The 12 best social media scheduling tools in 2026, scored on seven criteria
Short answer
For one person scheduling posts to 5 social media accounts, Schedchie ranks first of 25 tools with 72.3 of 100, ahead of Pallyy (71.8) and PostEverywhere (68.1). The score weighs price, networks, posting tools, analytics, approvals, trial and apps. Prices checked 29 September 2026.
How we rank
Postora is affiliated with Schedchie, one of the tools ranked here, and scores it with the same formula and sources as every other tool.
Every tool is scored for one person with 5 accounts, on its cheapest self-serve plan with a printed price. Points out of 100:
- Price 25
- Networks 20
- Posting tools 25
- Analytics 10
- Approvals and client review 10
- Free plan or trial 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5
The criteria and weights are published below and were set before the scores were computed; any change to them is dated in the change log.
This is general information, not financial or tax advice. Check the linked official sources or ask a qualified accountant or tax adviser.
Most schedulers publish to the same main networks. For one person running a handful of accounts, what separates them is the bill, how many networks the plan really includes, the posting tools on that plan, and whether a client can approve a post without a paid seat. This ranking scores 25 social media scheduling tools on those points for one person with five accounts, and lists the top 12.
Every score uses the vendor's cheapest plan that holds five accounts, and a feature counts only if the vendor lists it on that plan. The formula, the points and the date each price was read are under How the scores are calculated.
The 12 best social media scheduling tools
-
1. Schedchie
72.3 of 100
Best for the lowest bill at 5 accounts
Plan scored: Pro, €7.99 a month, billed monthly.
- Price 25 of 25
- Networks 18.3 of 20 (11 of 12)
- Posting tools 15.6 of 25 (5 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 1.7 of 5
Watch for
- Its features and pricing pages list no social inbox, social listening, AI writing, mobile app, first-comment scheduling, best-time suggestions or public REST API. (schedchie.com/features)
- X (Twitter) posting is a paid add-on on every plan: €4.99 for 30 posts, valid 30 days. (schedchie.com/pricing)
- No free plan and no annual billing. Pro is for one person; approvals and client review links start on the €24.99 Team plan. (schedchie.com/pricing)
- Analytics are partial for Instagram, Facebook and Threads and not offered for X, Telegram or Google Business Profile. (schedchie.com/analytics)
Pricing page: schedchie.com/pricing, checked . Features scored from schedchie.com/features (networks, calendar, Stories, per-network edits and video cover), schedchie.com/help/bulk-import-csv (CSV import), schedchie.com/analytics (analytics and CSV export) and schedchie.com/ai (API or MCP server).
-
2. Pallyy
71.8 of 100
Best for approvals with client review
Plan scored: Pro, $20 a month, billed yearly ($240 a year).
- Price 11.3 of 25
- Networks 16.7 of 20 (10 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 10 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 3.3 of 5
Watch for
- Pro is single-user ('Extra users not available'); a second teammate means the $99/month Agency plan.
- Custom reports and report export start at Agency ($99/month); the analytics rows list Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn only.
- The free plan publishes images only and caps scheduling at 15 posts a month.
Pricing page: pallyy.com/pricing, checked .
-
3. PostEverywhere
68.1 of 100
Best for approval workflows
Plan scored: Starter, $15.83 a month, billed yearly ($190 a year).
- Price 14.3 of 25
- Networks 16.7 of 20 (10 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 3.3 of 10 (level 1)
- Approvals and client review 5 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5 of 5
Watch for
- Tops out at 20 social accounts (Scale, $39/month); the page shows no extra-account add-on or larger plan.
- Lite, Starter and Growth include one workspace; separate client workspaces need Scale.
- No free plan, and the 7-day trial needs a card ('Card required, cancel anytime').
Pricing page: posteverywhere.ai/pricing, checked .
-
4. Publer
66.3 of 100
Best for approval workflows
Plan scored: Professional, $16 a month, billed yearly ($192 a year).
- Price 14.2 of 25
- Networks 20 of 20 (12 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 0 of 10 (level 0)
- Approvals and client review 5 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 3.3 of 5
Watch for
- Analytics, best posting times and API/MCP access are Business-only ($7 per account per month on monthly billing).
- Free plan excludes X, holds 10 scheduled posts per account and keeps published posts for 24 hours.
- Paid 'unlimited' scheduling is subject to daily posting limits.
Pricing page: publer.com/plans, checked .
-
5. Sendible
66.0 of 100
Best for posting tools (8 of 8 on the plan scored)
Plan scored: Core, $29.75 a month, billed yearly ($357 a year).
- Price 7.6 of 25
- Networks 15 of 20 (9 of 12)
- Posting tools 25 of 25 (8 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 5 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 1.7 of 5
Watch for
- Profiles come in 6-profile workspaces. Core covers 6 profiles, and on Core each extra workspace costs $35 per month (monthly billing).
- Core is capped at 100 sends per day per workspace, and approval assignment starts at Plus ($99 per month).
- The FAQ says Instagram direct messages cannot be answered, and Pinterest is not among the listed networks.
Pricing page: sendible.com/pricing, checked .
-
6. Social Champ
64.9 of 100
Best for posting tools (7 of 8 on the plan scored)
Plan scored: Starter (pay per profile), $20 a month, billed yearly ($240 a year).
- Price 11.3 of 25
- Networks 16.7 of 20 (10 of 12)
- Posting tools 21.9 of 25 (7 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 3.3 of 5
Watch for
- X (Twitter) publishing is a 'Paid add-on' whose price the pricing page does not print; Free and pay-per-profile Starter show no X option.
- The cheapest plans leave out collaboration: pay-per-profile Starter has no approvals or client tools, Standard only single-step approval.
- Standard caps at 6 accounts and 2 users, and extra users are 'Not available' on it.
Pricing page: socialchamp.com/pricing, checked .
-
7. ContentStudio
62.4 of 100
Best for a mobile app, AI writing and API or MCP access
Plan scored: Standard, $19 a month, billed yearly ($228 a year).
- Price 11.9 of 25
- Networks 18.3 of 20 (11 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 3.3 of 10 (level 1)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5 of 5
Watch for
- Standard is capped at 1 user and 5 accounts with no add-ons; more capacity means upgrading to Advanced. (contentstudio.io/pricing.md)
- Social inbox, approval workflow and CSV bulk scheduling start on Advanced ($49/month billed annually, $69 month to month).
- Social listening is a paid add-on: $99/month on Advanced, $150/month on Agency Unlimited.
Pricing page: contentstudio.io/pricing, checked .
-
8. RecurPost
62.0 of 100
Best for posting tools (6 of 8 on the plan scored)
Plan scored: Starter + 3 extra social accounts, $19.50 a month, billed yearly ($234 a year).
- Price 11.6 of 25
- Networks 16.7 of 20 (10 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 3.3 of 5
Watch for
- Starter and Personal are single-user; approvals and client workspaces need the $79/month Agency plan.
- Posting is capped per account per day (10 on Starter, 20 on Personal); 10 more a day cost $20/month.
- X posts containing a link cost $0.20 each (X's fee), paid from a prepaid X Wallet starting at $10.80.
Pricing page: recurpost.com/plans-and-pricing, checked .
-
9. SocialBu
60.8 of 100
Best for a mobile app, AI writing and API or MCP access
Plan scored: Starter, $21.75 a month, billed yearly ($261 a year).
- Price 10.4 of 25
- Networks 18.3 of 20 (11 of 12)
- Posting tools 18.8 of 25 (6 of 8)
- Analytics 3.3 of 10 (level 1)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5 of 5
Watch for
- Starter caps posting at 750 posts a month and has no teams, no social inbox and no social listening.
- Account limits are fixed at 8, 20 and 50 with no per-account add-on price printed; more than 50 needs a custom plan.
- Team approvals and multi-brand management start at Growth ($79/month); the trial is 7 days.
Pricing page: socialbu.com/pricing, checked .
-
10. Zoho Social
58.9 of 100
Best for a low bill at 5 accounts
Plan scored: Standard, $10 a month, billed yearly ($120 a year).
- Price 22.7 of 25
- Networks 18.3 of 20 (11 of 12)
- Posting tools 6.3 of 25 (2 of 8)
- Analytics 3.3 of 10 (level 1)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 3.3 of 5
Watch for
- Standard covers one brand (one account per network, 14 channels) and one team member, with no brand or user add-ons.
- Standard has no CSV bulk scheduler, queues, first comment, inbox or monitoring (these start at Professional), and approvals need Premium.
- The Free plan cannot schedule posts, and Standard reports cover only the last 15 days.
Pricing page: zoho.com/social/pricing.html, checked .
-
11. Vista Social
58.5 of 100
Best for approval workflows
Plan scored: Professional, $79.17 a month, billed yearly ($950 a year).
- Price 2.9 of 25
- Networks 15 of 20 (9 of 12)
- Posting tools 15.6 of 25 (5 of 8)
- Analytics 10 of 10 (level 3)
- Approvals and client review 5 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5 of 5
Watch for
- X (Twitter) is a paid add-on on every plan at $29 per month.
- Professional stops at 15 profiles and 2 users, with no extra profiles or users. The FAQ still says Professional comes with 3 users and Advanced with 6.
- Listening beyond your own profiles costs $75 per month, and shared calendars and custom reports start at Advanced ($199 per month).
Pricing page: vistasocial.com/pricing, checked .
-
12. Buffer
56.6 of 100
Best for a mobile app, AI writing and API or MCP access
Plan scored: Essentials, $25 a month, billed yearly ($300 a year).
- Price 9.1 of 25
- Networks 18.3 of 20 (11 of 12)
- Posting tools 12.5 of 25 (4 of 8)
- Analytics 6.7 of 10 (level 2)
- Approvals and client review 0 of 10
- Free plan or trial 5 of 5
- Mobile app, AI writing, API 5 of 5
Watch for
- Approval workflows and per-channel access permissions only on Team, which costs $12 per channel on monthly billing for channels 1-10 (Essentials: $6). (buffer.com/pricing.md)
- Essentials includes 1 user; adding teammates means moving every channel to the Team plan.
- Free plan holds 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time and keeps 30 days of analytics history. (buffer.com/pricing.md)
Pricing page: buffer.com/pricing, checked .
How do all 25 scheduling tools compare?
| Rank | Tool | Score | Plan scored | Price (25) | Networks (20) | Posting tools (25) | Analytics (10) | Approvals and client review (10) | Free plan or trial (5) | Mobile app, AI writing, API (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schedchie | 72.3 | Pro€7.99 a month, billed monthly | 25 | 18.311 of 12 | 15.65 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 2 | Pallyy | 71.8 | Pro$20 a month, billed yearly | 11.3 | 16.710 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 10 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 3 | PostEverywhere | 68.1 | Starter$15.83 a month, billed yearly | 14.3 | 16.710 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Publer | 66.3 | Professional$16 a month, billed yearly | 14.2 | 2012 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 0level 0 | 5 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 5 | Sendible | 66.0 | Core$29.75 a month, billed yearly | 7.6 | 159 of 12 | 258 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 5 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 6 | Social Champ | 64.9 | Starter (pay per profile)$20 a month, billed yearly | 11.3 | 16.710 of 12 | 21.97 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 7 | ContentStudio | 62.4 | Standard$19 a month, billed yearly | 11.9 | 18.311 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 8 | RecurPost | 62.0 | Starter + 3$19.50 a month, billed yearly | 11.6 | 16.710 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 9 | SocialBu | 60.8 | Starter$21.75 a month, billed yearly | 10.4 | 18.311 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 10 | Zoho Social | 58.9 | Standard$10 a month, billed yearly | 22.7 | 18.311 of 12 | 6.32 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 11 | Vista Social | 58.5 | Professional$79.17 a month, billed yearly | 2.9 | 159 of 12 | 15.65 of 8 | 10level 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 12 | Buffer | 56.6 | Essentials$25 a month, billed yearly | 9.1 | 18.311 of 12 | 12.54 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 13 | Metricool | 55.2 | Starter (5 brands)€16 a month, billed yearly | 12.5 | 159 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 10level 3 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 14 | SocialBee | 53.3 | Bootstrap$24.17 a month, billed yearly | 9.4 | 16.710 of 12 | 15.65 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 15 | Postiz | 50.9 | Standard$23 a month, billed yearly | 9.9 | 2012 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 16 | CoSchedule | 50.0 | Starter + 2$39 a month, billed yearly | 5.8 | 16.710 of 12 | 12.54 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 17 | Hootsuite | 48.1 | Standard$99 a month, billed yearly | 2.3 | 159 of 12 | 12.54 of 8 | 10level 3 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 18 | SocialPilot | 48.1 | Essentials$25.50 a month, billed yearly | 8.9 | 16.710 of 12 | 12.54 of 8 | 0level 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 19 | Later | 47.9 | Starter$18.75 a month, billed yearly | 12.1 | 11.77 of 12 | 12.54 of 8 | 3.3level 1 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 20 | Loomly | 47.3 | Starter$49 a month, billed yearly | 4.6 | 13.38 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 5 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 21 | Planable | 47.3 | Pro$49 a month, billed yearly | 4.6 | 159 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 0level 0 | 10 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 22 | Sked Social | 45.0 | Grow$57.50 a month, billed yearly | 3.9 | 13.38 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 10level 3 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 23 | Statusbrew | 43.7 | Lite$69 a month, billed yearly | 3.3 | 159 of 12 | 18.86 of 8 | 0level 0 | 0 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 24 | Sprout Social | 40.6 | Essentials$79 a month, billed yearly | 2.9 | 159 of 12 | 9.43 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 25 | Agorapulse | 39.3 | Standard$79 a month, billed yearly | 2.9 | 16.710 of 12 | 3.11 of 8 | 6.7level 2 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
How the scores are calculated
Profile. One person (1 user) with 5 accounts. Accounts are counted as brands of 5 profiles: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube.
| Criterion | Points | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 25 | The cheapest tool's monthly cost divided by this tool's. The cheapest tool scores full points. |
| Networks | 20 | Networks the plan scored publishes to, out of 12: Instagram, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Google Business Profile and X (Twitter). X counts only where the plan's price includes it; notification-only publishing does not count. |
| Posting tools | 25 | 8 tools, equal points: calendar, CSV import, queue slots, first comment, best-time suggestions, Stories, per-network edits and video cover. CSV import counts only where the vendor names a CSV or spreadsheet file. |
| Analytics | 10 | On a 0 to 3 scale: 1 for in-app metrics, +1 for report output (a cross-network report, export, or scheduled reports), +1 for competitor benchmarking or a custom report builder. |
| Approvals and client review | 10 | Half for an approval step, half for client review without a paid seat (a review link or client login, or unlimited users with approvals). |
| Free plan or trial | 5 | Full points for a free plan or a free trial. |
| Mobile app, AI writing, API | 5 | A third each for a mobile app, AI writing and an API or MCP server. |
- Each tool is scored on the cheapest self-serve plan with a printed price that holds the profile, plus the add-ons it needs (extra accounts, social sets, brands or workspaces). Yearly billing where the vendor prints a yearly price, otherwise monthly. If two plans cost the same, the higher plan is used.
- Where a vendor sells one unit per brand or client (a social set, a brand, a workspace), each brand of 5 takes one unit.
- Free plans are not priced, because every free plan here caps posts; they count under "Free plan or trial". Custom, quote-only and "from" prices are not priced.
- A feature counts only if the vendor's own pricing or feature pages list it on the plan scored. Not listed scores 0. Features sold as paid add-ons do not count.
- Prices stay in the vendor's currency on this page. To compare them, the score converts them to euros at the European Central Bank reference rate of 29 September 2026: 1 euro = 1.1355 US dollars (ecb.europa.eu).
- Ties are listed alphabetically. No tool pays for a place, and no listing is exchanged for anything. There are no star ratings.
Prices checked
- Agorapulse: agorapulse.com/pricing, checked
- Buffer: buffer.com/pricing, checked
- ContentStudio: contentstudio.io/pricing, checked
- CoSchedule: coschedule.com/pricing, checked
- Hootsuite: hootsuite.com/plans, checked
- Later: later.com/pricing, checked
- Loomly: loomly.com/pricing, checked
- Metricool: metricool.com/pricing, checked
- Pallyy: pallyy.com/pricing, checked
- Planable: planable.io/pricing, checked
- PostEverywhere: posteverywhere.ai/pricing, checked
- Postiz: postiz.com/pricing, checked
- Publer: publer.com/plans, checked
- RecurPost: recurpost.com/plans-and-pricing, checked
- Schedchie: schedchie.com/pricing, checked
- Sendible: sendible.com/pricing, checked
- Sked Social: skedsocial.com/pricing, checked
- Social Champ: socialchamp.com/pricing, checked
- SocialBee: socialbee.com/pricing, checked
- SocialBu: socialbu.com/pricing, checked
- SocialPilot: socialpilot.co/plans, checked
- Sprout Social: sproutsocial.com/pricing, checked
- Statusbrew: statusbrew.com/pricing, checked
- Vista Social: vistasocial.com/pricing, checked
- Zoho Social: zoho.com/social/pricing.html (prices from Zoho Social's own pricing file, zohowebstatic.com/sites/zweb…/social-pricing-val.json), checked
Changes to this ranking
- : Ranking published.
What should you test in a free trial before you pay?
Trials on the 25 pricing pages read for this ranking run from 7 days (ContentStudio, PostEverywhere, Postiz, SocialBu) to 30 days (Agorapulse, Sprout Social); most are 14. Some trials are narrower than the paid plan. Hootsuite's plans page says trial accounts have daily posting limits of 10 to 20 posts per organization and that "Bulk scheduling is not available during trial". Plan the checks around the trial you actually get.
- Connect every account you will run, on day one. Instagram's API publishes only to professional accounts, so a personal Instagram profile will not publish automatically from any scheduler (Meta). Then count your accounts the way the vendor counts them: channel, profile, social set, brand or workspace. Confirm the plan you would buy still holds them all.
- Publish one real video to each video network, set to public, and open it logged out. TikTok restricts all content posted by unaudited API clients to private viewing (TikTok for Developers). YouTube does the same for videos uploaded from unverified API projects created after 28 July 2020 (YouTube Data API). A post that reads "published" but shows as private fails this check. Note also whether it published by itself or arrived as a phone reminder.
- Run your real workflow once, end to end. Import the spreadsheet you actually use, not a two-row sample. Fill a week of queue slots. Send one post to the person who will approve in real life, and have them approve it from their own device.
- Make a post fail on purpose and see who is told. Disconnect one test account, or remove the tool's access in the network's settings, and schedule a post to it. Note whether the tool emails you, flags it in the app, or stays silent, and whether a retry takes one click. Connections can also lapse on their own: LinkedIn currently issues every access token with a 60-day lifespan (LinkedIn OAuth docs).
- Get your data out before the trial ends. Export your scheduled posts and one report to a file you can open. Buffer's reports export as CSV, PDF or markdown from Essentials. Loomly lists content export on Starter. Pallyy's report export starts on Agency, and PostEverywhere lists exportable reports on Scale only. Then read what happens at the end of the trial: Buffer still publishes scheduled posts unless a channel is locked by the free plan's three-channel limit, while PostEverywhere's plan activates automatically when its 7-day trial ends.
Copy this sheet and fill one column per tool you trial:
| Check | Pass if | Tool A | Tool B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Accounts | Every account connected and inside the plan you would buy | ||
| 2. Public video | Published by itself, public, right cover and length | ||
| 3. Real workflow | Ran once with your real file, queue or approver, no workarounds | ||
| 4. Failure notice | You were told where you would see it, with a retry | ||
| 5. Export | Posts and a report came out as files you can open |
Weigh checks 2 and 4 above the rest. A post that silently goes private, or fails without anyone being told, is lost whatever the plan cost.
What this page does not cover
- For one person running 10 to 100 accounts, the ranking of tools to manage multiple social media accounts prices every tool at four sizes.
- For the inboxes, roles and analytics exports the platforms provide themselves, see the native tools each platform provides.
- For contract terms, account ownership and what happens to your data when you cancel, see the questions to ask before you buy.
Sources
Vendor pricing pages, with the date each was read, are listed under Prices checked. The platform documentation cited in the trial checklist was read on 2026-09-28 and re-verified on 2026-09-29.