Hootsuite vs Sprout Social (2026 comparison)
Hootsuite and Sprout Social are both social media management tools. Hootsuite is best for larger teams wanting the broadest integrations and social listening, at the highest entry price of the four (no free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Professional from about $99 per month billed annually (1 user, 10 social profiles), Team from about $249 per month billed annually (3 users, 20 profiles)). Sprout Social is best for agencies and enterprise teams wanting the deepest analytics, at a per-seat rather than per-channel price (no free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Essentials from about $79 per seat per month billed annually, Standard from about $199 per seat per month, a 2026 repricing that added the lower Essentials tier below the previous Standard entry point).
Pricing and features verified against each vendor's published information on 2026-09-18. Sources linked below.
At a glance
| Feature | Hootsuite | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | No |
| Pricing from | No free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Professional from about $99 per month billed annually (1 user, 10 social profiles), Team from about $249 per month billed annually (3 users, 20 profiles) | No free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Essentials from about $79 per seat per month billed annually, Standard from about $199 per seat per month, a 2026 repricing that added the lower Essentials tier below the previous Standard entry point |
| Best for | larger teams wanting the broadest integrations and social listening, at the highest entry price of the four | agencies and enterprise teams wanting the deepest analytics, at a per-seat rather than per-channel price |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
Quick verdict
Choose Hootsuite for larger teams wanting the broadest integrations and social listening, at the highest entry price of the four. Choose Sprout Social for agencies and enterprise teams wanting the deepest analytics, at a per-seat rather than per-channel price. Both are compared on published information only, so confirm current pricing at each source below.
More options
Sources
FAQ
- Is Hootsuite or Sprout Social cheaper?
- As published, Hootsuite starts at No free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Professional from about $99 per month billed annually (1 user, 10 social profiles), Team from about $249 per month billed annually (3 users, 20 profiles) and Sprout Social starts at No free plan, only a 30-day free trial; paid Essentials from about $79 per seat per month billed annually, Standard from about $199 per seat per month, a 2026 repricing that added the lower Essentials tier below the previous Standard entry point. Verify current pricing at each vendor.
- Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
- No, Hootsuite does not offer a free plan as of 2026-09-18.