Metricool vs Hootsuite: price, features and comparison 2026
Metricool: unlock better strategies, access more tools, and save big.
Manage more social media accounts compared to other tools, starting at $0.
No credit cards. No strings attached. For life.
And that’s just the start! With Metricool, everything you need to succeed starts at $0 per month—forever.
No hidden fees, no credit cards, no trial periods.
Connect up to 14 different social networks per brand.
Generate fully customized reports tailored to each of your clients.
Streamline your workflow with our integrated approval system.
Over 4 Million Users Trust Metricool
And here’s why:
Plan comparison
Metricool
Free plan
Yes
Premium plans from
$20/month
Hootsuite
Free plan
No
Premium plans from
$249 per user/month
Analytics and reporting comparison
Calendar and scheduling features comparison
Compare link-in-bio tools
Ads manager comparison
Team and other features
Content creator / Entrepreneur
1 brand · 1 person · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Free | Per brand | $0/mo | $0/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Standard | Per user | $99/mo | $1,188/yr | +$99/mo |
Buffer | Free | Per channel | $0/mo | $0/yr | Tie |
Sprout Social | Essentials | Per user | $79/mo | $948/yr | +$79/mo |
Agorapulse | Standard | Per user | $79/mo | $948/yr | +$79/mo |
Later | Starter | Per Social Set | $18.75/mo | $225/yr | +$18.75/mo |
Loomly | Starter | Flat rate | $49/mo | $588/yr | +$49/mo |
Planable | Basic | Per workspace | $33/mo | $396/yr | +$33/mo |
Vista Social | Standard | Flat rate | $64/mo | $758/yr | +$64/mo |
Sendible | Core | Per workspace | $30/mo | $360/yr | +$30/mo |
SocialPilot | Standard | Flat rate | $42.50/mo | $510/yr | +$42.50/mo |
Key takeaway
Metricool Free and Buffer Free are the only tools with a permanent $0 plan for 1 brand. All others start at $18.75–$99/month. Metricool Free includes analytics, ads analytics (Google, Meta, TikTok), competitor tracking, and MCP — not found in Buffer Free.
Note
Metricool Free excludes LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Starter ($20/mo) required for LinkedIn. X/Twitter add-on: +$10/mo per account. Even with both add-ons, total = $30/mo — still the lowest paid option in the series.
Small Business / Freelancer
3 brands · 5 people who publish and approve · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (15 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $53/mo | $636/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Advanced × 5 users | Per user | $1,995/mo | $23,940/yr | +$1,942/mo |
Buffer | Team — 9 channels | Per channel | $90/mo | $1,080/yr | +$37/mo |
Sprout Social | Advanced × 5 users | Per user | $1,995/mo | $23,940/yr | +$1,942/mo |
Agorapulse | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $595/mo | $7,140/yr | +$542/mo |
Later | Growth + extras | Per Social Set + user | $60/mo | $720/yr | +$7/mo |
Loomly | Beyond (5 users > 3 cap) | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$196/mo |
Planable | Pro × 3 workspaces | Per workspace | $147/mo | $1,764/yr | +$94/mo |
Vista Social | Scale (5 users > 4 cap) | Flat rate | $304/mo | $3,638/yr | +$251/mo |
Sendible | Plus — 3 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $84/mo | $1,008/yr | +$31/mo |
SocialPilot | Premium — 6 users | Flat rate | $85/mo | $1,020/yr | +$32/mo |
Key takeaway
Approval workflows are the critical differentiator. Hootsuite and Sprout Social require their most expensive per-user plan ($399/user) for approvals — $1,995/month for 5 people. Metricool includes approvals for $53/month with unlimited users.
User cap traps
Loomly ($49 → $249) and Vista Social ($120 → $304) both force expensive plan upgrades solely because of the 5-user requirement — regardless of how many brands or accounts are managed.
Small Agency
15 clients · 3 users · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (15 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $53/mo | $636/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Professional × 3 users | Per user | $597/mo | $7,164/yr | +$544/mo |
Buffer | Team — 45 channels (tiered) | Per channel | $220/mo | $2,640/yr | +$167/mo |
Sprout Social | Professional × 3 users | Per user | $897/mo | $10,764/yr | +$844/mo |
Agorapulse ⚠️ | Advanced × 3 users (10 profiles max) | Per user | $447/mo | $5,364/yr | +$394/mo |
Later | Scale + 9 extra Social Sets | Per Social Set | $183.75/mo | $2,205/yr | +$130.75/mo |
Loomly | Beyond | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$196/mo |
Planable | Pro × 15 workspaces | Per workspace | $735/mo | $8,820/yr | +$682/mo |
Vista Social | Scale | Flat rate | $304/mo | $3,638/yr | +$251/mo |
Sendible | Elite — 15 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $254/mo | $3,048/yr | +$201/mo |
SocialPilot | Premium + 20 extra accounts | Flat rate + $4/extra acct | $165/mo | $1,980/yr | +$112/mo |
Key takeaway
At 15 clients, Metricool Advanced ($53/mo) is the only tool under $100/month. SocialPilot is next at $165/mo. Planable reaches $735/mo and Sprout Social $897/mo — 11× to 17× more expensive than Metricool.
⚠️ Agorapulse
All public plans cap at 10 social profiles — technically incompatible with 15 real clients. Advanced shown is public maximum reference only. Custom plan required.
Consolidated Agency
30 clients · 5 users · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (50 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $159/mo | $1,908/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $995/mo | $11,940/yr | +$836/mo |
Buffer | Team — 90 channels (tiered) | Per channel | $315/mo | $3,780/yr | +$156/mo |
Sprout Social | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $1,495/mo | $17,940/yr | +$1,336/mo |
Agorapulse ⚠️ | Advanced × 5 users (10 profiles max) | Per user | $745/mo | $8,940/yr | +$586/mo |
Later | Scale + 24 extra sets + 1 user | Per Social Set + user | $356.25/mo | $4,275/yr | +$197.25/mo |
Loomly ⚠️ | Beyond (60 accts max — insufficient) | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$90/mo |
Planable | Pro × 30 workspaces | Per workspace | $1,470/mo | $17,640/yr | +$1,311/mo |
Vista Social ⚠️ | Scale + 40 extra profiles (undisclosed) | Flat rate + extras | $304/mo+ | $3,638/yr+ | +$145/mo min |
Sendible | Enterprise — 50 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $638/mo | $7,656/yr | +$479/mo |
SocialPilot | Ultimate + 40 extra accounts | Flat rate + $4/extra acct | $330/mo | $3,960/yr | +$171/mo |
Key takeaway
At 30 clients, Metricool Advanced ($159/mo) remains dramatically cheaper than every competitor. Buffer is next at $315/mo. Planable reaches $1,470/mo and Sprout Social $1,495/mo — over 9× Metricool.
⚠️ Structural notes
Agorapulse (10 profiles cap on all public plans), Loomly Beyond (60 accounts — insufficient for 90 needed), Vista Social Scale (70 profiles — needs 20 extra at undisclosed price). Prices marked with ⚠️ are public maximum references — real cost would be higher.
What Our Users Say
Kelly M.
Social Media Manager and Podcaster
Metricool is Cool With Me
Overall it has been a good experience. I like that they notify you when you’re getting close to the amount of posts allowed on the free account. I have had to use the customer support and they were very helpful. It’s easy to learn how to use Metricool. I haven’t had any security concerns with it. I am able to manage accounts successfully. 95 percent of the time my posts go through when scheduled.
Paula G.
Co-founder
Metricool works great
It’s been great! Metricool works well with a ton of platforms and they are constantly making updates to the app. The flexibility and ease of use is unmatched in a free/reasonably priced social media scheduling app. I just discovered Autolist, which could make it even more convenient to continuously schedule social posts without spending a huge amount of time.
Martin H.
Head of Ecommerce
Good and competent social media management tool
In general a good tool to use for social media management. I have used Metricool for a long time even when the tool was not as good as it was now. It is easy to use and now have a lot of good features that I have to pay much more for in other solutions.
Alessa D.
Owner
Making Social Media Marketing Cool!
I mainly signed up for Metricool to bulk create Pinterest pins. The Autolists drew me in. However, it is NOT possible to add a link to Pinterest Pins in Autolists which basically makes it useless. This needs to be worked on ASAP. Ease of useAutolists, Autolists, Autolists! (my main selling point)Analytics
Yesica F.
I genuinely appreciate Metricool’s capability to streamline social media management by allowing me to create a single post and effortlessly replicate it across various social media platforms. This feature saves me a significant amount of time and effort, as I do not need to individually post on each platform, enhancing my efficiency. Moreover, I find the analytics provided by Metricool to be highly valuable, giving me insightful data and metrics to better understand my social media performance. Additionally, the initial setup process of Metricool was surprisingly straightforward and user-friendly, making it easy for me to both set up and learn how to effectively use the platform.
Linda L.
Mid-Market
I like that with Metricool, I can tag people in LinkedIn posts, which was not available on other scheduling platforms 3 years ago. The platform has great UX, making it easy to schedule posts and check analytics. The calendar’s feature that shows thematic holidays is also a nice touch for post inspiration. Their support team responds quickly to any questions, and they often roll out new features, which is great. Their pricing is also quite reasonable compared to Hootsuite and SproutSocial for a medium-sized company.
The only tool you need is just a click away
Manage your entire social media strategy starting at $0
Analyze trends, plan content, manage conversations, and run social ad campaigns—all in one place.
Choose the Plan for You
Create the experience you need. Whether you’re a freelancer, working for one or multiple clients, or part of a team, Metricool is there for you. Get more for much less.
Our Best-Kept Secret?
We’re always here for you. No chatbots. No endless FAQs. Just real, human support tailored to your questions. When you need us, we’re ready to help.
No credit cards. No conditions. For life.
Other Metricool comparatives
Metricool is your social media copilot. Competitor analysis, ads tracking, inbox management, and an AI assistant — all in one tool, built to grow with you.
Metricool covers the full picture — Google, Meta, and TikTok Ads analytics, white-label reporting, competitor tracking, and Data Studio, built for agencies that need everything in one place.
Metricool is built for strategy. Schedule across all your platforms, track your competitors, manage your ads, and measure what actually matters — no extra tools needed.
You can find other comparisons on our social media management tools comparison page.
FAQ
1. Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
No. Hootsuite discontinued its permanent free plan in 2023 and now offers a 30-day free trial before a paid subscription begins. If you’re looking for a social media management tool with a permanent free plan, Metricool includes support for 11 social platforms, up to 20 scheduled posts per month, analytics, competitor tracking (up to five competitors), website analytics, hashtag tracking, and a unified inbox. The free plan is available with no credit card required.
2. What is a good alternative to Hootsuite?
If you’re looking for a Hootsuite alternative, the most important question isn’t which tool has the most features — it’s which one fits your actual workflow. Metricool covers scheduling, in-depth analytics, competitor tracking, ads data (Google, Meta, TikTok), AI-powered reporting, and approval workflows. Users consistently highlight how smooth the switch is: “The transition from our old platform was seamless — it simplified client reporting and saved us hours of manual work.” (Sam M., G2)
3. What features should I expect from a professional social media management tool?
A professional tool should go well beyond scheduling. Look for: cross-platform analytics that cover all your posts — not just those published through the tool, competitor tracking to benchmark your performance, ads data from Google, Meta and TikTok in the same dashboard as your organic content, a shared inbox for comments and DMs, content approval workflows for team collaboration, and client-ready reports you can share without manual work. Metricool covers all of these from a single dashboard, starting at $0.
4. How do social media management tools handle pricing for teams and agencies?
Most social media management tools use one of two pricing models: per user or per brand. Hootsuite follows a per-user model, with plans starting at $99/month for one user. Adding more team members increases the monthly cost, which can make pricing less predictable as your team grows.
Metricool uses a per-brand model. The Advanced plan includes up to 50 brands with unlimited users for $53/month. For businesses managing more than 50 brands, Custom plans are also available. This pricing structure makes it easier for agencies and larger teams to collaborate across multiple brands without paying for additional users.
5. Can I get professional analytics without a large budget?
Yes. While enterprise tools like Hootsuite often reserve advanced analytics and custom reporting for higher-tier plans, Metricool includes a wide range of analytics features from its first paid plan. You can track cross-platform post performance, website and blog traffic, hashtags, competitors (up to 100 profiles), and Google, Meta, and TikTok Ads, starting at $20/month.
Metricool also includes Campaign Dashboards, which combine organic and paid performance in a single view, and Metricool Studio, which uses AI to generate custom analytics reports from natural language prompts.
6. Can I manage my social media directly from an AI assistant in 2026?
Yes, but the level of integration is different. Hootsuite offers OwlyGPT for content creation and AI-powered reply suggestions. Metricool also includes AI features for content creation and reporting, and its official MCP server (Model Context Protocol) connects AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT, Make, and n8n directly to your Metricool account.
Once connected, you can use natural language to schedule posts, retrieve analytics, analyze competitors, and manage your social media workflow without switching between tools. Metricool also includes Metricool Studio, which uses AI to generate custom analytics reports from natural language prompts.
7. Is it easy to switch from another social media tool to Metricool?
Very. Metricool connects to 11 social platforms in minutes, with no complex migration required. Multiple users who switched from major tools describe the transition as straightforward: “The transition from our old platform was seamless.” (Sam M., G2). The free plan lets you test the full feature set before committing, with no credit card required and no time limit.