Buffer bills per channel. Hootsuite bills per person. Here’s what your team actually pays.
Twelve schedulers, five different pricing units, one honest bill. Enter your channels, people and brands — we fit every published plan from the official pricing pages and keep the cheapest one that really covers you. Unknowns stay Not listed.
8 channels · 3 people · 1 brand · billed annually — monthly-equivalent bill, cheapest qualifying plan per tool. Grey = not computable from published prices.
Later 
SocialPilot 
Planable 
Loomly 
Metricool 
SocialBee 
Buffer 
Sendible 
Agorapulse 
Hootsuite 
Sprout Social 
Publer Sortable comparison
Cheapest paid sticker with its unit, plus what three common team shapes really pay. Click a header to sort.
| Tool | From (annual) | Pricing unit | Solo /mo | Small biz /mo | Agency /mo | Free? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publer | $4/channel | Per social account (+ members) | $0 | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Visit |
| Buffer | $5/channel | Per channel | $0 | $80 | $300 | Yes | Visit |
| Later | $18.75 | Bundle (social sets + users) | $19 | $41 | $79 | No | Visit |
| Metricool | $20 | Brand brackets | $0 | $53 | $53 | Yes | Visit |
| SocialBee | $24.17 | Bundle (profiles + users) | $24 | $57 | Not listed | No | Visit |
| SocialPilot | $25.50 | Bundle (accounts + users) | $26 | $43 | $105 | No | Visit |
| Sendible | $30 | Bundle (workspaces + profiles) | $30 | $84 | $169 | No | Visit |
| Planable | $33/workspace | Per workspace (users unlimited) | $33 | $49 | $245 | Yes | Visit |
| Loomly | $49 | Bundle (accounts + users) | $49 | $49 | $249 | No | Visit |
| Sprout Social | $79/user | Per user (seat) | $79 | $897 | $1,196 | No | Visit |
| Agorapulse | $79/user | Per user (seat) | $79 | $237 | Not listed | Yes | Visit |
| Hootsuite | $99/user | Per user (seat) | $99 | $297 | $796 | No | Visit |
Alternatives & compares
Switching desks and head-to-heads, costed with the same engine.
Hootsuite alternatives
Enterprise-grade per-user suite with listening, inbox, and governance
Buffer alternatives
Per-channel scheduler with a real free plan and unlimited team members on Team
Later alternatives
Visual Instagram/TikTok planner priced by “social sets” (one profile per network)
Sprout Social alternatives
Premium per-seat suite for inbox, reporting, and cross-team workflows
Metricool alternatives
Analytics-first scheduler priced by brand brackets, with a usable free plan
Buffer vs Hootsuite
Per channel vs per user (seat).
Buffer vs Later
Per channel vs bundle (social sets + users).
Buffer vs Metricool
Per channel vs brand brackets.
Hootsuite vs Sprout Social
Per user (seat) vs per user (seat).
Publer vs Buffer
Per social account (+ members) vs per channel.
Metricool vs Later
Brand brackets vs bundle (social sets + users).
SocialBee vs Buffer
Bundle (profiles + users) vs per channel.
SocialPilot vs Hootsuite
Bundle (accounts + users) vs per user (seat).
Agorapulse vs Sprout Social
Per user (seat) vs per user (seat).
Planable vs Loomly
Per workspace (users unlimited) vs bundle (accounts + users).
Sendible vs SocialPilot
Bundle (workspaces + profiles) vs bundle (accounts + users).
Publer vs Metricool
Per social account (+ members) vs brand brackets.
Best-of shortlists
Each list is ranked for a stated team shape — not “best for everyone.”
Cheapest social media schedulers
Lowest verified bill for a typical small business: 8 channels, 3 users, billed annually.
Best free social media schedulers
Forever-free plans with their real ceilings: channels, posts and networks excluded.
Best social media tools for agencies
Multi-client workspaces, approvals and white-label — costed for 5 clients, 30 channels, 4 users.
Best social schedulers for teams
Approvals and collaboration for a 6-person marketing team across 12 channels.
Best schedulers for solo creators
One person, a handful of channels, monthly billing so you can quit any time.
Best Instagram & TikTok schedulers
Visual grid planning, link-in-bio and short-video publishing.
Best social schedulers for analytics & reporting
Reporting depth vs cost — costed for 10 channels and 2 users.
FAQ
What does a social media scheduler cost in 2026?
Verified on official pricing pages (2026-10-29): Buffer from $5/channel/mo (annual), Publer from $4/account, Metricool from $20/mo for 5 brands, Later from $18.75/mo, SocialPilot from $25.50/mo, Hootsuite from $99/user/mo and Sprout Social from $79/seat/mo. Your real bill depends on channels × users × brands — use the calculator.
Why does the calculator rank tools differently from their sticker price?
Every tool bills on a different unit: Buffer and Publer per channel, Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse per user, Planable per workspace, Metricool by brand bracket, and Later, SocialPilot, SocialBee, Loomly and Sendible by bundles with add-ons. We fit your team shape to every published plan and keep the cheapest one that actually covers it.
What does “Not listed” mean?
The official pricing page does not publish that number (for example Hootsuite monthly billing, Planable monthly billing, Publer extra-member price or SocialBee extra workspaces). We never estimate these — the calculator shows the tool as not computable and explains why.
Which social media scheduler is cheapest for agencies?
For 5 clients, 30 channels and 4 users billed annually, our engine ranks: Metricool $53/mo, Later $79/mo, SocialPilot $105/mo, Sendible $169/mo. Check post caps and white-label needs on each tool page.
Are these affiliate links?
Visit buttons route through /go/ links marked nofollow sponsored. Rankings come from the cost engine and published limits only; commissions never change a price cell.