Buffer vs Hootsuite
Buffer vs Hootsuite: Buffer bills per channel and has a free plan; Hootsuite bills per user and includes social listening. Three people on 15 channels pay $180 a month on Buffer Team ($150 billed yearly) and $597 on Hootsuite Professional billed yearly. Weekbird costs $24, $49 or $149 a month. Prices checked 10 October 2026.
Buffer plans
All prices
Monthly
Annual
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 1 account | Up to 3 channels | 1 | Posts: 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 threaded post; AI: AI Assistant included; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox included, AI replies 5/week; Analytics: Basic analytics, 30-day history; API: 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days |
| Essentials | $6 per channel / month $5 per channel / monthbilled annually | n/a | Per channel purchased | 1 user | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant, unlimited AI replies; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox, unlimited saved replies; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 3 API keys, 7,500 requests/30 days |
| Team | $12 per channel / month $10 per channel / monthbilled annually | n/a | Per channel purchased | Unlimited | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant; Approvals: Content approval workflows and access levels; Inbox: Community inbox; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 5 API keys, 15,000 requests/30 days |
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 1 account | Up to 3 channels | 1 | Posts: 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 threaded post; AI: AI Assistant included; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox included, AI replies 5/week; Analytics: Basic analytics, 30-day history; API: 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days |
| Essentials | $6 per channel / month | n/a | Per channel purchased | 1 user | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant, unlimited AI replies; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox, unlimited saved replies; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 3 API keys, 7,500 requests/30 days |
| Team | $12 per channel / month | n/a | Per channel purchased | Unlimited | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant; Approvals: Content approval workflows and access levels; Inbox: Community inbox; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 5 API keys, 15,000 requests/30 days |
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 1 account | Up to 3 channels | 1 | Posts: 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 threaded post; AI: AI Assistant included; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox included, AI replies 5/week; Analytics: Basic analytics, 30-day history; API: 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days |
| Essentials | $5 per channel / monthbilled annually | n/a | Per channel purchased | 1 user | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant, unlimited AI replies; Approvals: No; Inbox: Community inbox, unlimited saved replies; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 3 API keys, 7,500 requests/30 days |
| Team | $10 per channel / monthbilled annually | n/a | Per channel purchased | Unlimited | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: AI Assistant; Approvals: Content approval workflows and access levels; Inbox: Community inbox; Analytics: Unlimited (advanced analytics); API: 5 API keys, 15,000 requests/30 days |
Prices from buffer.com/pricing, checked 10 Oct 2026
- Free plan covers 3 channels with AI Assistant and community inbox.
- Pricing is per channel, so a single channel costs $5/month annual.
- Publishes to Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, Google Business Profile, Pinterest and YouTube Shorts with community engagement on most of them.
- Includes a public API on every plan, including Free.
- API or MCP (Free): 1 API key, 3,000 requests/30 days
- Analytics (Free): Basic analytics, 30-day history
Hootsuite plans
All prices
Monthly
Annual
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $99 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | 10 social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: Wisdom AI included (no credit counts published); Approvals: No; Inbox: Single inbox |
| Professional | $199 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: No; Inbox: Inbox with automated replies and workflows; Custom performance reports, trend forecasting to 90 days |
| Advanced | $399 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: Yes (review and approve content); Inbox: Assignment and auto-routing |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | custom | Unlimited | Custom | Approvals: Yes; SSO, advanced listening, advanced analytics |
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | Contact sales | custom | Unlimited | Custom | Approvals: Yes; SSO, advanced listening, advanced analytics |
| Plan | Price | Brands / seats | Channels | Users | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $99 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | 10 social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited scheduled posts; AI: Wisdom AI included (no credit counts published); Approvals: No; Inbox: Single inbox |
| Professional | $199 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: No; Inbox: Inbox with automated replies and workflows; Custom performance reports, trend forecasting to 90 days |
| Advanced | $399 per user / monthbilled annually | n/a | Unlimited social accounts | 1+ (buy seats) | Posts: Unlimited; AI: Wisdom AI; Approvals: Yes (review and approve content); Inbox: Assignment and auto-routing |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | custom | Unlimited | Custom | Approvals: Yes; SSO, advanced listening, advanced analytics |
Prices from hootsuite.com/plans, checked 10 Oct 2026
- Social listening and competitor monitoring are in the product; advanced listening on Enterprise.
- Unlimited accounts from Professional.
- Purchase as many user seats as needed with SSO and compliance on Enterprise.
Cost examples
| Plan | Users | Brands | Channels | Monthly cost | Compared monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentials | 1 | 1 | 5 | $25 / month, billed annually | $99 / month, billed annually |
| Team | 3 | 3 | 15 | $150 / month, billed annually | $597 / month, billed annually |
| Team | 5 | 10 | 50 | $500 / month, billed annually | $995 / month, billed annually |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Buffer | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox for comments, replies and reviews | Inbox (Free): Community inbox included; AI replies 5/week | Inbox (Standard): Single inbox |
| Approvals from a link | Approvals (Team): Content approval workflows and access levels | Approvals (Advanced): Yes (review and approve content) |
Which fits your team
Where Weekbird fits
Weekbird costs $24, $49 or $149 a month ($228, $468 or $1,428 a year) with unlimited posts on every plan. Team and Agency add approval links that reviewers open without an account, and an Inbox for comments, replies and reviews. Weekbird has no listening, no mobile app and no free plan. Compare it in Weekbird vs Buffer and Weekbird vs Hootsuite.
Questions
- Buffer alternatives for 2026
- Buffer pricing in 2026: plans and costs
- Hootsuite alternatives for 2026
- Hootsuite pricing in 2026: plans and costs