CoSchedule vs Hootsuite 2025: Marketing Calendar vs Social Media Tool
TL;DR - Quick Answer
12 min readSee which tool is better for you. We compare pricing, features, and ease of use.
CoSchedule = marketing calendar with social features. (Full CoSchedule review) Hootsuite = dedicated social media platform. (Full Hootsuite review)
Different tools. Different purposes. Here's which one you need.
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Side-by-Side Comparison
What's the key difference between CoSchedule and Hootsuite?
What is CoSchedule?
A marketing work management platform built around one central calendar.
Products:
Best at: Organizing all marketing activities in one visual calendar.
What is Hootsuite?
A dedicated social media management platform.
Features:
- Multi-platform scheduling
- Social monitoring and listening
- Analytics and reporting
- Team collaboration
- Social ads management
Best at: Deep social media features across 35+ platforms.
Pricing Breakdown
CoSchedule Pricing
Hootsuite Pricing
Add-on: Social listening costs $8,000-25,000/year extra.
Real Cost by Use Case
For basic social scheduling only, which tool costs less?
Feature Comparison
Calendar & Planning
Winner: CoSchedule. Built calendar-first.
Social Scheduling
Winner: Hootsuite. More platforms, deeper features.
Analytics
Winner: Hootsuite. More analytics depth.
Social Listening
Winner: Hootsuite. CoSchedule doesn't compete here.
Which tool should you NOT choose if you need social listening?
Pros and Cons
CoSchedule
Hootsuite
Who Should Choose What
Choose CoSchedule If You:
- Need a marketing calendar for content + social
- Coordinate blog and social publishing
- Want project management included
- Have a small-medium marketing team
- Focus on content marketing
- Don't need social listening
Choose Hootsuite If You:
- Focus purely on social media
- Need 10+ platforms
- Want social listening
- Have a dedicated social team
- Need deep analytics
- Require enterprise features
Choose Neither If You:
- Just need simple scheduling
- Want AI content generation
- Have limited budget
- Don't need marketing calendar or enterprise social
Better Alternative
Need focused social media management without complexity?
SocialRails offers:
- $29-99/month flat rate
- Unlimited AI content generation
- 350+ video templates
- Visual content calendar
- Team collaboration
FAQ
Is CoSchedule better than Hootsuite for small businesses?
Depends on focus. CoSchedule's $29 Social Calendar is cheaper for basic scheduling. For more platforms or social features, Hootsuite offers better value despite higher starting price.
Does CoSchedule have social listening?
No. CoSchedule has zero social listening or monitoring. For brand monitoring, competitor tracking, or sentiment analysis, choose Hootsuite or a dedicated listening tool.
Can CoSchedule replace Hootsuite?
For basic social scheduling, yes. For advanced social management (35+ platforms, listening, deep analytics), no. CoSchedule is a marketing calendar with social features, not a social management platform.
Which is easier to learn?
CoSchedule's Social Calendar is simpler. Both tools' full suites have similar learning curves. Expect time to master all features.
Bottom Line
CoSchedule = unified marketing calendar. Coordinate blog, social, and projects in one view.
Hootsuite = social media depth. Full social management with platform breadth and listening.
They're not competitors. Choose based on whether you need a marketing calendar (CoSchedule) or a social platform (Hootsuite).
For straightforward social media management, consider SocialRails for AI-powered content at $29-99/month.
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Let AI do the work. Ideas, posts, images, carousels. Scheduled in seconds.
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