A Hootsuite alternative for agencies that don’t need the enterprise suite.
Hootsuite Standard is a broad social suite priced per user. Orbit Cue is the publishing workspace for several client brands: isolated accounts, a calendar, and a one-time license. It does not replace Hootsuite’s listening and deep analytics.
Choose Orbit Cue when
- The bill grows with every person who needs a seat.
- The work is planning, adapting, and publishing for several brands, not social listening.
- You want one license for the workspace, at €690 once or 6 × €125.
- You want Claude or Cursor to read the calendar through MCP.
Stay with Hootsuite when
- You rely on social listening, benchmarking, or the deeper analytics in Hootsuite Standard.
- You need to run paid boosts from the same tool today. Boosts inside Orbit Cue are not available yet.
- Likes, reach, and comment counts are the report you send clients. Orbit Cue shows what published, what is scheduled, and what failed. It does not collect those engagement numbers yet.
Side by side
Competitor prices are the public plans checked in September 2026. They change. Orbit Cue is €690 once, or 6 × €125 (total €750).
Price checked Sept 2026
Hootsuite. Standard: $99 per user / month, billed annually. About $2,376 over two years for one user.
Orbit Cue. €690 once, or 6 × €125 (total €750). No per-user software fee.
Who it fits
Hootsuite. Teams that want listening, benchmarking, and a broad suite.
Orbit Cue. Boutique agencies and multi-brand teams running the publishing workflow.
Brands
Hootsuite. Standard lists 10 social accounts.
Orbit Cue. Each brand keeps its own channels, media, and time zone. Adding a brand does not add a monthly Orbit Cue fee.
Publishing
Hootsuite. Included in the suite.
Orbit Cue. Direct publishing where the network allows it, including carousels on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram Reels. Other formats use 1-click handoff to the native composer.
AI
Hootsuite. Bundled in Hootsuite.
Orbit Cue. Your own key. Orbit Cue does not resell AI.
Agents
Hootsuite. No native MCP in the comparison we publish.
Orbit Cue. Native MCP at /api/mcp for Claude and Cursor.
Practical questions
Is Orbit Cue a Hootsuite replacement?
It replaces the job of planning and publishing across several brands without a per-user subscription. It does not replace Hootsuite’s social listening or advanced analytics.
How much is Hootsuite compared with Orbit Cue?
Hootsuite’s public Standard plan was $99 per user per month when checked in September 2026, about $2,376 over two years for one user. Orbit Cue is €690 once for the workspace, or six payments of €125.
Does Orbit Cue report likes and reach?
Not yet. Results show what published, what is scheduled, and what failed, with a plain-language reason. Engagement metrics are not collected.
Can a team share one workspace?
Yes. Roles are Owner, Admin, Manager, Editor, and Viewer. A post can wait for review before it is scheduled.