Buffer vs Hootsuite: Per Channel or User? (2026)
Buffer vs Hootsuite: Buffer bills per channel from $6 with a free plan for 3 channels, Hootsuite per user from $99. Prices, features and who each fits.
Evgenii PlugarevPublished
Buffer and Hootsuite charge in different units. Buffer bills per channel: its Free plan covers 3 channels, and paid plans start at $6 per channel a month for 12 networks. Hootsuite bills per user, from $99 per user a month on yearly billing or $149 monthly, and pairs publishing on 9 networks with a unified inbox, brand monitoring and AI tools.
Pick Buffer for a few channels, a free plan or a team that shares the same channels. Pick Hootsuite when a larger team handles messages and reporting along with publishing. We make Pubblica, a flat-price scheduler, and list it as a third option. Prices are in US dollars, from each vendor's official pricing page.
| Buffer | Hootsuite | Pubblica | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per channel | Per user | Flat price |
| Paid plans from | $6 per channel/mo | $99 per user/mo, billed yearly | $20/mo |
| Free plan | 3 channels | No | 20 posts/mo, no X |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days, no card | 7 days, card required |
| Social accounts | Billed per channel | 10 on Standard | Unlimited |
| Networks | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| Telegram | No | No | Yes |
Buffer vs Hootsuite pricing
With monthly billing, one person with 10 channels pays $60 a month on Buffer Essentials and $149 on Hootsuite Standard. Buffer's price grows with each channel you connect, Hootsuite's with each person on the team, and it steps up after 10 accounts.
| Buffer | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 for 3 channels, 1 user | None |
| Entry paid plan | Essentials: $6 per channel/mo, 1 user | Standard: $149 per user/mo, 10 accounts |
| Next plan | Team: $12 per channel/mo, unlimited users | Professional: $299 per user/mo, unlimited accounts |
| Top self-serve plan | Team | Advanced: $499 per user/mo |
| Growing past the plan | $4 per channel and lower from the 11th channel | A full seat per extra person |
| Yearly billing | 2 months free: $5 and $10 per channel/mo | $99, $199 and $399 per user/mo |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days, no card |
| Refunds | 7 days on monthly plans, 30 days on yearly | Reviewed on request |
| Nonprofit discount | 50% | Up to 60% |
Buffer's Free plan is on its pricing page. Hootsuite's plans page lists only paid plans; it cut its free plan in 2021. For every tier, see Buffer pricing and Hootsuite pricing.
What each plan costs in six scenarios
Buffer costs less in each scenario below. Hootsuite's seat price covers an inbox, brand monitoring and AI credits for each person, and every teammate adds a seat. On Buffer, one Team plan covers unlimited users at $12 per channel. Prices use monthly billing.
| Scenario | Buffer | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person, 3 channels | Free, $0 | Standard, $149/mo |
| 1 person, 10 channels | Essentials, $60/mo | Standard, $149/mo |
| 1 person, 25 channels | Essentials, $120/mo | Professional, $299/mo |
| 3 people, 10 channels | Team, $120/mo | Standard × 3, $447/mo |
| 3 people, 25 channels | Team, $180/mo | Professional × 3, $897/mo |
| 5 people with approvals, 25 channels | Team, $180/mo | Advanced × 5, $2,495/mo |
The biggest Hootsuite step is the 11th account: Standard stops at 10, so one person moves from $149 to $299 a month. Yearly billing lowers Buffer by 2 months and Hootsuite Standard by 34%, to $99 per user a month.
On Pubblica, Pro costs $20 a month for unlimited accounts and posts on all 9 networks, so each of the three one-person scenarios costs $20 a month.
Networks and features
Buffer publishes to 12 networks: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube Shorts, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon and Substack Notes. Hootsuite publishes to 9: Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Pinterest. X is part of every Hootsuite plan, with no add-on.
| Feature | Buffer | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Social accounts | No cap on paid plans, billed per channel | 10 on Standard, unlimited from Professional |
| Comments and messages | Comment replies, all plans | Unified inbox for comments and DMs, all plans |
| Link in bio page | Start Page, all plans | Link in bio tool, Standard and up |
| AI | AI Assistant, all plans | 100 AI credits a month, all self-serve plans |
| Post approvals | Team | Advanced |
| Users | 1 on Free and Essentials, unlimited on Team | One paid seat per person |
Hootsuite's inbox covers Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads, TikTok, Google Business Profile and WhatsApp. Standard adds brand monitoring and benchmarks against 5 competitors, Professional adds inbox and DM automation and a 90-day trend forecast, and Advanced adds message routing and team metrics. Both take posts in bulk from a CSV file: Buffer on every plan, up to 100 posts per channel at a time on paid plans, and Hootsuite from Standard, up to 350 posts at once.
How posting works in Buffer and Hootsuite
Buffer schedules posts through a queue, and Hootsuite through a composer and a calendar. In Buffer, each channel has a posting schedule of weekly time slots, and a new post takes the next open slot unless you pick a time. A calendar view shows the same posts on every plan. On Free, each channel holds 10 scheduled posts at a time, and a slot frees up when a post goes out.
Hootsuite's composer has Canva built in, and a drag-and-drop calendar shows posts across all networks. From Standard, it recommends the best time to post on each network for your goal. During the trial, you can schedule 10 to 20 posts per organization, depending on the plan.
Who should choose Buffer
Buffer fits people who post to a few channels, share them with a team or want a free plan. Choose Buffer if:
- You post to three channels or fewer. The Free plan covers them at $0, with 10 queued posts per channel.
- Several people work on the same channels. Team includes unlimited users, access levels and approvals at $12 per channel a month.
- You post to Mastodon, Substack Notes or Google Business Profile. Buffer publishes to all three.
On G2, where Buffer has over 1,000 reviews, users most often praise its ease of use. To compare more options, see our list of Buffer alternatives.
Who should choose Hootsuite
Hootsuite fits teams that handle messages, brand monitoring and approvals along with publishing. Choose Hootsuite if:
- Your team answers messages along with publishing. The unified inbox covers comments and DMs, including WhatsApp, on every plan.
- You track your brand and competitors. Standard includes brand monitoring and benchmarks against 5 competitors, Professional against 20.
- One person runs many accounts with automation. Professional has unlimited accounts per seat and adds inbox and DM automation.
- Your team needs approvals and message routing. Advanced adds both, plus internal comments and team metrics.
- You run a registered charity. Hootsuite offers nonprofits up to 60% off.
Hootsuite holds 4.3 out of 5 on G2 from 7,511 reviews and 4.3 on Gartner Peer Insights from 481. To compare more options, see our list of Hootsuite alternatives.
A third option: Pubblica
Pubblica is a social media scheduler with one flat price. Pro costs $20 a month for unlimited accounts and posts on all 9 networks, including X and Telegram, so the bill stays the same as you add accounts. You write a post once, pick the accounts and publish it right away or at the time you set.
- Free plan: $0, 20 posts a month on every network except X, with no card.
- Accounts: unlimited on both plans, including several accounts on the same network. Workspaces group them by brand.
- Trial and refunds: Pro has a 7-day free trial, which needs a card, and a 14-day money-back guarantee on payments.
If you mainly publish posts to many accounts, start with Pubblica, a free social media scheduler.
