Is Hootsuite or Buffer cheaper to start using?

Buffer has a free plan for up to three channels. Its Essentials plan starts at $5 per channel per month when billed yearly. Hootsuite lists Standard from $99 per user per month and does not list a free plan.

How do Hootsuite and Buffer charge for additional accounts?

Hootsuite prices its plans per user: Standard allows 10 social accounts, while Professional and higher plans allow unlimited accounts. Buffer charges for each connected channel on paid plans, with rates that vary by channel count and billing term.

Can I schedule unlimited posts with Hootsuite or Buffer?

Hootsuite advertises unlimited scheduling on its paid plans, with posting limits during trials. Buffer Free holds 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time; its paid plans advertise unlimited scheduling subject to a fair-use limit of 5,000 queued posts per channel.

Can both products manage direct messages?

Hootsuite provides a unified inbox for public and private messages. Buffer provides a Community inbox for comments on supported networks; its published channel capabilities do not describe an equivalent direct-message inbox.

Which product offers social listening?

Hootsuite includes brand-mention monitoring and sentiment tools on its Standard plan. Buffer publishes analytics and community-engagement features but does not publish an equivalent social-listening feature.

Do Hootsuite and Buffer support post approvals?

Yes. Hootsuite lists content review and approvals on its Advanced plan. Buffer includes content approval workflows and unlimited team members on its Team plan.

Do they support the same social networks?

Both support major networks including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, and YouTube, though available actions vary by network. Buffer also lists Mastodon, Substack, and Google Business Profile; its YouTube publishing support is for Shorts.

Can I try Hootsuite or Buffer before paying?

Hootsuite offers a 14-day trial for Standard, Professional, and Advanced. Buffer offers a 14-day trial of paid features and also has an ongoing Free plan.

Hootsuite vs Buffer

Choose Hootsuite if you need social listening and a shared inbox for messages; choose Buffer if you want a free option or pricing based on the number of channels you manage. Both offer scheduling, analytics, and team workflows, but their pricing models and approaches to engagement make them better fits for different buyers.

Last updated November 1, 2026.

At a glance

Hootsuite compared with Buffer, one row per dimension
Dimension	Hootsuite	Buffer
Free plan	No free plan listed	Free plan; up to 3 channels
Paid starting price	Standard from $99 per user/month	Essentials from $5 per channel/month, billed yearly
Pricing basis	Per user	Per connected channel
Connected-account limits	10 on Standard; unlimited on Professional and above	3 on Free; unlimited paid connections
Scheduled-post limits	Unlimited on paid plans; trial limits apply	10 per channel on Free; 5,000 per channel on paid plans
Publishing networks	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest	Those nine, plus Mastodon, Substack, Google Business Profile
Social inbox	Public and private messages in a unified inbox	Community inbox for supported post comments
Social listening	Brand mentions and sentiment tools on Standard	Not published
Approvals and team access	Paid user seats; approvals on Advanced	Unlimited members and approvals on Team
Tool integrations	Canva and Adobe Express, among others	Canva, Zapier, and cloud storage integrations, among others
Trial	14 days for Standard, Professional, and Advanced	14 days for paid features
Support	Dashboard messaging, help requests, and social support	Help center and email support

Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.

Which should you choose?

Choose Hootsuite if

Teams managing public and private messages in one inbox
Brands monitoring mentions, trends, and sentiment
Organizations needing social advertising tools alongside publishing
Teams that want approval workflows on the Advanced plan

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Choose Buffer if

Individuals starting with up to three channels for free
Buyers who prefer per-channel pricing
Teams wanting unlimited members on the Team plan
Publishers using Mastodon or Substack

See Buffer

The verdict

Pick Hootsuite when monitoring brand mentions and handling public and private messages are central to your work. Pick Buffer when your priority is publishing across a few channels, or when you want to add channels without buying more user seats on its Team plan. The deciding factor is whether you need Hootsuite’s listening and messaging tools enough to justify its per-user pricing.