Buffer vs Metricool vs Hootsuite: Best Social Media Scheduling Tools

Three schedulers can look similar on the surface and still bill in three completely different ways, which is exactly the case with Buffer vs Metricool vs Hootsuite. Buffer charges per connected channel, Hootsuite charges per user seat, and Metricool charges per managed brand, and which of those three units matches how an account is structured changes the monthly cost more than any single feature does.

Metricool also brings something neither Buffer nor Hootsuite leads with: built-in ad performance reporting alongside scheduling, positioning it closer to an analytics-and-ads dashboard than a pure publishing tool.

I tested Buffer vs Metricool vs Hootsuite for 30 days, managing the same set of brands and connected platforms, from traditional text channels to promoting episodes from podcast hosting platforms, across all three and mapping out what each billing model costs once LinkedIn, X, and a small team enter the picture.

How We Tested

Five criteria shaped the testing:

1. Pricing model fit: whether per-channel, per-seat, or per-brand billing matches typical account structures
2. Platform add-on costs: what it costs to connect LinkedIn and X beyond the advertised base price
3. Analytics and ads reporting: how much reporting comes standard versus requiring a higher tier
4. Team collaboration: at what price point approval workflows and multiple users become available
5. Realistic monthly cost: total price once a normal small-business setup, not the cheapest possible one, is priced out

Buffer Review: Predictable Per-Channel Pricing, Without Ads Reporting

Free plan: Yes, 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel
Starting price: $6/channel/month (Essentials), $5/channel billed annually
Best plan for most users: Essentials, $6/channel/month, unlimited scheduled posts
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Affiliate program: Yes, Buffer affiliate program

Buffer’s per-channel model is the most straightforward of the three tested: every connected account costs the same fixed rate regardless of which platform it is or how many brands they’re spread across.

What Buffer does best

Predictability is Buffer’s strongest asset in this specific comparison, making it an excellent choice for creators scaling their audiences on dedicated community platforms. There’s no separate LinkedIn or X add-on fee, no per-brand grouping to plan around, and no per-seat multiplier if a second person needs access on the Team tier: the bill scales with channels connected, full stop.

The free plan also carries no hidden platform exclusions, covering 3 channels across whichever networks are connected, without the LinkedIn-and-X-cost-extra pattern that shapes Metricool’s pricing specifically.

Where Buffer falls short

Ads reporting isn’t part of Buffer’s feature set at any tier. For anyone running paid social alongside organic posting, Buffer covers only the organic side, leaving ad performance tracking to a separate tool entirely, much like how you might rely on dedicated email marketing tools for your newsletters, unlike Metricool, which folds both into one dashboard.

Buffer’s analytics, while solid for organic performance, don’t include the competitor benchmarking or ads-adjacent reporting that both Metricool and Hootsuite offer at their higher tiers.

Buffer pricing

Buffer: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Most predictable pricing model of the three, no platform-specific add-ons
• No LinkedIn or X surcharge unlike Metricool
• Free plan covers 3 channels with no platform exclusions
• Per-channel rate scales down at higher volume

Cons:

• No ads reporting or ad performance tracking at any tier
• Analytics lack competitor benchmarking found in Metricool and Hootsuite
• No per-brand grouping for anyone managing several distinct businesses
• Team tier still costs per channel, which multiplies for larger accounts

Rating: 4.3 / 5, the most predictable pricing of the three, at the cost of ads reporting neither competitor skips.

Metricool Review: Scheduling Plus Ads Reporting, With Add-Ons That Add Up

Free plan: Yes, 1 brand, 20 posts/month, no LinkedIn or X
Starting price: $25/month (Starter), $20/month billed annually, up to 5 brands
Best plan for most users: Starter, though LinkedIn and X both cost extra on this tier
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Affiliate program: Yes, Metricool affiliate program

Metricool bundles social scheduling with website and ad performance analytics, positioning itself as a combined reporting and publishing dashboard rather than a scheduler with analytics bolted on.

What Metricool does best

Ads reporting alongside organic scheduling is Metricool’s clearest differentiator here: neither Buffer nor Hootsuite’s lower tiers fold paid and organic performance into one view the way Metricool does from Starter upward. Per-brand pricing also works in its favor for anyone managing several distinctly separate businesses or clients rather than just several channels under one brand.

The free plan, while limited, requires no credit card and gives a fair sense of the reporting depth before committing to a paid tier.

Where Metricool falls short

LinkedIn and X are both paid add-ons on every tier, at roughly $5/month per connected account each, on top of the advertised base price. A brand posting to five platforms including both of those networks will pay noticeably more than the $25/month headline suggests before any team members are added.

Team access, approval workflows, and Zapier integrations are also locked behind the $67/month Advanced tier specifically; Starter, even at its higher brand-count pricing, doesn’t include collaboration features at all, which pushes a small team’s realistic entry point well past the advertised Starter rate.

Metricool pricing

Metricool: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Ads reporting bundled with organic scheduling from Starter upward
• Per-brand pricing fits multi-client or multi-business setups well
• Free plan requires no credit card
• Competitor benchmarking available at a lower entry price than Hootsuite’s equivalent

Cons:

• LinkedIn and X both cost extra as add-ons on every paid tier
• Team collaboration locked to the $67/month Advanced tier entirely
• Advertised $25/month price rarely reflects the total cost with common add-ons
• Listed prices exclude VAT for international billing, another line item to account for

Rating: 4.0 / 5, a clear analytics-and-ads advantage over Buffer, weighed down by add-on costs that consistently outpace the advertised price.

Hootsuite Review: The Deepest Feature Set, Priced Per Seat

Free plan: No, 30-day trial requires a credit card
Starting price: $99/seat/month (Standard), 10 social accounts included
Best plan for most users: Standard, $99/seat/month, sufficient for most individual managers
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Affiliate program: Yes, Hootsuite affiliate program

Hootsuite’s per-seat model charges the same rate no matter how many brands or channels a single user manages, which changes the math significantly compared to Buffer’s per-channel and Metricool’s per-brand approaches.

What Hootsuite does best

For a single user managing many channels under one brand, per-seat pricing can work out cheaper than Buffer’s per-channel model or Metricool’s per-brand tiers, since the $99/month Standard rate covers up to 10 accounts regardless of platform mix, with no LinkedIn or X surcharge the way Metricool applies.

Standard also includes basic brand and competitor mention tracking bundled into the base price, giving it a unified feel akin to full-suite CRM software, and offering a form of listening that costs significantly more to add on top of either Buffer or Metricool.

Where Hootsuite falls short

The moment a second person needs access, per-seat pricing starts multiplying in a way neither Buffer’s nor Metricool’s models do at the same pace: a 3-person team on Standard runs close to $297/month before reaching any of the collaboration features Metricool bundles into its considerably cheaper Advanced tier.

Ads reporting also isn’t part of Hootsuite’s core toolset at Standard or Professional, requiring a separate tool or a higher-tier add-on to match what Metricool includes from its entry paid plan.

Hootsuite pricing

Hootsuite: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• No LinkedIn or X surcharge, unlike Metricool’s add-on model
• Basic listening bundled into the base Standard price
• Per-seat pricing can undercut per-channel or per-brand models for a single user managing many accounts
• Broadest third-party integration ecosystem of the three

Cons:

• Per-seat cost multiplies fast the moment a second team member is added
• No ads reporting bundled at Standard or Professional
• No free plan, and the trial requires a credit card
• Unlimited accounts don’t unlock until Professional at double the Standard price

Rating: 4.0 / 5, the strongest fit for a single user managing many accounts under one brand, less competitive the moment a team or ad reporting enters the picture.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Buffer if predictable, add-on-free pricing matters more than bundled ads reporting or per-brand organization.

Choose Metricool if managing several distinct brands or clients with combined organic-and-ads reporting is the day-to-day workflow, and the LinkedIn/X add-on costs are budgeted in from the start.

Choose Hootsuite if a single person manages many accounts under one brand and the per-seat rate works out cheaper than per-channel or per-brand alternatives for that specific setup.

Our Recommendations

Based on 30 days of testing across pricing models, add-ons, and team scenarios, here is the recommended setup by situation:

Solo creator or small business with a handful of channels under one brand: Buffer, for the most predictable pricing with no platform-specific surprises.

Agency or freelancer managing several separate client brands: Metricool, where per-brand pricing and bundled ads reporting fit the structure of the work, provided LinkedIn and X add-ons are priced in upfront.

Single social media manager running many accounts for one company: Hootsuite Standard, where per-seat pricing can undercut per-channel or per-brand costs for that specific account shape.

Marketing team running both organic and paid social campaigns: Metricool, for the only one of the three that reports on both in a single dashboard from its entry paid tier.

Team of three or more needing approval workflows on a budget: Buffer Team, since Hootsuite’s per-seat multiplication and Metricool’s Advanced-tier gate both cost more at that team size.

Final Verdict

Buffer, Metricool, and Hootsuite don’t just compete on features; they bill on entirely different units, which means the right pick depends heavily on how an account is structured.

1. Buffer (4.3 / 5): the most predictable pricing, missing only the ads reporting the other two offer
2. Metricool (4.0 / 5): a clear ads-and-analytics advantage, undercut by add-on costs that outpace the headline price
3. Hootsuite (4.0 / 5): the strongest fit for a single user managing many accounts, weaker once a team enters the picture

Before comparing sticker prices across these three, map out the number of channels, brands, and team members involved: the “cheapest” option on paper can flip entirely once that math is done against each tool’s specific billing unit.

Frequently Asked Questions