Hootsuite and Zoho Social sit at opposite ends of the pricing spectrum. Hootsuite is an enterprise social intelligence platform priced per seat — its Standard plan lists at $99/month per user, with no free plan. Zoho Social is the social arm of the Zoho business suite, with a forever-free tier and a Standard plan listed at $15/month for one brand and one user. This page compares the two honestly — pricing models, platforms, and team features as of June 2026 — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, beats both for multi-network publishing on one flat EUR plan.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Hootsuite | Zoho Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | 10 of 11Also supports: WhatsApp (messaging) | All 11Also supports: Telegram, WhatsApp | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | No | Yes | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $99/mo per user (Standard)Listed price, annual billing — as of June 2026 | $15/mo (Standard — 1 brand, 1 user)$10/mo billed annually · forever-free plan available | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per user — every teammate is another full subscription | Per brand + per seat — extra members and brands are paid add-ons or higher tiers | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Up to 10 on StandardUnlimited from the Advanced plan (listed $249/mo) | 1 brand on Standard & ProfessionalFree plan: 1 brand, 6 channels (June 2026) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 30 daysNo free plan; converts to a paid plan unless cancelled | 15 days, no card (then limited free plan) | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | Not listedNot shown on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | NoNone listed on zoho.com/social pricing (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans | UnlimitedPer Zoho’s own comparison pages (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Yes | SmartQ predictions | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Not listedNot itemized on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | OwlyGPT AI assistantIncluded from the Standard plan | Not listedSmartQ covers best-time only; a writing assistant is not shown on the pages we reviewed (June 2026) | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot itemized on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Asset & content libraryListed on all plans on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNo Mastodon publishing; thread support not itemized (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Not listedNot itemized on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Per-user — each seat billed separatelyStandard lists at $99/mo per user (June 2026) | 1 on Standard/Professional · 3 on PremiumExtra members listed at about $11.50/member/mo (June 2026) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Enterprise plan onlyPer the plans-page feature table — Enterprise is custom-quoted (June 2026) | Not listed by planPlan gating not shown clearly on the pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Not listedNot itemized on Hootsuite’s plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | Included · custom reports from Advanced | Deeper analytics on higher tiersUsers report analytics-depth limits on basic plans (G2/Capterra) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | 100+ app integrationsPublic API access not itemized on the plans page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Chatbot & help center · premier support on EnterpriseUsers report slow responses on lower tiers | Varies by planUsers report slow support responses on G2/Capterra | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Enterprises and large agencies running social listening at scale | Solo, single-brand users already inside the Zoho suite | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Hootsuite figures per their public pricing page; Zoho Social figures per their public pricing page. Both may change. SocialKit facts per our own pricing page.
Entry plans compared. SocialKit prices are in EUR; all 11 platforms included — no per-network pricing.
Listed at $99/mo per user, billed annually, with up to 10 social accounts. Advanced lists at $249/mo; Enterprise is custom-quoted. As of June 2026 — Hootsuite renders prices dynamically, so confirm on their plans page.
$10/month billed annually. Extra members are listed by third parties at about $11.50/member/month; Premium is $65/month (1 brand, 3 members) and Agency starts at $320/month. USD prices as of June 2026 — Zoho adjusts by region.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Hootsuite and Zoho Social prices are taken from their public pricing pages (linked above) and may change. Full SocialKit plan details on our pricing page.
Each tool genuinely wins somewhere. Here is the honest split.
Bottom line
These two rarely shortlist together — the budgets are too different. Zoho Social is the value pick of the pair, especially if your business already lives in the Zoho suite; its free plan and $15/month Standard tier are honest entry points for a single brand. Hootsuite is the enterprise pick: listening, advocacy, and integrations that justify per-seat pricing only if a large organization will actually use them. The middle — a small team posting to many networks under one predictable bill — is exactly where SocialKit sits: all 11 platforms included, approvals on a flat €49/month Team plan, API + webhooks on every tier, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on top of the trial.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
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Every SocialKit plan includes all 11 platforms, analytics, AI, and API + webhooks — no per-channel meters, no per-seat pricing. Try it free for 7 days.
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