Free Hootsuite alternatives
Hootsuite no longer has a free plan. Its plans page lists Standard, Professional and Advanced with a free 14-day trial, after which billing starts, and its FAQ says paid plans start at $99 for Standard. The schedulers below all have a free plan you can keep. Our pick is Metricool, for its calendar, 30 days of analytics and competitor tracking on Free, with one real limit: it cannot connect LinkedIn or X on Free.
4 listings · facts checked on official pages, latest 2026-11-02. Plans change; confirm on the vendor's site.
| Plan | Free scheduling | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | No free plan (14-day trial) | Standard from $99 a month |
| Metricool | 20 posts a month, 1 brand | $0, no LinkedIn or X |
| Buffer | 10 queued posts per channel, 3 channels | $0, X and LinkedIn included |
| Publer | 10 queued posts per account, 3 accounts | $0, no X |
| Zoho Social | 1 brand, 6 channels | $0 after a 15-day trial |
Our pick first, then the queue-based schedulers, then Zoho Social for X and LinkedIn on Free. Buttons marked "affiliate link" may earn us a commission at no cost to you; they never change the order. See the affiliate disclosure.
Checked on the official pricing pages, 2026-11-02
Hootsuite: Standard, Professional and Advanced each come with a free 14-day trial; "At the end of your trial, regular billing begins". The FAQ says paid plans start at $99 for Standard (up to 10 social accounts). There is no free plan. Source: www.hootsuite.com/plans, checked 2026-11-02.
Metricool Free: $0/month: 1 brand, all of its social networks except LinkedIn and Twitter, up to 20 scheduled posts per month, 5 competitor profiles, 30 days of analytics, the AI social media assistant and Metricool MCP. Source: metricool.com/pricing/, checked 2026-11-02.
Buffer Free: Free forever: 10 scheduled posts per channel (refill anytime), 100 ideas, 1 user, AI Assistant, insights with a 30-day history, community inbox and API access. The FAQ mentions a three-channel limit on Free. Source: buffer.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-02.
Publer Free: Free forever: 1 user, 1 workspace, 3 social accounts (except X), 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 saved drafts, 24-hour post history and free trials on paid features. Source: publer.com/plans, checked 2026-11-02.
Zoho Social: The FAQ says sign-up starts a 15-day free trial with no credit card, after which the account moves to a forever free plan with limited features. A brand includes 6 channels, including an X profile and LinkedIn. Source: www.zoho.com/social/pricing.html, checked 2026-11-02.
01MetricoolSocial
From the official page · checked Nov 2, 2026
Pick this if: You want Hootsuite-style analytics and competitor tracking for one brand on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube, and 20 posts a month is enough.
Our pick.
Try Metricoolaffiliate link
Disclosure: Metricool may pay us a commission if you sign up or upgrade through our link. It costs you nothing extra.
02BufferSocial
From the official page · checked Nov 2, 2026
Pick this if: You want X or LinkedIn on a free plan with a simple queue, a content calendar and community replies across 3 channels.
03PublerSocial
From the official page · checked Nov 2, 2026
Pick this if: You post to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn and want 25 saved drafts and free trials of paid features such as bulk scheduling.
Try Publeraffiliate link
Disclosure: Publer may pay us a commission if you sign up or upgrade through our link. It costs you nothing extra.
04Zoho SocialSocial
From the official page · checked Nov 2, 2026
Pick this if: You need X, LinkedIn, Instagram, a Facebook Page and a Google Business Profile for one brand, like a small Hootsuite setup.
Questions
Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
No. Hootsuite's plans page lists only paid plans with a free 14-day trial; regular billing begins when the trial ends unless you cancel (checked 2026-11-02).
What is the best free alternative to Hootsuite?
For one brand with analytics, Metricool: 20 scheduled posts a month, 30 days of analytics and 5 competitor profiles. If you need X or LinkedIn on Free, Buffer or Zoho Social.
Which free Hootsuite alternative supports X and LinkedIn?
Buffer and Zoho Social connect both on their free plans. Publer supports LinkedIn but not X on Free, and Metricool supports neither on Free.
How much does Hootsuite cost?
Hootsuite's FAQ says paid plans start at $99 for Standard, $199 for Professional and up to $399 for Advanced.