Hootsuite is an enterprise social media management platform with deep analytics, social listening, and a unified inbox. Loomly is a content-focused tool built around visual calendars and team approval workflows. If you're weighing Hootsuite or Loomly for your team, you're not alone — they target different audiences, but many teams end up evaluating both.
In this 2026 comparison, we pit enterprise social management against mid-market content planning. We tested both on the metrics that matter: real-world pricing, feature depth, and what thousands of verified reviewers report. Exploring further? Browse all social media scheduling alternatives.
Hootsuite vs Loomly at a Glance
Here's a quick side-by-side overview before we dive deeper:
| Category | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | €149/mo per user | $65/mo (Starter) |
| Free Plan | No (30-day trial) | Yes (3 accounts, 5 posts/mo) |
| Platforms Supported | 8+ | 11 |
| Unlimited Scheduling | Yes (all plans) | Yes (paid plans) |
| AI Tools | OwlyWriter AI (captions) | AI caption suggestions |
| AI Image Generation | No | No |
| Bulk Scheduling | Up to 350 posts (Advanced) | Yes |
| Team Collaboration | Advanced plan (€399/mo/user) | Starter+ (3 users) |
| Approval Workflows | Advanced plan only | Starter+ |
| Analytics | Standard to Custom reports | Basic |
| G2 Rating | 4.3/5 (6,615 reviews) | 4.6/5 (1,793 reviews) |
| Trustpilot Rating | 1.8/5 (511 reviews) | 1.7/5 (26 reviews) |
| Best For | Enterprises, large agencies | Small-mid teams needing approval workflows |
Hootsuite Overview
Hootsuite is one of the longest-running social media management platforms, founded in 2008. It offers scheduling, a unified social inbox, analytics, social listening, team collaboration, and paid ad management.
Hootsuite supports 8+ platforms: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads.
Key features:
- Unified inbox for messages, comments, and DMs
- OwlyWriter AI for caption generation
- Social listening and brand monitoring
- Advanced analytics with custom reports
- Team approval workflows and DM assignment
- Employee advocacy tools (Amplify)
- Competitor benchmarking (5-20 competitors)
- Bulk scheduling up to 350 posts
Hootsuite is positioned for larger teams, agencies, and enterprise organizations that need social listening, advanced reporting, and structured team workflows. Read real user reviews of Hootsuite from G2 and Trustpilot.
Loomly Overview
Loomly is a social media management platform designed around visual content calendars and team approval workflows. It positions itself as a collaborative content planning tool for marketing teams that want a clean, organized workflow.
Loomly supports 11 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Threads, and Bluesky.
Key features:
- Visual content calendar with drag-and-drop
- Approval workflows with custom roles
- AI caption suggestions
- Bulk scheduling
- Social inbox
- Canva, Google Drive, and Unsplash integration
- Link shortener with analytics
- Best time to post recommendations
- Post ideas and trending content suggestions
- Hashtag manager
Loomly is best suited for small to mid-size businesses and marketing teams that need structured content planning with built-in approval workflows. For more details, see what users say about Loomly.
Pricing Comparison
Pricing is where these two tools diverge sharply. Hootsuite uses per-user pricing at enterprise rates. Loomly uses tiered flat pricing aimed at smaller teams.
Hootsuite Pricing
Hootsuite uses per-user pricing with high base costs. See the full Hootsuite pricing breakdown for details.
| Plan | Price | Social Accounts | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | €149/mo per user | 10 | Scheduling, basic analytics, 7-day monitoring, 5 competitors |
| Advanced | €399/mo per user | 50 | Custom reports, approval workflows, 30-day monitoring, bulk scheduling |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | SSO, unlimited users, Amplify, Salesforce integration |
Example costs:
- 1 user on Standard = €149/month
- 3 users on Standard = €447/month
- 3 users on Advanced = €1,197/month
Loomly Pricing
Loomly uses tiered flat pricing that bundles accounts and users. Annual billing saves roughly 25%.
| Plan | Price (Monthly) | Social Accounts | Users | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 3 | 1 | 5 posts/month |
| Starter | $65/mo | 12 | 3 | Unlimited posts, approval workflows, AI captions |
| Beyond | $332/mo | 60 | Unlimited | Advanced features, custom roles, branded reports |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Dedicated support, SSO, custom integrations |
Example costs:
- Small team (12 accounts, 3 users) = $65/month (Starter)
- Growing team (60 accounts, unlimited users) = $332/month (Beyond)
- No option between $65 and $332
Price Verdict
Loomly is significantly cheaper for most team sizes. A 3-person team pays $65/month on Loomly Starter vs €447/month for 3 Hootsuite Standard users. Even Loomly's Beyond plan at $332/month is cheaper than a single Hootsuite Advanced user (€399/month). However, Loomly's $267 gap between Starter and Beyond forces teams to choose between tight limits (12 accounts, 3 users) and a big price jump. Hootsuite's pricing only makes sense for enterprises that need social listening, compliance tools, and Salesforce integrations.
Feature Comparison
Scheduling & Publishing
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited scheduling | Yes (all plans) | Yes (paid plans) |
| Bulk scheduling | Up to 350 posts (Advanced) | Yes |
| Best time to post | Yes | Yes |
| First comment scheduling | No | No |
| Content calendar | Yes | Yes (visual, drag-and-drop) |
| Post ideas/trends | No | Yes |
| Draft saving | Yes | Yes |
| Link shortener | No | Yes (with analytics) |
Winner: Loomly. Both handle core scheduling well, but Loomly adds post ideas, trending content suggestions, and a link shortener with built-in analytics. If you're looking for general guidance on planning your posts, see our guide on how to schedule social media posts. Hootsuite's bulk scheduling is more powerful on the Advanced plan, but that costs €399/month per user.
AI Tools
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| AI caption generation | Yes (OwlyWriter AI) | Yes (AI suggestions) |
| AI image generation | No | No |
| AI post ideas | Yes | No |
| AI content rewriting | Yes | No |
Winner: Hootsuite. OwlyWriter AI offers broader AI capabilities including post ideas and content rewriting. Loomly's AI is limited to caption suggestions. Neither offers AI image generation — for more options, check our roundup of AI social media tools.
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Basic analytics | All plans | All paid plans |
| Advanced analytics | Standard+ | Beyond only |
| Custom reports | Advanced only | No |
| Competitor benchmarking | Yes (5-20 competitors) | No |
| Export reports | Advanced only | Beyond only |
| Scheduled reports | Advanced only | No |
Winner: Hootsuite. Hootsuite offers significantly deeper analytics with custom reports, competitor benchmarking, and scheduled delivery. Loomly's analytics are basic across all tiers. If reporting matters, Hootsuite wins — but these features require the expensive Advanced plan (€399/mo/user). For a broader look at reporting options, see our guide to social media analytics tools.
Team Collaboration
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple users | All paid plans | Starter+ (3 users) |
| Approval workflows | Advanced plan | Starter+ |
| Custom roles | Advanced plan | Beyond only |
| User permissions | Advanced plan | Starter+ |
| DM assignment | Yes | No |
| Saved replies | Advanced plan | No |
Winner: Loomly for value, Hootsuite for depth. Loomly includes approval workflows on the $65/month Starter plan — a feature Hootsuite locks behind the €399/month Advanced plan. But Hootsuite offers DM assignment, saved replies, and more granular controls for larger teams. Loomly wins on accessibility; Hootsuite wins on power.
Content & Creative Tools
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Canva integration | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive import | No | Yes |
| Unsplash integration | No | Yes |
| Link shortener | No | Yes (with analytics) |
| Hashtag manager | No | Yes |
| Content library | Yes (Canva templates) | No |
Winner: Loomly. Loomly integrates with Google Drive, Unsplash, and Canva, and includes a hashtag manager and link shortener with analytics. Hootsuite has a content library with Canva templates but lacks the broader creative integrations.
Platform Support
| Platform | Hootsuite | Loomly |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| X/Twitter | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | No | Yes |
| Bluesky | No | Yes |
| Snapchat | No | Yes |
Winner: Loomly — supports 11 platforms vs Hootsuite's 8+. Loomly covers Google Business Profile, Bluesky, and Snapchat, which Hootsuite does not.
What Real Users Say
Hootsuite Reviews
G2: 4.3/5 (6,615 reviews) — Users praise Hootsuite's scheduling capabilities and centralized social media management. Common complaints include expensive pricing, missing features on lower plans, posting issues, and slow customer support.
Trustpilot: 1.8/5 (511 reviews) — Significantly lower rating with widespread complaints about billing issues, unexpected charges, difficult cancellation processes, and poor customer support.
Loomly Reviews
G2: 4.6/5 (1,793 reviews) — Users consistently praise the visual calendar, approval workflows, and intuitive interface. Common complaints include limited analytics, the pricing gap between Starter and Beyond, and basic reporting.
Trustpilot: 1.7/5 (26 reviews) — Very negative, driven by complaints about Loomly's 2025 pricing restructure. Users report significant price increases and reduced feature access on existing plans.
Review Verdict
Loomly scores higher on G2 (4.6 vs 4.3) with a strong review base of 1,793 reviews. Hootsuite has a larger sample size (6,615 reviews) which adds statistical weight. On Trustpilot, both score poorly — Hootsuite at 1.8/5 (511 reviews) and Loomly at 1.7/5 (26 reviews). Hootsuite's Trustpilot complaints center on billing and cancellation issues. Loomly's are driven by 2025 pricing restructure backlash. Neither platform earns strong marks for customer satisfaction outside of G2. Review counts and ratings are as of February 2026 and are updated periodically.
Who Should Use Hootsuite?
If Hootsuite is on your shortlist, you may also want to see our top alternatives to Hootsuite before committing. Also compare Hootsuite with Buffer, Sprout Social, Agorapulse, Later, and SocialPilot. For agencies managing multiple clients, our social media management for agencies guide covers what to look for in an enterprise-grade platform.
Hootsuite is the better choice if you:
- Are an enterprise or large agency with dedicated social media teams
- Need a unified social inbox with DM assignment and auto-responses
- Require social listening and brand monitoring with sentiment analysis
- Want competitor benchmarking against up to 20 competitors
- Need custom analytics reports with scheduled delivery
- Have the budget for €149-€399+/month per user
- Require Salesforce integration, SSO, or compliance tools
Who Should Use Loomly?
If Loomly is on your shortlist, you may also want to see our top alternatives to Loomly before committing. Also compare Loomly with Buffer, Sprout Social, Metricool, and Later. Loomly is a strong Hootsuite alternative for teams that prioritize content planning over social listening — our guide to building a social media content calendar explains why that workflow matters.
Loomly is the better choice if you:
- Are a small to mid-size marketing team that needs content approvals
- Want a visual content calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling
- Need approval workflows without paying €399+/month per user
- Value Canva, Google Drive, and Unsplash integrations in your workflow
- Want 11-platform support including Google Business, Snapchat, and Bluesky
- Can work within the Starter plan's limits (12 accounts, 3 users)
- Don't need social listening, advanced analytics, or a full social inbox
Final Verdict
Hootsuite is the better choice if you need enterprise-grade social listening, competitor benchmarking, and a full unified inbox with DM assignment — and have the budget to match.
Loomly is the better choice if you want an intuitive content calendar with built-in approval workflows at a fraction of Hootsuite's price, especially for small to mid-size marketing teams.
For most small and mid-size teams, Loomly delivers stronger day-to-day value with its visual calendar, broader platform support, and affordable approval workflows. If neither tool fully meets your needs, PostPlanify offers AI-powered scheduling with unlimited team members and no per-user fees — see how it compares.
Team Features Without the Enterprise Tax
Hootsuite charges €149/month per user for features most teams never touch. Loomly's approval workflows are solid, but the $332/month Beyond plan is the only way to get advanced permissions. PostPlanify includes team collaboration, approval workflows, and AI tools on every plan — starting at $19/month flat with unlimited team members on Premium ($99/month).
| Feature | Hootsuite | Loomly | PostPlanify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | €149/mo/user | $65/mo | $19/mo flat |
| Unlimited Accounts | €399/mo/user | $332/mo (Beyond) | $99/mo (Premium) |
| AI Caption Generation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI Image Generation | No | No | Yes |
| Canva Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive Import | No | Yes | Yes |
| Approval Workflows | €399/mo/user | $65/mo (Starter) | $99/mo (Premium) |
| Analytics | Standard to Custom | Basic | All paid plans |
| Platforms Supported | 8+ | 11 | 9 |
PostPlanify starts at $19/month for 3 accounts with unlimited scheduling and AI tools included. The Premium plan at $99/month includes unlimited accounts, unlimited team members, approval workflows, and analytics. See all plans on the PostPlanify pricing page.
Get team features without the tax — try PostPlanify free
FAQ
Is Loomly cheaper than Hootsuite?
Yes. Loomly's Starter plan costs $65/month for 12 accounts and 3 users. A single Hootsuite Standard user costs €149/month for 10 accounts. For small teams, Loomly is a fraction of Hootsuite's price. Even Loomly's Beyond plan ($332/month for unlimited users) is cheaper than one Hootsuite Advanced user (€399/month).
Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
No. Hootsuite discontinued its free plan in 2023 and now only offers a 30-day free trial on the Standard plan. After the trial, you must commit to at least €149/month per user. Loomly offers a free plan with 3 accounts, 1 user, and 5 posts per month — limited, but available for testing the interface and basic scheduling features before upgrading.
Which has better analytics — Hootsuite or Loomly?
Hootsuite has significantly better analytics with custom reports, competitor benchmarking, and scheduled report delivery. Loomly's analytics are basic across all tiers. If reporting is a priority, Hootsuite wins — but expect to pay €399/month per user for the full analytics suite.
Does Loomly have social listening?
No. Loomly does not offer social listening, brand monitoring, or sentiment analysis. Its focus is on content creation and scheduling rather than real-time monitoring. If you need social listening as a core feature, Hootsuite includes brand monitoring on the Standard plan (€149/mo/user) and deeper listening on the Advanced plan (€399/mo/user). Alternatively, you can pair Loomly with a dedicated listening tool like Mention or Brand24 to cover both needs.
Which supports more social media platforms?
Loomly supports 11 platforms including Google Business Profile, Snapchat, and Bluesky — three networks Hootsuite does not cover. Hootsuite supports 8+ platforms with deeper integration on major networks like Instagram and Facebook. If platform breadth is your priority, Loomly wins. However, Hootsuite's integrations tend to be deeper on the platforms it does support, particularly for inbox management and social listening.
Can I switch from Hootsuite to Loomly?
Yes. You can reconnect your social accounts to Loomly and begin scheduling immediately. The transition typically takes less than an hour for account connections, though you will need to rebuild any saved post templates or content libraries. The biggest adjustment will be moving from Hootsuite's unified inbox and social listening to Loomly's more focused content calendar approach. Scheduled posts in Hootsuite will not transfer automatically, so plan the switch during a low-volume period.
Is Hootsuite worth it for small businesses?
For most small businesses, Hootsuite is too expensive. At €149/month per user for the Standard plan, even a single-user setup exceeds most small business social media budgets. Loomly's $65/month Starter plan or PostPlanify at $19/month offer better value for small teams.
Why is Loomly's Trustpilot score so low?
Loomly's 1.7/5 Trustpilot rating (from 26 reviews) is largely driven by backlash from a 2025 pricing restructure. Long-time users reported significant price increases and reduced features on existing plans. Hootsuite's Trustpilot score is also poor (1.8/5 from 511 reviews), driven by billing and cancellation complaints. Neither platform scores well on Trustpilot.
Is Loomly worth it in 2026?
Loomly remains a solid choice in 2026 for small to mid-size teams that need a visual content calendar with built-in approval workflows. At $65/month for the Starter plan, it offers strong value compared to enterprise tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. The main drawback is the large pricing gap between Starter ($65/month) and Beyond ($332/month), which can be limiting for growing teams. If you need advanced analytics or social listening, you will need to supplement Loomly with other tools or consider a more full-featured platform.
What is the best alternative to Hootsuite in 2026?
The best Hootsuite alternative depends on your priorities. For content planning and approval workflows on a budget, Loomly is a top pick. For agency-focused features like white-label reports and bulk scheduling, SocialPilot is a strong contender. For the best overall value with AI tools and unlimited team members, PostPlanify starts at just $19/month. See our full list of social media management tools to compare all your options.
Does Loomly offer a free trial?
Yes. Loomly offers both a free plan and a 15-day free trial of its paid plans. The free plan includes 3 social accounts, 1 user, and 5 posts per month — enough to test the interface and basic scheduling. The free trial gives you access to all paid features so you can evaluate approval workflows, AI captions, and the full content calendar before committing. Hootsuite, by comparison, offers a 30-day trial but has no permanent free plan.
