Sprout Social vs Hootsuite: which fits your team in 2026?

Both are sold per person, billed annually by default. Figures from each vendor's pricing page:

Sources: Sprout Social pricing, checked 13 October 2026; Hootsuite plans, checked 13 October 2026

For a full suite, Hootsuite: its Standard plan costs half of Sprout's Standard and covers twice as many accounts. For one person who mainly publishes and reports, Sprout's Essentials plan ($79) is the cheapest way into either tool; Sprout lists its consolidated inbox, monitoring and review management from Standard up.

Both charge per person, so a team of 3 on each Standard plan pays $297 a month on Hootsuite and $597 a month on Sprout at annual prices.

Sources: Sprout Social pricing, checked 13 October 2026; Hootsuite plans, checked 13 October 2026

• Customer care on social is a big part of the job and you want one Smart Inbox with review management.
• You report to stakeholders and value Sprout's reporting depth, with Premium Analytics available.
• You want a longer, 30-day trial before deciding.

• You want a full suite at the lower entry price, with up to 10 accounts on Standard.
• Listening and competitor monitoring matter from day one.
• You'd use AI to generate post drafts and images inside the tool.

Both tools are built for teams that manage social as a job. If you're one owner who needs to post consistently, the expensive part isn't scheduling, it's making the posts. Zolyp (our product) plans the week, writes and designs each post in your brand's voice and publishes it after you approve, from $29 a month per brand with team members included.