Meta Business Suite vs Hootsuite: is the free tool enough?

From Meta's own Business Suite page and help centre, and Hootsuite's plans page, checked on 15 October 2026:

Sources: Meta for Business: Meta Business Suite, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: Create and manage posts in Meta Business Suite on desktop, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: About cross-posting to Facebook, Instagram and Threads in Meta Business Suite, checked 15 October 2026; Hootsuite plans, checked 15 October 2026; Hootsuite FAQ (supported networks), checked 15 October 2026

Meta describes Business Suite as a free tool for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Hootsuite is sold per user: Standard is $99, Professional $199 and Advanced $399 per user a month billed yearly, with Enterprise priced on request. Over a year at those rates:

• 1 person on Facebook and Instagram: Meta Business Suite $0; Hootsuite Standard $1,188.
• 3 people sharing an inbox: Meta Business Suite $0; Hootsuite Standard $3,564.
• 3 people with content approvals: Hootsuite Advanced $14,364. Meta's Business Suite page doesn't describe approvals.

Sources: Meta for Business: Meta Business Suite, checked 15 October 2026; Hootsuite plans, checked 15 October 2026

For a business that lives on Facebook and Instagram, it covers the essentials at no cost:

• Create or schedule feed posts and stories for Facebook and Instagram without switching accounts, and save drafts or upload assets to a media library.
• Post to a Facebook Page, an Instagram profile or a Facebook Group, and cross-post to Threads while you create.
• Pick from Active times, recommended from when your followers were most active on Facebook and Instagram over the past 7 days.
• Read and reply to messages and comments across Facebook, Messenger and Instagram in one place, with Automated Responses.
• Boost posts, create ads and track post performance, trends and audience insights.

Sources: Meta for Business: Meta Business Suite, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: Create and manage posts in Meta Business Suite on desktop, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: About cross-posting to Facebook, Instagram and Threads in Meta Business Suite, checked 15 October 2026

• Networks beyond Meta: X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp and Pinterest from the same calendar.
• Brand and competitor monitoring on every plan, with 30-day Quick Search and trend forecasting on Professional.
• Competitor benchmarking and custom, scheduled reports.
• Inbox automation, AI smart replies, message assignment and routing on higher plans.
• Approval workflows and team performance reporting on Advanced, and SSO on Enterprise.

Sources: Hootsuite plans, checked 15 October 2026; Hootsuite FAQ (supported networks), checked 15 October 2026

If Facebook and Instagram are where your customers are, Meta Business Suite is usually enough to plan, post, reply and boost. Add a paid tool when one of these becomes true:

• You also post to LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube or X every week and are tired of logging in to each app.
• Several people reply to customers and you need assignment, routing or approvals.
• You report to a boss or client on competitors, or need to monitor mentions of your brand.
• For Instagram, note that Meta limits a Business Suite post to 10 photos.

Source: Meta Business Help Centre: Create and manage posts in Meta Business Suite on desktop, checked 15 October 2026

• Choose Meta Business Suite if you only use Facebook, Instagram and Threads and want a free tool from Meta itself.
• Choose Meta Business Suite if boosting posts and replying to Messenger and Instagram DMs are the main jobs.
• Choose Hootsuite if you manage several networks and want one calendar and inbox for all of them.
• Choose Hootsuite if listening, competitor benchmarking and team workflows justify a per-user bill.

Both tools publish posts you make. Zolyp, which we make, makes them: it plans the week, writes and designs each post against your Brand Brain, and publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads after you approve. It has no inbox, ads or listening, so keep Meta Business Suite for replies and boosts, or choose Hootsuite if listening matters. Lite is $9 a month per brand for scheduling posts you make yourself; the plans that create the posts start at $29 a month, with team members included and a 3-day free trial, no card required.