forever with no credit card. Hootsuite gives you 30 days free but requires payment after. Test both before committing to either.
🛟 Support Options
Hootsuite offers better customer support, especially for paid users. Metricool support can lag during busy periods. Enterprise Hootsuite users get dedicated account managers.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these tools?
Here is what to expect if you switch.
🔄 Switching from Metricool to Hootsuite?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Full social listening with sentiment analysis and trend prediction
- 200+ third-party app integrations including Salesforce and Slack
- OwlyWriter AI for complete content generation including images
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Competitor tracking included in basic plans (100 profiles)
- Best posting time heatmaps built into the calendar view
- 80% savings on monthly costs ($18 vs $99 minimum)
📋 How to switch:
- Export your scheduled content calendar from Metricool
- Sign up for Hootsuite’s 30-day free trial
- Connect your social accounts and import your content schedule
🔄 Switching from Hootsuite to Metricool?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Save $972 per year on the entry-level plan alone
- Competitor analytics tracking up to 100 rival profiles
- Best posting time heatmaps integrated directly into calendar
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Social listening capabilities for brand mention tracking
- 200+ app integrations with your existing tech stack
- Advanced inbox features like automated replies and sentiment
📋 How to switch:
- Download your scheduled posts from Hootsuite
- Create a free Metricool account (no credit card needed)
- Connect your social profiles and rebuild your content calendar
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Metricool |
| 📊 Analytics | Metricool |
| 👂 Social Listening | Hootsuite |
| 🔌 Integrations | Hootsuite |
| 👶 Ease of Use | Metricool |
| 🎯 Competitor Tracking | Metricool |
| 🤖 AI Features | Hootsuite |
| 👥 Team Collaboration | Hootsuite |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Metricool |
🏆 WINNER: Metricool
Metricool wins 5 out of 8 categories.
Best for: Freelancers, small agencies, budget-conscious businesses, and beginners who want powerful analytics without enterprise pricing.
Metricool and Hootsuite serve very different audiences.
Metricool is the budget-friendly analytics champion.
It gives you 80% of what Hootsuite offers at 20% of the price.
Hootsuite is the enterprise powerhouse.
It excels at social listening, integrations, and team collaboration for large organizations.
For most small businesses and agencies, Metricool is the smarter choice.
The savings alone justify the switch.
However, if brand monitoring is critical to your business, Hootsuite remains unmatched.
Now go out and crush your social media goals!
More of Metricool Compared
Here is how Metricool stacks up against other competitors:
Metricool wins on: Pricing, competitor analytics, beginner-friendliness
Sprout Social wins on: Enterprise features, team collaboration, customer support
Metricool vs SocialPilot
Metricool wins on: Analytics depth, competitor tracking, ad management
SocialPilot wins on: Bulk scheduling limits, white-label reports
Metricool vs Buffer
Metricool wins on: Competitor analysis, unified ad tracking, free plan value
Buffer wins on: Interface simplicity, team features on lower tiers
Metricool vs Later
Metricool wins on: Analytics, pricing, multi-platform support
Later wins on: Visual content calendar, Instagram-specific features
Metricool wins on: Pricing, competitor tracking, best time heatmaps
Agorapulse wins on: Social inbox, team collaboration, reporting
Metricool vs Zoho Social
Metricool wins on: Standalone features, analytics depth
Zoho Social wins on: CRM integration, Zoho ecosystem users
Metricool vs Sendible
Metricool wins on: Competitor analysis, pricing transparency
Sendible wins on: White-label options, agency features
Metricool vs Content Studio
Metricool wins on: Analytics, ease of use, competitor tracking
Content Studio wins on: AI content generation, content discovery
Metricool vs Loomly
Metricool wins on: Free plan, competitor analytics, pricing
Loomly wins on: Content creation workflow, approval features
Metricool vs Sprinklr
Metricool wins on: Pricing (by a huge margin), simplicity
Sprinklr wins on: Enterprise features, AI capabilities, scale
More of Hootsuite Compared
Here is how Hootsuite stacks up against other competitors:
Hootsuite wins on: Social listening, integrations, pricing
Sprout Social wins on: User interface, customer support
Hootsuite wins on: Features depth, social listening, enterprise tools
Buffer wins on: Pricing, simplicity, small team friendliness
Hootsuite wins on: Multi-platform support, enterprise features
Later wins on: Visual planning, Instagram focus, pricing
Hootsuite vs Agorapulse
Hootsuite wins on: Integrations, brand monitoring, scale
Agorapulse wins on: Pricing, social inbox, user experience
Hootsuite wins on: Features, listening, enterprise capabilities
SocialPilot wins on: Pricing, value for money, agency features
Hootsuite wins on: Social listening, integrations, AI tools
Sendible wins on: Pricing, white-label options, agency focus
Hootsuite wins on: Standalone power, third-party integrations
Zoho Social wins on: Pricing, Zoho ecosystem integration
Hootsuite wins on: Enterprise features, listening, integrations
Loomly wins on: Pricing, content workflow, ease of use
Hootsuite vs Sprinklr
Hootsuite wins on: Pricing, accessibility, smaller team support
Sprinklr wins on: Enterprise AI, unified CX platform
Hootsuite wins on: Social listening, established platform
Content Studio wins on: AI content, pricing, content discovery
Hootsuite vs Planable
Hootsuite wins on: Features breadth, analytics, listening
Planable wins on: Approval workflow, visual collaboration
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Metricool better than Hootsuite?
For most small businesses and agencies, yes. Metricool offers 80% of the features at 20% of the cost. However, Hootsuite wins for enterprise teams that need social listening and 200+ integrations.
Do people still use Hootsuite?
Yes. Hootsuite remains one of the most popular social media management tools with millions of users. However, the removal of their free plan in 2023 drove many small businesses to seek alternatives like Metricool.
Is Metricool better than Later?
Metricool offers better analytics and competitor tracking than Later. Later excels at visual content planning, especially for Instagram-focused brands. Metricool is the better all-around choice for multi-platform management.
What is the difference between Buffer and Metricool?
Buffer focuses on simplicity and clean scheduling. Metricool focuses on analytics, competitor tracking, and unified ad management. Metricool offers more features in its free plan. Buffer has a gentler learning curve.
Why not use Hootsuite?
The main reasons people avoid Hootsuite are the high pricing ($99/month minimum), the removal of the free plan, and the steep learning curve. Many basic features are locked behind expensive enterprise plans.
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