Hootsuite vs Zoho Social: Choose The Right Tool for You in 2025

by Fahim Joharder | Last updated Jan 24, 2026

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Feeling overwhelmed by the endless choices for social media management tools?

You’re not alone! Picking the right platform can make or break your social media strategy.

Hootsuite and Zoho Social are two popular options, but which one comes out on top?

In this post, we’ll dive deep into both Hootsuite vs Zoho Social so you can confidently choose the perfect tool to conquer your social media goals.

Overview

To give you the most accurate comparison.

We’ve spent weeks testing both Hootsuite and Zoho Social, scheduling posts, engaging with audiences, and analyzing performance reports within each platform.

This hands-on experience allows us to provide real-world insights and help you make an informed decision.

3.5out of 5

Want an affordable way to manage all your social media in one place? Start your free 30-day Hootsuite trial!

Pricing: 30 days free trial available. Paid plan Starts at $99/month

Key Features:

Wide range of integrations
Bulk scheduling capabilities
Simple content creation tools

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4.5out of 5

Want a simple yet powerful CRM to organize your customer relationships? You can experience it risk-free!

Pricing: It has a free trial. The premium plan starts at $14/month.

Key Features:

Contact Management
Sales Force Automation
Analytics & Reporting

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What is Hootsuite?

You’ve probably heard of Hootsuite. It’s one of the biggest names in social media management.

And for good reason! It’s been around for a while. It’s a solid platform.

Think of it as your social media command center.

You can schedule posts, track performance, and manage all your social accounts in one place. Pretty handy, right?

Also, explore our favorite Hootsuite alternatives…

Our Take

Take control of your social media chaos and streamline your workflow. Explore Hootsuite and discover how it can simplify your social media management.

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Key Benefits

Stay organized with streams: Monitor multiple social feeds, hashtags, and keywords in real time.
Never miss a message: Manage all your social conversations from a unified inbox.
Amplify your impact: Boost your top-performing posts directly within the platform.
Collaborate seamlessly: Assign tasks, approve content, and manage permissions across your team.
Get the big picture: Track your progress with comprehensive analytics and custom reports.

Pricing

Hootsuite offers a limited free plan for basic needs.

Professional ($99/month): Unlimited post scheduling, Best time to post recommendations, Competitive benchmarking tool.
Team ($249/month): for three users with 20 social accounts.
Enterprise Custom: Start with five users and 50 social accounts.

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Pros

Wide range of integrations.
Easy to publish.
Great for team collaboration.
Reliable & well-established.
Customer support.

Cons

Can be expensive.
Analytics can be basic.
Limited content curation features.

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Ever feel like you’re juggling too many social media accounts?

Zoho Social gets it. It’s like having a personal assistant for your social media. But way cheaper.

This platform helps you manage everything in one place. Think scheduling posts, tracking performance, and even finding the best times to post.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Also, explore our favorite Zoho Social alternatives…

Our Take

Elevate your social media strategy with Zoho Social. From smart scheduling and social listening to in-depth analytics, Discover the power of Zoho Social today!

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Key Benefits

Customization is king: Tailor Zoho CRM to fit your exact workflow.
Affordable for everyone: Starts with a free plan for up to 3 users.
Mobile app access: Manage your CRM on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Built-in analytics: Track critical metrics and gain valuable insights.

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Pricing

Standard: $14/user/month.
Professional: $23/user/month.
Enterprise:$40 /user/month.
Ultimate: $52/user/month.

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Pros

Super easy to use
Amazing price
The SmartQ feature
Highly customizable.
Integrates with many apps.

Cons

Fewer integrations
Reporting could be more detailed.
More advanced social listening.
Can get expensive with many users.

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Feature Comparison

When selecting a perfect social media management tool, the decision between Hootsuite and Zoho Social hinges on whether you prioritize robust integrations or simplicity and cost-effective management of multiple accounts.

1. Site Access and Security

Hootsuite: To ensure you can view this site properly, Hootsuite maintains a high level of performance security. You may occasionally see a verification successful waiting a few seconds message during login.
Zoho Social: This platform also focuses on performance security and is easy to view this site properly from any browser. It has strong security protocols in place to protect user data.

2. Integrations and CRM Focus

Hootsuite: It boasts a vast marketplace of third party integrations, allowing users to connect with various external tools for more features.
Zoho Social: Its key features include native, seamless integration with the Zoho ecosystem, functioning as an integrated crm tool. This deep connection with other Zoho products is a major advantage for businesses already using their suite.

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3. User Interface and Usability

Hootsuite: The user interface is functional and powerful, but its complexity can lead to a steeper learning curve, especially for a new social media manager.
Zoho Social: It is praised for being extremely user-friendly and intuitive. The clean design helps businesses effectively manage their social media presence with a minimal learning curve.

4. Publishing and Scheduling

Hootsuite: It is a strong scheduler that allows users to customize and publish social media posts across various channels.
Zoho Social: It features powerful scheduling features like SmartQ to predict optimal posting times and often provides more features in its bulk scheduling capabilities than Hootsuite’s comparable plans.

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5. Analytics and Reporting

Hootsuite: It offers comprehensive social media analytics and customizable reports, which are necessary for complex social media marketing efforts.
Zoho Social: This platform provides strong analytics that are often praised for their clarity. Its reports are easy to understand and essential for tracking social media performance.

Hootsuite: It is a pioneer in social listening and monitoring, with dedicated features that allow users to track brand mentions and trends across multiple platforms.
Zoho Social: It includes strong monitoring features, enabling the social media manager to set up listening columns and track keywords, which helps to effectively manage brand conversations.

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7. Management of Multiple Accounts

Hootsuite: It is built to effectively manage multiple accounts and large teams, with advanced tools for user permissions and approvals.
Zoho Social: It makes it easy to effectively manage multiple accounts and brands under one unified dashboard, simplifying the process for the social media manager.

8. Content Curation

Hootsuite: It has content curation features like RSS feed integration, ray id and a stream-based dashboard to help find social media content and publish social media posts.
Zoho Social: It offers an in-built RSS feed feature and a Zshare browser extension that helps the user find and repurpose social media content with ease.

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9. Pricing and Cost-Effectiveness

Hootsuite: The pricing is generally higher and often targets enterprise-level needs. It requires a paid plan to effectively manage social media marketing efforts and its features for multiple accounts are typically restricted to its costlier tiers.
Zoho Social: This platform is a budget-friendly alternative that often includes a forever free plan and lower starting costs for paid subscriptions. It is designed to help businesses of all sizes effectively manage their social media presence without breaking the bank.

Free Trial: Before committing to a paid plan, take advantage of free trials or freemium versions to test the waters. This lets you explore the platform’s features and see if it’s a good fit for your needs.
Customer Support: Reliable customer support can be a lifesaver when you encounter issues or have questions. Look for platforms with responsive support teams and helpful resources.
Mobile App: A mobile app allows you to manage your social media on the go, which is essential for staying connected and responding to messages promptly.
Security: Ensure the platform you choose prioritizes security to protect your social media accounts and sensitive data. Look for features like two-factor authentication and data encryption.
Future-Proofing: Consider the platform’s roadmap and how it plans to adapt to the ever-evolving social media landscape. Choose a tool that’s committed to innovation and staying ahead of the curve.
Your Specific Needs: Ultimately, the best tool for you depends on your specific needs and budget. Consider factors like the number of social media accounts you manage, the size of your team, and your social media marketing goals.

Final Verdict

So, which tool comes out on top? It’s a close call, but we give a slight edge to Zoho Social.

Why? It’s super easy to use and offers excellent value for the price.

You get tons of features without breaking the bank. Plus, their SmartQ predictions take the guesswork out of scheduling posts.

Of course, Hootsuite is still a powerful platform with a lot to offer.

If you need advanced features and have a larger budget, it’s definitely worth considering.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget.

We’ve given you all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Now it’s your turn to choose the perfect tool to conquer your social media goals!

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Zoho Social vs Sprout Social: Zoho – more affordable (Zoho users). Sprout – advanced analytics, listening, teams.
Zoho Social vs Metricool: Zoho – budget-friendly. Metricool – stronger analytics, competitor focus.
Zoho Social vs Socialpilot: Zoho – cost-effective. Socialpilot – wider integrations, robust scheduling.
Zoho Social vs Sendible: Zoho offers affordable basic features. Sendible offers comprehensive listening and reporting (agencies).
Zoho Social vs Content Studio: Zoho – budget-friendly. Content Studio – content discovery, AI content.
Zoho Social vs Heropost: Zoho – budget-friendly entry. Heropost – AI content, competitor intel.
Zoho Social vs Agorapulse: Zoho – more affordable. Agorapulse – robust inbox, listening.
Zoho Social vs Buffer: Zoho – more features for the price. Buffer – simpler scheduling.
Zoho Social vs Sprinklr: Zoho – for small/medium biz (Zoho users). Sprinklr – enterprise-level.
Zoho Social vs Later: Zoho – broader platform support. Later – visual content (Instagram).
Zoho Social vs Loomly: Zoho – cost-effective content mgmt. Loomly – content calendar, teamwork.
Zoho Social vs Blaze: Zoho’s affordability/integration are key. Blaze – robust scheduling, AI content.

More of Hootsuite

Hootsuite vs Sprout Social: It’s standout feature is its robust project management and in-depth analytics for large teams.
Hootsuite vs Metricool: It’s standout feature is its focus on a more user-friendly interface and team collaboration.
Hootsuite vs SocialPilot: It’s standout feature is its comprehensive scheduling and valuable features for multi-location brands and agencies.
Hootsuite vs Sendible: It’s standout feature is its agency-focused design with custom dashboards and white-label reporting.
Hootsuite vs Content Studio: It’s standout feature is its powerful content discovery and curation tools for creators.
Hootsuite vs Heropost: It’s standout feature is its AI writing assistant and ability to create branded short links.
Hootsuite vs Agorapulse: It’s standout feature is its unified social inbox and transparent, user-friendly approach to customer support.
Hootsuite vs Zoho Social: It’s standout feature is its SmartQ predictions for optimal scheduling and a highly user-friendly interface.
Hootsuite vs Buffer: It’s standout feature is its simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for small businesses.
Hootsuite vs Sprinklr: It’s standout feature is its advanced social listening and deeper customer engagement capabilities for enterprises.
Hootsuite vs Later: It’s standout feature is its visual-first approach, especially for Instagram, with its visual planner and Linkin.bio.
Hootsuite vs Loomly: It’s standout feature is its daily post inspiration and a streamlined, collaborative content approval workflow.
Hootsuite vs Blaze: It’s standout feature is its AI-first approach, specializing in creating high-quality AI images and content.
Hootsuite vs Planable: It’s standout feature is its focus on intuitive collaboration and an in-depth, visual content planning process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zoho better than Hootsuite?

For budget-conscious teams, yes. Zoho Social starts at just $10/month, whereas Hootsuite’s plans begin at $99/month. While Hootsuite offers deeper enterprise analytics, Zoho Social wins on value and seamless integration with the Zoho CRM ecosystem.

Definitely. With a robust free plan and paid tiers starting at $10/month, it offers exceptional value. You get unlimited scheduling, monitoring tools, and team collaboration features without the hefty price tag associated with larger enterprise tools.

Why not use Hootsuite?

The primary barrier is cost. With entry-level plans starting at $99/month, Hootsuite can be overkill for small businesses or solopreneurs. If you don’t require complex advertising dashboards or deep social listening, you might be overpaying for features you won’t use.

Yes, it excels at this. You can schedule posts across multiple channels, visualize your pipeline on a content calendar, and use their SmartQ feature to automatically publish content when your specific audience is most likely to engage.

Zoho Social is a comprehensive social media management platform designed for businesses and agencies. It allows you to schedule content, monitor brand mentions, and analyze performance, all while syncing valuable interaction data directly into Zoho CRM.

Key rivals include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social. While Zoho Social is highly affordable, it trails behind competitors like Sprout Social in advanced social listening capabilities and offers fewer third-party app integrations than the extensive Hootsuite ecosystem.

Who are competitors of Hootsuite?

Hootsuite’s main competitors are Sprout Social, Buffer, and Zoho Social. Sprout Social allows for similar enterprise-grade management, while tools like Buffer and Zoho Social provide a more streamlined, cost-effective alternative for scheduling and basic analytics.

Supported Networks: Zoho Social connects with popular apps such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Google Business Profile. Hootsuite also connects to these, plus many others—over 20 networks in total.
Free Plans and Trials: Zoho Social offers a free forever plan for 1 person. They also let you try their paid features for 15 days without asking for a credit card. Hootsuite does not have a free plan, and you usually need a credit card to start their trial.
Cost: Zoho Social is much cheaper, with paid plans starting around $15 a month. Hootsuite is more expensive, starting at $99 a month. Because of this, Zoho is often the best choice for small businesses looking to save money.
Who They Are For: Zoho Social is great for small and medium businesses that need an easy way to schedule posts and work together. Hootsuite is built for very large companies that need to manage ads and large teams worldwide.
Ease of Use: Most people find Zoho Social’s screen easy to understand and learn. Hootsuite can be a little more complicated because it has so many advanced tools.
Key Features: Zoho Social includes a “SmartQ” feature that suggests the best time to post. Hootsuite offers a tool called OwlyWriter AI that automatically generates your captions.
Teamwork: Zoho Social makes it very simple to add team members so everyone can work together. Hootsuite allows this, too, but it is usually part of their more expensive plans.
Reports: Both tools show you how well your posts are doing. However, Hootsuite offers very detailed reporting, especially for companies that spend a lot on ads.
Language Support: Zoho Social supports many languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, and more. (Note: The claim that Hootsuite does not support multiple languages is incorrect; Hootsuite also supports multiple languages, so that comparison was removed for accuracy.