Softwr

Marketing · head to head

Hootsuite vs Podtrac

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Marketing

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Podtrac logo

Podtrac

Podcasting

Industry-standard podcast measurement and analytics

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Podtrac 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; Podtrac no pricing information published on homepage or accessible pages
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Podtrac covers IAB-certified measurement.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and Podtrac actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and Podtrac differ
AttributeHootsuitePodtrac
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
CategoryMarketingPodcasting
Founded20082005

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Podtrac

  • IAB-certified measurement
  • Download analytics
  • Industry rankings
  • Audience demographics
  • Trend analysis
  • Custom reporting
  • All podcast hosts
  • Advertising platforms

What people use each for

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

Hootsuite

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

Podtrac

  • Podcast measurementnot Hootsuite
  • Industry rankingsnot Hootsuite
  • Advertiser reportingnot Hootsuite
  • Audience analysisnot 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

Podtrac

  • No pricing information published on homepage or accessible pages
  • Dedicated pricing page exists but content not retrievable
  • Model not described publicly; requires direct sales engagement

Pricing, plan by plan

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

Podtrac

Free
  • PublisherFree
    • Podcast measurement
    • Download analytics
    • Industry rankings
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Advanced demographics
    • Custom reporting
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Hootsuite if

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

Choose Podtrac if

  • You need iab-certified measurement.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want download analytics.

Questions people ask

Is Hootsuite or Podtrac better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Podtrac at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Podtrac?
Podtrac has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for Hootsuite and Free for Podtrac.
Does Hootsuite or Podtrac run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Podtrac for free?
Yes. Podtrac 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 Podtrac is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that Podtrac cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. Podtrac covers IAB-certified measurement, Download analytics, Industry rankings, Audience demographics.

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
Podtrac: How do I get Podtrac pricing information?

Podtrac does not publish pricing on its homepage. A dedicated pricing page exists (/plans-pricing) but requires visiting the site directly to access full details. Source: https://analytics.podtrac.com

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
Podtrac: What does Podtrac offer without a paid plan?

Podtrac's free offerings are not detailed on their homepage. Contact via their website for information about complimentary or trial access to their analytics tools. Source: https://analytics.podtrac.com

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
Podtrac: Is Podtrac pricing publicly available?

Podtrac does not display pricing details publicly online. Prospective customers must navigate to their pricing page or contact sales directly for rate information. Source: https://analytics.podtrac.com

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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