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Marketing · head to head

Hootsuite vs HubSpot

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Marketing

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HubSpot logo

HubSpot

CRM

Grow better with HubSpot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HubSpot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hootsuite no free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually; HubSpot free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, HubSpot covers CRM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and HubSpot actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and HubSpot differ
AttributeHootsuiteHubSpot
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile, Cloud
CategoryMarketingCRM
Founded20082006

Identical on both: 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 Hootsuite

  • Content scheduling
  • Social inbox
  • Content calendar
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Social listening
  • Team collaboration
  • Approval workflows
  • Bulk scheduling

Only in HubSpot

  • CRM
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales pipeline
  • Customer service
  • Content management
  • Analytics
  • Social media

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hootsuite

  • Social media schedulingnot HubSpot
  • Community managementnot HubSpot
  • Social advertisingnot HubSpot
  • Analytics & reportingnot HubSpot
  • Team collaborationnot HubSpot

HubSpot

  • Marketing automation with email sending and lead generationnot Hootsuite
  • CRM with deal pipeline managementnot Hootsuite
  • Multi-user team collaborationnot Hootsuite

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

HubSpot

  • Free tier limited to 2 users and 1,000 contacts; severely restricts growing teams
  • Many advanced features (automation workflows, custom objects, advanced reporting) gated to paid tiers
  • Starter plan at $7/month per seat scales quickly for larger teams (300+ users would cost significantly more)
  • Free tier removes credit card requirement but lacks most enterprise capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

HubSpot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 2 users
    • Lead generation
    • Email sending
  • Starter$7/month
    • 500 HubSpot Credits
    • 1,000 marketing contacts
    • 5x contact tier limit email sends
  • Professional$800/month
    • 3 core seats included
    • 3,000 HubSpot Credits
    • 2,000 marketing contacts
  • Enterprise$3600/month
    • 5 core seats included
    • 5,000 HubSpot Credits
    • 10,000 marketing contacts

Which should you pick?

Choose Hootsuite if

  • You need content scheduling.
  • You also want social inbox.
Hootsuite review

Choose HubSpot if

  • You need crm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want email marketing.
HubSpot review

Questions people ask

Is Hootsuite or HubSpot better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and HubSpot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or HubSpot?
HubSpot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for Hootsuite and Free for HubSpot.
Does Hootsuite or HubSpot run on more platforms?
Hootsuite runs on Web. HubSpot runs on Web, Mobile, Cloud.
Can I use HubSpot for free?
Yes. HubSpot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hootsuite starts at $99/year.
What is Hootsuite best used for?
Hootsuite is most often used for social media scheduling, community management, social advertising, analytics & reporting. Of those, social media scheduling and community management are not what HubSpot is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that HubSpot cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. HubSpot covers CRM, Email marketing, Marketing automation, Sales pipeline. Both handle SOC2, ISO27001, GDPR.

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.

Source
HubSpot: How much does HubSpot Marketing Hub cost per user?

Free plan at $0/month for up to 2 users. Starter at $7/month per seat (annual), Professional at $800/month for 3 core seats with $45/month per additional seat, Enterprise at $3,600/month for 5 core seats with $75/month per additional seat.

Source
Hootsuite: 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.

Source
HubSpot: What are the onboarding costs for HubSpot Professional and Enterprise plans?

Professional plan requires a one-time onboarding fee of $3,000. Enterprise plan requires a one-time onboarding fee of $7,000.

Source
Hootsuite: How many integrations does Hootsuite support?

Hootsuite advertises support for over 100 integrations, claiming more than any other social media management platform.

Source
HubSpot: Is there a free plan for HubSpot Marketing Hub?

Yes, the free plan includes up to 2 users with lead generation, email sending, and success measurement capabilities at no cost with no credit card required.

Source
Hootsuite: 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.

Source
HubSpot: What is the cost of additional HubSpot Credits and marketing contacts?

HubSpot Credits cost $9 per 1,000 credits when purchased annually. Additional marketing contacts beyond plan limits can be purchased separately.

Source
Hootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer API access?

Yes. Hootsuite provides a REST API for building custom applications and integrations, though API capabilities vary by plan level.

Source
Hootsuite: 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.

Source
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