Hootsuite vs Iconosquare
Enterprise social suite versus analytics specialist for Pinterest
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Hootsuite is an enterprise social platform from $99/user/mo (billed annually), while Iconosquare is an analytics-first tool with plans from $10/mo billed annually. Both offer Pinterest scheduling and analytics, but neither turns your content into designed pins. BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content for less than Hootsuite's entry plan.
Key Differences for Pinterest
How these tools differ for Pinterest pin creation and scheduling
Pinterest Focus
Hootsuite has a Pinterest rating of 5/10 while Iconosquare scores 5/10. Both tools offer similar Pinterest support.
Pricing
Hootsuite starts at $99/mo per user (billed annually) while Iconosquare starts at $10/mo (billed annually). Iconosquare offers a free plan.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Hootsuite nor Iconosquare can generate pins from your website automatically. BlogToPin reads your sitemap and creates hundreds of optimized pins with AI-written titles and descriptions.
Platform Support
Hootsuite supports Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest. Iconosquare covers Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Pinterest, Threads, YouTube. Hootsuite gives you more platform options.
Analytics
Iconosquare provides deeper Pinterest analytics. Iconosquare offers advanced analytics while the other has more basic reporting.
Pricing for Pinterest Users
What you will actually pay for Pinterest pin scheduling
Hootsuite
Per user, billed annually
Iconosquare
Per plan, priced by number of profiles
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Hootsuite | Iconosquare | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | |||
| Smart Schedule | Best time + auto-schedule | Best-time suggestions | AI-powered |
| Pin Templates | 100+ templates | ||
| Board Management | |||
| Idea & Video Pins | Video pins | Video pins | |
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | Up to 350 posts | Automatic | |
| Auto-Create from URL | |||
| Auto-Sync New Content | |||
| Content Recycling | |||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | |||
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | Wisdom AI | AI captions | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | |||
| Hashtag Suggestions | AI hashtags | ||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | Advanced | ||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | Competitor tracking + listening | Not for Pinterest | |
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Pinterest, Threads, YouTube | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Approvals on Advanced plan | Scale plan (3 users) | Business plan |
Pros & Cons for Pinterest
Strengths and weaknesses for Pinterest pin workflows
Hootsuite
Pros
- Comprehensive platform that covers everything
- Team approval workflows (Advanced plan)
- Social listening and competitor monitoring built in
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance features
- Bulk scheduler for up to 350 posts at once
- Detailed analytics across all platforms
Cons
- Very expensive, especially for solo creators or small teams
- Interface feels bloated and overwhelming
- Pinterest is not a priority, features feel basic
- Steep learning curve for new users
- No Pinterest-specific optimization or recycling
- Starts at $99 per user/month billed annually; approvals need the $399 Advanced plan
Iconosquare
Pros
- Deep analytics with advanced metrics and benchmarking
- Competitor benchmarking for Instagram and Facebook (Scale plan)
- Detailed performance reports you can export and share
- Hashtag tracking (Scale plan)
- Industry benchmarks for context on your performance
- Clean dashboard with actionable data visualizations
Cons
- Competitor and hashtag tracking require the $79/mo Scale plan
- No pin templates or design features
- No AI image generation
- No content recycling or automation
- Cannot create pins from website content
- Scheduling is secondary to analytics
BlogToPin
Pros
- Auto-creates pins from your website content — no manual design
- 100+ pin templates for visual variety across your profile
- AI writes Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- Automatically deletes underperforming pins to protect account quality
- Smart scheduling posts pins at optimal times
- Reads your sitemap and generates pins from every page
Cons
- Pinterest-only — does not support other social platforms
- No mobile app yet
- Requires a website with content to generate pins from
- Starting at $39/mo, higher entry price than basic schedulers
What Users Say
Real user reviews from Trustpilot and G2
Hootsuite Reviews
“This is a very comfortable CMS for many many platforms. Transparent stats and understanding where and how you should develop socials.”
“Absolutely the worst software service I have ever had the displeasure of even testing.”
Iconosquare Reviews
“I love how intuitive and user friendly Iconosquare is; it's easy to navigate, it's nice to see the layout and preview of the feed before publishing a post, and it's accessible for the entire team to use.”
“The platform doesn't work at all! It doesn't save the scheduled content, it won't autopost even though it says it will, it keeps logging the social profiles off.”
Best For Pinterest
When to choose each tool for your Pinterest pin strategy
Hootsuite
- Agencies managing multiple clients across platforms
- Enterprise teams needing approval workflows
- Businesses that need social listening and monitoring
Iconosquare
- Data-obsessed marketers who want the deepest Pinterest analytics
- Brands needing Instagram and Facebook competitor benchmarking
- Teams that need professional analytics reports for stakeholders
BlogToPin
- You need hundreds of unique pins created from your website content
- You want AI to write Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- You are tired of manually designing pin images for every post
- You want to automatically remove underperforming pins
- You need Pinterest pin creation on autopilot, not just scheduling
Overview
Hootsuite and Iconosquare both offer analytics for Pinterest but approach it differently. Hootsuite is a comprehensive enterprise platform with scheduling, team workflows, and social listening. Iconosquare specializes in analytics, with 40+ organic Pinterest metrics and Pinterest scheduling added in 2025. For Pinterest, both tools help you understand performance but neither helps you create the pins themselves.
Pinterest Analytics
Iconosquare provides deeper Pinterest-specific analytics, with 40+ organic Pinterest metrics and best-time-to-post suggestions. Its analytics-first approach makes it the better tool for understanding what drives Pinterest performance.
Hootsuite offers comprehensive cross-platform analytics including Pinterest in its enterprise reports. While less Pinterest-focused than Iconosquare, the ability to compare Pinterest performance against other channels provides useful context.
Pinterest Scheduling
Hootsuite provides robust scheduling with a bulk scheduler for up to 350 posts, best-time-to-post suggestions, and approval workflows on its Advanced plan. The enterprise scheduling engine is mature and handles complex publishing calendars well.
Iconosquare added Pinterest scheduling in March 2025, including board selection, board creation, and video pins, alongside its analytics dashboard. The advantage is seeing performance data next to your scheduling interface, creating a tighter feedback loop between what you publish and what works.
Enterprise Features
Hootsuite adds social listening, CRM integration, ad management, and advanced team workflows. These enterprise capabilities justify its price for large organizations managing social media at scale.
Iconosquare focuses on analytics and scheduling without the enterprise overhead. For smaller teams that need data-driven Pinterest strategy without enterprise complexity, it's the more focused tool.
Cost for Pinterest Users
Hootsuite has no free plan (just a 14-day trial) and starts at $99/user/mo billed annually, a price that reflects enterprise social media management across many platforms. For Pinterest-only use, the vast majority of features go unused.
Iconosquare starts from $10/mo billed annually, with Launch from $39/mo and Scale from $79/mo, and it also has a free plan. If detailed Pinterest performance data drives your strategy, it's a far cheaper way to get it. Otherwise, Pinterest's free native analytics may suffice.
Pin Creation Automation
These tools provide solid analytics and scheduling but no pin creation from your content. Hootsuite's Wisdom AI can draft captions and generate images, and Iconosquare can suggest AI captions and hashtags, but every pin must still be designed by you. The most time-consuming part of Pinterest marketing remains untouched.
BlogToPin addresses this gap, automatically generating designed pins from blog content with optimized descriptions — for less than Hootsuite's entry plan.
Final Verdict
Iconosquare is the better choice for Pinterest-specific analytics. Hootsuite is justified only for enterprise teams managing many social platforms with complex team workflows.
For pin creation — the actual work of Pinterest marketing — BlogToPin automates what neither tool provides.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Hootsuite and Iconosquare require manual pin creation. BlogToPin generates pins from your website with AI — no design work needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions answered about Hootsuite vs Iconosquare
Do I need both Hootsuite and Iconosquare for Pinterest marketing?
No. There is significant overlap in scheduling and analytics between the two. If Pinterest analytics are your priority, Iconosquare provides deeper pin performance data with 40+ organic Pinterest metrics. If you need enterprise-level team management across many platforms, Hootsuite covers Pinterest analytics adequately. Using both is redundant for most Pinterest workflows.
Which tool provides better Pinterest-specific analytics — Hootsuite or Iconosquare?
Iconosquare is the stronger choice for Pinterest analytics. It offers 40+ organic Pinterest metrics and best-time suggestions. Its competitor tracking is focused on Instagram and Facebook rather than Pinterest. Hootsuite provides broader cross-platform analytics that include Pinterest but lack the same depth for pin-level insights and board performance.
Can Hootsuite or Iconosquare create Pinterest pin images automatically?
Neither tool turns your content into designed pins. Hootsuite's Wisdom AI can generate images, and Iconosquare can suggest AI captions and hashtags, but both expect you to design pins yourself — in a tool like Canva — or automate creation with a tool like BlogToPin before scheduling.
How much does it cost to use Hootsuite and Iconosquare together for Pinterest?
Hootsuite starts at $99/user/mo billed annually, and Iconosquare starts from $10/mo billed annually (Launch from $39/mo, Scale from $79/mo). Using both mostly duplicates scheduling and analytics and still leaves pin creation entirely manual. For Pinterest-only use, more cost-effective Pinterest-specific alternatives exist.
Is there a more affordable alternative that covers both scheduling and pin creation?
Yes. Pinterest-specific tools cover both. Tailwind at $29.99/mo ($17.99/mo billed annually) offers SmartSchedule plus SmartPin, which turns your URLs into new pins automatically. BlogToPin turns blog posts into designed pins and schedules them to Pinterest. Either costs less than Hootsuite's entry plan while handling pin creation — something neither Hootsuite nor Iconosquare does.
When should I choose Hootsuite over Iconosquare for Pinterest?
Choose Hootsuite if you manage Pinterest alongside many other social platforms and need enterprise features like social listening, CRM integration, ad management, and complex team approval workflows. For Pinterest-only or Pinterest-primary marketing, Iconosquare provides better value with deeper Pinterest analytics at a much lower starting price.
Can I use Pinterest's free native analytics instead of paying for Hootsuite or Iconosquare?
Pinterest's native analytics cover the basics — pin impressions, clicks, saves, and audience insights — at no cost. For many Pinterest marketers, this is sufficient. Iconosquare adds deeper metrics and best-time suggestions. Hootsuite adds cross-platform reporting. If your strategy relies heavily on data-driven decisions, a paid tool adds value, but free native analytics paired with BlogToPin for pin creation is a strong starting point.
Tired of creating pins by hand?
BlogToPin generates Pinterest pins from your website automatically. AI writes the titles and descriptions, 100+ templates handle design, and smart scheduling posts at optimal times. Try it free.