Hootsuite vs. Planoly: Pros & Cons, Pricing (+ Alternatives)

This is the complete comparison guide of Hootsuite vs. Planoly. I have used both social media tools to post and manage my campaigns.

I want to help you decide which tool is best for your social media marketing needs.

Start with Planoly if you have 1 or 2 social media platforms to post to. Otherwise, Hootsuite is the best solution for posting to multiple social accounts at once.

Key Features of Hootsuite vs. Planoly: Compared

Here’s a table comparing five key features of both Hootsuite and Planoly:

Hootsuite vs. Planoy: Key Differences

The main difference between Hootsuite and Planoly is their core purpose. Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media management platform. It enables users to schedule, monitor, and engage across multiple social channels. Planoly is focused on visual content planning and scheduling specifically for Instagram and Pinterest. Hootsuite offers a broader range of social media management features, while Planoly specializes in visual content management on select platforms.

Who is Hootsuite for?

Best for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and content creators

The social media management platform combines dashboard functionality with integrations to more than 30 popular social networks. 

If you’re a busy professional, Hootsuite’s dashboard is just the thing to keep you on top of all of your social media accounts. 

With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can schedule posts and monitor your social media presence.

If you have multiple social accounts and need to post to them at once, Hootsuite is a great tool. 

You can post directly to different accounts from the same interface, schedule posts, and view all comments. 

You can manage up to two social accounts for free, and more if you pay a subscription fee. 

You can also manage multiple accounts at once. Hootsuite is a great tool for businesses that are looking to improve their social media presence.

Pros and Cons of Hootsuite Summarized

Hootsuite Pricing

Hootsuite offers 4 straightforward plans and flexible pricing:

• PROFESSIONAL ($49/month): 1 user, 10 social accounts, schedule unlimited posts, and access messages in one inbox.
• TEAM ($129/month): 3 users, 20 social accounts, plus everything in PROFESSIONAL.
• BUSINESS ($739/month): 5 users, 35 social accounts, plus everything in TEAM.
• ENTERPRISE: Get custom solutions and quotes when you contact the sales team to request a demo.

Note: Hootsuite offers a free 30-day trial. You can use all the advanced features before upgrading to a paid plan. So you have nothing to lose!

Who is Planoly for?

Best for brands, small businesses, and influencers.

If you want to manage multiple social networks, you may want to consider a service like Planoly.

It can help you maintain multiple profiles and connect them all with one easy-to-use platform.

However, there are some things to consider before you begin using the service.

Planoly has numerous features that will help you manage your social networks and build a loyal audience.

You can search by keyword, date, week, month, and year. Planoly will display a list of top posts by date, visuals, and comments.

You can even see how many people follow you and how many likes your posts get. 

By analyzing your posts and their comments, you will get an idea of what content to post on your profile. Once you know what to post, you’ll have a better idea of how to market your business.

The free Planoly package enables one user to manage two profiles and posts only up to 30 photos per month.

You also have limited access to other features. The free plan is best for beginners because it limits your posting to 30 times per month.

If you’re a professional or want to post multiple times a day or batch content, the paid plans are a better option. You can download and share your Planoly posts easily.

Planoly Pros and Cons Summarized

Planoly Pricing

Planoly comes with 3 plans and flexible pricing with a 7-day free trial:

• Starter ($11.25/user/month): 1 social set, 60 uploads per month per profile.
• Growth ($19.50/user/month): 3 users, unlimited uploads, and 1 social set.
• Professional ($36.50/month): 6 users, unlimited uploads per month per profile, and 1 social set.
• sellit ($29/month): Sellit is PLANOLY’s solution to help you sell a physical or digital product from your Instagram account. Sellit offers a single-click checkout or link to your eCommerce store or website.

Hootsuite Reviews of 2023

Hootsuite is a social media marketing and management dashboard for businesses and content publishers.

To determine if Hootsuite is right for your business, we looked at the software’s features. 

The dashboard: 

The dashboard is easily navigable with groups for product controls, social network connections, and additional services.

Although the dashboard’s design may seem complicated at first, its features are self-explanatory. 

Those new to the program will appreciate Hootsuite’s built-in social listening tool.

Hootsuite’s free plan:

If you’re new to online marketing and are not sure how to get started, consider Hootsuite’s free plan. 

Its free tier is limited but does include basic analytics and features. You’ll need to pay a one-time charge to get more features, but the free tier includes up to 50 points. 

The good news is that you can use these points over again. Hootsuite is well worth considering.

Multiple users on a single account:

While Hootsuite allows multiple users on a single account, it is not perfect for marketing departments. 

While the free plan allows you to have several users, it is limited in features for team productivity. 

Teams can use Hootsuite for work, but it isn’t easy to manage and monitor all of them. For those of us with a marketing department, Hootsuite’s enterprise plan is the way to go.

Educational resources:

Aside from a flexible, user-friendly interface, Hootsuite also offers educational resources to help you get started. 

The company has a free version that you can try out and upgrade to according to your needs. 

However, Hootsuite is expensive for what it offers, and there are cheaper alternatives such as Sendible that offer similar features for less. 

Hootsuite is an excellent option for large companies, but for smaller businesses, it’s not a good fit.

Schedule posts to multiple platforms:

One of the major features of Hootsuite is the ability to schedule posts for multiple platforms. 

Users can post content instantly or schedule it to post at a later time. 

The scheduling feature is useful, as it allows you to reach multiple audiences across time zones. 

In addition to scheduling posts in advance, users can add images, and media, as well as save draft content for later use. 

Social inbox:

The social inbox in Hootsuite makes it easy to reply to comments and mentions without leaving the app.

Rich Analytics:

Another big selling point of Hootsuite is its analytics. 

Users can use it to measure marketing and sales initiatives and gain valuable information about their target audience. 

Furthermore, users can export custom reports to track their competition, areas for improvement, and the number of clicks they are getting. 

This is useful when you are trying to determine if Hootsuite is the right tool for your business. 

Hootsuite also offers a free 30-day trial for users who want to try out the product and see if it’s right for them.

Use cases: Businesses That Use Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular social media management platform used by 18 million professionals and hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies.

It’s used by these notable companies:

• Allianz
• Spectrum Health
• PennMutual
• Avidia Bank
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Georgia State University
• And millions of small businesses, social marketers, and online marketers

Key Features of Hootsuite

• Schedule social media posts
• Social monitoring tools
• Content planning and scheduling
• Campaign success analytics
• Real-time tracking of social impacts
• A mobile app to keep you alert on the go

Pros of Hootsuite

• It’s easy to add multiple social platforms in one simple step
• Scheduling posts is easy (even a first-time user can do it)
• Quickly post to all connected social media accounts or schedule your posts
• Easy-to-use social media management platform
• Collaborate with your team members without any glitches

Cons of Hootsuite

• You’re not allowed to post videos on LinkedIn
• The analytics can be more visually appealing and useful
• No autocorrect for photo size/ratios (yet)

Planoly Reviews of 2023

What is Planoly? Planoly is a powerful social media software that allows you to visually plan your social content.

With PLANOLY, you can schedule posts across Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you are considering purchasing a social media management tool, read our Planoly reviews to decide if this platform is right for you. 

We have collected the opinions of 272 buyers, based on a variety of criteria, including popularity, price competitiveness, and breadth of features.  

Manage Post Scheduling

Planoly is a popular social media management tool, especially among marketers and small business owners. The platform lets you manage post scheduling using a web-based dashboard and a visually rich calendar view.

You can also import data, customize content, and schedule posts with a few clicks. 

The service is affordable and user-friendly, and it also allows you to manage multiple social profiles.

Ultimately, it is worth trying it out to maximize your social media marketing efforts.

Automate Social Media Posts:

One of Planoly’s best features is its ability to automate social media posts, which can free up your time for other business or personal projects. 

It also allows you to keep your audience engaged by posting regularly.

Planoly also has scheduling capabilities for Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. The tool can also help you with your Instagram and Pinterest accounts. 

If you are new to social media management tools, you can find Planoly reviews to see if it’s the right tool for you.

Easily Sell Products on Social Platforms:

Planoly allows you to easily create a digital storefront with your products. The process of adding products and vital information, such as payment and shipping information, is transparent.

In addition, PLANOLY also allows you to post short videos, or “Reels,” to Instagram.

Reels are a great way to spread the word about your brand, and Planoly offers a Reels Planner, which helps you organize and visually plan out the content of your Reels. 

However, you can’t auto-post Reels using Planoly.

Planoly Linkit (Link in Bio):

Another tool available through Planoly is Planoly Linkit, which allows you to link Instagram feedback to any URL. 

This tool also allows you to curate custom Instagram galleries, attach links to your brand content, and track the engagement of your followers.

This feature is free for all Planoly users, so don’t be shy to try it out. Its simplicity may put you off, but you’ll soon find it worthwhile.

As for the Pin Calendar, it feels like a separate product. While the user interface is similar to its Pinterest counterpart, it’s still better to have a single integrated calendar.

It would be helpful if Planoly could integrate with Twitter and Facebook, as well as its Pinterest integration. 

For Instagram, Planoly can repost your posts to other social platforms, including Facebook and Pinterest. The app is free and has a modern design.

In addition to paid plans, Planoly also has a free plan for beginners. The free plan allows users to manage up to two profiles, but there are many limitations.

The Starter plan allows up to 60 posts per profile per month, and it lets you post photos.

Other features of the free plan include an inbox where users can leave comments on their 5 most recent posts. If you plan to use Planoly for business, however, you’ll probably need one of the two higher plans.

Use cases: Businesses That Use Planoly

Planoly is a thriving community of over 4 million brands, businesses, and influencers.

Planoly is used by these companies: 

1. L’OREAL
2. Glossier
3. Redken 5th Avenue NYC
4. Museum of Ice Cream
5. Glitter Guide
6. Estee Lauder
7. Used by small businesses, and social media influencers including Mariana Hewitt, Natalie Frankie, Madison Utendahl, etc.

Key Features of Planoly

• Visually plan every aspect of your social content
• Plan and schedule your content for Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, & Twitter
• Sell any type of product (physical or digital) or service using Sellit (don’t just link it)
• Turn your social account into a storefront
• Create easy-to-consume social content with StoriesEdit

Pros of Planoly

• Clean and intuitive dashboard that’s easy to understand
• The instant posting and scheduling process is quick and easy
• It’s easy to use: both on desktop and mobile
• Easily collaborate with multiple team members with PLANOLY team management tools
• Professional and modern content calendar templates you can customize to stay organized

Cons of Planoly

• The analytics dashboard could be easier to understand (with charts and graphs).
• No advanced photo editing features are built-in. You might need to retouch your photos first with Photoshop or Lightroom before importing them into Planoly.

Hootsuite vs Planoly: Alternatives

You might be interested in these platforms and software tools that can be used instead of Hootsuite and Planoly:

1. SproutSocial

Sprout Social is a popular social media management platform. It’s an alternative software to Planoly and Hootsuite.

Hootsuite, Planoly, and Sprout Social are powerful social media management tools. However, there are some important differences between the two.

Planoly is best suited for Instagram, while sprout social is best suited for multiple social media platforms.

Sprout Social lacks some features that Hootsuite has. The main differences lie in the cost and features, and in their ease of use.

Sprout Social is geared toward business owners, offering analytics that helps them make strategic decisions.

This platform is expensive, however, and requires a monthly payment. But if you have a small budget, you can use it as a free trial.

Sprout Social provides powerful social media automation tools. The software enables users to schedule posts to various social media accounts.

This allows users to respond to customer queries instantly, manage customer sentiment, and automate user processes.

Sprout Social also integrates with Facebook, Twitter, and Zendesk. It is important to know the limitations of each of these tools and how each one can work best for your business.

Planoly aims to simplify social media management. It has a drag-and-drop interface and allows users to arrange their feed visually.

They can create multiple drafts, track performance over time, and see user-generated content.

With multiple social accounts, Planoly allows users to create shoppable links. Planoly also has a robust scheduler and a lot of flexibility.

2. MavSocial

MavSocial is an alternative tool to Hootsuite and Planoly. MavSocial provides social media management and publishing solutions, which are designed for businesses of all sizes.

It’s ideal for agencies handling social media marketing campaigns.

Its features include Social Inbox, Campaign Planning, and Scheduling, which are incredibly useful for small businesses and new brands alike.

While Hootsuite and Planoly may be more robust with a range of advanced features, MavSocial stands out with unique capabilities such as bulk scheduling and reporting functionality.

It also places an emphasis on the visual side of social media management with a digital asset library and stock image library to aid in your posts.

In addition, MavSocial also has a mobile app that enables you to connect with your customers and employees across a variety of social networks.

It also allows you to create and manage campaigns that target specific demographics. In addition to these features, MavSocial also offers Facebook ads management.

MAVSocial offers a comprehensive scheduler and is capable of creating a schedule based on your preferences.

Moreover, you can use its AutoSchedule function to automate your posts. You can also import a CSV file of prepared updates to fill your queue. You can fill your queue for weeks, months, or even an entire social campaign.

MavSocial also offers access to stock images and a personal digital asset library.

Besides the price, you should know that MavSocial offers more social networks than Hootsuite.

Its free plan has ten profiles, while the Professional plan offers unlimited social networking.

The Professional plan also includes more features, such as scheduling by optimal send time.

Additionally, it offers link tracking, advanced reporting, and bulk import.

This social media management tool is widely used, with over 16 million users worldwide.

3. Later

Later is a scheduling tool for social media, and a good alternative to Hootsuite and Planoly.

While Hootsuite can handle Twitter and Facebook, later has the added benefit of Instagram sharing and scheduling.

Planoly, on the other hand, focuses on Instagram. Each offers a number of unique features for marketers. However, one thing they both have in common is their ability to automate post creation.

Later is similar to Hootsuite in several ways. Both allow users to plan out and schedule their content, while both have analytics and brand monitoring features.

Users have pointed out some pros and cons of each, as well as the similarities between the two. While both have similar features,

Later can be used to upload visuals, write captions, and set a time for posting. For business owners, it’s hard to beat a combination of both.

The major differences between the two platforms include the price. The free version of

Planoly is restricted to 30 media uploads a month, which can be a hindrance if you’re posting multiple times a day or batch-posting content.

In addition, the free version lacks organizational features. The Planoly platform’s system of unscheduled, scheduled, and drafts can be confusing.

While Planoly has the advantage of being more user-friendly, it can be difficult to collaborate with colleagues.

Planoly’s lack of team functionality makes it unsuitable for collaboration, while Hootsuite offers a better collaboration environment.

Managers can assign roles and approve content and can track team productivity. There are other features that separate Planoly from Planoly, but they’re largely negligible.

Hootsuite vs Planoly: Which is Better?

Planoly offers easier-to-use features that make managing a team of people easier. Its free version lets you manage two social accounts and schedule up to 5 posts.

Although it lacks some features, such as cross-functional collaboration, it makes sharing work easy between team members.

Planoly is primarily a visual social media management tool, but it does offer a few media editing tools. You can use filters and crop images, but you can’t apply a wide range of editing options.

In contrast, Hootsuite allows you to add text, hashtags, and links to your posts.

While both tools have basic editing capabilities, Planoly’s apps are more customizable and offer easier-to-use advanced functions, such as filtering and resizing images.