The verdict
On the data we hold, Hootsuite comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.
What the data says
- Both cover 13 of the 13 features we compared.
- Later starts lower, at $18.75/mo against $99/mo.
- In our Organic social ranking, Hootsuite places 2 and Later 4 of 14.
Side by side
| 17 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $99/mo | $18.75/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| API | Yes | Not known yet |
| MCP server | Yes | Not known yet |
| AI content assistant | Yes | Yes |
| AI post drafting | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics & reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Best time to post | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk post upload | Yes | Yes |
| Competitor benchmarking | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio page | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-network publishing | Yes | Yes |
| Post approval workflow | Yes | Yes |
| Post scheduling & queues | Yes | Yes |
| Social listening | Yes | Yes |
| Team collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Unified social inbox | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
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
Later
- Starter1 social set (8 profiles), 1 user; $18.75 per month billed yearly.$25/mo
- Growth2 social sets (16 profiles), 2 users; $37.50 per month billed yearly.$50/mo
- Scale6 social sets (48 profiles), 4 users; $82.50 per month billed yearly.$110/mo
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.
Choose Later if…
Social media managers and small marketing teams who plan visual content for Instagram, TikTok and other platforms and want scheduling, analytics and a link in bio page in one tool.
Other options worth a look
Tool·Client acquisitionSchedule social posts, analyse engagement, and manage paid campaigns across multiple platforms in one place.Organic social
From €16/mo yearlyFree plan
Tool·Client acquisitionManage publishing, engagement, analytics, and social listening across brands from one dashboard.Organic social
From $79/mo yearly
Tool·Client acquisitionSchedules, publishes and analyses social media content across multiple platforms from one calendar.Organic social
From $5/moFree plan
Tool·Client acquisitionSchedules and publishes social media posts across multiple platforms from one dashboard with team approval workflows.Organic social
From $5/mo yearlyFree plan
Tool·Client acquisitionSchedule, publish and manage social media across multiple channels and analyse performance from one dashboard.Organic social
From €16.15/mo yearly
Tool·Client acquisitionCreate, schedule and analyse LinkedIn posts with AI to build your personal brand and generate leads.Organic social
From $32/mo yearlyAffiliate link