Metricool vs Hootsuite for agencies (2026): what 5 or 15 clients actually cost
Metricool prices by number of brands, Hootsuite by number of people. For a small agency that's the difference between a few hundred dollars a year and several thousand. Here's the math, plus approvals, client reports, inboxes and the catches. Checked October 23, 2026.
For most small agencies, Metricool is the better fit. It prices by the number of client brands with unlimited users on its Advanced plan, so five or fifteen clients cost a few hundred dollars a year, and clients can approve posts from an email link without an account. Hootsuite makes sense when you need what Metricool doesn't do: a team inbox with assignment and routing, social listening, or comment hiding and deletion.
Everything below comes from each company's pricing page, help center and product updates, checked on October 23, 2026. Prices are in US dollars. A disclosure: I build Harbor, an open-source scheduler, which isn't part of this comparison.
How they charge
- Metricool charges per account, in tiers by the number of brands. A brand is one client, with one profile per network. Free and Starter allow a single login; Advanced and up allow unlimited team members.
- Hootsuite charges per person. Every seat pays the full plan price, and the monthly rate isn't published, only the annual one.
| Plan | Price, billed annually | Monthly billing | Brands or accounts | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metricool Free | $0 | $0 | 1 brand | 1 |
| Metricool Starter | $20/mo (5 brands), $36 (10) | $25, $45 | Up to 10 brands | 1 |
| Metricool Advanced | $53/mo (15 brands), $85 (25), $159 (50) | $67, $107, $210 | Up to 50 brands | Unlimited |
| Hootsuite Standard | $99 per user/mo | Not published | 10 accounts total | Per seat |
| Hootsuite Professional | $199 per user/mo | Not published | Unlimited | Per seat |
| Hootsuite Advanced | Up to $399 per user/mo | Not published | Unlimited | Per seat |
Two Metricool add-ons matter for agencies:
- X is extra: $10 a month ($120 a year) per connected X account, on Starter and up. X isn't available on Free.
- Advanced Analytics (AI analysis and campaign dashboards): $12 a month on Starter, $36 on Advanced, once per account.
What an agency actually pays
Both scenarios assume each client has three accounts on different networks.
5 clients, 15 accounts, 3 people:
| Per year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Metricool Advanced | $636 ($804 on monthly billing) | Starter is out: it allows one user |
| Metricool Advanced, with X for every client | $1,236 | Adds 5 × $120 |
| Hootsuite Professional | $7,164 | 3 × $199 × 12. No approvals on this plan |
| Hootsuite Advanced | $14,364 | 3 × $399 × 12. The plan with approvals |
Hootsuite Standard is out here: 15 accounts is over its 10-account limit.
15 clients, 45 accounts, 5 people:
| Per year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Metricool Advanced | $636 ($804 on monthly billing) | Still inside the 15-brand tier. A 16th client moves you to $1,020 |
| Metricool Advanced, with X for every client | $2,436 | Adds 15 × $120 |
| Hootsuite Professional | $11,940 | 5 × $199 × 12 |
| Hootsuite Advanced | $23,940 | 5 × $399 × 12 |
The gap is large because the two count different things. Metricool's price barely moves when you add people; Hootsuite's price moves with every person.
Client approvals
- Metricool (Advanced and up): you send a post for review by email. The client opens a preview page and approves or rejects it, with a note, and doesn't need a Metricool account. Since August 2026 reviewers can comment without rejecting, and you can set the language of the review email.
- Hootsuite (Advanced, with more than one user): up to three approval steps, and since Q3 2026 all steps can be notified at once. Approvers appear to need Hootsuite access; I couldn't find a guest approval link. Since March 2026 you can record a client's outside sign-off with "Mark as Approved (Bypass)" and a note.
If your clients won't log in to another tool, that difference alone may decide it.
Client reports
| Metricool | Hootsuite | |
|---|---|---|
| Report formats | PDF and PPT with your logo; CSV; Looker Studio connector on Advanced | PDF, PPT, CSV, XLSX |
| Custom templates | Advanced and up | Custom reports on Professional |
| Scheduled reports | A monthly automatic report to several recipients, Starter and up | Scheduled reports on Professional; sharing to outside emails on Advanced |
| Branding | Logo on reports; full white-label only on the Custom plan | Logo or imagery on reports on Advanced; no full white-label |
| Shareable link | A report link anyone can open without signing in | Not found |
| Competitor tracking | Up to 100 on paid plans (no LinkedIn or TikTok competitors) | 5 on Standard, 20 on Professional and up |
Platforms
Both cover Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn pages and profiles, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business Profile. The differences:
- X: included on Hootsuite; a paid add-on per account on Metricool.
- Bluesky: Metricool publishes and reports on it. Hootsuite publishes to it (since September 2025); I couldn't confirm Bluesky analytics.
- Extras: Metricool adds Twitch. Hootsuite adds WhatsApp in its inbox.
Inbox and comments
This is Hootsuite's clearest advantage.
- Metricool's inbox covers Facebook and Instagram comments and DMs, TikTok comments (business accounts), LinkedIn comments and mentions, Google reviews, YouTube comments, and X DMs with the add-on. It doesn't cover Threads, Bluesky or Pinterest, and its help center says you can't hide or delete comments from Metricool.
- Hootsuite's inbox covers Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, TikTok, LinkedIn and Threads, with automated and AI replies on Professional and assignment and routing on Advanced. YouTube comments can be hidden or removed in its Streams view.
Ads, AI and APIs
- Ads: Metricool reports on Meta, Google and TikTok ads and can create and edit Meta and Google campaigns. Hootsuite covers Meta, LinkedIn, X and Reddit ads; I couldn't confirm Google or TikTok ads.
- AI: Metricool gives each brand a monthly number of AI credits (5 on Free, 20 on Starter, 35 on Advanced). Hootsuite's Wisdom assistant is on every plan.
- API and MCP: Metricool's API is on Advanced and up, and its MCP server, for Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants, is on every plan including Free. Hootsuite has an API and MCP servers for publishing, its inbox and more, but doesn't say which plans include them.
What reviewers complain about
- Metricool: Trustpilot 4.1 from 688 reviews; Capterra 4.4 from 98. Complaints: support that starts with a chatbot, non-refundable annual renewals, occasional posts that didn't publish, and the jump in price once a team needs Advanced.
- Hootsuite: Trustpilot 1.3 from 556 reviews; Capterra 4.4 from about 3,800. Complaints: charges after cancelling, hard-to-get refunds, chatbot-only support, accounts disconnecting, and the price.
On annual plans with either tool, put the renewal date in your calendar the day you sign up.
Which should you pick?
- Freelancer, a handful of clients, working alone: Metricool Starter ($20 to $36 a month on annual billing).
- Small agency with a team and clients who approve posts: Metricool Advanced. Clients approve from an email link, and adding people costs nothing.
- Agency where the inbox is the job (routing messages across a team, hiding and deleting comments, WhatsApp): Hootsuite Professional or Advanced.
- Agency that sells social listening: Hootsuite, whose listening runs from 30 days on Professional to 13 months on Enterprise.
FAQ
Is Metricool cheaper than Hootsuite for agencies?
Yes, by a wide margin for small teams. Five clients with three people cost $636 a year on Metricool Advanced (billed annually) against $7,164 on Hootsuite Professional or $14,364 on Hootsuite Advanced, because Metricool prices by brands and Hootsuite by people.
Can clients approve posts without an account?
On Metricool, yes: on Advanced, reviewers approve or reject from an email link without a Metricool account. On Hootsuite, approvals are on Advanced, and I couldn't find a way for someone without Hootsuite access to approve.
Does Metricool charge extra for X (Twitter)?
Yes. X costs $10 a month, or $120 a year, per connected X account, on Starter and above. X isn't available on the Free plan.
Does Metricool have white-label reports?
Partly. You can put your logo on PDF and PPT reports, but full white-label is only on the Custom plan, by quote.
Can I hide or delete comments in Metricool?
No. Metricool's help center says hiding and deleting comments and messages isn't possible from Metricool. Hootsuite's inbox and Streams offer more moderation.
Does Hootsuite publish monthly prices?
No. Its plans page gives annual-billing prices only and says monthly billing costs more per user.
Sources
- Metricool: pricing, plans compared, plans, add-ons and API, team roles, Metricool for agencies, reports, inbox, competitor analysis, what's new
- Hootsuite: plans, approval tool, documenting outside approvals, analytics, inbox, advertising, what's new in Q3, Bluesky publishing, MCP
- Reviews: Trustpilot for Metricool and Hootsuite; Capterra for Metricool and Hootsuite