Social media management tools
We put 5 social media management tools through the same test. Hootsuite came out on top with 4 out of 5. Here are all the results, what each tool costs and how we test them.
Social media management tools we tested
Best score first. Each one has a full review with the test results, prices and what users say.
Hootsuite
4/5Read our review →
Sprout Social
4/5Read our review →
Buffer
4/5Read our review →
Sendible
2/5Read our review →
Agorapulse
2/5Read our review →Test results compared
Every tool got the same test, between September 26, 2026 to October 25, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Posts published on time and in the right format | Time to schedule a week of posts | Analytics figures compared with each platform's own insights | Mentions found versus a manually checked list (listening tools) | Price for 1 brand and for 10 brands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | 4/5 | On-time correct posts 49/60 | 24 min/week scheduling | Native metrics matched 26/30 | N/A: no listening test | – |
| Sprout Social | 4/5 | On-time correct posts 51/60 | 19 min/week scheduling | Native metrics matched 25/30 | N/A: no listening test | – |
| Buffer | 4/5 | On-time correct posts 51/60 | 21 min/week scheduling | Native metrics matched 25/30 | N/A: no listening test | – |
| Sendible | 2/5 | On-time correct posts 38/60 | 39 min/week scheduling | Native metrics matched 18/30 | N/A: no listening test | – |
| Agorapulse | 2/5 | On-time correct posts 34/60 | 37 min/week scheduling | Native metrics matched 17/30 | N/A: no listening test | – |
Want just the shortlist?
Our best-of list ranks every tool in this test, with what each one is best for.
What social media management tools do
Social media management tools let teams connect several social accounts and publish, reply, report and sometimes monitor mentions from one dashboard. The suite tier adds a shared inbox, approvals, analytics and listening on top of scheduling, usually priced per user.
Who uses them: Brands with a social team, Agencies managing client accounts, Customer care teams answering via social, Enterprises needing approvals and compliance, Small businesses outgrowing native schedulers.
Price range: Entry paid prices span about 5 USD per channel (Buffer) to 79 to 99 USD per user per month (Hootsuite from 99, Sprout Essentials 79 annual, Agorapulse Standard 79 annual or 99 monthly). Sendible Core is about 30 to 35 USD. Top self-serve tiers reach 399 USD per seat (Sprout Advanced, Hootsuite up to 399). All enterprise tiers are custom quotes.
What to check before you buy
Pricing model. Per user (Hootsuite, Sprout, Agorapulse), per channel (Buffer) or per workspace (Sendible) changes the cost sharply with team size; check which cycle a headline price assumes.
Inbox and engagement. A unified inbox with assignments matters for care teams; Sprout puts it from Standard (199), Hootsuite and Agorapulse from the first tier.
Reporting and listening. Depth varies: Sprout adds competitor and paid insights on Professional; listening is often a paid add-on.
Profile limits. Sprout caps Essentials and Standard at 5 profiles; Agorapulse includes 10; Hootsuite 10 on Standard; Sendible by workspace.
Free trial and plan. Sprout and Agorapulse give 30-day trials without a free plan; Buffer has a free plan; Sendible 14 days.
How we test social media management tools
The test for this category: 60-post calendar across 4 networks, shared inbox with 50 test comments, approval flow and reports.
The same 30-day content calendar (60 posts across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and others the tool supports) is scheduled in every tool, with one client approval round. Analytics tools are pointed at the same accounts; listening tools track the same 5 brand keywords.
Each tool is tested on a paid plan, and its review shows the plan, the price and the test dates. The overall score is the average of the five parts on the right, rounded to the nearest half star. See the full method for social publishing, analytics and listening tools.
What we measure
- Posts published on time and in the right format
- Time to schedule a week of posts
- Analytics figures compared with each platform's own insights
- Mentions found versus a manually checked list (listening tools)
- Price for 1 brand and for 10 brands
The five parts of the score
Frequently asked questions
What is a social media management tool?
Software to publish, engage with and report on several social accounts from one dashboard.
What is the cheapest option?
Buffer has a free plan and paid from 5 USD per channel; Sendible about 30 to 35 USD per month.
Which tools have a free plan?
Buffer yes; Hootsuite, Sprout, Sendible do not; Agorapulse status is conflicting.
Hootsuite or Sprout Social?
Hootsuite starts at 99 per user with 10 accounts; Sprout starts at 79 annual with 5 profiles and rises to 399; both are enterprise-oriented.
Is per-user pricing a problem?
Costs scale with seats; Sendible includes unlimited users, Buffer charges per channel.
Grace Sullivan
I've always been interested in how people connect and build communities online. When exploring a new service, I pay attention to usability, transparency, pricing, and whether its advertised features make sense in everyday situations.
Make your case
Think we got a review wrong?
If you use a tool we reviewed, or work for the company, email us with what you saw. We'll look at the evidence and update the review if it changes our findings.
Want your company reviewed?
Send us your product, website and the category it fits. We'll test it the same way as every other tool. It's free, and we can't promise a date or a score.