Hootsuite vs. HubSpot: What Are The Differences?

Jared Broussard • August 22, 2016

What is the difference between HubSpot and Hootsuite?

This is one of the most common questions I receive from businesses. There are various ways to point out the differences between HubSpot and Hootsuite, but most of them are boring and lack flavor. If we are going to take a deep dive into this topic, we should at least have a little fun, right? As luck would have it, my hometown is synonymous with flavor and fun—New Orleans. I know; it's hard to believe, but a quick culinary tour in the Big Easy can resolve any mysteries associated with HubSpot and Hootsuite.


Assuming you have little to no experience with Hootsuite or HubSpot, I would like for you to take mental note of what instantly comes to mind when you hear the names HubSpot and Hootsuite. Do you sort of muddle them together or is there a clear separation between the two? On the surface, if you are like most, you lump the two software companies with each other. Heck, you may even interchange the names in marketing discussions without anyone noticing.


So, why do most people associate HubSpot and Hootsuite together? Here’s what I’ve come up with:

  • They are both in the social software sector.
  • They both begin with the letter H (imagine that).
  • They’re both two syllables, with H and S.


The correlations stop there. In fact, it does not take a PHD in rocket marketology from Bourbon Street University to understand that the differences between HubSpot and Hootsuite far surpass the similarities. But, in the interest of time, I’ve taken the liberty to compare the two. Let's check it out, shall we?


What Is Hootsuite?

Ignore your premonitions, Hootsuite is not the trendy, voodoo bar in the French Quarter. Hootsuite is a social media management tool that helps you track and manage social media campaigns. With over 10 million users, Hootsuite is the most widely used social media management tool available. Hootsuite targets small to medium-sized businesses, marketing agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. The focus of Hootsuite is strictly on social media management.


What is HubSpot?

HubSpot sounds like a popular watering hole off St. Charles Avenue where friends can meet up before catching the Krewe of Endymion or Krewe of Bacchus parade, but it is not. HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing software that helps drive more traffic, leads, and customers from your web marketing efforts. It is the world’s top Inbound Marketing platform providing marketers and businesses with every required tool for the entire customer journey—blogging, seo, marketing automation, personalization, and segmentation. HubSpot targets small to medium-sized businesses and marketing agencies.


What is the main purpose of Hootsuite?

The main goal of Hootsuite is to help you do more with social media. Managing and monitoring social media for businesses can be overwhelming. The Next Web reports that 43% of digital marketers say social media is one of their most effective tactics, but 49% say it is more difficult to execute than any other medium. Whether it's posting the latest special, featuring a certain employee, or answering a customer's question, any tool that can save time with social media is a life saver. Hootsuite allows you to manage and monitor multiple social media channels in one place – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare, and more.

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