Business & Side Income · Topic page
Best Social Media Schedulers
Every company here was researched from its own pricing pages and terms. No paid rankings.
We check it out so you don’t have to.
How we researched this page: we read each company’s own pricing pages and terms, independent tests, and customer reviews. We did not use these products ourselves. Prices change often, so each one shows the date we checked it.
The short version
For a solo creator on a budget, Buffer’s free plan or Post Planner. For small businesses that want content categories and evergreen recycling, SocialBee. For agencies managing many clients, SocialPilot, Vista Social or ContentStudio. For analytics plus scheduling at a low price, Metricool. For bigger teams that need everything, Hootsuite.
Quick comparison
| Company | Best for | Starting price | Trial / refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Planner | Finding and recycling proven posts | $9/mo billed yearly (Starter), checked October 25, 2026 | 7-day trial |
| SocialBee | Content categories, evergreen posting | $29/mo ($290/yr), checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial, 30-day money-back |
| SocialPilot | Agencies and client approvals | $25.50/mo yearly or $30 monthly, checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial |
| ContentStudio | Content discovery plus scheduling | $19/mo yearly or $29 monthly, checked October 25, 2026 | 7-day trial |
| Vista Social | Agencies wanting inbox, reviews, reports | $29/mo entry; $80/mo billed yearly, checked October 25, 2026 | Free trial |
| Metricool | Analytics plus scheduling, low cost | Free; $20/mo yearly ($25 monthly), checked October 25, 2026 | Free plan |
| Buffer | Simple scheduling for creators | Free; $5/mo per channel yearly, checked October 25, 2026 | Free plan, 14-day trial |
| Hootsuite | Larger teams, social listening | $99/mo per user yearly, checked October 25, 2026 | 14-day trial |
Post Planner
Who it fits: Solo marketers and small businesses who want help finding content that already performs and reposting it.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): Starter $9/mo, Growth $39/mo, Business $69/mo, Agency $119/mo, billed yearly (monthly is higher: $14, $59, $99 on the first three, October 23, 2026). 7-day free trial.
Honest downsides: Fewer networks and team features than SocialPilot or Hootsuite. Analytics are basic.
Visit Post Planner’s official site
SocialBee
Who it fits: Small businesses and solo marketers who plan by content category and want evergreen posts recycled automatically.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $29, $49 and $99 a month, or $290, $490 and $990 a year. 14-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Honest downsides: No free plan. Copywriting and design help are paid extras.
Visit SocialBee’s official site
SocialPilot
Who it fits: Agencies and teams that manage many client accounts and need approvals and white-label reports.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $30, $50, $100 and $200 a month, or $25.50, $42.50, $85 and $170 a month billed yearly. 14-day free trial.
Honest downsides: The interface is functional rather than pretty. Social listening isn’t included.
Visit SocialPilot’s official site
Compare: Read our full SocialPilot review · SocialPilot vs Hootsuite
ContentStudio
Who it fits: Marketers who want content discovery, an AI writer and scheduling together.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $19, $49 and $99 a month billed yearly ($29, $69 and $139 monthly). 7-day free trial, no free plan.
Honest downsides: Lots of features means a learning curve. Higher tiers are needed for client workspaces.
Visit ContentStudio’s official site
Compare: Read our full ContentStudio review
Vista Social
Who it fits: Agencies and multi-location businesses that want scheduling, a shared inbox, review management and reports.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): an entry plan at $29/mo, then $80, $160 and $360 a month billed yearly ($950, $1,910 and $4,310 a year).
Honest downsides: The jump from the entry plan to the next tier is big.
Visit Vista Social’s official site
Compare: Read our full Vista Social review
Metricool
Who it fits: Creators and small businesses that care about analytics as much as scheduling.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): free plan. Paid plans from $20/mo billed yearly ($25 monthly) and $53/mo yearly ($67 monthly).
Honest downsides: The free plan is limited to one brand. The interface is busy.
Visit Metricool’s official site
Compare: Read our full Metricool review · Metricool vs Buffer
Buffer
Who it fits: Solo creators and small teams who want the simplest scheduler.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): free plan. Paid plans $5/mo and $10/mo per channel, billed yearly. 14-day free trial.
Honest downsides: Per-channel pricing adds up with many accounts. Reporting is light.
Compare: Read our full Buffer review · Hootsuite vs Buffer · Metricool vs Buffer
Hootsuite
Who it fits: Bigger teams that need social listening, inbox and approvals at scale.
What it costs (checked October 25, 2026): $99, $199 and $399 per user a month billed yearly. 14-day free trial.
Honest downsides: The most expensive option here by far for a small business.
Visit Hootsuite’s official site
Compare: Read our full Hootsuite review · Hootsuite vs Buffer · SocialPilot vs Hootsuite
Also worth knowing
- Sprout Social is a premium choice for teams ($199, $299 and $399 per seat a month billed yearly, checked October 25, 2026).
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