Hootsuite vs Instagram

Two Organic social tools side by side: what each does, what it costs and who it suits.

The verdict Side by side Plans and pricing Who each is for Other options

The verdict

On the data we hold, Instagram comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.

What the data says

Only Instagram has a free plan to start on.
In our Organic social ranking, Instagram places 11 and Hootsuite 2 of 14.

Side by side

Hootsuite and Instagram compared
At a glance	Hootsuite	Instagram
Starts at	$99/mo	Not known yet
Free plan	No	Yes
API	Yes	Yes
MCP server	Yes	Not known yet
Links	Visit	Visit

Plans and pricing

Hootsuite

StandardUp to 10 social accounts; $99 per user per month billed annually.$1,188/yr/seat
ProfessionalUnlimited social accounts; $199 per user per month billed annually.$2,388/yr/seat
AdvancedTeam approvals and routing; shown as up to $399 per user per month billed annually.$4,788/yr/seat

Instagram

FreeFree to use for personal, creator and business accounts; advertising is bought separately through Meta Ads.Free

Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.

Who each is for

Choose Hootsuite if…

Social media managers, marketing teams and agencies who publish and monitor several social networks, accounts or brands and need scheduling, a shared inbox, listening and reporting in one place.

Visit Read the review

Choose Instagram if…

Consumer brands, creators and service businesses with a visual story to tell that want to post regularly, talk to customers in messages and run ads to the same audience.

Visit Read the review

Other options worth a look

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Metricool
Schedule social posts, analyse engagement, and manage paid campaigns across multiple platforms in one place.
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From €16/mo yearlyFree plan
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Sprout Social
Manage publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening across brands from one dashboard.
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From $79/mo yearly
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Later
Schedules and publishes visual content across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more.
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From $18.75/mo yearlyAffiliate link
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Publer
Schedules, publishes and analyses social media content across multiple platforms from one calendar.
Organic social
From $5/moFree plan
Sign up on Publer
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Buffer
Schedules and publishes social media posts across multiple platforms from one dashboard with team approval workflows.
Organic social
From $5/mo yearlyFree plan
Sign up on Buffer
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SocialPilot
Schedule, publish and manage social media across multiple channels and analyse performance from one dashboard.
Organic social
From €16.15/mo yearly
Sign up on SocialPilot