Content Writer at SocialBee
Choosing the right social media tool for your needs can be exhausting, especially with so many options on the market. In this article, we’re taking a close look at two popular options: Sendible vs Hootsuite.
Both promise to offer a unique blend of functionalities and streamline your social media management, but the question remains: which one is the right fit for you?
Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketing professional working with multiple clients, or a content creator, understanding the nuances of these platforms is key to maximizing your social media strategy.
And while we’re at it, we will also shed some light on how SocialBee stands as a potential alternative, offering its own blend of tools and services that might just sway your decision. Let’s get started!
Streamline your marketing with an efficient social media strategy template.
Short Summary
- Sendible is favored by small to medium-sized businesses for its user-friendly interface and focus on content creation, making it ideal for those prioritizing ease of use and aesthetics, as well as agencies needing customizable reports for client management.
- Hootsuite, however, is designed for larger organizations and offers a more comprehensive suite of features, including extensive scheduling options and robust analytics, suited for users with more complex social media needs.
- SocialBee is an alternative tool that offers features like an AI assistant, AI content generation, hashtag collections, evergreen posting, migration services, content categories and affordable pricing, which can equip businesses with an edge in the competitive landscape.
Table of Contents
- Sendible vs Hootsuite: Side-by-Side Comparison Table
- Sendible vs Hootsuite: How to Choose the Best Social Media Management Platform
- When to Choose Sendible
- When to Choose Hootsuite
- What Is a Good Sendible and Hootsuite Alternative?
- SocialBee vs Sendible & Hootsuite: Side-by-Side Comparison Table
- Switch to SocialBee to Simplify Your Social Media Planning
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Choose the Best Social Media Marketing Solution for You
Sendible vs Hootsuite: Side-by-Side Comparison Table
Features | Sendible | Hootsuite | SocialBee |
Social Media Profiles | |||
Post On | X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Business Profile | X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok | Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profiles, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky |
Import Content | |||
CSV Upload | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
RSS Feeds | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Management | |||
AI Social Media Assistant | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
AI Content Generation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Bulk Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Publishing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Evergreen Posting | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
List View | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Calendar | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Inbox | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Categories | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Hashtag Collections | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Hashtag Generator | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Team Collaboration | |||
Client Workspaces | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Approval | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Analytics | |||
Social Media Analytics | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Analytics On Schedule Set Up | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Content Category Analytics | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Export PDF Reports | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Integrations | |||
Canva Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Unsplash Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
GIPHY Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Multiple Shortlink Tools | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Pocket Integration | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
QUUU Content Curation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Support | |||
Help Documentation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Email Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Chat Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Support Calls | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
UTM Customization | |||
Category-Based UTM Settings | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Custom URL and Tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Additional Tools | |||
Mobile App | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Chrome Extension | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Additional Services | |||
Concierge Services | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Migration / Onboarding | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Pricing Plans | |||
Monthly Plans | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Yearly Plans | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Sendible vs Hootsuite: How to Choose the Best Social Media Management Platform
In the realm of social media management tools, finding the one that perfectly complements your marketing efforts is essential. However, it may be challenging to determine the criteria that should guide your decision.
These are the features you need in social media management software:
- Supported social media platforms
- Content creation features
- Social media planning and scheduling
- Social media analytics
- Social inbox and engagement tools
- Team collaboration features
- User experience and ease of use
- Integrations
- Pricing
- Customer support
1. Supported Social Media Platforms
Here’s an overview of how Sendible and Hootsuite compare in terms of supported social media platforms:
Social Platform | Sendible | Hootsuite |
Yes | Yes | |
X (formerly Twitter) | Yes | Yes |
Yes | Yes | |
Yes | Yes | |
TikTok | Yes | Yes |
Yes | Yes | |
Google Business Profile | Yes | No |
YouTube | Yes | Yes |
Both Sendible and Hootsuite cover multiple social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
However, unlike Hootsuite, Sendible also supports Google Business Profile, which makes it a better choice for businesses that want to manage their social media presence across a wider range of channels.
2. Content Creation Features
Both platforms have their unique advantages, and the choice between them depends largely on the specific content creation needs and workflow preferences of the user.
What makes Sendible particularly appealing is its rich post formatting options. Users have the flexibility to craft visually engaging posts with varied fonts, colors, and layouts, allowing for a high degree of customization and branding.
Additionally, Sendible’s integrated image editor is a significant asset. This feature simplifies the content creation process by allowing users to create new content directly within the platform, eliminating the need for external photo editing software.
Moreover, Sendible supports direct video uploads and offers basic video editing tools, which is essential for incorporating video content into social media strategies.
In contrast, Hootsuite is better for content curation, as it provides users with tools to easily discover, aggregate, and share content from various online sources. While Hootsuite does not include a built-in image editor, it integrates seamlessly with Canva, a popular graphic design tool that is the go-to for many professionals.
Hootsuite‘s media library, similar to Sendible‘s content library, serves as a repository for images and videos. However, note that Hootsuite lacks native video editing capabilities, which prompts users to rely on external tools for creating video content.
3. Social Media Planning and Scheduling
Both Sendible and Hootsuite provide powerful tools for social media planning and scheduling, but they cater to different needs and preferences.
Sendible’s social media scheduler is renowned for its user-friendly and intuitive planning interface. One of the highlights is its visual calendar, which allows users to get a comprehensive view of their scheduled posts at a glance.
Another notable aspect of Sendible is the ability to customize posts for each social media platform within the same interface. Furthermore, it offers a ‘Queue’ feature, which allows users to create a pipeline of content that will be automatically posted according to a predefined schedule.
In contrast, Hootsuite takes a slightly different approach to planning and scheduling. Its strength lies in handling large volumes of posts and multiple social media accounts efficiently. Users can bulk schedule posts across different platforms, which saves agencies or businesses managing multiple client accounts a significant amount of time.
The calendar view in Hootsuite is more utilitarian compared to Sendible’s, focusing on the scheduling aspect rather than on visual presentation. Hootsuite also offers automated scheduling options, where the system determines the best time to post based on algorithmic analysis, similar to Sendible.
However, Hootsuite’s real forte is the granularity of control it provides over scheduling. Users can fine-tune their scheduled content in great detail, which is essential for sophisticated social media strategies involving numerous posts across various time zones and platforms.
4. Social Media Analytics
When it comes to social media analytics, both Sendible and Hootsuite offer robust features, but they approach analytics differently, catering to various user needs and preferences.
Sendible‘s analytics provide a granular view of your performance, including data on individual posts, campaigns, and audience segments. Additionally, Sendible offers a variety of tools that can help you analyze your data and identify trends.
In contrast, Hootsuite‘s analytics are focused on providing a broad overview of your social media performance. They offer a variety of charts and graphs that can help you track engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares. Moreover, Hootsuite provides data on audience demographics, such as age, gender, and location.
5. Social Inbox and Engagement Tools
Both Sendible and Hootsuite provide unified social inboxes to manage your incoming messages, comments, and mentions across multiple social media platforms: X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Additionally, Sendible’s social inbox also consolidates messages from Google Business Profile, as well as TikTok, which is not yet available on Hootsuite.
Sendible‘s social inbox offers a clear and organized layout, making it easy to navigate conversations and prioritize urgent responses. Hootsuite‘s social inbox mirrors Sendible’s functionality, providing a centralized dashboard for managing incoming social media interactions.
6. Team Collaboration Features
Sendible’s team collaboration features are ideal for small to medium-sized teams or agencies looking for a user-friendly platform with efficient task distribution, approval workflows, and role customization. Its interface is designed to streamline collaboration and maintain control over content quality.
Hootsuite, with its detailed permission settings, task management capabilities, and integrated analytics, is better suited for larger teams or organizations that require a more in-depth approach to team management and a robust system to handle high volumes of social media activity.
7. User Experience and Ease of Use
Sendible is praised for its intuitiveness and clean design. The platform is designed with a focus on simplicity and ease of navigation, making it a great choice for users who are new to social media management tools or prefer a more straightforward approach.
Hootsuite, on the other hand, is known for its robustness and wide array of features, which can be both a strength and a challenge in terms of user experience. However, this complexity can sometimes make the interface feel overwhelming, especially for new or less tech-savvy users.
8. Integrations
While both Sendible and Hootsuite offer valuable integrations, they cater to different needs.
Sendible supports over 100 integrations, notably with Canva for streamlined graphic creation and Google Analytics for tracking social media ROI. It also integrates with various CRM tools, enhancing lead generation and customer engagement capabilities.
These integrations strengthen Sendible‘s core competencies in content creation and CRM, making it particularly suitable for businesses focusing on these areas in their social media strategies.
Meanwhile, Hootsuite integrates with over 350 third-party tools, enhancing its platform’s versatility. Notable integrations include Adobe Stock and Google Drive for extensive image libraries and content management. Its compatibility with Zendesk benefits businesses that use social media for customer service, streamlining customer interactions.
Additionally, e-commerce businesses can benefit from its Shopify integration by linking their social media efforts to sales data. This wide range of integrations makes Hootsuite ideal for businesses and agencies seeking diverse functionalities and the ability to connect their social media management with various business applications.
9. Pricing
Here’s a comparison between Sendible and Hootsuite’s pricing plans:
Sendible Prices | Hootsuite Prices |
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In addition to the monthly subscription fees, both Sendible and Hootsuite also offer additional options for increased storage and custom branding.
The best pricing plan for you will depend on the size of your business, your needs, and your budget. It is recommended that you try both Sendible and Hootsuite’s free trials to see which one you prefer.
10. Customer Support
Sendible excels in providing a more intimate and direct form of support, focusing on personalized assistance and user education. This makes it an excellent choice for those who value direct interaction and comprehensive onboarding processes.
Hootsuite provides extensive self-help resources and community forums, with 24/7 support available only for their Enterprise plan. However, user ratings have indicated poor customer service and reliability issues. This means that you need to be comfortable with self-directed learning and don’t require constant support availability.
When to Choose Sendible
You should choose Sendible as your social media management platform if:
- Focus on content creation and customization: If your social media strategy relies heavily on creating visually appealing and customized content, Sendible’s rich post formatting options and integrated image editor make it an ideal choice.
- Prefer a user-friendly interface: Their platform offers an intuitive and straightforward user interface, which is great for those new to social media management or for users who prefer a more streamlined and easy-to-navigate platform.
- Need custom reports: If you’re an agency or a freelancer managing multiple clients, Sendible creates customized, branded reports that can effectively showcase your social media efforts to clients.
- Require efficient team collaboration: For small to medium-sized teams, Sendible provides efficient collaboration tools. Its task assignment features, approval workflows, and customizable user roles make it a good fit for teams needing a cohesive and manageable platform.
- Prefer personalized customer support: If you value direct and personalized customer support, Sendible’s approach to user assistance and training might be more appealing.
- Have a limited budget: Sendible offers a cost-effective solution with various plans that cater to different sizes and types of users.
When to Choose Hootsuite
You should choose Hootsuite as your social media management platform if:
- Manage multiple social media accounts: Hootsuite’s dashboard is designed to streamline the process of monitoring and posting across various social media platforms simultaneously.
- Need comprehensive analytics: If your strategy involves closely tracking social media performance and requires detailed reporting, Hootsuite’s in-depth analytics and reporting features are particularly beneficial.
- Advanced content scheduling needs: The bulk scheduling feature is a significant time-saver, ideal for businesses or agencies planning content far in advance or managing large-scale campaigns.
- Rely on collaboration within a larger team: Hootsuite offers robust team collaboration features, including team roles and permissions, task assignments, and team performance tracking, that are essential for coordinated social media management.
- Prefer self-service learning resources: Hootsuite is best for users who prefer self-guided learning and troubleshooting through online resources like tutorials, webinars, and a comprehensive knowledge base.
- Have budget flexibility for advanced features: If you have the budget flexibility to opt for premium plans, Hootsuite offers advanced features and support that are well-suited for larger organizations or enterprises.
What Is a Good Sendible and Hootsuite Alternative?
Hootsuite and Sendible are popular choices, but there’s another option worth considering: SocialBee.
Renowned for its comprehensive management and scheduling features, SocialBee caters to an extensive audience range, including entrepreneurs, content creators, and businesses and agencies of various sizes.
Manage all your favorite social accounts with ease from one place with SocialBee.
Start your 14-day free trial today!
SocialBee goes beyond offering the standard functionalities typical in social media management tools. It brings several distinctive features that can equip businesses with an edge in the competitive landscape, enhancing their social media strategies effectively.
Here are the features SocialBee has over Sendible and Hootsuite:
- AI assistant
- AI content generation
- Hashtag collections
- Evergreen posting
- Migration services
- Content categories
- Affordable pricing
1. AI Assistant
SocialBee’s Copilot leverages advanced AI technology to create customized social media strategies that perfectly align with your specific needs, providing readily-made posts that are ready for quick editing and sharing across your social platforms.
Generate AI-crafted social media strategies with our Social Media Copilot!
With your provided inputs, the Social Media Copilot recommends the best platforms for your content, devises strategic content plans, and schedules posts efficiently, all within a few moments.
2. AI Content Generation
SocialBee’s AI post generator uses over 1000 prompts to craft content that is tailored to individual platforms, in the tone of voice that best suits your needs. This customization is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Create posts from scratch in only seconds with SocialBee’s AI Post Generator.
Start your 14-day free trial now!
Moreover, the generator uses AI to produce unique images from textual prompts, providing you with the creative freedom to explore various visual concepts and ideas.
3. Hashtag Collections
SocialBee streamlines your social media strategy by enabling the storage and reuse of hashtag collections for upcoming posts. This feature simplifies the process of identifying appropriate hashtags for your content, ensuring consistent use of the most pertinent and impactful hashtags.
Create hashtag collections for your next posts with SocialBee.
Start your 14-day free trial now!
It’s important to highlight that this particular functionality is not provided by either Sendible or Hootsuite.
4. Migration Services
If you’re transitioning from a different social media management tool, SocialBee offers specialized support to seamlessly transfer your posts from your existing platform to their service.
This amazing feature significantly reduces the time and effort required when switching to SocialBee. In contrast, such migration assistance is not available with Hootsuite and Sendible, which can make the process of moving to these platforms more challenging.
5. Evergreen Posting
Seasoned marketers understand the significant time-saving benefits of evergreen content. To fully leverage these advantages, however, it’s essential to use a social media management tool capable of automatically resharing and re-queuing your best-performing posts.
While Hootsuite lacks this functionality, alternatives like SocialBee can ensure that your evergreen content makes a lasting impact long after it was initially posted.
6. Content Categories
SocialBee provides an extensive range of content categories, which helps to maintain a dynamic and captivating online presence for your audience.
Customize your own content categories with SocialBee.
Start your 14-day free trial now!
Furthermore, with SocialBee, you can systematically categorize your posts according to different content pillars, a crucial aspect for achieving impactful results through a well-planned strategic approach.
7. Affordable pricing
SocialBee offers better value for the price compared to Hootsuite and Sendible, making it an ideal option for those seeking to efficiently manage their social media accounts without incurring high costs.
Check out this pricing comparison between SocialBee, Hootsuite, and Sendible:
SocialBee | Hootsuite | Sendible |
---|---|---|
Bootstrap: $29/month Accelerate: $49 /month Pro: $99 /month | Free 30-day trial Professional: $99/month Team: $249/month Enterprise: Custom | Free 14-day trial Lite: $29 /month Essential: $99/month Business: $199/month Enterprise: Custom |
SocialBee vs Sendible & Hootsuite: Side-by-Side Comparison Table
Features | Sendible | Hootsuite | SocialBee |
Social Media Profiles | |||
Post On | X (Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Business Profile | X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok | Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profiles, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky |
Import Content | |||
CSV Upload | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
RSS Feeds | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Management | |||
AI Social Media Assistant | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
AI Content Generation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Bulk Scheduling | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Publishing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Evergreen Posting | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
List View | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Calendar | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Social Media Inbox | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Categories | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Hashtag Collections | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Hashtag Generator | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Team Collaboration | |||
Client Workspaces | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Content Approval | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Analytics | |||
Social Media Analytics | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Analytics On Schedule Set Up | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Content Category Analytics | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Export PDF Reports | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Integrations | |||
Canva Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Unsplash Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
GIPHY Integration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Multiple Shortlink Tools | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Pocket Integration | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
QUUU Content Curation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Support | |||
Help Documentation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Email Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Chat Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Support Calls | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
UTM Customization | |||
Category Based UTM Settings | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Custom URL and Tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Additional Tools | |||
Mobile App | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Chrome Extension | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Additional Services | |||
Concierge Services | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Migration / Onboarding | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Pricing Plans | |||
Monthly Plans | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Yearly Plans | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
Looking for an Alternative to Sendible & Hootsuite? Try SocialBee!
Switch to SocialBee to Simplify Your Social Media Planning
Thinking of making the switch? Our migration service is designed to make this transition smooth and hassle-free for you.
This service includes transferring all your profile content – from your posting schedules and RSS feeds to your shortlink provider settings. After the migration process is completed, we’ll send you a comprehensive email report detailing everything we’ve successfully transferred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sendible and Hootsuite are both good social media management tools, but they cater to different audiences and offer distinct features.
Sendible is favored by small to medium-sized businesses for its user-friendly interface and focus on content creation, making it ideal for those prioritizing ease of use and aesthetics, as well as agencies needing customizable reports for client management.
Hootsuite, however, is designed for larger organizations and offers a more comprehensive suite of features, including extensive scheduling options and robust analytics, suited for users with more complex social media needs.
While Sendible is more affordable and straightforward, Hootsuite provides advanced functionalities for larger teams and enterprises at a higher cost.
Sendible often emerges as a preferable choice for small businesses due to its affordable price, ease of use, and focused features like content creation tools and customizable reporting.
However, the best choice depends on the specific needs of your business, such as the number of social media accounts and platforms used, the required level of analytics, and the importance of team collaboration features.
Hootsuite’s free plan was discontinued on March 31, 2023. However, Hootsuite does offer a 30-day free trial of its Professional plan for new users.
Whether or not Hootsuite is worth it for you depends on your needs. If you are a small business owner or individual who manages social media for a few accounts, then the free trial may be sufficient.
However, if you manage a larger number of accounts or need more advanced features, then you will need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Choose the Best Social Media Marketing Solution for You
In conclusion, when deciding between Hootsuite vs Sendible, the best choice ultimately hinges on your specific needs, the size and scope of your social media strategy, and the level of complexity you’re comfortable managing.
However, before finalizing your decision, it’s worth considering an alternative that combines affordability, ease of use, and a unique set of features – SocialBee. With category-based scheduling, content recycling features, and personalized strategy support, SocialBee stands out as a versatile tool for a wide range of users.
Try SocialBee today and upgrade your social media presence!