If you're leaving Hootsuite because paying $99 a month per seat for a scheduler no longer makes sense solo, here's what to expect: Hootsuite will let you export your queue to CSV, but that file only imports cleanly into Google Calendar, not into Buffer or Publer, and it doesn't include your images. You're rebuilding the queue by hand either way. Budget one to two weeks running both tools in parallel before you cancel anything.
What Hootsuite actually lets you take with you
Hootsuite does have a real export feature: you can pull scheduled or already-published posts into one of four CSV formats, including a version built specifically for importing into Google Calendar (source: help.hootsuite.com, Export Your Scheduled Posts, checked August 2026). That's useful as a record of what was supposed to post and when. It's not useful as a direct migration path, because neither Buffer nor Publer has a matching "import from Hootsuite" feature on the receiving end, and the export explicitly doesn't include the images attached to each post (source: help.hootsuite.com, checked August 2026). You'll have captions, dates, and links in a spreadsheet, and a separate job of tracking down every graphic that went with them. That tradeoff is still worth it: Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels at 10 posts each and Publer's covers 3 accounts at 10 posts each, real usable tiers next to Hootsuite's 14-day trial and no free plan at all (source: Gigwallet's own social scheduling comparison, checked August 2026).
Why nobody's queue transfers automatically
This isn't a Hootsuite-specific problem. Look at how any scheduler documents its own migration path and the pattern repeats: RecurPost's official onboarding process only pulls in the last 6 months of already-published content for reporting continuity, not the posts still sitting unpublished in your queue (source: recurpost.com, Migration Checklist, checked August 2026). Approval workflows, hashtag groups, and workspace structure aren't part of that import either; they get rebuilt from scratch in the new tool. There's no reason to expect Buffer or Publer behaves differently, since none of the three companies has a commercial incentive to make leaving a competitor easy.
What to actually do, in order
Export your Hootsuite queue to CSV first, even though it won't import anywhere directly. It becomes your reference sheet for rebuilding, and it's proof of what was scheduled if anything gets missed in the switch. Sign up for Buffer or Publer and reconnect each social account from scratch. This step alone sometimes requires re-authenticating platform API permissions per account, so don't leave it for the day before a post is due. Rebuild your queue in the new tool using the CSV as your checklist, prioritizing whatever's scheduled soonest. Re-upload the images separately since none of them survived the export. Run Hootsuite and your new tool side by side for one to two weeks, watching for anything posted twice, before you let the Hootsuite subscription lapse.
| What you're moving | Exports from Hootsuite? | Imports into Buffer or Publer? |
|---|---|---|
| Captions, dates, links | Yes, via CSV | No, manual re-entry from the CSV |
| Images and media | No, excluded from export | No, must be re-uploaded from your own files |
| Already-published post history | Yes, via CSV | No native import on either platform |
| Approval workflows | Not exportable | No, rebuilt manually |
| Hashtag groups | Not exportable | No, rebuilt manually |
None of this is a reason to keep paying Hootsuite's per-seat annual pricing if you're the only one logging in. It's a reason to schedule the switch for a slower week, not the week before a launch.
FAQ
Can I move my scheduled posts from Hootsuite to Buffer automatically? No. Hootsuite's CSV export only interops cleanly with Google Calendar, so you're using it as a reference and manually recreating the queue in Buffer or Publer.
Will my images come over in the export? No. Hootsuite's export explicitly excludes images, so every visual post needs its media re-uploaded by hand in the new tool.
How long should I run both tools at once? One to two weeks is a reasonable buffer based on how other scheduler migrations are typically documented, giving you time to catch anything missed before canceling the old subscription.
What about approval workflows or team settings? Those don't transfer either. If you used Hootsuite's team review features, you're reconstructing the same approval steps from scratch in whichever tool you land on.
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