Marketing · head to head
Hootsuite vs Smartsheet
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hootsuite no free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually; Smartsheet formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
- They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and Smartsheet actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hootsuite | Smartsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/year | $9/month |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Category | Marketing | Construction |
| Founded | 2008 | 2005 |
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), 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 Smartsheet
- Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views
- Automated workflows
- Forms & data collection
- Resource management
- Dashboards & reporting
- Proofing & approvals
- Document generation
- Integration platform
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 Smartsheet
- Community managementnot Smartsheet
- Social advertisingnot Smartsheet
- Analytics & reportingnot Smartsheet
- Team collaborationnot Smartsheet
Smartsheet
- Project portfolio managementnot Hootsuite
- IT project managementnot Hootsuite
- Marketing campaignsnot Hootsuite
- Product launchesnot Hootsuite
- Process automationnot 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
Smartsheet
- Formulas lack Excel robustness; complex data manipulation hits performance limits
- Gantt chart customization is limited with poor handling of part-time resource allocation
- Expensive pricing compared to other project management tools; collaboration features are paid-only
- Limited offline access and minimal mobile functionality compared to modern competitors
Pricing, plan by plan
Hootsuite
$99/yearNo published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.
Smartsheet
$9/month- Pro$9/month
- Core project management
- Automation
- 1-10 members
- Business$19/month
- Advanced automation
- Portfolio management
- 3+ members
Which should you pick?
Choose Smartsheet if
- You need grid, card, gantt & calendar views.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want automated workflows.
Questions people ask
- Is Hootsuite or Smartsheet better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Smartsheet at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Smartsheet?
- Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Smartsheet at $9/month.
- Does Hootsuite or Smartsheet run on more platforms?
- Hootsuite runs on Web. Smartsheet 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 Smartsheet is typically brought in for.
- What can Hootsuite do that Smartsheet cannot?
- Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. Smartsheet covers Grid, card, Gantt & calendar views, Automated workflows, Forms & data collection, Resource management. 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.
SourceSmartsheet: What is Smartsheet pricing for a construction team?
Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing) for 1-10 members. A construction company can deploy Business plan for 18 licensed users at $19 per user plus unlimited free collaborators (subcontractors, clients) for a typical monthly cost around $576.
SourceHootsuite: 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.
SourceSmartsheet: Does Smartsheet work offline?
No. Smartsheet has minimal offline access and requires internet connectivity for full functionality.
SourceHootsuite: How many integrations does Hootsuite support?
Hootsuite advertises support for over 100 integrations, claiming more than any other social media management platform.
SourceSmartsheet: What integrations does Smartsheet support?
Smartsheet integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Tableau, Power BI, DocuSign, Box, Dropbox, plus Zapier and Make for no-code automation.
SourceHootsuite: 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.
SourceSmartsheet: Can I use Smartsheet formulas like Excel?
Smartsheet formulas lack the robustness of Excel. Complex nested functions or large-scale data manipulation often hit performance limits, requiring multiple helper columns.
SourceHootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer API access?
Yes. Hootsuite provides a REST API for building custom applications and integrations, though API capabilities vary by plan level.
SourceSmartsheet: Does Smartsheet have a free plan?
No. Smartsheet Pro starts at $9 per user per month (annual billing). There is a free trial available, but no perpetual free plan.
SourceHootsuite: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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