Best Social Media Scheduling Tools 2026: Buffer vs Publer vs Later vs Hootsuite vs Metricool
Metricool (4.2/5) leads the cluster on rating and value — scheduling plus native analytics and competitor tracking in one bill with the strongest free tier. Buffer (4.0/5) is the free, per-channel generalist; Publer (4.0/5) the cheapest flat bill; Later (3.8/5) the paid visual grid; Hootsuite (4.1/5) the enterprise platform.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Best free | 4.0/5 | Free $5/channel/mo (annual) | Buffer is a social scheduling tool built around one clean idea: queue and schedule posts a… |
| Publer | 4.0/5 | Free $5/account/mo (annual) | Publer is a low-cost social planner that bills per account on a flat workspace with unlimi… |
| Later | 3.8/5 | $18.75/mo (annual) | Later is a social-first scheduler built around a visual Instagram-first grid. It has no fr… |
| Hootsuite Best for teams | 4.1/5 | $99/user/mo (annual, Standard) | Hootsuite is the established enterprise social management platform: publish, monitor and r… |
| Metricool Best overall | 4.2/5 | Free $20/mo (annual) | Metricool is an all-in-one social planner plus analytics platform: schedule across network… |
Bottom line: Metricool (4.2/5, the cluster's top rating) is the best overall pick — scheduling, a content calendar, built-in analytics and competitor tracking in one seat, with the most capable free tier (1 brand, 20 posts/mo, 30-day analytics, no card). Billed by brand: Starter $25/mo monthly ($20 annual), Advanced $67/mo monthly ($53 annual); X/Twitter and LinkedIn are add-ons. Buffer (4.0/5) is the best free and the cheapest per-channel generalist — free 3 channels (including X/Twitter), 10 posts per channel, 1 user, then $5/channel/mo annual with no per-seat charge. Publer (4.0/5) is the value leader on price — Professional $4/account/mo annual on a flat, unlimited-post workspace, free 3-account tier (no X/Twitter). Hootsuite (4.1/5) is the team-governance platform — shared inbox, approval and routing workflows, Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening, from $99/user/mo annual, no free plan, card-free trial. Later (3.8/5) is the visual Instagram grid — no free plan, a 14-day card-required auto-charging trial, Social Set billing (Starter $18.75/mo annual, 1 set = 8 profiles / 30 posts), and no X/Twitter since 2025. None of the five has a Chinese or Japanese interface; localization will not decide this round.
Pricing and details
Buffer · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $5/channel/mo (annual)
Buffer bills by channel, not by user. Free $0 forever: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user. Essentials $6/channel/mo monthly ($5 annual, 14-day trial). Team $12/channel/mo monthly ($10 annual) adds analytics and integrations. Each additional channel adds to the bill; there is no per-user charge, so it scales better for many-brand accounts than seat-based rivals.
Essentials $5/channel/mo · Team $10-12/channel/mo (annual)
Buffer is a social scheduling tool built around one clean idea: queue and schedule posts across Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and Threads from a single feed. It bills per channel, not per seat, and its free tier is a real standing plan (3 channels, 1 user) rather than a trial.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Free plan is a standing plan (3 channels, 1 user), not a trial
- Per-channel, not per-seat, pricing — the cheapest paid entry in the cluster ($5/channel/mo annual)
- Covers Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and Threads from one feed
- Clean, fast UI (ease 4/5) with 14-day paid trial
Cons
- Collaboration (approvers, shared feeds) is lighter than Hootsuite's team workflows
- No built-in deep analytics suite the way Metricool ships — scheduling is the strength, not measurement
- No X-removal surprises, but feature depth trails an enterprise platform
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Publer · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $5/account/mo (annual)
Publer bills per account, flat workspace (unlimited scheduling, no per-user charge on the workspace). Free $0 forever: 3 social accounts, no X/Twitter, 10 scheduled posts/account, 25 drafts. Professional $6/account/mo monthly ($4 annual). Business $12/account/mo monthly ($8 annual) adds analytics. Every 10th account or seat is free. X/Twitter is not on the free tier.
Professional $4/account/mo · Business $8/account/mo (annual)
Publer is a low-cost social planner that bills per account on a flat workspace with unlimited scheduling. Its free tier covers 3 social accounts, and its paid entry is among the cheapest in the cluster when a small team needs many accounts without the per-seat math.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest paid entry in the cluster: Professional $4/account/mo annual
- Flat per-account bill with unlimited scheduling on the workspace
- Free tier is a standing plan (3 accounts, 25 drafts)
- Every 10th account or seat is free
Cons
- X/Twitter is not on the free tier
- Younger vendor — thinner enterprise governance and inbox tooling than Hootsuite
- Analytics are basic next to Metricool's built-in suite
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Later · 3.8/5
14-day trial (credit card required, auto-charge at expiry) · $18.75/mo (annual)
Later has no free plan — only a 14-day trial that requires a credit card and auto-charges at expiry. It bills by 'Social Set' (1 set = 8 profiles, 30 posts/profile). Starter $25/mo monthly ($18.75 annual) = 1 set, 1 user. Growth $50/mo ($37.50 annual) = 2 sets, 2 users, 180 posts. Scale $110/mo ($82.50 annual) = 6 sets, 4 users, unlimited posts. Extra set $11.25/mo, extra user $3.75/mo. X/Twitter support was removed on 2025-08-28.
Starter $18.75/mo · Growth $37.50/mo · Scale $82.50/mo (annual)
Later is a social-first scheduler built around a visual Instagram-first grid. It has no free plan — only a 14-day trial that requires a credit card and auto-charges — and bills by 'Social Set' (a bundle of profiles and posts) rather than per user.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Visual grid is the best in-class tool for image-led planning (ease 4/5)
- Clean week-planning interface for Instagram-first teams
Cons
- No free plan — evaluation starts on a 14-day card-required, auto-charging trial
- Social Set billing can exceed a set's 30-post cap and add surcharges
- X/Twitter support removed in 2025; smaller vendor than Hootsuite
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Hootsuite · 4.1/5
14-day free trial (no credit card) · $99/user/mo (annual, Standard)
Hootsuite has no free plan (removed March 2023) — only a 14-day trial with no card. It bills per user, annually. Standard $99/user/mo (up to 10 accounts). Professional $199/user/mo (unlimited accounts, inbox automation). Advanced $399/user/mo (approval workflows, routing). Enterprise is custom. Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening.
Standard $99/user/mo · Professional $199/user/mo · Advanced $399/user/mo (billed annually)
Hootsuite is the established enterprise social management platform: publish, monitor and route a shared inbox across networks, with Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening. It bills per user and has no free plan.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Most capable platform in the cluster (core 5/5, collaboration 5/5, stability 5/5)
- Shared inbox with approval and routing workflows for teams
- Includes Wisdom AI and Talkwalker listening
- 14-day trial does not require a credit card
Cons
- Priciest entry in the cluster: Standard $99/user/mo, billed annually, no free plan
- Per-user, per-account bill scales fast for large teams
- Heavier enterprise UI with a steeper learning curve
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Metricool · 4.2/5
Free plan available · $20/mo (annual)
Metricool bills by brand, not by seat. Free $0 forever: 1 brand, all networks except X/LinkedIn, 20 posts/mo, 5 competitor tracking, 30-day analytics. Starter $25/mo monthly ($20 annual) up to 5 brands (10 brands $36/$45). Advanced $67/mo monthly ($53 annual) up to 15 brands (25 brands $107). X/Twitter costs extra at $10/account/mo. Annual saves up to 24%.
Starter $20/mo · Advanced $53/mo (annual)
Metricool is an all-in-one social planner plus analytics platform: schedule across networks, run a content calendar and get built-in analytics and competitor tracking. It bills by brand and has a genuinely useful free tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Highest rating in the cluster (4.2/5)
- Scheduling plus native analytics and competitor tracking in one bill
- Most capable free tier in the set (1 brand, 20 posts/mo, 30-day analytics)
- Brand-based billing with multi-brand support
Cons
- X/Twitter and LinkedIn are add-ons, not in the base plans
- Analytics and extra networks add complexity versus a pure scheduler
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Frequently asked questions
How many Social Media Scheduling tools are compared here?
This page compares 5 Social Media Scheduling tools, with Metricool as our top-rated pick. Pricing was last re-checked on 2026-09-18.
Which Social Media Scheduling tool has the best free plan?
Buffer is our free-tier pick among the tools compared.