Prices and features last verified September 2026
OutReply vs Hootsuite: AI replies without per-seat pricing (2026)
Hootsuite is an established social media suite priced per user, from $99 a month on Standard. OutReply is built around AI-written replies to comments and DMs, with sentiment on every plan, flat pricing and a free plan.
Quick verdict
Hootsuite covers publishing, an inbox and analytics on every plan. Enterprise adds advanced listening, and its Advanced Inbox add-on brings AI Smart Replies and inbox sentiment for large teams. If your daily work is answering comments and messages, OutReply puts AI-drafted replies and sentiment on every plan from Free up, and comment-to-DM on Advanced and Elite. OutReply Advanced is $30 a month for up to 10 collaborators per brand; Hootsuite Standard is $99 per user a month, billed annually.
| Question | OutReply | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Free; paid from $30/mo | $99/user/mo, billed annually |
| Free plan | Yes, free forever | No, 14-day trial |
| Priced | Flat price, teammates included | Per user |
| AI replies | Every plan, comments and DMs | Smart Replies, an Enterprise add-on |
OutReply vs Hootsuite pricing (2026)
Prices in US dollars, last verified September 2026. OutReply's plans come straight from our pricing page.
OutReply
- Free$0Free forever, no card · 1 brand × 2 social accounts, 30 AI credits a month
- Advanced$30per month, flator $300 a year · 3 brands × 5 social accounts, 10 collaborators per brand, 1,300 AI credits a month
- Elite$45per month, flator $450 a year · 10 brands × 25 social accounts, 50 collaborators per brand, 2,400 AI credits a month
Flat pricing: paid plans include collaborators instead of billing per seat. Each AI reply uses 1 credit, and top-up credit packs are available.
Hootsuite
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $99per user / month Billed annually | 10 social accounts, one inbox, AI post and image generation |
| Professional | $199per user / month Billed annually | Unlimited social accounts, automated inbox replies and workflows |
| Advanced | $399per user / month Billed annually | Adds message assignment and auto-routing |
| Enterprise | Custom Custom quote | Advanced listening and analytics; the Advanced Inbox add-on adds AI Smart Replies and sentiment |
Hootsuite has no free plan; Standard, Professional and Advanced come with a 14-day free trial, and Enterprise starts with a demo. Its plans page lists annual prices, not month-to-month rates.
One person: $300 a year on OutReply Advanced vs $1,188 on Hootsuite Standard. Three people: still $300 on OutReply, vs $3,564 on Hootsuite Standard.
OutReply vs Hootsuite: feature comparison
Replies, inbox, automation and publishing side by side. "Not listed" means the feature does not appear on Hootsuite's pricing page or in the sources below as of September 2026; check with Hootsuite if it matters to you.
| Feature | OutReply | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes: 1 brand, 2 social accounts and 30 AI credits a month | No, 14-day free trial source |
| How you pay | Flat monthly or yearly price, collaborators included | Per user, billed annually source |
| Social accounts | Advanced: 3 brands × 5 accounts; Elite: 10 brands × 25 accounts | Standard: 10; Professional and up: unlimited source |
| AI-written replies to comments and DMs | Every plan, including Free (1 credit per reply) | AI Smart Replies in the Advanced Inbox, an Enterprise add-on source |
| Replies sent automatically | Workflows on Advanced and Elite for Facebook and Instagram comments and DMs, and for WhatsApp messages through the AI chatbot step | Automated inbox replies and workflows from Professional source |
| Keyword comment-to-DM on Instagram | Yes, with an AI-written or fixed message (Advanced and Elite) | Yes, automated Instagram DMs when someone comments a keyword source |
| Sentiment on comments and messages | Every comment, on every plan | Sentiment in the Advanced Inbox, an Enterprise add-on source |
| AI post and image generation | Yes, posts, images and video using credits | Yes, on all plans source |
| Social listening | Reddit keyword monitoring with AI reply drafts | Brand and competitor monitoring on every plan; advanced listening on Enterprise source |
| Message assignment and routing | Collaborator permissions and post approval | Assign and auto-route messages from Advanced source |
Where each tool is stronger
Where OutReply is stronger
- AI-drafted replies to comments on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube; DMs on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, on every plan. Hootsuite's AI Smart Replies come with its Advanced Inbox, an Enterprise add-on.
- Sentiment on every comment from the Free plan up; Hootsuite's inbox sentiment is part of the same Enterprise add-on.
- Flat pricing: Advanced includes up to 10 collaborators per brand for $30 a month, where Hootsuite bills every user.
- A free plan to start, instead of a 14-day trial.
- Audience profiles and buying-intent lead scoring on Advanced, competitor tracking and Google Trends on Elite.
Where Hootsuite is stronger
- Unlimited social accounts from Professional; OutReply caps accounts per brand.
- Message assignment and auto-routing for larger support teams, from Advanced.
- Advanced listening and advanced analytics on Enterprise. OutReply's listening covers Reddit only.
- Brand and competitor monitoring from Standard; OutReply's competitor tracking is on Elite.
- Trend forecasting up to 90 days ahead on Professional.
Who should choose Hootsuite, and who should choose OutReply
Hootsuite is the better fit for
Large social teams that need unlimited profiles, message assignment and routing across many agents, and enterprise listening, and that budget per seat.
OutReply is the better fit for
Small and mid-sized businesses and agencies that want AI-drafted replies and sentiment on every plan, comment-to-DM automation, flat pricing and a free plan to start.
How to switch from Hootsuite to OutReply
There is no import tool, so switching is mostly connecting your accounts and teaching OutReply about your business.
- Create a free OutReply account. No credit card is needed.
- Connect your social accounts through each network's official sign-in.
- Describe your business once (products, prices, opening hours, links and tone) so AI replies sound like you.
- Move your upcoming scheduled posts across by hand. There is no automatic import from Hootsuite.
- Start with AI drafts in the review queue, then let workflows answer routine comments and DMs once you trust them (Advanced and Elite).
- Keep Hootsuite until its billing period ends so nothing is missed during the switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is OutReply cheaper than Hootsuite?
For one person, OutReply Advanced costs $300 a year and Hootsuite Standard costs $1,188 a year, billed annually. For three people OutReply is still $300, because up to 10 collaborators per brand are included, while Hootsuite Standard is $3,564. OutReply also has a free plan; Hootsuite offers a 14-day trial.
Does Hootsuite have AI replies?
Yes. Hootsuite's Smart Replies suggest on-brand responses to comments, and they come with the Advanced Inbox, an add-on for Enterprise plans. Professional and higher plans can automate inbox replies and workflows. OutReply drafts an AI reply to any comment or DM on every plan, at 1 credit per reply, and on Advanced and Elite workflows can send routine replies automatically.
Can OutReply replace Hootsuite for a large team?
For up to 10 brands with 50 collaborators each on Elite, OutReply covers publishing, replies, sentiment and reporting. If you depend on routing messages across many support agents, enterprise listening or unlimited profiles, Hootsuite is the better fit.
Is OutReply a good Hootsuite alternative for agencies?
Elite covers up to 10 client brands, each with up to 25 social accounts and 50 collaborators, for $45 a month. You can share a live brand report link or export a PDF. OutReply does not offer white label reports.
How do I switch from Hootsuite to OutReply?
There is no automatic import from Hootsuite. Create a free account, connect your accounts through each network's official sign-in, describe your business so AI replies sound like you, and recreate your upcoming scheduled posts. Most teams keep Hootsuite until its billing period ends and run both side by side for a few days.
Which networks does OutReply support?
Publish and schedule posts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube, including Stories and Reels on Facebook and Instagram. Draft AI replies to comments on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube, and to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp messages. Real-time automations run on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and Reddit is covered by keyword monitoring. A Google Analytics 4 integration adds your website traffic.
Sources
Last verified September 2026. Hootsuite's prices and features come from the pages below, and prices change, so check them before you buy. OutReply's come from our pricing page. We make OutReply, which is why we cite a source for every claim about Hootsuite.
- Hootsuite plans and pricing(hootsuite.com)
- Hootsuite social media inbox features(hootsuite.com)
Try OutReply free next to Hootsuite
Connect an account, let OutReply draft replies to your latest comments and DMs, and compare before you switch.