Sprout Social vs Hootsuite: Features, Pricing, & More [2024 Comparison]

If you’ve been active in the marketing landscape for long enough, you have probably come across the Sprout Social vs Hootsuite debate! Both tools perform well in terms of social media management, but offer significantly different functionality, features, and pricing.  

Sprout Social is more renowned for its user-friendly design, while Hootsuite is known for its social scheduling capabilities. So, which one should you pick for your team?  

In this comparison guide, I will explore features of Sprout Social & Hootsuite to help you pick the right marketing tool for your organization. Moreover, you will read about one of popular Sprout Social competitors and Hootsuite alternatives–Vaizle. Vaizle is an affordable marketing analytics suite, that can help your team save time with its AI-powered marketing insights.  

More on this further in the blog, so let’s get started!  

1. Overview of Social Media Management and Analytics Tools 

Before diving into the detailed feature comparison, let me start by providing an overview of each platform. 

Sprout Social 

Sprout Social is a powerful social media management tool known for its advanced analytics, seamless team collaboration, and comprehensive publishing capabilities. It’s widely favored by businesses that need robust reporting and insights to manage multiple accounts. 

Hootsuite 

Hootsuite is a well-established social media management platform that provides excellent scalability, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. It supports multiple social networks, offers content scheduling, and provides analytics tools to measure performance. 

Vaizle 

Vaizle is an AI-powered marketing analytics suite, with features like in-depth social media analytics, ad campaign optimization, and competitive benchmarking. It’s designed for small to medium-sized businesses and agencies looking for an affordable alternative to higher-priced tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite. 

Unlike Hootsuite and Sprout Social, Vaizle mainly focuses on actionable insights rather than management, which is key for agencies looking to optimize campaigns. 

2. Detailed Feature Comparison 

Let’s break down the features of each platform, starting with the essential tools needed for efficient social media management. 

Sprout Social Features 

Sprout Social is known for its feature-rich platform that offers everything from social listening to advanced reporting. Here are the standout features: 

• Unified Social Inbox: Sprout Social’s inbox consolidates all social interactions—mentions, comments, and direct messages—across platforms, making it easy to manage communications from one place. 

• Content Scheduling and Publishing: Sprout offers a visual calendar that allows you to schedule posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). You can queue posts and create content strategies directly within the platform. 

• Advanced Analytics: One of Sprout’s core strengths is its analytics suite. It allows businesses to track their performance across different platforms, with comprehensive reports on audience growth, post engagement, and competitor benchmarking. 

• Team Collaboration Tools: For businesses with large marketing teams, Sprout Social excels in offering team collaboration features. You can assign tasks, manage permissions, and approve posts before they go live. 

• Social Listening: Sprout’s social listening tools provide insights into trends, sentiment analysis, and conversations about your brand, giving you the ability to adjust your strategy in real-time. 

• CRM Integration: With built-in CRM features, Sprout Social allows you to track customer interactions, helping to build stronger customer relationships. 

When considering Sprout Social competitors, platforms like Buffer, Agorapulse, and Sendible are also mentioned. These tools provide similar functionalities but may lack some of the advanced analytics and collaboration features offered by Sprout. 

Hootsuite Features 

When it comes to Sprout Social vs  Hootsuite, Hootsuite is known for its flexibility and ease of use. Here’s what the platform brings to the table: 

• Post Scheduling and Content Calendar: Like Sprout Social, Hootsuite offers an intuitive content calendar where you can schedule posts across multiple platforms. The platform supports all major social networks and allows you to queue posts for weeks or even months in advance. 

• Hootsuite Analytics: Hootsuite’s analytics tools, commonly referred to as Analytics Hootsuite, provide an in-depth look at how your social media posts are performing. You can generate reports on engagement, audience growth, and website traffic from social channels. 

• Social Media Monitoring: Hootsuite enables users to monitor mentions, comments, and conversations about their brand in real-time. It supports social listening for trending keywords, helping businesses stay ahead of competitors. 

• Hootsuite Insights: The Hootsuite Insights tool goes beyond basic social listening, offering sentiment analysis and tracking of trending topics in your industry. 

• Team Collaboration: Similar to Sprout Social, Hootsuite also supports multiple team members working on a single account. You can assign roles, manage permissions, and collaborate on social strategies. 

• Extensive Integrations: Hootsuite integrates with more than 20 popular platforms, including Canva, Google Analytics, and Trello, giving you more flexibility in how you manage your social media strategy. 

But is Hootsuite free? No, Hootsuite does not have a free plan anymore. However, it offers a 30-day free trial, so you can explore its features before making a commitment. 

For those seeking Hootsuite alternatives, options like Zoho Social, CoSchedule, and Loomly often come up. These platforms offer more budget-friendly solutions and, in some cases, more tailored features for small to medium-sized businesses. 

Vaizle Features 

Like I mentioned before, Vaizle focuses mainly on marketing analytics and aces in the regard. The platform offers multiple features, including social media analysis, ad analytics, and lot more. Let’s have a quick look:  

• Social Media Analytics: Vaizle tracks your social media performance across platforms, providing insights into how your posts perform. This feature is essential for businesses looking to understand their audience and competitors better. 

• Ad Analytics: Vaizle lets you keep a tab on ad performance for Meta, Google, and LinkedIn. You can get an overview of campaign performance and look for AI insights to optimize your ad accounts accordingly.  

• Competitor Analysis: One of Vaizle’s standout features is its ability to provide detailed insights into your competitors’ social media strategies. You can compare your performance with competitors in real-time. 

• Customizable Reports: Vaizle enables users to generate customized reports that can be white-labeled and shared with clients. These reports are essential for agencies managing multiple social media accounts. 

• Google Sheets & MS Excel Connectors: Vaizle’s another standout feature is its ability to instantly export your social media or ad account data to a Google or Excel spreadsheet with its no-code connector tools. (PS: You can also set up Email alerts and refresh this data daily, weekly, or monthly!)  

To summarize, Vaizle comes across as one of the reliable Sprout Social competitors when marketing analytics and customized reporting are your primary concerns.  

3. Pricing Comparison 

Let’s jump to the most important (and perhaps a primary) factor when it comes to choosing a social media management & analytics tool. Here’s a breakdown of pricing for Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Vaizle. 

Sprout Social Pricing 

Sprout Social offers a range of pricing plans, making it a versatile option for different business sizes: 

• Standard Plan ($249 per month): Supports up to 5 social profiles, includes a unified inbox, content scheduling, and basic reporting tools. 

• Professional Plan ($399 per month): Offers advanced features such as competitive reports, audience analysis, and task management for larger teams. 

• Advanced Plan ($499 per month): This plan includes features like sentiment analysis, chatbot automation, and advanced workflows. 

• Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): For larger enterprises, this plan offers external approval processes, custom workflows, and dedicated support. 

Though Sprout Social offers powerful features, its pricing can be prohibitive for smaller businesses or freelancers. Sprout Social competitors like Buffer and Agorapulse may offer more affordable alternatives with similar functionalities. 

Hootsuite Pricing 

Hootsuite is more flexible in its pricing and offers several options for different business sizes: 

• Professional Plan ($99 per month): Includes up to 10 social profiles, unlimited post scheduling, and performance reporting. 

• Team Plan ($249 per month): Supports up to 3 users and includes additional features like custom analytics, team collaboration, and more in-depth reporting. 

• Business Plan ($739 per month): Designed for larger teams, this plan offers advanced features like Hootsuite Insights, social listening, and team management tools. 

• Enterprise Plan (Custom Pricing): For organizations with complex needs, the Enterprise plan includes custom training, account management, and dedicated support. 

Is Hootsuite free? As mentioned, Hootsuite does not offer a free plan, but the 30-day free trial provides enough time to explore its features before making a long-term commitment. 

For those considering Hootsuite alternatives, tools like Zoho Social, Loomly, and CoSchedule offer more budget-conscious plans without compromising key social media management functionalities. 

Vaizle Pricing 

Vaizle is the most affordable of the three platforms, making it accessible to small businesses and agencies: 

• Regular Plan ($29 per month, billed annually): Supports up to 15 social profiles and includes analytics, competitor tracking, and 6 months of data history. 

• Smart Plan ($99 per month, billed annually): This plan includes 75 social profiles, trend analysis, and interactive reports. 

• Business Plan ($299 per month, billed annually): Offers up to 150 social profiles, 12 months of data history, and white-label reports. 

4. Usability Comparison 

Sprout Social Usability 

Sprout Social is designed with larger organizations and teams in mind. Its interface is intuitive but comes with a steeper learning curve due to its robust feature set. Users will need to invest time in understanding all the platform’s capabilities, but once mastered, the tools available provide unparalleled insights into social media performance. 

Hootsuite Usability 

Hootsuite is known for its user-friendly dashboard, making it easier for marketers of all levels to schedule posts, monitor engagement, and track analytics. The extensive range of integrations also makes it more versatile than many of its competitors. 

Vaizle Usability 

Vaizle’s platform is simple and easy to navigate. It focuses primarily on analytics and reporting, so users won’t have to deal with the complexities of post scheduling and team collaboration tools. This makes it perfect for smaller businesses focused on performance tracking. 

Conclusion:  

Deciding between Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Vaizle depends on your business’s specific needs. Here’s a recap: 

• Sprout Social is ideal for large organizations that need advanced reporting, team collaboration tools, and detailed analytics. It’s also important to consider Sprout Social competitors like Buffer and Agorapulse for more affordable alternatives. 

• Hootsuite works best for businesses seeking flexibility, scalability, and a wide range of social integrations at a competitive price point. However, if pricing is a concern, exploring Hootsuite alternatives like Zoho Social, Loomly, or CoSchedule could be worthwhile. 

• Vaizle is perfect for small businesses and agencies focused on competitor tracking and affordable social media analytics. 

Ultimately, choosing the right tool involves weighing the features and pricing options that matter most to your business. By evaluating the features of Sprout Social competitors and considering the robust analytics offered by Analytics Hootsuite, you can streamline your social media strategy and enhance your online presence. 

This article now provides an extensive comparison, integrating Sprout Social competitors and Hootsuite alternatives to help businesses of all sizes find the right social media management solution.