Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right marketing tool for your needs.
The Winner
Too Close to Call
Both Hootsuite and Sprout Social are excellent choices. Your decision should be based on specific feature needs and use case.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Hootsuite |  Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $99/mo Best | $249/mo |
| User Rating | 4.0 | 4.2 Best |
| Review Count | 52,709 Best | 7,218 |
| Free Trial | No | 30 days Best |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | Enterprise multi-brand social teams | Enterprise social media teams at scale |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Hootsuite Sprout Social Hootsuite
- Real-Time Social Listening with AI
- Comprehensive Platform Support
- Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance
- Unlimited Users on Enterprise
- Expensive for Small Teams
- Dated User Interface
- Bulk Scheduling Limits
Sprout Social
- AI Assist Actually Delivers
- Social Listening at Enterprise Scale
- Unified Customer Service
- Analytics That Drive Business Decisions
- Premium Add-Ons Are Expensive
- Per-User Pricing Gets Expensive Fast
- Fewer Integrations Than Hootsuite
Hootsuite Overview
If you manage 10+ social profiles or run a multi-brand enterprise, Hootsuite is worth the premium pricing. The Professional tier ($149/month) works for solo power users with 5 profiles. The Team tier ($399/month) unlocks bulk scheduling and collaboration for up to 3 users. Enterprise pricing starts at $15,000 annually but eliminates per-user costs for large teams.
Best For:
- Enterprise multi-brand social teams
- Marketing teams needing advanced social listening and competitive analysis
- Organizations requiring comprehensive analytics and custom reporting
- Businesses with complex approval workflows and team collaboration needs
- Companies prioritizing social media crisis detection and management
- Teams managing 20+ social profiles across multiple platforms
- Enterprises needing SSO and compliance integrations (Proofpoint)
Sprout Social Overview
If you're managing enterprise social at scale, Sprout Social delivers unmatched depth in analytics, AI automation, and team workflows. The Standard tier ($249/user/month) is expensive but pays for itself if you manage 5+ profiles. The AI Assist features (Generate Posts, Sentiment Analysis) save 24 hours weekly. Not for small businesses-the $199/user minimum makes this enterprise-only territory.
Best For:
- Enterprise social media teams at scale
- Cross-functional teams needing sophisticated workflows and approval processes
- Organizations prioritizing customer service through social channels (10% specialist productivity gains)
- Companies seeking comprehensive social listening and sentiment analysis with AI
- Brands managing multiple social profiles and requiring unlimited profile support (Professional tier)
- Teams that value responsive support (8.7/10 quality score on G2, highest in category)
- Businesses consolidating multiple legacy tools into one platform ($224K average savings)
- Marketing teams requiring CRM integration to track customer interactions across social
Our Verdict
Both Hootsuite and Sprout Social are excellent choices for their respective strengths. Hootsuite is ideal for Enterprise multi-brand social teams, while Sprout Social shines at Enterprise social media teams at scale. Your final choice should depend on your specific requirements and budget.