Hootsuite
Social media marketing and management in one platform
Head to head, verified 2026-09-03
Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
Price, free plans, the 16 networks we track, API and MCP support, and pros and cons, side by side. All numbers come from the vendors' own pages.
The short version
Generated from the data, not from opinion. Each line is a fact you can check on the profile pages.
- Sprout Social is the cheaper entry point at $79 per month, against $99 for Hootsuite.
- Hootsuite supports 10 of the 16 networks tracked here. Sprout Social supports 9.
- Only Hootsuite supports Google Business.
- Both offer a documented public API.
- Both target agencies, enterprise and teams.
- On G2, Hootsuite rates 4.2 from 5937 reviews and Sprout Social rates 4.4 from 3928 reviews.
Side by side
| Hootsuite | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/mo | $79/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Networks | 10 of 16 | 9 of 16 |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Not documented | Not documented |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self hosted | No | No |
| Best for | Agencies, Enterprise, Teams | Agencies, Enterprise, Teams |
| G2 rating | 4.2 (5937) | 4.4 (3928) |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, Canada | Chicago, United States |
Network support
| Network | Hootsuite | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | No | No |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Google Business Profile | Yes | No |
| No | No | |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Discord | No | No |
| Snapchat | No | No |
| Tumblr | No | No |
Features
| Feature | Hootsuite | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| Visual calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Unified inbox | Yes | Yes |
| AI writing | Yes | Yes |
| Approval workflow | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| RSS automation | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not advertised |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| White label | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Team collaboration | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Hootsuite
| Standard | $99/mo | Up to 10 social accounts; scheduling, analytics, inbox, and AI writing |
| Professional | $199/mo | Unlimited social accounts and advanced reporting |
| Advanced | $399/mo | Approval workflows, collaboration, and advanced inbox |
Sprout Social
| Essentials | $79/mo | Publishing across five profiles and collaborative calendar |
| Standard | $199/mo | Smart Inbox, monitoring, and review management |
| Professional | $299/mo | Unlimited profiles, competitor insights, and approvals |
| Advanced | $399/mo | API access, sentiment analysis, and advanced reporting |
Strengths and limits
Hootsuite strengths
- Broad management suite
- Strong listening and inbox
- Large integration ecosystem
Hootsuite limits
- Expensive per user
- Advanced workflows require higher tiers
Sprout Social strengths
- Deep analytics
- Smart Inbox
- Enterprise capabilities
Sprout Social limits
- High per-user cost
- Advanced features are expensive
Hootsuite vs Sprout Social questions
Is Hootsuite cheaper than Sprout Social?
Hootsuite has no free plan. Paid plans start at $99 per month. Sprout Social has no free plan. Paid plans start at $79 per month.
Which supports more social networks, Hootsuite or Sprout Social?
Hootsuite supports X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business. Sprout Social supports X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest.
Does Hootsuite or Sprout Social have an API?
Both publish API documentation. Hootsuite: https://developer.hootsuite.com/. Sprout Social: https://sproutsocial.com/pricing/.
Can an AI agent use Hootsuite or Sprout Social?
Neither documents an MCP server. Hey Tasky is built for agent-operated scheduling with a human review step, and is in early access.
Keep comparing
Hootsuite alternativesranked list Sprout Social alternativesranked list Agorapulse vs Hootsuite$79/mo vs $99/moBuffer vs Hootsuite$6/mo vs $99/moHootsuite vs Later$99/mo vs $18.75/moHootsuite vs Loomly$99/mo vs $42/moHootsuite vs Metricool$99/mo vs $22/moHootsuite vs Planable$99/mo vs $33/moHootsuite vs Postiz$99/mo vs $29/moHootsuite vs Publer$99/mo vs $5/mo