Publishly vs Hootsuite
Hootsuite puts planning, inbox, listening, approvals, and reports in one broad suite. Publishly is narrower: make sure posts go live, explain the ones that do not, and keep the price flat as your brand, client, and location count grows.
Hootsuite’s published entry plan is $99/mo billed annually for 10 accounts, with unlimited accounts starting at Professional, $199/mo. Publishly’s paid plans have unlimited connected accounts from the first tier — 100 brand or client accounts fit the $99/mo Growth plan. Choose Hootsuite for its broad team suite; choose Publishly when delivery proof and safe recovery matter most.
Two products built for different outcomes.
Hootsuite’s own published numbers, no estimates.
Hootsuite’s published entry plan is $99/mo billed annually for 10 social accounts; unlimited accounts start at the Professional plan, $199/mo. Advanced is $399/mo. Prices are per user.
Hootsuite is built as a broad social suite. Listening, a shared inbox, approvals, and reporting sit beside publishing. That breadth is real, and it is what Hootsuite is for.
Publishly focuses on a smaller promise: prove each post went live, explain every failure, retry safely, and warn about weak connections before the schedule breaks.
Side by side.
| Feature | Publishly | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat plans sized by post volume | Per user — $99 Standard, $199 Professional, $399 Advanced on annual billing |
| Cost at 100 brand or client accounts | $99/mo Growth (unlimited accounts, 15k posts) | $199/mo Professional (unlimited accounts) |
| Account cap | Unlimited on every paid plan | 10 accounts on the entry plan; unlimited from Professional ($199/mo) |
| Failure alerts | In-app alert plus signed event for your own software | Optional email when a scheduled post fails; no public failure webhook found |
| Delivery receipts | Confirmed-live history plus the public post link | Calendar status and ability to open a published post on the network |
| Automatic retries | Temporary problems retry safely without posting twice | No general automatic posting-retry promise found in public help material |
| Connection warnings | Warnings before known expiry plus reconnect alerts | Email when a social account disconnects |
| Main product focus | Reliable posting and delivery proof | Planning, inbox, listening, reporting, approvals, and posting |
Competitor pricing & features last checked: 2026-08-11
An honest split.
This isn’t a takedown — Hootsuite is genuinely built for a different job.
Choose Hootsuite if…
- You need approvals, roles, and controls across a large organization.
- Social listening and a unified inbox matter as much as publishing.
- Your team wants one dashboard for reporting, engagement, and scheduling together.
Choose Publishly if…
- You want your own software to receive a clear result and failure reason for every post.
- Your account count is growing and a hard 10-account entry cap does not fit your multi-brand or multi-client work.
- You need per-post failure visibility — a receipt, a reason, and an automatic retry.
Price and posting issues are part of the buying decision.
Hootsuite’s current public ladder runs from $99 to $399 per user each month on annual billing. G2’s current review themes include “Expensive,” “High Pricing,” and “Posting Issues.” Those reviews do not erase Hootsuite’s strengths; they are a reason to test delivery and alerts with your own accounts before buying.
Common questions
How much does Hootsuite cost?
Hootsuite’s published plans are $99 Standard, $199 Professional, and $399 Advanced per user each month on annual billing. Standard includes 10 social accounts; Professional and above include unlimited accounts (checked 2026-08-11). Publishly is $0, $29, $99, or $299 a month and every paid plan includes unlimited accounts.
Does Hootsuite have an account limit?
Yes on the entry tier — it’s capped at 10 social accounts. Hootsuite’s published Professional plan ($199/mo) removes that cap. Publishly has no account cap on any paid plan, at any price point.
Is Publishly a good Hootsuite alternative for agencies?
For agencies that care most about proof that each post went live, clear failure reasons, safe retries, and flat pricing, yes. For agencies that need Hootsuite’s broad social listening, inbox, approvals, and reporting in one suite, Hootsuite remains the stronger fit.
Pay for reliable delivery, not a bigger suite.
Flat plans based on successful posts, unlimited connected accounts, and a clear next step the moment a post fails.