Hootsuite vs Sprout Social: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between Hootsuite and Sprout Social.
Social media management platform for teams
Enterprise social media management and analytics
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Hootsuite | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/mo ✓ Cheaper | $249/mo |
| Free plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| G2 rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 ↑ |
| Capterra rating | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Founded | 2008 | 2010 |
Hootsuite: pros & cons
- ✓Most established platform
- ✓Supports all major networks
- ✓Strong team features
- ✓Extensive integrations
- ✗Very expensive
- ✗UI feels dated
- ✗Free plan removed
- ✗Pricing increased significantly
Sprout Social: pros & cons
- ✓Best analytics of any social tool
- ✓Excellent reporting
- ✓Strong team features
- ✓Good social CRM
- ✗Very expensive
- ✗Per-seat pricing adds up fast
- ✗Overkill for small teams
Choose Hootsuite if...
- →Your marketing team manages 10+ social accounts across multiple networks and needs all scheduling, monitoring, and reporting in one dashboard
- →You need team-based approval workflows where one person drafts posts and a manager approves before publishing
- →Your brand needs social listening to monitor mentions, competitor activity, and industry keywords across platforms in real time
Choose Sprout Social if...
- →Your brand needs social listening to monitor competitor mentions, industry conversations, and emerging sentiment at scale
- →You're a mid-market or enterprise team that presents monthly social ROI reports to executives and needs boardroom-ready analytics
- →Your support team handles high volumes of inbound social messages and needs a unified inbox with smart routing and CSAT measurement
Our verdict
Sprout Social scores higher on G2 (4.4/5 vs 4.2/5), suggesting stronger overall user satisfaction. Hootsuite is the more affordable option. The right pick depends on your team size and workflow.
Hootsuite vs Sprout Social: frequently asked questions
Is Hootsuite better than Sprout Social?
Sprout Social has a higher G2 score (4.4/5 vs 4.2/5). The best tool depends on your specific use case and budget.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Sprout Social?
Hootsuite is cheaper, starting at $99/mo.
What is the main difference between Hootsuite and Sprout Social?
Hootsuite focuses on post scheduling, multi-network management, analytics & reporting. Sprout Social focuses on publishing & scheduling, unified inbox, advanced analytics. Both serve similar use cases but differ in approach and pricing model.
Can I migrate from Hootsuite to Sprout Social?
Most teams migrate between Hootsuite and Sprout Social within a day or two. Export your data from Hootsuite (typically as CSV or via API), then use Sprout Social's import wizard to bring it across. Check each tool's help centre for a step-by-step migration guide before switching.