Head-to-head · Social Tools
Hootsuite vs Meltwater Social Listening
Hootsuite leads on 0 checks, Meltwater Social Listening on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreHootsuite · 9.1/10
- Free trialonly Hootsuite
- Most featuresHootsuite · 1 of 5
Hootsuite scores higher on our rubric for social tools: 9.1 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.
Hootsuite is the better fit for established teams needing broad integrations. Meltwater Social Listening is the better fit for enterprises focused on social and media listening.
- Hootsuite fits best
Established teams needing broad integrations
- Meltwater Social Listening fits best
Enterprises focused on social and media listening
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Side by side
| Feature | Hootsuite 9.1/10 Visit ↗ | Meltwater Social Listening 8.7/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.1 | 8.7 |
| Ranking | #2 in Social Tools | #6 in Social Tools |
| Best for | Established teams needing broad integrations | Enterprises focused on social and media listening |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $99/user/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Integrations | 100+ integrations | 7 integrations |
| Features Hootsuite 1/5 · Meltwater Social Listening 0/5 | ||
| Analytics reports | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Social inbox | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Social listening | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Approval workflow | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Mobile app | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Social accounts | 10 accounts | Not checked yet |
| Supported networks | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Our verdict | Hootsuite brings social publishing, engagement, listening, and analytics into a cloud platform for businesses, agencies, and enterprise teams. It suits organizations coordinating content and responses across multiple social profiles,… Read the review → |
Meltwater Social Listening is a web-based social intelligence product for marketing, communications, and public relations teams. It monitors conversations across social networks, news, forums, Reddit, and other digital sources, then… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Hootsuite — where it wins
- Schedules unlimited posts and manages up to 10 accounts on Standard
- Combines messages and comments in a unified social inbox
- Offers analytics, listening, benchmarking, and team workflows
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; Standard starts at $99 per user per month with annual billing
- Standard is limited to 10 social accounts
- Approval workflows are included with Advanced, not Standard
Meltwater Social Listening — where it wins
- Monitors social, news, forums, and Reddit across many networks
- Combines sentiment, trends, share of voice, and competitor tracking
- Provides alerts, dashboards, reporting, and API data access
Where it doesn't
- Pricing requires contacting sales
- Focused on listening rather than broader publishing workflows
- Advanced governance and integrations are reserved for Enterprise
- Hootsuite9.1/10 · 14-day trial
A broad social management suite for teams willing to pay per user for integrated workflows.
Visit HootsuiteFull verdict → - Meltwater Social Listening8.7/10 · Pricing on request
Deep social and media listening for teams that need alerts, analysis, and reporting.
Visit MeltwaterFull verdict →
More comparisons
- Hootsuite vs Brandwatch Listen
- Buffer vs Meltwater Social Listening
- Zoho Social vs Meltwater Social Listening
- Later vs Meltwater Social Listening
- Meltwater Social Listening vs Emplifi
All social tools comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update