Hootsuite vs Planoly
Enterprise platform versus Instagram planner for Pinterest
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Hootsuite is an enterprise platform from $99/user/mo (billed annually), Planoly is an Instagram-first planner from $16/mo ($14/mo billed annually). Neither specializes in Pinterest. Planoly is far cheaper — BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content.
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 Planoly scores 5/10. Both tools offer similar Pinterest support.
Pricing
Hootsuite starts at $99/mo per user (billed annually) while Planoly starts at $16/mo ($14/mo billed annually). Planoly offers a free plan.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Hootsuite nor Planoly 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. Planoly covers Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Threads, YouTube. Hootsuite gives you more platform options.
Analytics
Hootsuite provides deeper Pinterest analytics. Hootsuite offers detailed 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
Planoly
Per social set and user, unlimited uploads
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Hootsuite | Planoly | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | |||
| Smart Schedule | Best time + auto-schedule | AI-powered | |
| Pin Templates | 100+ templates | ||
| Board Management | Single board per pin | ||
| Idea & Video Pins | Video pins | Image & video pins | |
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | Up to 350 posts | Bulk upload | Automatic |
| Auto-Create from URL | |||
| Auto-Sync New Content | |||
| Content Recycling | |||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | |||
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | Wisdom AI | AI Caption Generator | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | |||
| Hashtag Suggestions | |||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | |||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | Competitor tracking + listening | ||
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Threads, YouTube | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Approvals on Advanced plan | Growth plan (2 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
Planoly
Pros
- Beautiful visual grid planner for planning your feed
- Easy to learn with a clean, minimal interface
- Good Instagram planning tools that translate okay to Pinterest
- Decent mobile app for planning on the go
- Affordable entry point for beginners
Cons
- Pinterest features clearly secondary to Instagram
- Free plan limited to 10 uploads a month on the mobile app
- No content recycling or automation features
- Analytics focus on Instagram, with no dedicated Pinterest analytics
- Best-time-to-post suggestions are Instagram-only; cannot pin to multiple boards at once
- Cannot create pins from website content
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.”
Planoly Reviews
“I have been using Planoly for 5+ years and have always had a good experience with them.”
“Planoly quietly charged me over $500 across 6 years with no renewal reminders, no usage reports.”
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
Planoly
- Instagram-first creators who also post to Pinterest
- Visual planners who want a clean grid view
- Beginners who value simplicity over power features
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 Planoly both support Pinterest as a secondary focus. Hootsuite is an enterprise social management platform. Planoly is an Instagram-first visual planner that added Pinterest support. Planoly offers basic Pinterest scheduling, while Hootsuite adds Pinterest analytics and best-time suggestions — at vastly different price points.
Pinterest as Secondary Platform
Planoly was built for Instagram and added Pinterest later. Its visual grid planner is designed for Instagram's layout. Pinterest features are functional but secondary — pins auto-post to a single board, and Planoly can't create boards.
Hootsuite manages all social platforms in its enterprise suite. Pinterest isn't given special treatment, though it does get board management, video pins, best-time-to-post suggestions, and Pinterest analytics.
Scheduling
Hootsuite offers enterprise scheduling with team workflows, a bulk scheduler for up to 350 posts, and approval chains on its Advanced plan. Powerful for large teams managing many platforms.
Planoly provides clean, visual scheduling with a calendar interface and bulk upload. Simpler but adequate for individual and small team Pinterest publishing.
Price Gap
Hootsuite at $99/user/mo versus Planoly at $14/mo, both billed annually — roughly 7x the cost. For basic Pinterest scheduling, the feature difference doesn't justify the price difference.
Planoly covers basic Pinterest scheduling. Hootsuite's premium pays for enterprise features that Pinterest-focused users rarely need.
Pin Creation
Neither tool creates pins from your content. Whichever you choose, the pin creation bottleneck remains, and external design tools are required.
BlogToPin automates pin creation from blog content — solving the problem that neither tool addresses.
Final Verdict
Planoly provides adequate basic Pinterest scheduling at roughly 1/7th of Hootsuite's price. Hootsuite is only justified for enterprise multi-platform management.
For pin creation, BlogToPin automates the blog-to-pin process — the most impactful Pinterest capability neither tool provides.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Hootsuite and Planoly 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 Planoly
Can Planoly replace Hootsuite for Pinterest scheduling?
For basic Pinterest scheduling, yes. Planoly provides a clean visual calendar and auto-posts pins to a board you choose, from $16/mo ($14/mo billed annually) — roughly 1/7th of Hootsuite's $99/user/mo. You would miss Hootsuite's Pinterest analytics, best-time suggestions, social listening, and complex team workflows, but for straightforward pin scheduling, Planoly covers the essentials.
Is either Planoly or Hootsuite specifically built for Pinterest?
No. Planoly was designed as an Instagram-first visual planner and added Pinterest support as a secondary feature. Hootsuite is a broad enterprise social management platform that treats Pinterest as one of many channels. For Pinterest-specific tools with native intelligence, consider Tailwind for scheduling and BlogToPin for automated pin creation.
How much can I save by switching from Hootsuite to Planoly for Pinterest?
On annual billing, switching from Hootsuite to Planoly saves about $85/mo ($99 minus $14), or $1,020 a year per Hootsuite user. For basic Pinterest scheduling, the feature difference does not justify the roughly 7x price gap. The savings can fund dedicated Pinterest tools like BlogToPin for automated pin creation.
Do Planoly or Hootsuite create Pinterest pin images?
Neither tool creates pin designs automatically. Planoly has no pin templates, and Hootsuite's Wisdom AI can generate images but not finished pins. Both require you to design pins externally and upload them for scheduling, so the most time-consuming part of Pinterest marketing — creating visually appealing pins with optimized text overlays — remains manual.
What is a better Pinterest-focused alternative to both Planoly and Hootsuite?
Tailwind at $29.99/mo ($17.99/mo billed annually) provides Pinterest-native scheduling with SmartSchedule, SmartPin for turning your URLs into new pins, and Turbo for engagement. BlogToPin turns blog posts into designed pins and schedules them. Either delivers more Pinterest value than Planoly or Hootsuite, at well under Hootsuite's monthly cost.
Which tool has better Pinterest analytics — Planoly or Hootsuite?
Hootsuite, clearly. It includes Pinterest analytics along with custom reports, competitive analysis, and social listening. Planoly's analytics are Instagram-focused, with no dedicated Pinterest analytics. If you use Planoly, Pinterest's own free native analytics fill the gap.
When should a Pinterest marketer choose Hootsuite over Planoly?
Choose Hootsuite only if you manage Pinterest alongside multiple other social platforms within a large team that requires enterprise approval workflows, social listening, and consolidated cross-platform reporting. For individual Pinterest marketers or small teams, Planoly's simpler interface and lower price make more sense.
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.