Hootsuite Pricing Breakdown: Is It Worth the Cost?

Hootsuite is one of the most popular social media management tools globally, allowing businesses to manage and streamline their social media presence across multiple platforms. From scheduling posts to tracking social media analytics, Hootsuite has been a go-to tool for businesses of all sizes. However, when it comes to pricing, the platform has caused a lot of confusion and skepticism among its users.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at Hootsuite’s pricing structure, the plans available, and whether they are worth the cost. We will also compare Hootsuite with one of its main alternatives—SocialPilot—so that you can make an informed decision. Whether you are an individual, a small business, an agency, or a large enterprise, we’ve got you covered.

Overview of Hootsuite Pricing

Hootsuite has simplified its offerings into three main pricing plans:

1. Professional Plan
2. Team Plan
3. Enterprise Plan

Each plan has specific features tailored to different business types. Let’s go through each of these plans in detail to understand what they offer and whether they’re a good fit for your needs.

1. Professional Plan

The Professional Plan is aimed at individuals, solopreneurs, and small businesses who need basic social media management features.

• Cost: ₹7,400 per month when billed annually or ₹11,200 per month when billed monthly.
• Profiles: 5 social media profiles.
• Users: 1 user (additional users can be added at extra cost).
• Features: Unlimited post scheduling, content calendar, AI-powered tools for hashtag and caption suggestions, post performance analytics, and a stock photo library.

What’s missing?

• No add-on users or social accounts.
• Limited reporting and advanced social listening tools.

The Professional Plan is affordable for small businesses but lacks some of the advanced collaboration and reporting features that growing businesses need. The absence of add-on users and advanced social listening tools can limit your growth if you plan on expanding your social media presence.

2. Team Plan

The Team Plan is designed for businesses that need to manage more social media accounts and require team collaboration. This plan is perfect for agencies and businesses with multiple users who need role-based access to various social profiles.

• Cost: ₹18,500 per month when billed annually or ₹27,200 per month when billed monthly.
• Profiles: Unlimited profiles.
• Users: 3 users (additional users can be added at extra cost).
• Features: All the features of the Professional plan, plus team collaboration tools, UTM link tracking, bulk scheduling, social ads management, and calendar sharing.

What’s missing?

• No add-on social profiles.
• No content library or approval workflows.
• No team productivity reporting or advanced social listening.

The Team Plan is great for small agencies or businesses that require multiple team members to collaborate. However, it still lacks scalability, with no add-on social profiles or users, which means businesses with a larger number of accounts or users will need to upgrade to the Enterprise Plan.

3. Enterprise Plan

The Enterprise Plan is designed for large businesses, corporations, or enterprises that need advanced features and customisation. It supports large teams and multiple locations, offering a comprehensive social media management solution.

• Cost: Starts at ₹11,10,000+ (custom pricing).
• Profiles: Unlimited profiles.
• Users: 5+ users.
• Features: All features from the Team plan, plus custom analytics, competitive benchmarking, approval workflows, SSO (Single Sign-On), team roles and permissions, and unlimited post scheduling.

What’s missing?

• Even with the Enterprise Plan, users may need to pay extra for advanced features like social listening, advanced analytics, and employee advocacy.

The Enterprise Plan offers maximum flexibility and features, but at a hefty price. The fact that many advanced features are still charged as add-ons, even at the top-tier plan, raises concerns about Hootsuite’s pricing transparency.

The Hidden Costs and Surprises in Hootsuite’s Pricing

While Hootsuite’s pricing page appears straightforward, there are several hidden costs and caveats that potential users should be aware of.

1. Hidden Surcharges: Hootsuite lists only the base price for its plans but fails to mention taxes and additional fees upfront. This can result in users paying more than they initially expect.
2. Add-ons: Many important features, such as advanced analytics, social listening, and competitive benchmarking, are not included in the standard plans. You need to pay extra for these features as add-ons. This can make Hootsuite significantly more expensive than it initially appears.
3. Limited Flexibility: In lower-tier plans like Professional and Team, users cannot add additional users or social profiles without paying extra. Hootsuite seems to push users toward the Enterprise plan, which offers more flexibility but at an even higher cost.
4. Customer Support: Higher-tier plans such as the Enterprise Plan come with priority customer support, while users on the lower plans often face slower response times and less access to help.

Hootsuite Pricing Breakdown for Different Business Types

For Enterprises

The Enterprise Plan is best suited for large businesses or corporations with complex social media needs. This plan offers features like unlimited post scheduling, advanced analytics, and team collaboration. However, the cost can start at ₹11,10,000+, and additional charges for features like social listening and analytics make it a costly choice for many enterprises.

For Agencies

Agencies handling multiple clients can benefit from the Team Plan at ₹18,500 per month. However, the plan lacks scalability and does not allow for additional users or social accounts, which limits the growth of agencies managing more than 20 profiles. For agencies looking for advanced collaboration tools and reporting, the Team Plan falls short.

For Small Businesses

Small businesses looking for a budget-friendly option should consider the Professional Plan at ₹7,400 per month. While it offers essential features like post scheduling and social media analytics, the lack of scalability, add-on users, and advanced tools makes it less ideal for businesses looking to expand their social media presence.

For Non-Profit Organisations

Hootsuite offers discounted plans for non-profits, where the Professional Plan is available for ₹2,000 per month and the Team Plan for ₹4,800 per month. However, non-profits still face limitations like the lack of advanced social media analytics, competitive benchmarking, and team roles. These restrictions could hinder the social media strategy for non-profit organisations looking to maximise their online impact.

Final Verdict

Hootsuite’s pricing structure may work well for large enterprises with deep pockets, but for small businesses, agencies, and non-profit organisations, it may seem expensive and lacking in flexibility. The hidden surcharges, lack of scalability, and the need to pay extra for advanced features make it a less attractive choice for growing businesses.