App: HootSuite, by HootSuite

Price: Free

Features: Absolute control: springboards, tabs, theme sharing, vertical swiping, insane options

Tested: 03/19/10, Nexus One | Version:1.0.2

The developers of this app, which has been very popular and celebrated amongst iPhone users, refer to it as The professional Twitter client. And while new to Android, its name is already buzzing around the blogs and gaining fans. The introductory price of $1.99, which was originally set to expire on 03/19/10, is apparently going to stick around for a bit. Perhaps the devs were expecting more downloads. This one currently sits between 1,000 and 5,000.

HootSuite uses a swiping system for organization. Dragging your finger from right to left or left to right changes between “tabs” that represent different areas of the Twitter environment: timeline, replies, DMs, etc. You can customize which tabs are available, which makes this app one of the most customizable at the lower levels. Tapping any tweet opens up a new window, where you see complete URLs and have access to user profiles. The profile pages are some of the easiest to navigate – if not the most advanced – in the world of Twitter apps. Following, blocking, user info, and more are available, and I consider this to be HootSuite’s second strongest feature, next to the innovative navigation. I haven’t fallen in love with this app yet, but it is a strong contender. HootSuite does win my “easy tweeting from multiple accounts” award.