Hootsuite alternatives, compared on price and fit
Four tools whose pricing we have checked on their own pricing pages, what each does better or worse than Hootsuite, and how to move your accounts over.
The Hootsuite alternatives with verified pricing are Buffer, Sprout Social, SocialBee and Orbin. Buffer, SocialBee and Orbin cost far less for a small team because they do not charge per user. Sprout Social keeps a full inbox and social listening at a higher per-seat price. The right pick depends on whether you need an inbox or mainly scheduling and AI help.
Orbin is our product. We list it first and say plainly where another tool is the better fit.
Why look for a Hootsuite alternative?
- Hootsuite is priced per user, so the bill multiplies with each teammate: $99 a month for one person on Standard and $297 for three.
- Standard allows up to 10 social accounts. More than that needs Professional, at $199 per user per month.
- Reviewing and approving content as a team is listed on Advanced, its highest listed plan.
- Its plans are built around an inbox and brand monitoring. If you mainly schedule and write posts, you may be paying for tools you do not use.
4 Hootsuite alternatives with verified pricing
Prices are the cheapest listed plan for 3 people managing 5 channels, per month billed annually.
1. Orbin(our product)
$39 / month$258 a month less than Hootsuite
One price per workspace
- Best for
- Teams who mainly publish and want AI to do the drafting: Autopilot writes posts from your website for review, comment replies are drafted for Facebook and Instagram, and drafts can be scored before you post. One price covers the workspace, with 3 team members on Professional.
- Keep in mind
- Orbin has no shared inbox or social listening, which Hootsuite does. It publishes to Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn; Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads are coming soon.
2. Buffer
$50 / month$247 a month less than Hootsuite
Per channel
- Best for
- Small teams who want simple, reliable scheduling. It is free for up to 3 channels and one user, and its AI Assistant and community inbox come with every plan.
- Keep in mind
- Buffer is priced per channel, so the cost grows with every account you connect, and more than one user needs the Team plan.
3. SocialBee
$82 / month$215 a month less than Hootsuite
Per workspace, with profile and user limits
- Best for
- People who plan around content categories and want unlimited AI content generation, at a flat price per workspace.
- Keep in mind
- Bootstrap and Accelerate list one user per workspace. Pro lists 3 users, which is the plan a small team needs.
4. Sprout Social
$597 / month
Per seat
- Best for
- Teams who rely on an inbox, keyword and location monitoring, review management or customer care reporting, which is the closest match to what Hootsuite does.
- Keep in mind
- It is also priced per seat, from a higher starting price than Hootsuite Standard, so it rarely saves money.
Hootsuite itself: $297 a month for 3 people managing 5 channels. Try your own numbers in the pricing calculator →
How to switch from Hootsuite to Orbin
- 1
List what you run today
Write down the accounts connected to Hootsuite, the posts already scheduled, and who on your team needs access.
- 2
Keep the posts you want
There is no automatic import from Hootsuite, so copy the scheduled posts you want to keep, or export them if Hootsuite offers an export.
- 3
Connect your accounts
Start a trial and connect each network through its own login screen. It takes a few minutes per network.
- 4
Rebuild the schedule
Re-add the posts you kept, or let Autopilot draft the next week from your website for you to review.
- 5
Bring the team over
Invite teammates by email with the Admin, Member or Viewer role.
- 6
Wind down Hootsuite
Once your last post scheduled in Hootsuite has gone out, cancel or downgrade it so nothing is published twice. Hootsuite charges per user, so remove teammates you no longer need there as you move them over, rather than paying for both at once.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Hootsuite alternative?+
For one person with up to 3 channels, Buffer's free plan costs nothing. For a team of 3 managing 5 channels, the cheapest listed plans billed annually are $39 a month on Orbin, $50 on Buffer and $82 on SocialBee, compared with $297 on Hootsuite Standard. Use the pricing calculator for your own numbers.
Which Hootsuite alternative has an inbox and social listening?+
Sprout Social. Its plans include a consolidated inbox and keyword and location monitoring from Standard. Buffer has a community inbox on every plan. Orbin has no shared inbox or social listening; check SocialBee’s pricing page for its current features.
Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?+
Buffer has a free plan for up to 3 channels, one user and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Orbin, SocialBee and Hootsuite offer 14-day free trials, and Sprout Social offers 30 days.
Why does this page list only four tools?+
We list only tools whose prices we have checked on their own pricing pages. There are other good schedulers, and we will add them once we have verified their plans rather than repeat figures we cannot stand behind.
Prices come from each vendor's public pricing page and may have changed since. Confirm before you buy: Hootsuite (October 2026), Buffer (October 2026), SocialBee (October 2026), Sprout Social (October 2026). Orbin is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these vendors. All product names and brands are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification only.