Enterprise-leaning social media management with scheduling, inbox and listening.
Alternatives
Hootsuite alternatives for creators (2026)
Schedules and publishes posts to multiple social channels with basic analytics.
Scheduler and analytics tool with competitor tracking for creators and small teams.
Visual-first social scheduler with link-in-bio, Instagram planning and trending Reels audio.
Low-cost per-account scheduler with bulk posting and recycling.
Category-based content scheduler with evergreen post recycling.
Short answer: if Hootsuite's $99/mo starting price is the problem, try Buffer first. It has a free plan and paid channels from $5/mo each. If you want analytics and scheduling in one place, Metricool has a free plan and paid plans from $20/mo billed yearly. Short-form creators who live on Instagram and TikTok should look at Later, and if you only post to Facebook and Instagram, Meta Business Suite is free.
What Hootsuite costs
Hootsuite's plans page, checked 12 October 2026, says paid plans start at $99/mo for Standard and $199/mo for Professional, with higher tiers above that. There is no free plan. That's a lot if you're one creator posting Shorts, TikToks and Reels.
Prices at a glance
- Buffer: Free plan. Essentials $5/mo per channel, Team $10/mo per channel (billed monthly).
- Metricool: Free plan. Starter from $20/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly).
- Later: Starter $18.75/mo billed yearly.
- SocialBee: $29/mo monthly, or about $24/mo billed yearly, for 5 profiles.
- Loomly: Starter $65/mo monthly or $49/mo billed yearly, 12 accounts.
- Publer: Free plan, paid per account. Check its plans page for current pricing.
- Postiz / Mixpost: free if you self-host.
- Sprout Social: from $199 per seat per month. Pricier than Hootsuite, built for teams.
Best pick by situation
Solo creator, a few channels
Buffer. Pay per channel, so three channels on Essentials is $15/mo. Supports YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram.
You want the numbers too
Metricool. Scheduling plus analytics and competitor tracking, with a usable free plan.
Instagram and TikTok first
Later or Planoly. Visual grid planning made for short video.
X and Threads writers
Typefully or Hypefury. Built for text threads, not video.
Small agency
Vista Social, SocialBee or Loomly. Approvals and client workspaces for less than Hootsuite's Professional plan.
Zero budget, technical
Postiz or Mixpost. Open source, run on your own server.
FAQ
Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
Not on its plans page as of October 2026. It offers a free trial.
What's the cheapest Hootsuite alternative?
Buffer, Metricool and Publer all have free plans. Meta Business Suite is free for Facebook and Instagram only.
Which one schedules YouTube Shorts and TikTok?
Buffer, Metricool, Later, Publer and SocialBee all list both. Check each tool's page for limits.