News & Media · head to head
Cision vs Hootsuite
The short version
- They diverge on capability: Cision covers Media monitoring, Hootsuite covers Content scheduling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cision and Hootsuite actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Cision
- Media monitoring
- PR Newswire distribution
- Media database
- Influencer identification
- Salesforce
- Google Analytics
- Slack
- Microsoft 365
Only in Hootsuite
- Content scheduling
- Social inbox
- Content calendar
- Social listening
- Team collaboration
- Approval workflows
- Bulk scheduling
Both cover
- Analytics & reporting
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cision
- Press release distributionnot Hootsuite
- Media monitoringnot Hootsuite
- PR measurementnot Hootsuite
- Media outreachnot Hootsuite
- Crisis communicationsnot Hootsuite
Hootsuite
- Social media schedulingnot Cision
- Community managementnot Cision
- Social advertisingnot Cision
- Analytics & reportingnot Cision
- Team collaborationnot Cision
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cision
Nothing recorded yet. See the Cision review.
Hootsuite
- No free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually
- Monthly billing significantly more expensive than annual (20-30% premium)
- Advanced data export via SFTP available only to Enterprise tier customers
Pricing, plan by plan
Cision
On request- Cision Communications CloudFree
- Media monitoring
- Media database
- PR analytics
- EnterpriseFree
- Full platform access
- PR Newswire distribution
- Custom integrations
Hootsuite
$99/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Cision if
- You need media monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want pr newswire distribution.
Questions people ask
- Is Cision or Hootsuite better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cision starts at On request and Hootsuite at $99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cision or Hootsuite?
- Cision starts at On request and Hootsuite at $99/year.
- Does Cision or Hootsuite run on more platforms?
- Cision runs on Web, Ios, Android. Hootsuite runs on Web.
- What is Cision best used for?
- Cision is most often used for press release distribution, media monitoring, pr measurement, media outreach. Of those, press release distribution and media monitoring are not what Hootsuite is typically brought in for.
- What can Cision do that Hootsuite cannot?
- Cision covers Media monitoring, PR Newswire distribution, Media database, Influencer identification. Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Social listening. Both handle Analytics & reporting.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Hootsuite: What is Hootsuite's pricing structure?
Hootsuite offers four annual plans: Standard at $99/user/year, Professional at $199/user/year, Advanced at $399/user/year, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Monthly billing is available at 20-30% higher cost.
SourceHootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer a free tier?
No. Hootsuite does not offer a free tier or freemium plan. A 30-day trial is available, and skipping the trial provides 25% off annual plans.
SourceHootsuite: How many integrations does Hootsuite support?
Hootsuite advertises support for over 100 integrations, claiming more than any other social media management platform.
SourceHootsuite: Can users export their data from Hootsuite?
Yes. Hootsuite offers Advanced Analytics data export as CSV files to SFTP folders for Enterprise users, with daily exports and 90-day retention. Standard and Professional plans have more limited export capabilities.
SourceHootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer API access?
Yes. Hootsuite provides a REST API for building custom applications and integrations, though API capabilities vary by plan level.
SourceHootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer self-hosted or on-premise deployment?
No. Hootsuite is a cloud-based SaaS platform only. There is no self-hosted or on-premise deployment option available.
SourceRelated pages
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