Dennis Edell had been calling out to see if any bloggers were writing or have written a direct comparison between Hootsuite and Tweetdeck which are two very popular twitter clients. I have decided to answer the call by posting a detailed point by point list on the advantages and disadvantages the two clients have over each other. Keep in mind that Tweetdeck is an Adobe Air application that installs on your desktop while Hootsuite is a completely web based application that doesn’t need to install so this leads to some difference from how the applications work.
So without further chatter, I present to you the pros and cons of both Hootsuite and Tweetdeck and you can decide which works best for your needs.
TweetDeck Advantages:
- Can clear columns so you only see new tweets as they arrive (particularly useful for seeing new mentions and DM’s come in or list updates)
- Faster update refresh and overall responsiveness (any thick client will generally perform faster than a web based client)
- Easier to use (HootSuite can have so many tabs, columns and options that it can be daunting to casual users).
- Autoshorten URL as you type is easier than having to cut and paste URL into Hootsuite URL compress bar separately.
- Supports both types of Twitter Retweets (original with the RT @Username, and the newer RT which does Twitter official retweet
TweetDeck Disadvantages:
- Application that installs on your PC and then requires upgrades and downloads (2x since many times you have to upgrade Adobe Air, and Tweetdeck separately)
- Profile and columns are only on the PC you installed it on, if you work from multiple computers you have to customize completely different TweetDeck installs
- Integrates with Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn, but not Ping.FM like HootSuite which connects to 40+ Social Networks and is much better than doing direct integrations for each social media client.
- Bit.ly is the default URL compression (Bit.ly is great, but I recently learned that if you try to tweet a URL encrypted by Bit.ly like Ow.ly, Is.gd, then Bit.ly gives you a potential malicious site error). I still like bit.ly for better click tracking and easier way to get analytics, but this is something to watch out for if you use other url compression services and people retweet your stuff from Tweetdeck.
- Does not support Ow.ly as a URL compression as a selectable option
- When using multiple twitter accounts it keeps the last account you use selected (this is good, but also bad as I have tweeted things numerously from account other than the account I wanted to as a result). Hootsuite will require you to select account(s) for each tweet instead of defaulting to the last one used or specific one. (Except for Retweets which automatically retweets as the account the original tweet was sent to).
- You can add columns, lists from any twitter account but they are all in one static line and sliding them left or right requires many clicks if you have 10-12 columns
- Tweetdeck allows you to schedule tweets but you can’t manually type in the date/time and its slower and more cumbersome than HootSuite to schedule tweets.
Hootsuite Advantages:
- Manage multiple twitter profiles
- Integrates with Ping.FM which broadcasts your tweet to 40+ social networks.
- Does not default to one profile when you tweet (can be a con too)
- Allows you to schedule tweets to post at later dates times. This allows you to set tweets that post in the future / set it and forget it. Each scheduled tweet must be set manually though.
- Has Ow.Ly URL shrink inside app and provides Tweet analytics like click tracking right from within application. Tweetdeck does not have its own URL compression and can’t show Bit.ly stats from within application.
- Has columns + tabs to sort twitter account columns and lists. This allows you to put accounts all on one tab or separate tab and is very flexible.
- Moving columns around is drag and drop, simple and easy.
- Web based application means you can sign in from anywhere and see same setup.
- Ability to designate other email accounts to manage your social media profiles. This allows for companies to have multiple people use service and manage the same social media profiles. Tweetdeck has nothing like this.
HootSuite Disadvantages:
- Can’t clear columns so you don’t have to see tweets you have already read and seen.
- Can’t do searches as easily as Tweetdeck which instantly builds column on new search.
- Posting tweets slower that Tweetdeck because you have to click a profile and preshrink your URL instead of autoshrink and default profile selection of Tweetdeck.
- So many options, tabs and settings it can be cumbersome to some casual twitter users (note this is a plus too)
- Doesn’t auto sync avatar profile picture changes, you have to resync manually when you change your profile pic.
- Doesn’t support the newer official Twitter retweet, only the old style that prepends tweets with RT @user.
- Can’t select reply to multiple people and build a tweet that includes all people you click reply to. Like reply @user1 @user2. Tweetdeck if you hit reply on an tweet it will keep adding other users when you click reply for more than one user.
- Doesn’t show the difference between a retweet that was sent new Twitter style, you can’t tell which were retweets done by newer retweet or if they were even retweets.
- Doesn’t show number of twitter followers inside each tweet next to avatar pic. I like that Tweetdeck has option to show how many followers a user has in every tweet.
Summary:
As you can see they both clearly have their strengths and a few features that the other service lacks, this is why I wind up using both programs every single day when managing my Twitter profiles. I can’t just use HootSuite or Tweetdeck because neither has 100% of the features that I need, but combined they make my Twitter management a whole lot easier. If HootSuite could clear columns and support both styles of Retweet, then I probably would not need to use Tweetdeck anymore.
Secondly, though not mentioned here, there is a Twitter tool called “Twaitter” which allows you to set recurring tweets that can kick off daily, weekly, monthly…etc. This tool is the 3rd tool that I use since neither Twitter nor Tweetdeck support “recurring tweets” to be created, Hootsuite is still very manual to create and manually schedule tweets for the future as pending tweets. Both HootSuite and Tweetdeck allow you to track Twitter conversations which makes it easy to follow a reply chain with other users. I had also done a video demonstration on how to use Tweetdeck previously that you could check out.
If I missed any features that you particularly like and one program has over the other, please let me know and I will update my list. Also, share with me your favorite Twitter management program and what features it has or lacks. If you write your own review of any Twitter management program and compare it to Hootsuite or Tweetdeck I will give you a link back from this post.
-Dragon Blogger
Update: Here are some bloggers who shared their own opinion on which Twitter client they liked best.
The Vaan Clan still prefers Tweetdeck, read their article about why.
TheCDNBoy clearly mentions his preference for Hootsuite and makes some good points.
John Hewitt gives his own excellent pros and cons of HootSuite and Tweetdeck and why he prefers Hootsuite even though the most annoying peeve is not being able to easily include multiple people in the same reply.
Related posts:
- TweetDeck 0.32 Update: Twitter Lists and Retweet Support TweetDeck now supports Twitter Lists, LinkedIn and both old style and new style retweets. In addition they now include Geotagging...
- TweetDeck Update Version 0.26.4 Let me just say that the latest version of TweetDeck rocks! The latest version of TweetDeck which is Version 0.26.4...
- Why Hootsuite 2.0 is The Best Twitter Management Program The new version of HootSuite is more powerful and provides instant information at your fingertips with less clicking around to...
- The New Twitter Retweet Twitter is rolling out the new Retweet function and my account is one of the beta accounts that was able...
- Ultimate HootSuite Tutorial This is a video demonstration on how to use HootSuite including showing you some of the best features of the...
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Tags: comparing hootsuite to tweetdeck, do you prefer hootsuite or tweetdeck, feature list of hootsuite, feature list of tweetdeck, hootsuite benefits, hootsuite cons, hootsuite or tweetdeck, hootsuite review, hootsuite tweetdeck comparison, hootsuite vs tweetdeck, prefer hootsuite, prefer tweetdeck, tweetdeck benefits, tweetdeck cons, tweetdeck or hootsuite, tweetdeck review, Twitter, twitter apps, twitter management applications, twitter management tools, twitter tools, why use hootsuite, why use tweetdeck
April 30th, 2010 at 7:45 am
Great write up…lots of good information on both clients.
I finishing up my Hootsuite VS TweetDeck and was planning to publish lastnight but I ended up dealing with some hosting and domain issues that took all my blogging time away. I was planning on publishing it next week.
element321´s last blog ..Intense Debate + Comment Luv Down
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April 30th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Nice and solid comparison Justin. I myself use Hootsuite as for some reason Tweetdeck is sucking my memory up and everything runs slow. This to me is by far the biggest drawback of Tweetdeck although there are indeed advantages over Hootsuite. Thumbs up. Will echo…
DiTesco´s last blog ..How Do You Manage Your Business?
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April 30th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Thanks, TweetDeck also crashes every 6-8 hours on my computer ever since v0.33.2 but this may be adobe air was updated at same time.
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April 30th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Crazy…thats why was one of reasons why switched.
element321´s last blog ..Intense Debate + Comment Luv Down
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April 30th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Wow, sorry hit the submit button before I was ready…
What I was trying to say was, I switched to Hootsuite because of the constant crashes and it being a resource hog. I haven’t heard very many complain about this issue.
element321´s last blog ..Intense Debate + Comment Luv Down
April 30th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
You aren’t the only person to report TweetDeck memory issues, the crashing does annoy me as well.
April 30th, 2010 at 9:46 am
I’ve been wanting to get a replacement for TweetDeck for some time now. Not that I’m unhappy with it, it just doesn’t feel “Mac’ish” and I rarely launch the app because I just don’t really like to use it.
But I manage 3 twitter profiles, so using only twitter.com is also not easy, having to use different browsers or login and out every time.
Thanks for this post though – I’ll go check out the video tutorial for hootsuite now.
Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Teraffics Review – A Possible Scam?
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April 30th, 2010 at 10:05 am
HootSuite rocks bro, I manage 6 twitter profiles from HootSuite, and I have 2 more HootSuite video demonstrations going up on YouTube this weekend, I just still need to edit them and upload.
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April 30th, 2010 at 9:54 am
Hi DragonBlogger,
Thanks for the review, I think you covered everything and it’s a shame you have to use both, but since you are a Twitter Ninja it’s ok.:)
I have a question, why do you like the new Twitter RT’s? I’m not sure what the advantages are from the point of view or the point of view of the original tweeter or the retweeter? Personally, I’ve never been a fan, so what am I missing?
Thanks for the run down.
Ileane @ The Podcast Blog´s last blog ..HootSuite Tutorial Video
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April 30th, 2010 at 10:04 am
I don’t actually prefer the new Twitter retweet style, but I use it only if when I want to retweet a message I couldn’t fit the entire content with the old retweet, then I retweet so the message stay’s fully intact. Like followfriday’s where no room to add a RT in there, I would have to cut a name out, or messages/quotes that take up too much of the 140 character limit and I don’t want to truncate. I do however like seeing in Tweetdeck when other people do the new style of Retweet, it tells me if I am following someone or I am seeing someones tweet because they were retweeted with the new style and I might want to follow them. With HootSuite I can’t tell, I actually don’t know how it even handles new Retweets.
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April 30th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Oh sure, just tease me about guest posting.
Excellent work my man, I’ll have to come back again to read more thoroughly.
Favor please – go back to my post and leave a comment linking back to this post?
http://www.dennisedell.com/5726/wanted-hootsuite-vs-tweetdeck-comparison-guest-post/
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..What are YOUR Top 3 Social Sharing Recommendations
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April 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Ended up with HootSuite after getting fed up with Tweetdeck being a memory hog. There was a time when I had to re-enroll all my Twitter accounts almost everytime I start Tweetdeck which was the main reason I switched.
I’m happy with HootSuite now.
Jonathan@Archon Digital´s last blog ..Webfaction, Hosting that Sucks
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April 30th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Thanks for sharing your favorite of the two.
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April 30th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I use both. Hootsuite. Realy like the fact that you can schedule tweets and schedule to multiple social media sites.
Tweetdeck has been giving be problems of late. After a few tweets and updates, it just stops working. Can’t tweet until I restart. A bit of a pain.
Robert Bravery´s last blog ..How do you manage criticism on your blog?
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April 30th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
My TweetDeck crashed 2x today, but clearing the columns is so convenient for me.
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April 30th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Thanks for doing this I have been considering Hootsuite for a while now. I’m thinking it will work best since I don’t have to download anything.
Thanks again!
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May 1st, 2010 at 9:05 am
I commented to no avail. lol
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Comment Contest April – – Winners!
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May 1st, 2010 at 9:46 am
Now this will help me to settle down for one! Thanks for the post mate
Pubudu Kodikara´s last blog ..2010 April : Monthly Report
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May 1st, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I am just starting to dabble with HootSuite. I would never ONLY use that one. Tweetdecks clearing columns is a feature that I adore, as well. If the Deck would get scheduling and updating to Facebook Fan Pages, I’d never log back into HS again.
One can sync the columns on tweetdeck when they sign in on a different computer. I’ve never had a need for this but I see the tab in the settings options. I won’t say it works, but it would be worth a try if one likes the Deck and has multiple computers.
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May 2nd, 2010 at 8:51 am
I have been corrected about the saving columns thing if you create a Tweetdeck profile. Thanks for sharing your love of Tweetdeck.
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May 1st, 2010 at 1:04 pm
If you set up an account on Tweetdeck, your columns and settings are saved, I use multiple computers with mine with no problems.
I hardly remember any crashes with Tweetdeck, and I have been using it for over 2yrs leaving it open on my computer all day everyday (sometimes all night too).
I don’t have a resource problem with it, and am able to run it alongside Outlook, Camtasia, Photoshop CS4 and several other applications, with no problem (on a PC with 2.5Gig processor and 3Gig RAM).
I have multiple accounts, and like the setup on Tweetdeck.
My FriendFeed account handles the rest of my social networks (I don’t see the need for 40) and I have FF and Facebook synced to my Twitter…
One thing I really dislike about HootSuite is ow.ly. Why do they have to take the reader to what appears to be a different site because of that ow.ly toolbar at the top. I rarely click on ow.ly links because of that.
I also found that HootSuite is a little slower on the updating when I ran them side by side (along with CoTweet and Seesmic Web).
I have tried several times to give up on TweetDeck, but I keep coming back to it.
Keith@ Blog Tips´s last blog ..Call Me a Blogger
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May 2nd, 2010 at 8:50 am
I don’t know if you knew this, but they changed ow.ly, now ow.ly is a hard redirect to your site just like bit.ly. I agree that the speed and ease of Tweetdeck is why I still use it even though I use Hootsuite as well.
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May 1st, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I used to use TweetDeck but have switched to Hootsuite for it’s ease of use and because of the scheduling of tweets. I wasn’t aware that there was a new version of RTs though. It’s not clear from the article what it is though. I’ve always used the RT @user method.
You’ve given a good description of both methods. I’m off to check if I use Ping.fm in my HootSuite config settings. Sending to 40 sites automatically would be pretty useful.
Thanks,
Karen
Karen´s last blog ..Stop Lying To Yourself
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May 2nd, 2010 at 8:49 am
Glad you found the review helpful, note that Ping.FM disabled all external API’s and so far I can’t get it activated, so this function doesn’t work anymore and its because of Ping.fm
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May 1st, 2010 at 5:54 pm
I have been using tweetdeck for a long time. I always use it from the same computer. Since you didn’t state anything that is earthshaking for me I will just continue to use it. I too use multiple accounts and do get annoyed when I tweet or reply from the wrong account, especially if they are totally different subjects. One about gaming, another on blogging, camera bags etc… LOL it is funny sometimes though
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May 1st, 2010 at 9:40 pm
I saw the original post on Dennis’ blog I’m glad you took up the challenge. I think for me Hoot suite sounds best. I don’t want to use two different tools.
ned@Tax lien investing´s last blog ..Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Drew Carey has a Message for You
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May 4th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
[...] Business – You Gotta License For That? Comparing HootSuite to TweetDeck How to Blog: ANOTHER 10 Great Blog Tips from Our Readers What Private Facebook Information Your [...]
May 5th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
There’s some good points raised here for both platforms, to me HootSuite is more functional in a number of ways such as user management, scheduling and statistics, and it definitely takes the biggest step towards creating a highly usable Twitter application for businesses.
Biodun @ Web hosting blog ´s last blog ..Link Wheel – SEO friendly way to build quality backlinks?
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May 5th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
I agree, for business managing multiple accounts or multiple people managing the same business account, Hootsuite has some clear advantages.
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May 12th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Since getting a hold of Tweetdeck, I’ve been much more happier with twitter as of late. I suppose I’m a slow learner, but it was great to feel like I got it nailed down. Now the tricky part is building up networks on it. ^_^
Hootsuite I haven’t tried out though. But I’ve been a total social media monkey as of late.
I’ll have to see how the latter does for my social media itches… I wouldn’t mind an app that helps juggle them!
Aury (Thunderdrake)´s last blog ..How To Train Your Dragon – The Review
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May 12th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
The fact that you can queue HootSuite tweets and let them auto tweet at later dates is a huge plus.
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May 17th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
[...] Dragon Blogger ~ Comparing Hootsuite to Tweetdeck [...]
May 19th, 2010 at 11:06 am
[...] Dragon Blogger ~ Comparing Hootsuite to Tweetdeck [...]
May 19th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I made the switch from Tweetdeck to Hootsuite a while back and wrote a post on my 10 reasons why I switched here:
http://chadegeland.com/10-reasons-you-should-be-using-hootsuite/
I disagree where as a negative for Hootsuite you say: “Can’t do searches as easily as Tweetdeck which instantly builds column on new search.”
There is search box is in the right corner of Hootsuite and after performing search a new box opens up which has a button for Save As Column. This makes saving search columns easy and gives me the option to decide which searches I want made as columns instead of keeping all of them.
Chad @ Opinions On Social Media´s last blog ..Will You Reclaim Your Facebook Privacy?
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May 19th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
I will re-review the “search” functions on Hootsuite, it has been months since I have used it. It also looks like Tweetdeck HTML 5 is coming out eventually and will go even more directly up against Hootsuite in the Web App space.
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May 20th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
[...] I find Hootsuite works for me. However, I could see how both (and other) clients serve the needs of different users. For a side by side of TweetDeck and HootSuite check out a post I found over at Dragon Blogger, Comparing HootSuite to TweetDeck. [...]
May 28th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Great comparation…
I found myself messed up with tweetdeck, an AIR application actually.
I use hootsuite sometime, but i prefer seesmic web. It doesn’t have Facebook integration, but can be integrate to foursquare, ping.fm, and google buzz.
eL Abee´s last blog ..Bahasa Indonesia Diterima Drupal Localize
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June 4th, 2010 at 7:12 am
Sweet, 2 4 1 links, thanks man!
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..The Future of DEDC – Part 3 – A Slight Modification You Might Like Better
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June 4th, 2010 at 7:13 am
Oh hey, feel free to leave this link again in the comments section of that post of mine.
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..It’s His FIRST Comment Contest!
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June 4th, 2010 at 7:21 am
I see all your comments are auto approved now, looks like Akismet stopped blocking you. Makes my job easier.
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June 4th, 2010 at 7:21 am
This is same post just with an update, no reason to leave same link twice?
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June 19th, 2010 at 10:32 am
I have used both and continue to use tweetdeck more frequently. Hootsuite has a better RSS function than tweetdeck, and that helps me to get another accounts latest revisions posted to the web.
Thanks for the insight.
tonyknuckles @113Tidbits´s last blog ..Craftsmen Get Down To A Hardware Beat – Video
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June 21st, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Nice article. I choose Tweet Deck! thanks.
Daniel Snyder´s last blog ..Identity Theft and Password Security.
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June 22nd, 2010 at 7:57 am
I still use both
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July 1st, 2010 at 7:42 am
[...] Well, that pretty much sums it up. If you want to see a comparison between Hootsuite and Tweetdeck, visit here. [...]
July 26th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Thanks for the review Dragonblogger. I’ve actually only used Tweetdeck up to now, although heard very good things about Hootesuite.
I like the idea that I can use the application anywhere. It’s kind of a pain every time I use a different computer, I have to reinstall the program.
As for pre-scheduling tweets, I am able to do it with Tweetdeck. Not sure if this is a new feature since I’ve only started using this function about a month ago. (I assume this is what you mean =)
Thanks again!
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July 26th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
At the time of this review Tweetdeck didn’t offer scheduled tweets at all, but they still don’t do it as efficiently as Hootsuite. I don’t think the scheduled tweets kick off unless Tweetdeck is open and mine never seem to trigger.
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July 26th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Good to know…never tried it without the application open. Thanks for the tip
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July 29th, 2010 at 10:41 am
You list scheduled tweets as an advantage for HootSuite, but isn’t this also a feature in TweetDeck? I don’t use the feature in either, but I thought TweetDeck was actually easier to use when it came to scheduling tweets.
I’ve been using HootSuite for about two weeks now exclusively, but here’s what I really miss by not using TweetDeck:
1. the notifications
2. the history saved on my pc
3. the graphics are much easier to read
4. not having to have a browser up to run it
5. it doesn’t go to sleep on me
Here’s what attracted me to HootSuite:
1. the tab structure
2. ability to have more than 1 FB account
I still find I have to log into my FB accounts to use them effectively so I don’t know how important #2 is after all.
The TweetDeck iPhone app works much better for me than the HootSuite one, but it’s nice to be able to log on from someone else’s computer and have everything available to me.
Like you, neither has everything I want. Both have something unique to offer. I think I will end up going back to TweetDeck for home and iPhone, but periodically check my lists in HootSuite.
Brad Harmon´s last blog ..A Smart Phone Could Cost You Your Job
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July 29th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Tweetdeck scheduled tweets is unreliable at best from my own testing and if you close the client the scheduled tweet never kicks off, with Hootsuite you can schedule and close all your browsers and you know it will fire when you want it to.
I still use both, Tweetdeck is faster, easier to just give simple updates and do mass replies. You can click reply to more than one person and all their @reply names show up in the same message field. But I use Hootsuite for basically monitoring the five twitter accounts I work with, with the tabs, as well as sending posts to Ping.FM which then sends posts to 40 of my social networks in one blast.
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August 17th, 2010 at 6:40 am
Considering all your points , both rocks !
However tweetdeck is my preferred client as it now supports more networks and does not take the load as compared to hootsuite which takes more time to load
Ajinkya @Blog404´s last blog ..Blog Contest – Cash Prizes to be won !
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August 17th, 2010 at 8:08 am
I agree that Tweetdeck appears to be faster, and it doesn’t crash as often on my computer with latest update. I still think it needs PING.FM integration.
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August 20th, 2010 at 11:30 am
The second TweetDeck disadvantage can also be an advantage. I use TweetDeck at work and at home. My personal Twitter account is on both, but I have my business Twitter account only on my work computer and my Facebook feed only on my home computer. Plus, I have a different color scheme for each computer (bells and whistles, but hey).
You can turn HootSuite into a desktop program by using Fluid. It works okay, but one annoying thing it does (and it might do this online too, I don’t know) is that, whenever your feed is updated, your column automatically jumps back to the top, which is really annoying if you’re catching up on your feed after being away for a little bit.
One important thing you also didn’t mention: Some of HootSuite’s best features AREN’T FREE. The basic free version lets you have 5 social networks and 1 RSS feed. Anything more, and you gotta pay.
I couldn’t find anything on TweetDeck that showed any sort of pricing. If you do have to pay for advanced TweetDeck features, they’re well-hidden on the site.
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August 20th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
This review and comparison was done before Hootsuite put in a pricing plan for their website. I will have to recompare features. But Hootsuite does put a “pagebreak” between updates and does not appear to bounce to top of list when stream updates occur in the latest version.
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