Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
Side-by-side pricing, platforms and features, with a verdict for each type of team.
The original enterprise suite: inbox, listening and compliance features for large marketing teams, at an enterprise price.
Premium enterprise platform with the best inbox and reporting in the category, priced per seat.
Feature by feature
| Hootsuite | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Trial (30 days) | Trial (30 days) |
| Cheapest paid plan | $99 / mo | $199 / seat / mo |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days |
| Pricing model | Billed monthly; cheaper annually | Per seat, billed monthly |
| Platforms | ||
| Posts, Reels, Stories | Posts, Reels, Stories | |
| X / Twitter | Posts | Posts |
| Pages and profiles | Pages and profiles | |
| TikTok | Direct publish | Direct publish |
| Pages, groups | Pages | |
| YouTube | Videos, Shorts | Videos, Shorts |
| Pins | Pins | |
| Threads | Posts | Posts |
| Bluesky | No | Posts |
| Google Business Profile | No | Reviews |
| Other networks | — | |
| Features | ||
| Content calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Approval workflow | Yes | Professional plan+ |
| AI caption writing | OwlyWriter AI | Yes |
| Best time to post | Yes | ViralPost |
| Bulk upload (CSV) | Yes | Professional plan+ |
| Evergreen recycling | No | No |
| Analytics & reports | Advanced | Advanced |
| Social inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio page | No | SproutLink |
| First comment | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Enterprise | Advanced plan |
| White-label reports | No | No |
| Client workspaces | No | Groups |
| Details | ||
| Editorial score | 4.1 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best for | Large marketing teams that need an inbox and listening | Enterprise teams with budget for a best-in-class inbox |
| Apps | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
Which should you choose?
Sprout Social scores 4.3 against 4.1 for Hootsuite. Hootsuite is the original enterprise suite: inbox, listening and compliance features for large marketing teams, at an enterprise price. Sprout Social is premium enterprise platform with the best inbox and reporting in the category, priced per seat. On price, Hootsuite starts lower at $99 / mo. Hootsuite publishes to 8 networks and Sprout Social to 11.
Hootsuite is the safe choice for large teams that need a unified inbox, social listening and the paperwork that comes with enterprise procurement. The dashboard has been rebuilt over the last few years and is far less cluttered than it used to be, and OwlyWriter AI is a competent assistant.
Read the full Hootsuite review →Sprout Social is the most polished of the enterprise suites. The Smart Inbox, reporting and approval workflow are genuinely excellent, and the product is backed by the kind of support and security documentation large companies ask for.
Read the full Sprout Social review →