maebe vs. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is the enterprise hub with listening, inbox and per-user pricing. maebe is built for the path from raw material to approved post — with PIN client approvals, teams instead of seats and hosting in Germany.
In short
For agencies, freelancers and small teams that need client approvals but not an enterprise hub.
Hootsuite’s smallest plan starts at $99 per user per month; approvals sit in the Advanced plan from $399. maebe has PIN approvals even on the free plan, charges per team instead of per user and stores data in Germany.
maebe fits if …
Honestly: if social listening, a shared inbox and enterprise processes are your core, Hootsuite is the more comprehensive system.
Hootsuite bundles publishing, listening, message inbox and ads for large teams, with unlimited social accounts from Professional. maebe deliberately doesn’t build listening or an inbox.
Stay with Hootsuite if …
Facts
Verifiable facts only — everything about Hootsuite comes from the provider’s public pages, checked on 15 September 2026.
| Criterion | maebe | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|
| Company & data | ||
| Headquarters | Germany | Hootsuite Inc., Vancouver, Canada |
| Where your data is stored | Stored in Germany (Hetzner); images and videos are delivered via the Bunny CDN (EU provider, edge servers worldwide) | Managed from Canada (adequacy decision); service providers may process data outside the EEA (privacy policy) |
| AI provider | Mistral AI (France, EU) | Not named on the public pages (as of 15 September 2026) |
| Approvals & collaboration | ||
| Approval workflow | In every plan, including Free | Advanced plan (“Review and approve content with your team”) |
| Client approval without an account | Via link and PIN | Approval within the team (user seats) |
| Users | Included in the plan (Solo 1, Pro 3 per team, Studio unlimited) | Priced per user per month |
| Networks | ||
| Connectable networks | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Bluesky, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, XING | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, X, TikTok, YouTube (per help center; more via integrations) |
| Social accounts | Per team via Social Connect (extra) | Standard 10, unlimited from Professional |
| Pricing & getting started | ||
| Free entry | Free plan: 1 team, 1 project, 5 GB, PIN approvals, media pools — plus a 14-day trial of all features | No free plan; 14-day trial without a card |
| Smallest paid plan | Solo €19.90 per month, incl. VAT | Standard $99 per user per month billed annually, plus taxes |
| Smallest plan with an approval workflow | Free (€0) | Advanced $399 per user per month billed annually, plus taxes |
| Price scaling | By plan, team members included, euros incl. VAT | Per user, US dollars, “do not include applicable taxes” |
Source: Hootsuite pricing page, as of 15 September 2026.
The difference
Most scheduling tools start in the calendar: pick a slot, fill in content. maebe flips that. Material lands in the media pool, gets curated with a traffic light, posts emerge from the good stuff — and only then comes the date, suggested by AI if you like.
Your client gets a link, sees the post exactly as it will go live and confirms by PIN. In every plan, even the free one. In Hootsuite, approvals belong to the Advanced plan from $399 per user.
Separate accounts, media and permissions per client. Posting to the wrong client is structurally impossible, and new colleagues only see their own clients.
maebe is deliberately not a business cockpit. Planning, approving, publishing — every task has its place, and clients need no training to approve. Hootsuite, in turn, bundles listening, inbox, ads and publishing in one enterprise hub.
maebe learns from your own texts and your briefing. Caption drafts sound like you or your client, not like a generic prompt — processed by Mistral AI in France.
Best posting times from your own performance, complemented by the field of similar accounts. With Radar (from Pro) you also keep an eye on competitors.
German law, privacy policy and data processing agreement in German, storage at Hetzner in Germany, AI by Mistral from France. For clients with data-protection requirements that’s one line in the contract instead of a discussion.
Team members are included in the plan, clients pay nothing to approve and need no account. Prices in euros incl. VAT, German-language interface, German support. The price grows with your setup, not with every new colleague.
To be fair
Social listening and inbox
Track mentions, answer messages from several networks in one inbox. maebe deliberately builds neither.
Enterprise breadth
Unlimited social accounts from Professional, roles and integrations for large organisations.
X included
X is among the listed networks; maebe doesn’t connect X.
Pricing
maebe
Free
For trying things out and small setups — without AI.
1 team · 1 person per team · 1 project · 5 GB storage
Solo
For solo creatives running their own feed.
1 team · 1 person per team · 3 projects · 150 GB storage
Pro
For small teams posting regularly.
3 teams · 3 people per team · 10 projects · 250 GB storage
Studio
For setups with many teams and roles.
8 teams · unlimited people · unlimited projects · 500 GB storage
All maebe prices per month incl. VAT, cancel monthly. 14-day free trial, no card.
Start freeHootsuite
Standard
Per user, 10 social accounts, no approval workflow
Professional
Per user, unlimited social accounts
Advanced
Per user, with approval workflow
All Hootsuite prices in US dollars per user per month, “do not include applicable taxes”.
Enterprise: custom price. The plans page lists prices “based on annual billing”; no separate monthly-billing figure is shown. No free plan, 14-day trial.
Source: Hootsuite pricing page, as of 15 September 2026.
www.hootsuite.com/plans
· Something out of date? Let us know.
FAQ
For agencies whose clients approve posts and who don’t need an enterprise hub, yes. In Hootsuite, approvals belong to the per-user Advanced plan; maebe has them in every plan, via link and PIN without a client account, with teams instead of seats. For listening and inbox, Hootsuite remains the more comprehensive system.
No. Clients open an approval link, see the post in preview and confirm with a PIN. If you like, you can also add clients as team members.
There is no automatic import. You reconnect your social accounts in maebe, upload your material to media pools and plan from there. Posts scheduled in Hootsuite keep running independently until you stop them there.
Yes. Free includes one team, one project, 5 GB of storage, client approvals with PIN and media pools, without AI features. You can also try all features for 14 days without a payment method; after that you continue on Free automatically.
Stored on Hetzner servers in Germany; images and videos are delivered via the Bunny CDN. AI features run via Mistral AI in France, payments through an EU provider. Details are in the privacy policy.
Hootsuite is a trademark of Hootsuite Inc., Vancouver. maebe has no business relationship with Hootsuite. All information about Hootsuite comes from the provider’s publicly accessible pages (plans page, privacy policy, help center), checked on 15 September 2026, and may have changed since. Only the provider’s own statements are binding.
maebe vs. Hootsuite
Try all features for 14 days, then continue on Free at no cost. No card.
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