Hootsuite vs Later
Which social media tool is right for you? Compare features, pricing, and user reviews to make the best choice.
Hootsuite
Mid-size and larger teams that want publishing, inbox, analytics and some listening in one platform and can pay per seat.
Later
Creators, small brands and small agencies focused on visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Side by side
| Hootsuite | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $99/user/month (billed annually); no free plan | From $18.75/month billed yearly ($25 monthly); no free plan |
| G2 Rating | 4.3 (7,510 reviews) | 4.5 (384 reviews) |
| Best For | Mid-size and larger teams that want publishing, inbox, analytics and some listening in one platform and can pay per seat. | Creators, small brands and small agencies focused on visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok. |
Pros and cons
Hootsuite
Pros
- One tool covers publishing, inbox, analytics, ads and basic listening on every plan
- Unlimited social accounts from Professional
- Listening is built in (7-day search on Standard, 30-day on Professional), with an enterprise upgrade path to Lumen by Talkwalker
- No-credit-card 14-day trial
Cons
- Expensive per seat: $99/user/month is the entry price, billed annually
- Standard caps you at 10 social accounts
- Approval workflows and message assignment need Advanced at $399/user/month
- No free plan, and monthly prices are not published on the pricing page
- Full listening (13 months of history, alerts, advanced sources) is Enterprise only
Later
Pros
- Low flat price per plan with several users included on Growth and Scale
- Visual, Instagram and TikTok first planning
- Social sets bundle one profile of each network, good for brand or client grouping
- Some listening-style features (brand mentions, competitor benchmarking) on Scale at $82.50/month yearly
Cons
- No X (Twitter) support listed
- Starter caps posts at 30 per profile per month and has 1 user
- Inbox only covers Instagram, Facebook and TikTok conversations
- No free plan
Related comparisons
Best Social Media Management Tools
Sprout Social is the best social media management tool for teams that publish, engage and report together, thanks to its Smart Inbox, reporting on every plan and approvals on Professional. Pick Buffer or Metricool if per-seat pricing is out of budget.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026Best Social Media Tools for Small Business
Buffer is the best social media tool for most small businesses: a free plan for 3 channels, paid plans from $5 per channel per month billed yearly and support for every major network, including Google Business Profile. Pick Metricool if analytics and a free inbox matter more.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026Buffer alternatives
Publer is the best Buffer alternative for most Buffer users: same per-account pricing, but cheaper, with approvals, bulk scheduling and X on the $4-per-account Professional plan. Pick Metricool for analytics, or Later for Instagram and TikTok.
Sarah ChenUpdated October 2026