What is the difference between Hootsuite and Metricool?

Hootsuite is best for Teams managing multiple social media accounts at scale, while Metricool is best for Marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one. Hootsuite starts at $99/mo and Metricool starts at Free.

Is Hootsuite or Metricool cheaper?

Hootsuite starts at $99/mo. Metricool starts at Free with a free tier.

Is there a free alternative to Hootsuite?

Yes, Metricool offers a free tier (Free for 1 brand).

Hootsuite vs Metricool

Hootsuite is social media management platform for scheduling, monitoring, and analytics across networks, while Metricool is all-in-one social media management with analytics, scheduling, and competitor analysis. The biggest difference up front: Metricool is free, while Hootsuite starts at $99/mo. Hootsuite is built for teams managing multiple social media accounts at scale, whereas Metricool targets marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one.

At a glance

	Hootsuite	Metricool
Best for	Teams managing multiple social media accounts at scale	Marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one
Starting price	$99/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	—
Ad Manager	—	✓
Analytics	✓	✓
Competitor Analysis	—	✓
Scheduling	✓	✓
Social Listening	✓	—
Team Collab	✓	—

Hootsuite

Strengths

Includes Scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Includes Social Listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Pricing starts at $99/mo, which includes the full social media management feature set
Established product with 18+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $99/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in social media management
Per-user pricing at $99/mo makes it hard to justify for large teams

Try Hootsuite → Full review

Metricool

Strengths

Built-in analytics show open rates, click rates, and conversion data in real time
Includes Scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Free for 1 brand — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes competitor analysis alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in social media management
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Metricool → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Metricool is completely free (Free for 1 brand), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Hootsuite starts at $99/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Hootsuite offers Social Listening and Team Collab that Metricool lacks. Metricool brings Ad Manager and Competitor Analysis that Hootsuite does not have. Both share Analytics and Scheduling.

Team fit: Hootsuite is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Metricool is aimed at small teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Where each tool shines: Hootsuite's biggest strengths are: includes scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows. includes social listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows. Metricool's biggest strengths are: built-in analytics show open rates, click rates, and conversion data in real time. includes scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows.

Watch out for: With Hootsuite, users commonly note that starts at $99/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Metricool, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.

Choose Hootsuite if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams managing multiple social media accounts at scale
You specifically need Social Listening and Team Collab
You care about includes social listening as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Hootsuite is designed for

Choose Metricool if...

You need a tool built for marketers wanting social analytics and scheduling in one
Budget is a hard constraint — Metricool is free, Hootsuite is not
You specifically need Ad Manager and Competitor Analysis
You care about includes scheduling as a core feature, purpose-built for social media management workflows
Your team size fits the small teams profile Metricool is designed for