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Software · head to head

Hootsuite vs Instapaper

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Software

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Instapaper logo

Instapaper

Software

Save anything for reading later

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Instapaper 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; Instapaper full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Instapaper covers Save for later.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and Instapaper actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and Instapaper differ
AttributeHootsuiteInstapaper
Starting price$99/yearFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX)

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2008).

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 Instapaper

  • Save for later
  • Clean reading
  • Highlighting
  • Full-text search
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

What people use each for

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

Hootsuite

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

Instapaper

  • Saving articles to read later with the clutter stripped outnot Hootsuite
  • Building a searchable personal archive of things worth keepingnot 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

Instapaper

  • Full text search across saved articles is Premium only, at $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year
  • Free accounts are limited to 5 notes a month, against unlimited on Premium
  • Text to speech, speed reading and the permanent archive are all Premium only
  • The free web experience carries advertising

Pricing, plan by plan

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

Instapaper

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Instapaper review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Hootsuite if

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

Choose Instapaper if

  • You need save for later.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
  • You also want clean reading.
Instapaper review

Questions people ask

Is Hootsuite or Instapaper better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Instapaper at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Instapaper?
Instapaper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for Hootsuite and Free for Instapaper.
Does Hootsuite or Instapaper run on more platforms?
Hootsuite runs on Web. Instapaper runs on Web, iOS, Android, Kindle, E-readers (BOOX).
Can I use Instapaper for free?
Yes. Instapaper 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 Instapaper is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that Instapaper cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. Instapaper covers Save for later, Clean reading, Highlighting, Full-text search.

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
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
Hootsuite: How many integrations does Hootsuite support?

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

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
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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Related pages

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