Metricool vs Hootsuite, in short: choose Metricool if you are one marketer or a small agency who wants deep analytics, competitor tracking and ads reporting for several brands at a low price, starting with a free plan and paid plans from $20 a month billed yearly. Choose Hootsuite if you run a larger social team that needs a shared inbox with message routing, social listening, approval workflows and enterprise security, and can pay from $99 per user a month billed annually. If your main job is publishing one or a few brands to many networks, Postprism is the better fit than both: $19 a month flat covers one brand on all six networks, X included, and one Enhance with AI request writes a native version for every network.
Metricool and Hootsuite are often compared because both promise "everything in one place", but they were built for different buyers. Metricool started as an analytics tool and grew into scheduling, so its strengths are reports, history and price per brand. Hootsuite is one of the oldest social media management suites, built around teams, an inbox and listening, and priced per seat. This comparison goes through pricing at realistic sizes, then publishing, AI, analytics, teams, inbox and agent access, using only what each vendor states on its own pages, checked October 2026. Every price links to its source.
Metricool vs Hootsuite at a glance (checked October 2026)
| Metricool | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Analytics-led marketers and small agencies managing several brands | Larger social teams running publishing, customer care and listening together |
| How you pay | By number of brands, not by user | Per user (seat), billed annually or monthly |
| Free option | Free plan: 1 brand, 20 posts a month, no LinkedIn or X | 14-day free trial, with daily posting limits |
| Paid plans | Starter from $20 and Advanced from $53 a month billed yearly ($25 and $67 monthly) | Standard $99, Professional $199, Advanced up to $399 per user a month billed annually; Enterprise custom |
| X (Twitter) | $10 a month add-on per connected account | Included |
| Networks | Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, YouTube, Google Business Profile, TikTok, Twitch, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky | Facebook, Instagram (including Reels and Stories), X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, plus WhatsApp in the inbox |
| AI writing | AI assistant with per-network writing instructions; 5 to 35 AI credits per brand a month | AI post and image generation (Wisdom) on every plan |
| Analytics | Unlimited history on paid plans, competitor analysis up to 100 profiles, ads reporting, PDF and PPT reports | Reporting on every plan, custom and exported reports from Professional, competitor benchmarks up to 5 or 20 |
| Inbox | Included, even on Free | Included on every plan, with routing and automation on higher plans |
| Listening | Competitor tracking, not full listening | Brand and competitor monitoring from Standard; deep listening on Enterprise |
| Approvals | Advanced and Custom | Advanced and Enterprise |
| API | Advanced and Custom | REST API with an approved developer account |
| MCP for AI agents | Metricool MCP on every plan, including Free | Four MCP servers (Perch, Lumen, Nest, Parliament); plans not stated |
| Mobile apps | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
Pricing compared (checked October 2026)
The pricing models are the single biggest difference between the two. Metricool charges for the number of brands you manage, in tiers, and does not price by user. Hootsuite charges for every person who logs in. That means the cheaper tool depends almost entirely on how many brands and how many people you have.
Metricool pricing (October 2026)
According to Metricool's pricing page, checked October 2026, prices exclude VAT:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Brands | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 | 20 scheduled posts a month, no LinkedIn or X, 30 days of analytics, 5 AI credits a month |
| Starter | $20 (5 brands) or $36 (10 brands) a month | $25 or $45 a month | Up to 10 | Unlimited posts (fair use), unlimited analytics history, 20 AI credits per brand a month, PDF and PPT reports |
| Advanced | $53 (15), $85 (25) or $159 (50 brands) a month | $67, $107 or $210 a month | Up to 50 | Adds team members, roles, post approvals, API access, the Data Studio connector and 35 AI credits per brand a month |
| Custom | Contact sales | Contact sales | 50 and up | Adds white label and an account manager |
Two add-ons change the bill. X costs $10 a month per connected account on every paid plan, and Advanced Analytics (Metricool Studio and unlimited campaign dashboards) starts at $12 or $36 a month depending on the plan. Metricool does not list a trial for paid plans; its free plan has no time limit.
Hootsuite pricing (October 2026)
According to Hootsuite's plans page, checked October 2026, prices are per user a month, billed annually. Monthly billing is offered but the page does not list monthly rates, and says annual billing gives a lower per-user rate.
| Plan | Price per user a month (billed annually) | Social accounts | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | From $99 | 10 | Unlimited scheduling, AI post and image generation, one inbox, brand and competitor monitoring, analytics, benchmarks against up to 5 competitors |
| Professional | From $199 | Unlimited | Automated inbox replies, 30-day Quick Search listening, custom, scheduled and exported reports, benchmarks against up to 20 competitors |
| Advanced | Up to $399 | Unlimited | Approval workflows, message assignment and routing, team performance, reports with your logo shared by email |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited | 13 months of listening history, advanced listening (Lumen), ROI reporting, SSO, Salesforce integration, employee advocacy |
Hootsuite offers a 14-day free trial with no card required. Trial accounts have daily posting limits of 10 to 20 posts per organisation, and bulk scheduling is not available during the trial.
What each one costs at realistic sizes
The table uses the lowest plan on each vendor's page that covers the setup, billed yearly where that is the price shown. Postprism is included for reference, since it is the third option this guide ends with.
| Setup | Metricool | Hootsuite | Postprism |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person, 1 brand, 5 networks including X and LinkedIn | $30 a month (Starter $20 plus $10 for X) | $99 a month (Standard, 1 user) | $19 a month (Solo, all 6 networks, X included) |
| 1 person, 1 brand, 6 networks | $30 a month (Starter plus X add-on) | $99 a month (Standard covers up to 10 accounts) | $19 a month (Solo) |
| 3 people, 3 brands, approvals, X on each brand | $83 a month (Advanced $53 plus 3 X accounts at $10) | $1,197 a month (Advanced, 3 users at $399) | $49 a month (Freelancer: 3 members, 3 workspaces, approvals) |
| 10 people, 10 brands, approvals, X on each brand | $153 a month (Advanced $53 plus 10 X accounts at $10) | $3,990 a month (Advanced, 10 users at $399) | $99 a month (Agency: 10 members, 10 workspaces, approvals) |
| 1 person, 10 brands, no X, no approvals | $36 a month (Starter, 10 brands) | $199 a month (Professional, unlimited accounts) | $99 a month (Agency, 10 workspaces) |
The pattern is clear. Metricool is far cheaper than Hootsuite at every size, because it never charges per seat. Hootsuite becomes expensive the moment a second person or an approval step is involved, since approvals start on Advanced and every user pays for a seat. Metricool's main surprise cost is X: each brand that posts to X adds $10 a month, which matters for agencies with many X accounts. For one person juggling many brands without X, Metricool Starter is the cheapest of the three. For one brand on many networks, or a small team with approvals, Postprism's flat price comes in lowest. See Postprism pricing.
Feature by feature
1. Publishing and networks
Both tools cover the major networks, with a few differences at the edges.
- Metricool connects Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, YouTube and Google Business Profile, plus TikTok, Twitch, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky and your website or blog, according to its help centre. Each brand holds one profile per network. The free plan leaves out LinkedIn and X, and X is a paid add-on on every plan. Free is also capped at 20 scheduled posts a month; paid plans are unlimited under a fair use policy.
- Hootsuite lists Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, WhatsApp and Pinterest in its FAQ, and its network integrations page adds Bluesky scheduling, Instagram Reels and Stories, Facebook groups, and Google Business Profile through an app. WhatsApp is for inbox messages rather than publishing. Standard is limited to 10 social accounts; higher plans are unlimited.
On scheduling itself, both offer a planner calendar and a best-time view. Hootsuite's FAQ describes a best-time heatmap in analytics and bulk scheduling of "hundreds of posts in advance" (not during the trial). Metricool can schedule at its recommended time, including through its MCP server. Edge: Hootsuite for format coverage such as Reels, Stories and Facebook groups; Metricool for Twitch and for teams that want X and LinkedIn without paying per seat.
2. AI writing
Both tools build AI into the composer, but neither writes every network's version in one step.
- Metricool's AI assistant writes posts in a style you set per brand. Its AI configuration lets you give each connected network its own instructions, such as a more professional tone on LinkedIn and a casual one on Instagram. Usage runs on credits: 5 a month on Free, 20 per brand on Starter and 35 per brand on Advanced.
- Hootsuite lists "generate posts and images with AI" on every plan, and says its Wisdom AI is included in every plan. Its plans page does not state a credit allowance.
Edge: tie. Metricool's per-network instructions are useful, but its credit allowance is small. Hootsuite includes image generation, but at a far higher entry price. If writing a separate version for each network is the job you care about most, see the Postprism section below: one Enhance with AI request returns a version for every network you selected.
3. Analytics and reporting
This is where Metricool earns its reputation, and where Hootsuite's higher tiers compete.
| Analytics feature | Metricool | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| History | 30 days on Free, unlimited on paid plans | Not stated for posts; 13 months of listening history on Enterprise |
| Competitor tracking | 5 profiles on Free, up to 100 on paid plans | Up to 5 competitors on Standard, 20 on Professional |
| Ads reporting | Facebook, Google and TikTok ad accounts (1, 10 or 50 of each by plan) | Not listed on the plans page |
| Report exports | Automated PDF and PPT reports and live share links from Starter; custom templates and a Data Studio connector on Advanced; white label on Custom | Custom, scheduled and exported reports from Professional; your logo and external email on Advanced |
| ROI and attribution | Not listed | Enterprise |
Edge: Metricool. At $20 a month it gives unlimited history, competitor tracking, ads reporting and client-ready PDF reports, which on Hootsuite need Professional at $199 per user. Hootsuite pulls ahead only at Enterprise, with ROI reporting and long listening history. For a wider view, see our roundup of the best social media analytics tools.
4. Team and approvals
Both tools reserve approvals for their upper tiers, but the cost of reaching that tier is very different.
- Metricool adds team members, role management and post approvals on Advanced, from $53 a month billed yearly for up to 15 brands. Its MCP server can also send posts for review, and its mobile app supports content approval and review requests.
- Hootsuite adds approval workflows, message assignment, routing and team performance on Advanced, at up to $399 per user a month billed annually. Standard and Professional do not include approvals.
Edge: Metricool on price, Hootsuite on depth for large teams that also route customer messages. A team of five with approvals pays Metricool around $53 a month (plus X add-ons) and Hootsuite around $1,995 a month. For more options, see the best social media approval workflow tools.
5. Inbox and listening
- Metricool includes an inbox for messages and comments even on Free, covering Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, TikTok and YouTube, with X and LinkedIn added on paid plans. It tracks competitors, but it does not sell full social listening.
- Hootsuite is built around its inbox. Standard answers messages from one inbox and monitors your brand and competitors; Professional adds automated replies and 30-day Quick Search; Advanced adds assignment and skill-based routing; Enterprise adds advanced listening, alerts and a Salesforce integration. WhatsApp messages come into the same inbox.
Edge: Hootsuite, clearly. If customer care and listening are core to your job, it is the stronger product, which is a big part of what its price pays for. Its comparison with other suites is in our Sprout Social vs Hootsuite guide.
6. API and MCP for AI agents
- Metricool includes its API on Advanced and Custom. The Metricool MCP works with any plan, including Free, and lets Claude, ChatGPT and other clients read analytics, list brands, create posts at a set or recommended time, create drafts, send posts for review and edit scheduled posts. It does not cover the inbox, comments or ads campaign management.
- Hootsuite has a REST API that needs an approved developer account; its Publishing API does not support TikTok, YouTube or Bluesky. Its MCP page lists four servers: Perch for drafting, scheduling and performance, Lumen for listening, Nest for the inbox and Parliament for employee advocacy, with pre-built connectors for ChatGPT and Claude and URL setup for Gemini and Copilot. The page does not say which plans include them, only that you need access to the relevant product.
Edge: Metricool for availability, since its MCP is on the free plan; Hootsuite for breadth, since its servers reach the inbox and listening data too.
7. Mobile apps and getting started
Both have iOS and Android apps. Hootsuite's apps let you draft, schedule and publish, reply to messages and assign them to teammates. Metricool's app covers planning, a basic best-times view, AI text, the inbox, basic analytics and approvals, with some features such as editing by network kept on the web. For getting started, Metricool's free plan lets you try it indefinitely with one brand, while Hootsuite's 14-day trial is time-limited and caps daily posts. Edge: Metricool for trying before you pay.
Who should choose Metricool
- Solo marketers and small agencies managing several brands who want a low price per brand, from $20 a month billed yearly for 5 brands
- Anyone whose job is measured in reports: unlimited history, competitor analysis, ads reporting and PDF or PPT reports for clients
- Teams that need approvals without per-seat pricing, from Advanced at $53 a month billed yearly
- People who post to Twitch or want a free plan to start
Who should choose Hootsuite
- Larger social teams that run customer care from a shared inbox with assignment and routing
- Brands that need social listening, alerts and long listening history
- Organisations that need SSO, Salesforce, compliance tools and employee advocacy on an Enterprise contract
- Teams that publish Instagram Reels and Stories or post to Facebook groups and Google Business Profile from the same tool
A third option: Postprism
Many people comparing Metricool and Hootsuite do not need either tool's centre of gravity. If your job is not deep analytics or customer care, but getting one or a few brands onto many networks with a post that fits each one, Postprism is the better fit. Its idea is simple: write once, publish natively on every platform, and let your AI agent run it via MCP if you want.
| Postprism | Metricool | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | Flat per plan: $19, $49, $99 a month | By brand tier, plus $10 per X account | Per user, from $99 a month billed annually |
| One brand on 6 networks, X included | $19 a month | $30 a month billed yearly | $99 a month billed annually |
| Approvals | From $49 a month (3 members) | From $53 a month billed yearly | Advanced, up to $399 per user |
| AI per network | One request returns a version for every selected network; 150 to 2,000 a month | Per-network instructions; 5 to 35 credits per brand a month | AI post and image generation |
| MCP server | 11 tools, every plan | Every plan, including Free | Four servers; plans not stated |
| REST API | Freelancer and Agency | Advanced and Custom | Approved developer account |
Why Postprism is the better fit for one brand on many networks
- Flat pricing that does not count channels or seats. Solo is $19 a month ($14 billed yearly) for 1 member and 1 workspace, Freelancer $49 for 3 members and 3 workspaces, and Agency $99 for 10 of each, with unlimited posts on every plan. Each workspace connects one account per network, so one brand on all six networks is $19, with X and LinkedIn included. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
- A native version for every network in one request. Write once and click Enhance with AI: Postprism returns a separate, editable version for every network you selected, using your saved brand identity (name, industry, tone, values, audience and key messages). Text over a network's limit turns red so you can edit it. Plans include 150, 500 or 2,000 adaptations a month. See AI content adaptation.
- Six networks, published natively. LinkedIn profiles and Company Pages, X posts with up to 4 images, TikTok video and photo posts, full YouTube uploads with title, tags, playlist and thumbnail, Bluesky text posts and Pinterest image Pins.
- Approvals for small teams. Owner, Admin, Editor and Viewer roles, with an approval step on Freelancer and Agency, so a three-person team with approvals is $49 a month. See team collaboration.
- Your AI agent can run it, on every plan. Postprism's MCP server gives Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients 11 tools to list workspaces, upload media, create, edit and schedule posts, and read analytics. The REST API is on Freelancer and Agency. See AI agents.
- Calendar, bulk and analytics on every plan. Month, week and day calendar views with a kanban board, Bulk Upload of up to 200 rows per CSV, and analytics for the last 30, 60 or 90 days, with CSV export on Agency.
For the full head-to-heads, read Postprism vs Metricool and Postprism vs Hootsuite. If Hootsuite is one of several tools on your list, our Buffer vs Hootsuite comparison covers the other common pairing.
Try Postprism Free for 7 Days
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Frequently asked questions
Is Metricool cheaper than Hootsuite?
Yes, at every size. Metricool Starter is $20 a month billed yearly for up to 5 brands, and Advanced, with team members and approvals, starts at $53 a month billed yearly for up to 15 brands. Hootsuite starts at $99 per user a month billed annually, and approvals need Advanced at up to $399 per user. X costs $10 a month per account on Metricool. Prices checked October 2026.
Is Metricool or Hootsuite better for analytics?
Metricool, for most marketers. Its paid plans include unlimited analytics history, competitor analysis of up to 100 profiles, ads reporting and PDF or PPT reports from $20 a month. Hootsuite's custom and exported reports start on Professional at $199 per user a month, and ROI reporting and attribution are on Enterprise.
Does Metricool have an MCP server?
Yes. Metricool MCP works with any Metricool plan, including Free. It can read analytics and the planner, list brands, create and edit posts, create drafts and send posts for review. It does not cover the inbox, comments or ads campaign management. Postprism's MCP server has 11 tools on every plan.
Does Hootsuite have an MCP server?
Yes. Hootsuite lists four MCP servers: Perch for publishing, Lumen for listening, Nest for the inbox and Parliament for employee advocacy, with pre-built connectors for ChatGPT and Claude. Its MCP page does not say which plans include them.
Which is better for agencies, Metricool or Hootsuite?
For most small and mid-sized agencies, Metricool, because it prices by brand rather than by user and includes client reports from Starter. Hootsuite suits agencies whose clients need inbox management, listening and enterprise security. For agencies whose main job is publishing, Postprism Agency covers 10 workspaces and 10 members with approvals for $99 a month, with X included.
Do Metricool and Hootsuite have a free plan?
Metricool has a free plan for 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, 30 days of analytics and no LinkedIn or X. Hootsuite offers a 14-day free trial with daily posting limits and no bulk scheduling during the trial. Postprism offers a 7-day free trial on every plan.
Does Metricool include X (Twitter)?
Only as a paid add-on. X costs $10 a month per connected account on Metricool's paid plans and is not available on Free. Hootsuite includes X on every plan, and Postprism includes X on every plan from $19 a month.
What is the best alternative to Metricool and Hootsuite for one brand on many networks?
Postprism. It publishes one brand to LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky and Pinterest for $19 a month flat, writes a native version for every network in one Enhance with AI request, and includes an MCP server for AI agents on every plan.
Sources
- Metricool, checked October 2026: pricing, connecting social networks, Metricool MCP FAQ, AI prompt customisation, features in the mobile app
- Hootsuite, checked October 2026: plans and pricing, FAQ, social network integrations, MCP servers, mobile apps, developer API overview
- Postprism: pricing, AI content adaptation, team collaboration, AI agents, Postprism vs Metricool, Postprism vs Hootsuite
Written by Shahriar Rumel, Founder. Reviewed 11 October 2026.
