Hootsuite vs Later

The heart of the debate of Hootsuite vs Later is that the customer is at the center of any business’s social media marketing strategy and there is nothing that connects a business to its customer than social media.

If utilized efficiently, social media marketing can do wonders in no time. Naturally, everyone is looking for ways to make the use of social media hassle-free and less time-consuming. 

The need brought in the innovation in technology and today the markets are full of automation software that save us all some time and energy. From responding to consumer inquiries to content sharing, automation software can maximize your output with minimum input from the side.

So which popular automation tools should you consider, Later or Hootsuite? Let us take a deeper look.

Later

Launched in 2014, Later can be used to unite Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Initially called Latergramme, the platform expanded its services to other websites and became a popular choice for social media marketing automation.

Hootsuite

Launched much before Later in 2008, Hootsuite connects a larger number of social media sites than Later and flaunts more advanced tools to manage all social media accounts at once.

Now that you have a basic idea of the two software, let us see which is better, Hootsuite or Later? 

Account registration

Later has an easy signup process that allows you to experience their website for free, unlike Hootsuite where you are required to choose a plan and submit payment details before you can have a look at their services. Here, Later is provides a more straightforward and unfussy registration procedure.

Social media sets

Let us take a look at the social media marketing services and compare Hootsuite vs Later for the most popular social media sites: 

• Facebook: Later provides post scheduling options for your business page; Hootsuite offers post scheduling options for both business pages and groups
• Instagram: Both Later and Hootsuite do not offer automatic posting or direct messaging options
• Twitter: Both software offer the ability to schedule posts of all types
• YouTube: Hootsuite allows to schedule the posting of videos; however, YouTube is not included in the social media set offered by Later
• LinkedIn: Hootsuite allows to schedule posts; however, LinkedIn is not included in the social media set offered by Later
• Pinterest: You can choose this from the social media packages on Hootsuite; however, it is not included in the social media set by Later
• The social media sites of Tumblr and Reddit are not included in the social media sets of Later and Hootsuite.

Following are the key takeaways from this table:

• Hootsuite allows you to connect to more social media sites than Later.
• However, neither Hootsuite nor Later let you utilize the untapped opportunity of social media marketing on Reddit and Tumblr.

Charges for various plans

Later

Monthly Pricing Plans for Standard Social Media Set (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest) 

• FREE: This is a free-forever account for 30 posts for 1 user across the social media set
• STARTER: $15 for 60 posts for 1 user across the social media set
• GROWTH: $25 for 150 posts per user for 3 users across the social media set
• ADVANCED: $40 for unlimited posts for 6 users across the social media set

There is an opportunity of saving approximately 17% on these prices if you opt for the yearly plans. Moreover, all packs after the FREE pack are customizable for including more users and social media sets.

Hootsuite

Monthly Plans in Hootsuite are very different from Later

• 3 Days Free Trial: Can be activated with any plan
• PROFESSIONAL: $29 for 10 social profiles by 1 user; this is suitable for small businesses and independent consultants
• TEAM: $129 for 20 profiles for 3 users; this is suitable for small social media marketing teams
• BUSINESS: $599 for 35 social profiles for 5 to 10 users; this is suitable for large businesses looking to grow their following and brand
• ENTERPRISE: This is a customizable plan for which you need to contact Hootsuite

In terms of pricing plans, both Later and Hootsuite provide various options to their customers with an option for customization. Where Hootsuite is charging more for its services, it is also providing more options of social media profiles and better tools for automation ad integration of various social profiles.

User experience

User experience in Hootsuite vs Later is vastly different.

Since Later only provides for a few social media sites, navigating through Later is easy, especially for a first-timer.

On the other hand, Hootsuite has a rather complicated structure due to the vast variety of services it offers. Once the initial hurdle is crossed, Hootsuite provides for a sophisticated user experience.

Conclusion

Well, both Hootsuite and Later come with their set of advantages and flaws.

One important feature that both platforms miss out upon is the integration of all-important social media platforms. While Later is missing many social media sites from its services, Hootsuite is also not providing integration with all social media sites. You can make your choice after analyzing which platform suits your needs best.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use Hootsuite for Instagram?

• Hootsuite allows its users to schedule posts for Instagram.

2. What does social media marketing mean?

• Social media marketing means marketing a business and its product/services through social media websites such as Instagram and Facebook.

3. What is Social Media Marketing Automation?

• Automation of social media is a process of automating the marketing process which helps in saving time and effort and increases the efficiency of engaging with the audience.

4. How many people use Hootsuite social media?

• As of 2021, Hootsuite boasts over 200,000 paid users and is thus the global leader of social media management. 

5. What are the best social media automation tools?

Here are the top social media automation software that are popular among social media managers:

• Buffer
• Hootsuite
• Later
• Tailwind
• Workflow
• Sendible