Top 10 Free Alternatives to Hootsuite in 2025

As social media management becomes increasingly critical for businesses and content creators, it's essential to find the right tools that fit both your needs and budget. Here are the top 10 free alternatives to Hootsuite for 2025, each offering unique features and capabilities to help you manage your social media presence effectively.

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1. Metricool

Website: Metricool
Free Plan: Yes, a free plan is available for life.
Scheduling: Allows scheduling of up to 50 social media posts per month on the free plan.
Analytics: Offers good analytics even on the free plan.
Ease of Use: Generally considered user-friendly.
Platforms: Supports major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and others.
Best For: Casual users or those with lower social media volume needs.

2. Buffer

Website: Buffer
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for up to 3 social media channels.
Scheduling: Allows scheduling of 30 posts in total across the free channels.
User Interface: Known for its clean and intuitive interface.
Browser Extensions: Offers browser extensions to schedule content directly from Chrome or Firefox.
AI Assistant: Includes an AI assistant for crafting content (on the free plan).
Analytics: Provides performance insights and engagement metrics.
Best For: Individuals and small businesses starting with social media.

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3. Social Champ

Website: Social Champ
Free Plan: Offers a free social media planner with unlimited features.
Scheduling: Includes multi-platform scheduling and a visual content calendar.
Content Calendar: Features an organized, aesthetic calendar.
Engagement: Helps with audience engagement via tailored scheduling and analytics.
Platforms: Supports multiple platforms.
Best For: Businesses looking for a free tool with full functionality to streamline their strategies.

4. Planable

Website: Planable
Free Trial: Offers a free trial.
User Interface: Easy-to-use, mimicking the feel of social media platforms.
Collaboration: Offers in-app team collaboration with real-time comments and replies.
Approval System: Multi-level approval system for organizations.
Content Views: Provides multiple views such as List, Grid, Feed, and Calendar.
Platforms: Syncs content across major platforms.
Best For: Teams requiring collaboration and approval workflows.

5. Pallyy

Website: Pallyy
Free Plan: While they don't have a free plan, they are very budget-friendly.
Affordability: A very affordable alternative to Hootsuite.
Ease of Use: Easier to use than Hootsuite, with a simple, visually oriented interface.
Scheduling: Offers all core scheduling, unified inbox, and analytics features.
Specialization: Specializes in Instagram-specific insights.
Best For: Content creators and small businesses.

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6. Zoho Social

Website: Zoho Social
Free Trial: Offers a 15-day free trial.
Comprehensive Tool: Provides tools for publishing, monitoring, and team collaboration.
Customer Support: Known for solid customer support.
Pricing: Offers a free plan, but more advanced features require a paid plan.
Platforms: Supports multiple social media platforms.
Best For: Businesses of all sizes.

7. Agorapulse

Website: Agorapulse
Free Trial: Offers a free trial period.
Publishing: Simplifies the social media publishing process.
Collaboration: Includes tools for collaboration, analytics, and automation.
Platforms: Supports platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google Business.
Inbox Management: Manages all your messages in one place.
Best For: Businesses looking for a simplified publishing and collaboration process.

8. HubSpot Social Media Management

Website: HubSpot Social Media Management
Key Features: Social media management, analytics, automation, CRM integration, content scheduling, and engagement tracking.
Free Tools: Offers free tools along with paid options.
Integration: Integrates well with other HubSpot tools.
Comprehensive: Provides a comprehensive suite of marketing tools.
Best For: Businesses already using HubSpot's CRM.

9. Sendible

Website: Sendible
Features: Offers content scheduling, social listening, analytics, blog posting, and client management tools.
User Interface: Has a user interface that is preferred by many.
Content Library: Comes with a shared content library.
Affordability: Considered more affordable than Hootsuite while having a wide range of features.
Best For: Most users who need a broad feature set at a reasonable price.

10. Later

Website: Later
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for individuals.
Visual Planning: Excels in visual content planning.
Pricing: Paid tiers provide more social sets, analytics, and features.
Platforms: Supports platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn.
Best For: Individuals and smaller businesses that are focused on visual social media content.

These tools provide a range of functionalities to suit different social media management needs, from simple scheduling and analytics to advanced collaborative features and comprehensive marketing solutions. Always check the specific features and updates on their official websites to ensure they meet your requirements.

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FAQ

1. What is the best free alternative to Hootsuite for casual users?

Metricool is ideal for casual users or those with lower social media volume needs. It offers a free plan with scheduling and good analytics for major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Learn more about Metricool

2. Which tool offers a clean and intuitive interface for beginners?

Buffer is known for its clean and intuitive interface and offers a free plan for up to 3 social media channels. It includes scheduling, performance insights, and an AI assistant for crafting content. Discover Buffer

3. Which alternative provides unlimited features on its free plan?

Social Champ offers a free social media planner with unlimited features, including multi-platform scheduling and a visual content calendar, making it great for businesses. Explore Social Champ

4. What is the best option for team collaboration and approval workflows?

Planable excels in team collaboration with real-time comments and replies, a multi-level approval system, and multiple content views like List, Grid, Feed, and Calendar. Learn more about Planable

5. Which tool is a budget-friendly alternative to Hootsuite?

Pallyy, although not free, is very budget-friendly and easier to use than Hootsuite. It offers core scheduling, unified inbox, and analytics features, specializing in Instagram-specific insights. Discover Pallyy

6. Which alternative integrates well with other tools and provides a comprehensive suite of marketing tools?

HubSpot Social Media Management integrates well with HubSpot's other tools, offering social media management, analytics, automation, CRM integration, and engagement tracking. Explore HubSpot Social Media Management

7. What is the best option for managing all social media messages in one place?

Agorapulse offers simplified publishing, collaboration tools, and inbox management, supporting platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more. Learn more about Agorapulse

8. Which tool is ideal for businesses of all sizes with solid customer support?

Zoho Social is known for its comprehensive tools for publishing, monitoring, and team collaboration, with good customer support and a free trial. Discover Zoho Social

9. What is the most affordable option with a wide range of features?

Sendible provides a broad feature set including content scheduling, social listening, and client management tools, all at an affordable price. Explore Sendible

10. Which alternative is best for visual content planning and supports multiple social media platforms?

Later offers a free plan for individuals, excelling in visual content planning and supports platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Learn more about Later

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.

About the Publication

Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.

Mission and Purpose

Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.

Key Features

The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:

Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials

Impact and Growth

Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:

3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
100+ startup tools built
5,000+ pieces of articles and news written

Partnerships

Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.

Recognition

Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.