Hootsuite vs Buffer

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

Hootsuite and Buffer are both social media management tools with overlapping functionalities. Hootsuite offers a broader range of features including advanced analytics, social listening, and integrations, while Buffer focuses on simplicity and affordability, making it a good starting point for smaller businesses.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 7467 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 17 hours, 59 minutes of reading.

Hootsuite

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Buffer

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that lets companies schedule posts across various platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It offers tools to manage content, track customer conversations, gain social media insights, and analyze data to improve social media strategies. Hootsuite is used by businesses of all sizes and is known for its user-friendly dashboard that consolidates multiple social media functions in one place.

Buffer is a software tool that helps you manage your company's social media. Schedule posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all in one place. You can also track how your posts perform and get insights to improve your strategy. Buffer is designed to be user-friendly for teams of all sizes.

Summary

Main difference

Hootsuite is a comprehensive platform best suited for larger teams and enterprises needing advanced features, while Buffer excels in simplicity and affordability, making it ideal for smaller businesses and individuals focused on efficient scheduling and basic analytics.

Relative strengths of Hootsuite (compared to Buffer)

Offers a wider range of integrations with other platforms.
Provides more in-depth analytics and reporting features.
Includes advanced social listening and monitoring capabilities.

Relative weaknesses of Hootsuite (compared to Buffer)

Can be more complex to learn and navigate.
Higher pricing tiers compared to Buffer.
Some users report occasional bugs and glitches.

What companies are using Hootsuite and Buffer?

Chandos Construction

Remax Excellence

Freedom 55 Financial

No data

Who should use Hootsuite VS. Buffer

Hootsuite is a user-friendly social media management tool ideal for businesses of all sizes. It streamlines scheduling, content creation, and analytics across various platforms. Users praise its intuitive interface and calendar view but note occasional bugs and limited Instagram integration. Consider Hootsuite if you need an easy-to-use platform to manage multiple social media accounts efficiently.

Buffer helps manage social media content across platforms. Users praise its ease of use and analytics but note issues with Instagram integration and pricing. Best for businesses seeking an intuitive platform for scheduling and performance tracking.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses (1-1000 employees) seeking streamlined social media management.
Suitable for most industries, particularly effective in e-commerce, retail, and marketing.

Ideal for businesses and marketing professionals managing social media across various platforms.
Suitable for most industries, especially e-commerce, retail, and marketing.

Hootsuite and Buffer features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

SMS analytics

Not supported

Hootsuite does not support SMS analytics.

Not supported

Buffer does not support SMS analytics.
Social Media Publishing

Supported

Hootsuite enables planning, creating, and scheduling social media posts across multiple platforms from its central dashboard.

Supported

Buffer allows planning, creating, and scheduling social media posts across multiple platforms.
Social media publish scheduling

Supported

Hootsuite supports scheduling across multiple platforms with a user-friendly interface.

Supported

Buffer allows scheduling social media posts across multiple platforms with a user-friendly interface.
Twitter integration

Supported

Hootsuite allows scheduling tweets, and managing them via bulk scheduling and analytics features.

Supported

Buffer fully supports Twitter integration and allows users to schedule both individual tweets and Twitter threads.
Instagram integration

Partially supported

Hootsuite supports scheduling posts for Instagram Business accounts but not Creator accounts.

Supported

Buffer supports scheduling posts to both Instagram business and creator accounts, including the ability to schedule stories and reels. It also integrates well with other tools like Zapier for automation.
LinkedIn integration

Supported

Hootsuite supports scheduling posts to both LinkedIn personal and business pages.

Supported

Buffer allows scheduling posts to both LinkedIn personal profiles and business pages.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.62

Rather negative sentiment

-0.5

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.13

Neutral sentiment

+0

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.82

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.22

Neutral sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.06

Neutral sentiment

-0.17

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment

+0.33

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

+0.2

Neutral sentiment

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment

Hootsuite and Buffer Pricing

Hootsuite offers three plans: Professional for individuals, Team for small teams, and Enterprise for large organizations.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.62

See full Pricing page

All plans have access to various integrations such as Canva, Unsplash, Dropbox, Google Drive and Photos, One Drive, Zapier, IFTTT, WordPress, Feedly, Pocket, and Bitly. A 14-day free trial is available for the Essentials and Team plans.

Plans

See full Pricing page

Hootsuite and Buffer review insights

7427 reviews analysed from and

Users love

User-friendly interface and easy to navigate.
Scheduling features for multiple platforms save time and effort.
Calendar view provides a visual overview of scheduled posts.
Analytics and reporting features are helpful for tracking performance.
Streams effectively monitor social conversations, hashtags, and mentions.

Easy to use and schedule posts across multiple platforms.
The interface is clean and intuitive.
The free plan offers a good amount of features for basic needs.
Helpful analytics and insights to track post performance.

Users dislike

Analytics data can be inaccurate and doesn’t always match platform native analytics.
Instagram integration is limited, especially for stories and reels.
Occasional bugs and glitches, including posts failing to publish.
Social accounts frequently disconnect and need to be reconnected.
Pricing is considered high, especially for small businesses and individual users.

Instagram functionality is lacking, with issues connecting accounts and scheduling stories.
Posts sometimes fail to publish with no notification or explanation.
Pricing is high, especially for additional users and features.
The mobile app can be buggy and less user-friendly than the web version.

Hootsuite and Buffer Ratings

G2

4.2/5

(2606)
Capterra

4.4/5

(2346)
Glassdoor

4.0/5

(745)

G2

4.3/5

(1008)
Capterra

4.5/5

(1475)
TrustPilot

2.2/5

(40)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(25)

Company health

Employee growth

18% increase in the last year

23% increase in the last year

Web traffic

13% decrease in the last quarter

5% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

December 2017 - $300M

March 2017 - $4M

How reliable is Buffer's Instagram integration, especially for stories and reels?

Buffer's Instagram integration, while supporting story and reel scheduling, receives mixed reviews. Some users find it helpful, while others report issues with connecting accounts and inconsistent publishing, particularly for stories. Therefore, its reliability for these features is questionable and may not be suitable for users heavily reliant on Instagram stories and reels.

Which platform provides more accurate social media analytics, Hootsuite or Buffer?

Hootsuite and Buffer both offer social media analytics, but user reviews suggest that Hootsuite's analytics data can be inaccurate and doesn't always align with platform-native analytics. While Buffer also receives some negative feedback regarding its analytics, the criticism is less focused on accuracy. Therefore, based on available information, Buffer may provide more accurate social media analytics.

What are the advantages of Hootsuite?

Hootsuite offers a user-friendly dashboard that consolidates multiple social media functions, making it easier to manage various platforms. Its scheduling features, calendar view, and analytics tools are praised for streamlining social media management. Hootsuite also provides social listening capabilities, including real-time monitoring and sentiment analysis. It caters to a wide range of businesses, from small startups to medium-sized companies.

What are the disadvantages of Hootsuite?

Users dislike Hootsuite's analytics data accuracy, limited Instagram integration, occasional bugs and glitches, frequent social account disconnections, and high pricing.

Alternatives to Hootsuite and Buffer

Nuelink

Nuelink is a cloud-based social media management platform designed for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes. It allows you to schedule and automate your social media posts across various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more. Nuelink offers features like content scheduling, automated posting from blogs and online stores, AI-powered content generation, and performance tracking, enabling you to manage your social media presence efficiently from a single dashboard. It stands out with its automation features, simplifying content distribution and saving you time.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social is a social media management platform designed for businesses of all sizes and agencies. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to manage multiple social media accounts across various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. With Zoho Social, you can schedule posts, track brand mentions, analyze performance with detailed reports, and manage social media activities effectively from a single dashboard. The platform also offers collaboration features, making it easy for teams to work together on social media campaigns. Zoho Social integrates seamlessly with other Zoho products like Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk, providing a unified platform to manage customer interactions and generate leads.

Sprinklr Social

Sprinklr Social is a comprehensive social media management tool designed for large enterprises. It offers a suite of features for managing your brand's presence across multiple social media platforms. With Sprinklr Social, you can publish and schedule content, track performance, analyze sentiment, and engage with your audience. Its strengths include AI-powered insights, workflow automation, and robust reporting capabilities, making it suitable for managing complex social media strategies across various departments.

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a suite of tools to manage social media interactions, schedule posts, analyze performance, and listen to what customers are saying online. Sprout Social aims to streamline social media activities, provide data-driven insights, and help businesses maximize the impact of their social media presence.

Agorapulse

Agorapulse is a social media management tool that helps businesses manage their presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It allows you to schedule posts, monitor social activity, and generate reports to analyze performance. Agorapulse is known for its user-friendly interface and responsive customer support, making it a suitable option for businesses of all sizes.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is a comprehensive marketing platform designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a suite of tools including email marketing, marketing automation, social media management, analytics, and SEO optimization, all within a single platform. This helps businesses streamline their marketing efforts, improve efficiency, and track results. Its focus on inbound marketing and lead generation makes it a popular choice for businesses looking to attract and convert leads into customers. HubSpot Marketing Hub integrates seamlessly with HubSpot's CRM platform for enhanced sales and marketing alignment.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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