Hootsuite Academy review
Social media marketing training with free courses and paid certifications.
The quick verdict
Hootsuite Academy offers social media marketing courses and recognised certifications. Some training is free, while the well-known certifications are paid (roughly $99 to $199, with advanced courses higher). It is a credible pick for social media marketers who want a certificate. Best for social media marketers wanting a recognised certificate.
What stood out
- Recognised social media marketing certifications
- Some free training and a student program available
- Practical, platform-spanning social strategy content
Worth knowing
- The headline certifications are paid (roughly $99 to $199+)
- Advanced strategy course is a higher one-time fee
- Some catalogue material is dated
Typically Free courses · certs $99 to $199+
Affiliate link. AcademyGems may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and it never sways the verdict.
What it is
Hootsuite Academy is Hootsuite's social media marketing training and certification hub. It mixes free courses with paid, recognised certifications, and is aimed at marketers who manage social channels for brands or clients. It is the social-media-focused entry on AcademyGems's marketing and growth list.
What is inside, and what it costs
Hootsuite offers a free social marketing training course of video lessons, plus paid certifications. The Hootsuite certification is reported around $99, the Social Media Marketing Certification around $199, and the Advanced Social Media Strategy course at a higher one-time fee. So you can learn the basics free, and pay only for the credential.
How it compares
- Hootsuite Academy vs Meta Blueprint: Hootsuite teaches cross-platform organic social strategy and management; Meta Blueprint is Facebook/Instagram ad-buying specifically. Different jobs, often used together.
- Hootsuite Academy vs LinkedIn Marketing Labs: LinkedIn Labs is single-platform and B2B-focused; Hootsuite spans multiple social platforms at once, useful if you manage several channels for one brand or client.
Who it is for
Social media managers, freelancers and small teams who want structured social strategy training and a certificate that employers and clients recognise. It is most useful if social is your primary channel.
Who should skip it
If you specifically want paid-social advertising depth, Meta Blueprint and LinkedIn Marketing Labs teach platform ads free. For SEO and content, use Semrush Academy or Ahrefs Academy.
First-look verdict
A credible social media academy with real certifications. Use the free training to learn, and pay for a certificate only when it has a clear payoff for your role or clients.
How to read this review
Best fit
Hootsuite Academy is strongest for social media marketers wanting a recognised certificate. Its best signals are recognised social media marketing certifications and some free training and a student program available. Use that as the real buying test, not the broad promise on the sales page.
Skip or wait if
Be cautious if the headline certifications are paid (roughly $99 to $199+) or advanced strategy course is a higher one-time fee. For a first-look listing, treat the sources and the live provider page as the final source of truth before paying.
Evidence notes
AcademyGems does not invent ratings. Because no reliable public star rating is available, this entry leads with the visible scale metric: Free training · paid certificates. Price and access can change quickly, so confirm the live page before buying or subscribing.
Sources
First look: this entry is researched from the sources above and not yet a completed hands-on review. Figures were accurate as of July 2026; prices and member counts change, so confirm on the provider's page before you buy.
Compare Hootsuite Academy against similar picks
HubSpot Academy
HubSpot Academy is a free online training library for inbound marketing, content, SEO, email, sales and HubSpot CRM. It is strongest as a beginner-friendly way to learn lead generation fundamentals and earn certificates without paying for a subscription.
Demand Curve Growth Program
Demand Curve's Growth Program is a paid startup growth course and coaching platform used by 4,500+ startups, with 55+ playbooks, 400+ growth tactics and ad examples, templates, critiques and an AI growth co-pilot.
Meta Blueprint
Meta Blueprint is Meta's official learning hub for advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The courses are free; the official certification exams are paid. It is the best free way to learn Meta ad campaign setup, targeting and optimisation from the source.
Ahrefs Academy
Ahrefs Academy is a free SEO training library covering keyword research, on-page and technical SEO, link building and content, taught around real Ahrefs workflows. It is the closest free rival to Semrush Academy for practical search training.
Hootsuite Academy: common questions
- Is Hootsuite Academy free?
- Partly. Hootsuite offers free social marketing training, but its recognised certifications are paid, reported around $99 to $199, with an advanced course at a higher one-time fee.
- What is Hootsuite Academy best for?
- Organic social media marketing strategy and a recognised certificate, best for social media managers and freelancers.
- Is it better than Meta Blueprint?
- They serve different needs. Hootsuite focuses on cross-platform social strategy and certificates; Meta Blueprint teaches Facebook and Instagram advertising free, with paid exams. Many marketers use both.
- Does Hootsuite Academy cover paid ads?
- Not as its focus. It centers on organic, cross-platform social strategy. For paid social ad-buying specifically, Meta Blueprint and LinkedIn Marketing Labs are the free, platform-official options.
Typically Free courses · certs $99 to $199+
Affiliate link. AcademyGems may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and it never sways the verdict.