Softwr

Software · head to head

Hootsuite vs Meetup

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Software

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meetup logo

Meetup

Software

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hootsuite no free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Meetup covers Groups.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and Meetup actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and Meetup differ
AttributeHootsuiteMeetup
Starting price$99/year$55/month
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20082002

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Meetup

  • Groups
  • Events
  • RSVP System
  • Messaging
  • Event Photos
  • Recommendations
  • Google Calendar
  • Zoom

What people use each for

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

Hootsuite

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

Meetup

  • Finding local groups and events around a shared interestnot Hootsuite
  • Organising a recurring in-person groupnot Hootsuite
  • Running online events alongside physical onesnot Hootsuite
  • Growing a community by drawing on Meetup's existing member basenot 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

Meetup

  • Organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • Increased paywalling of core community features
  • Platform is buggy with many unfixed issues
  • Customer support no longer available with AI responses only
  • Issues with billing accuracy and unauthorized recurring charges
  • Poor technical support responsiveness to organizer complaints

Pricing, plan by plan

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Hootsuite if

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

Choose Meetup if

  • You need groups.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want events.
Meetup review

Questions people ask

Is Hootsuite or Meetup better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Meetup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Meetup?
Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Meetup at $55/month.
Does Hootsuite or Meetup run on more platforms?
Hootsuite runs on Web. Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Meetup is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that Meetup cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging.

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
Meetup: What is Meetup Pro pricing?

Meetup Pro starts at $55 per group per month, or $47 per group per month for six-month commitments. Enterprise plans are available at custom pricing. A one-week free trial is offered.

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
Meetup: What features does Meetup Pro include?

Meetup Pro includes event scheduling, group management, member engagement tools, community-building features, and integrations with platforms like Zoom and Mailchimp.

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
Meetup: Does Meetup charge organizers fees?

Yes, Meetup charges organizers fees for hosting groups and events. Organizer fees have increased significantly following the Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Hootsuite

More on Meetup

Keep looking

Other head to heads