Head-to-head · Instagram Marketing Software
Hootsuite vs Sked Social
Hootsuite leads on 0 checks, Sked Social on 1, and 1 is 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 · 8.8/10
- Lowest starting priceSked Social · $24/mo
- Free trialboth
Hootsuite scores higher on our rubric for instagram marketing software: 8.8 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #7.
Sked Social is cheaper to start at $24/mo against $99/mo.
Hootsuite is the better fit for enterprise social operations. Sked Social is the better fit for instagram-first publishing with approvals.
- Hootsuite fits best
Enterprise social operations
- Sked Social fits best
Instagram-first publishing with approvals
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Side by side
| Feature | Hootsuite 8.8/10 Visit ↗ | Sked Social 8.0/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.8 | 8.0 |
| Ranking | #4 in Instagram Marketing Software | #7 in Instagram Marketing Software |
| Best for | Enterprise social operations | Instagram-first publishing with approvals |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $99/user/mo | $24/mo (best) |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Free trial length | 14 days · no card needed | 14 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Support | Email, Tickets, Community · 24/7 | Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7 |
| Compliance | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS | SOC 2, 2FA |
| Integrations | 100+ integrations | 16 integrations |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Hootsuite 0/4 · Sked Social 0/4 | ||
| Instagram auto-publish | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Visual feed planner | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Instagram ad management | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Competitor benchmarking | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Analytics history | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Publishing formats | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Hootsuite is a cloud-based social media management platform for businesses, agencies, and enterprise teams. It brings content creation, scheduling, publishing, inbox management, analytics, listening, sentiment analysis, competitive… Read the review → |
Sked Social is a cloud-based social media management workspace for marketers, agencies, growing brands and enterprise teams. Its core strength is Instagram-first planning and publishing, while also supporting Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Hootsuite — where it wins
- Unified inbox, scheduling, analytics, listening, and benchmarking
- Approval, assignment, routing, and collaboration workflows
- 100 integrations across major social and business platforms
Where it doesn't
- Starts at $99 per user per month with annual billing
- Standard manages up to 10 accounts and lacks advanced workflow controls
- Web deployment only; no free plan is offered
Sked Social — where it wins
- Instagram scheduling with internal and external approvals
- Unified inbox, listening, analytics and reporting in one workspace
- Integrates with Asana, Canva, Zapier, HubSpot and more
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; access is paid-only
- Basic starts with one user and one profile per platform
- Internal approvals cost extra on the Grow plan
- Hootsuite8.8/10 · 14-day trial
A broad, enterprise-oriented social suite with extensive workflows at a high entry price.
Visit HootsuiteFull verdict → - Sked Social8.0/10 · 14-day trial
A paid, Instagram-focused scheduler with approvals, inbox tools, analytics and broad integrations.
Visit Sked SocialFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update