Is Hootsuite or Sprout Social cheaper to start?

Sprout Social lists Essentials at $79 per seat per month with annual billing, compared with Hootsuite Standard starting at $99 per user per month. Essentials covers five profiles and publishing; Hootsuite Standard covers 10 accounts and includes an inbox, so the entry plans serve different needs.

Which entry plan includes a social inbox?

Hootsuite includes a unified inbox in Standard. Sprout Social adds a consolidated inbox in Standard, listed at $199 per seat per month with annual billing; its lower-priced Essentials plan focuses on publishing.

How many accounts can each platform manage?

Hootsuite Standard includes up to 10 social accounts, with unlimited accounts from Professional. Sprout Social Essentials and Standard include five social profiles, with unlimited profiles from Professional.

Is social listening included?

Hootsuite includes basic listening in Standard and lists advanced listening under Enterprise. Sprout Social sells its dedicated Listening product as an add-on rather than including it by default in Standard, Professional or Advanced.

Which supports content approval workflows?

Hootsuite lists team content approvals in Advanced. Sprout Social lists custom approval workflows in Professional.

Can either platform connect to Salesforce?

Yes. Hootsuite publishes a Salesforce integration for Enterprise customers. Sprout Social lists its Salesforce helpdesk integration under Advanced.

Do both platforms support TikTok, Threads and Bluesky?

Yes. Hootsuite and Sprout Social both list TikTok, Threads and Bluesky among their supported social networks. Available publishing, inbox and analytics functions vary by network.

How long can I try each product?

Hootsuite offers a 14-day trial, while Sprout Social offers a 30-day trial. Both say a credit card is not required to start.

Hootsuite vs Sprout Social

Choose Hootsuite if you need a unified inbox and up to 10 social accounts on an entry plan; choose Sprout Social if you need a lower-priced publishing entry plan or review management in its Standard plan. Both are available social media management platforms with scheduling, analytics and higher-tier collaboration tools. The key is to compare the features you need at the plan level where each vendor includes them.

Last updated November 1, 2026.

At a glance

Hootsuite compared with Sprout Social, one row per dimension
Dimension	Hootsuite	Sprout Social
Entry price	Standard starts at $99 per user/month	Essentials: $79 per seat/month, billed annually
Entry-plan inbox	Included in Standard	Included from Standard at $199 per seat/month
Entry-plan account limit	10 social accounts on Standard	5 social profiles on Essentials
Unlimited accounts or profiles	From Professional	From Professional
Review management	Review monitoring in Enterprise listening	Included from Standard
Social listening	Basic listening in Standard; advanced listening in Enterprise	Listening sold as an add-on
Content approvals	Advanced plan	Professional plan
Connected social networks	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, X, TikTok, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, X, TikTok, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest
Business-tool integrations	Canva, Adobe Express, Slack; Salesforce on Enterprise	Canva, Slack; helpdesk integrations on Advanced
Free trial	14 days; no credit card required	30 days; no credit card required
Mobile apps	iPhone, iPad and Android	iOS and Android
Enterprise support	Expert-led onboarding and ongoing support	White-glove onboarding and priority support

Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.

Which should you choose?

Choose Hootsuite if

Teams needing an inbox on the entry plan
Buyers managing six to 10 social accounts
Teams wanting basic listening within a self-serve plan
Organizations wanting approval workflows on Hootsuite Advanced

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Choose Sprout Social if

Buyers starting with up to five profiles and publishing
Teams managing customer reviews alongside social messages
Teams needing unlimited profiles on Sprout Social Professional
Customer-care teams evaluating Advanced-plan helpdesk integrations

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The verdict

Hootsuite is the better fit when your starting requirement is managing more than five accounts alongside messages in one inbox: its Standard plan includes 10 accounts and an inbox. Sprout Social is the better fit when five profiles and publishing are enough to start, or when review management and its customer-care integrations matter: Essentials starts at $79 per seat per month with annual billing, while Standard adds an inbox and reviews. Check higher-tier costs separately if you need unlimited profiles, approvals or advanced listening.