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Software · head to head

Hootsuite vs SEMrush

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Software

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SEMrush logo

SEMrush

Software

Do SEO, content marketing, competitor research, PPC and social media marketing from just one platfor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SEMrush 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; SEMrush free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, SEMrush covers Keyword research.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and SEMrush actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and SEMrush differ
AttributeHootsuiteSEMrush
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile app

Identical on both: 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 SEMrush

  • Keyword research
  • Site audit
  • Competitor analysis
  • Backlink analytics
  • Rank tracking
  • Content marketing
  • PPC research
  • Social media tools

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

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

Hootsuite

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

SEMrush

  • SEO keyword research and competitor analysisnot Hootsuite
  • Website performance tracking and auditingnot Hootsuite
  • Content marketing optimizationnot Hootsuite
  • PPC advertising researchnot 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

SEMrush

  • Free tier limited to 10 reports per day across all tools
  • Keyword tracking capped at 500 per month on entry tiers (SEO and Starter plans)
  • Additional users cost £45/month per user above base subscription
  • Most advanced features require Advanced plan (£455.67/month), making entry cost significant for small teams

Pricing, plan by plan

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

SEMrush

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SEMrush review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Hootsuite if

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

Choose SEMrush if

  • You need keyword research.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want site audit.
SEMrush review

Questions people ask

Is Hootsuite or SEMrush better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and SEMrush at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or SEMrush?
SEMrush has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for Hootsuite and Free for SEMrush.
Does Hootsuite or SEMrush run on more platforms?
Hootsuite runs on Web. SEMrush runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use SEMrush for free?
Yes. SEMrush 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 SEMrush is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that SEMrush cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. SEMrush covers Keyword research, Site audit, Competitor analysis, Backlink analytics. Both handle SOC2, ISO27001.

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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