01
9.5/ 10 HIGHEST SCORE
Agorapulse
Social media management software from France with publishing, inbox, reporting incl. ROI analysis, plus Advanced Listening and Advocacy as add-ons.
Free plan, paid from $ 79/month
Ranking · Scheduling & Publishing
Social media scheduler: tools to plan and publish your posts
IN SHORT
Almost every social media scheduler has a calendar and schedules posts automatically. The real differences lie in approval steps, bulk upload via CSV and the limits on posts and networks. Above all, check which plan unlocks approvals and bulk scheduling. Buffer, Metricool, Publer and Planable are among the tools with a free entry plan.
At a glance: the top 3
To the comparison table →02
9.0/ 10 GOOD FOR Agencies
Hootsuite
Social media platform ("Hootsuite Social OS") with modules for planning and publishing (Perch), inbox and customer service (Nest), social listening (Lumen), AI assistant (Wisdom) and employee advocacy (Parliament).
from € 99/month
03
8.9/ 10 GOOD FOR Agencies
Metricool
Social media management tool for planning, publishing, analytics, inbox, ad campaigns and link in bio, used by over 4 million professionals according to the vendor.
Free plan, paid from € 16/month
The order is based solely on the fact-based score (Social Media Management). It measures documented features and conditions, not hands-on experience. Scores marked “preliminary” rest on less than 70 % documented checkpoints.
Best suited for …
Grouped by fixed rules you can read on the methodology page. A tool can appear in several groups.
Agencies
Multiple brands/clients, approval workflows and scheduled reports are documented.
- Agorapulse 9.5
- Hootsuite 9.0
- Metricool 8.9
Swat.io 8.7
Fanpage Karma 8.6
Sprout Social 8.6
11 more
Sprinklr 8.4
Vista Social 8.4
Lomavis 8.2
SocialPilot 8.1
Adhook 8.0
SocialHub 8.0
Facelift 7.9
Publer 7.8
Emplifi 7.4
Brandwatch 7.3
Later 5.8
Getting started & small teams
Free plan, or cheapest public plan below €40 or $40 per month.
- Agorapulse 9.5
- Metricool 8.9
- Swat.io 8.7
- Fanpage Karma 8.6
- Lomavis 8.2
- SocialPilot 8.1
Data protection & EU hosting
EU data location and a data processing agreement are documented.
- Agorapulse 9.5
- Metricool 8.9
- Swat.io 8.7
- Fanpage Karma 8.6
- Lomavis 8.2
- SocialHub 8.0
1 more
- Publer 7.8
Enterprise
At least three of four are documented: single sign-on, API, a security certification (e.g. ISO 27001, SOC 2), an MCP server for AI assistants.
- Agorapulse 9.5
- Hootsuite 9.0
- Swat.io 8.7
- Sprout Social 8.6
- Sprinklr 8.4
- Vista Social 8.4
9 more
- SocialPilot 8.1
- SocialHub 8.0
- Facelift 7.9
- Publer 7.8
- Emplifi 7.4
- Brandwatch 7.3
Buffer 7.0
Meltwater 6.7
Planable 6.7
Community management
Unified inbox with direct messages and assignment to team members is documented.
- Agorapulse 9.5
- Hootsuite 9.0
- Swat.io 8.7
- Fanpage Karma 8.6
- Sprout Social 8.6
- Sprinklr 8.4
9 more
- Vista Social 8.4
- Lomavis 8.2
- Adhook 8.0
- SocialHub 8.0
- Facelift 7.9
- Emplifi 7.4
- Brandwatch 7.3
- Meltwater 6.7
DotSimple 6.2
PR & media monitoring
Online news plus print or TV/radio are documented as sources.
- Hootsuite 9.0
- Sprinklr 8.4
- Brandwatch 7.3
- Meltwater 6.7
Comparison table
| # | Tool | Score | Networks & publishing | Team & approvals | Community & inbox | Analytics & reporting | Data protection & GDPR | German language | Price transparency | AI connectivity & integrations | Price | HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agorapulse | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 8.8 | Free plan, paid from $ 79/month | France |
| 2 | Hootsuite | 9.0 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 10.0 | from € 99/month | Canada |
| 3 | Metricool | 8.9 | 9.6 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 10.0 | Free plan, paid from € 16/month | Spain |
| 4 | Swat.io | 8.7 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 8.1 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | from € 39/month | Austria |
| 5 | Fanpage Karma | 8.6 | 8.6 | 6.9 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 7.5 | Free plan, paid from € 29/month | Germany |
| 6 | Sprout Social | 8.6 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | from $ 79/month | USA |
| 7 | Sprinklr | 8.4 | 7.9 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 0.0 | 10.0 | Price on request | USA |
| 8 | Vista Social | 8.4 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | from $ 99/month | USA |
| 9 | Lomavis | 8.2 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.8 | from € 24/month | Germany |
| 10 | SocialPilot | 8.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 6.3 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 8.8 | from € 24.65/month | USA |
| 11 | Adhook | 8.0 | 9.3 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.8 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 7.5 | Price on request | Switzerland |
| 12 | SocialHub | 8.0 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | Price on request | Germany |
| 13 | Facelift | 7.9 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 5.0 | 5.0 | Price on request | Germany |
| 14 | Publer | 7.8 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 10.0 | Free plan, paid from € 3.58/month | Albania |
| 15 | Emplifi | 7.4 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | from $ 1,249/month | USA |
| 16 | Brandwatch | 7.3 | 8.6 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 6.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | Price on request | United Kingdom |
| 17 | Buffer | 7.0 | 10.0 | 8.8 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | Free plan, paid from $ 5/month | USA |
| 18 | Meltwater | 6.7 | 6.4 | 8.1 | 10.0 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | Price on request | Germany |
| 19 | Planable | 6.7 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | Free plan, paid from $ 33/month | USA |
| 20 | DotSimple | 6.2 prelim. | 7.1 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 10.0 | 5.0 | from € 16/month | Austria |
| 21 | Later | 5.8 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 1.3 | 6.7 | 10.0 | 2.5 | Free plan, paid from $ 18.75/month | Canada |
The criteria weights are on the methodology page.
All tools at a glance
01
Agorapulse
Agorapulse SAS, Paris
Social media management software from France with publishing, inbox, reporting incl. ROI analysis, plus Advanced Listening and Advocacy as add-ons.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Enterprise
- Community management
Free plan, paid from $ 79/month
02
Hootsuite
Hootsuite Inc., Vancouver
Social media platform ("Hootsuite Social OS") with modules for planning and publishing (Perch), inbox and customer service (Nest), social listening (Lumen), AI assistant (Wisdom) and employee advocacy (Parliament).
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
- PR & media monitoring
from € 99/month
03
Metricool
METRICOOL SOFTWARE, SL, Madrid
Social media management tool for planning, publishing, analytics, inbox, ad campaigns and link in bio, used by over 4 million professionals according to the vendor.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
Free plan, paid from € 16/month
04
Swat.io
Swat.io GmbH, Vienna
Social media management tool for companies with a Publisher (planning and publishing) plus Inbox, Insights and Monitoring add-ons.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Enterprise
- Community management
- German-speaking teams
from € 39/month
05
Fanpage Karma
uphill GmbH, Berlin
Social media management tool from Berlin for analytics, publishing, community management (Engage), competitor comparison, Discovery and optional web monitoring with an unlimited number of profiles.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Community management
Free plan, paid from € 29/month
06
Sprout Social
Sprout Social, Inc., Chicago
Social media management platform for publishing, Smart Inbox, reporting and review management, with social listening, employee advocacy and premium analytics as add-ons.
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
from $ 79/month
07
Sprinklr
Sprinklr, Inc., New York
Enterprise platform for unified customer experience management with the suites Sprinklr Social (publishing, engagement, advocacy), Sprinklr Insights (social listening, benchmarking, Visual and LLM Insights), Sprinklr Service and Sprinklr Marketing.
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
- PR & media monitoring
Price on request
08
Vista Social
Vista Social LLC
Social media management platform for agencies, brands and multi-location businesses with planning, social inbox, DM automations, reviews, reports, link in bio, employee advocacy and social listening as an add-on.
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
from $ 99/month
09
Lomavis
Lomalab Technologies GmbH, Hannover
German social media tool that lets companies and agencies plan, publish, answer and analyse many profiles from one place (Cockpit) and distribute content to employees and partners (Share).
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Community management
- German-speaking teams
from € 24/month
10
SocialPilot
SocialPilot Technologies Inc., Lewes (Delaware)
Social media management tool for agencies, SMBs and brands with planning and publishing, social inbox, analytics/reports, client and approval workflows and white label.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Enterprise
from € 24.65/month
11
Adhook
Adhook AG, Sursee
All-in-one platform for social media management that combines organic publishing, ads (social and Google Ads), reporting, moderation and social listening for teams, brands and channels in one tool.
- Agencies
- Community management
- German-speaking teams
Price on request
12
SocialHub
maloon GmbH, Ingolstadt
Social media management software from Germany with Smart Inbox for community management, Content Planner and Analytics, extended with add-ons such as social listening, benchmarking and employee advocacy.
- Agencies
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Enterprise
- Community management
- German-speaking teams
Price on request
13
Facelift
Facelift brand building technologies GmbH, Hamburg
Social media management platform for companies with the modules Orchestrate (planning and publishing), Engage (community management), Analyze (analytics), Amplify (employee advocacy) and Inspire (content ideas).
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
Price on request
14
Publer
Kalemi Code (Tirana, Albanien) bzw. Kalemi Code LLC (Sheridan, Wyoming, USA), Tirana
Social media management tool for planning, publishing and analysing posts across more than a dozen networks, priced per social account and team member.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
- Data protection & EU hosting
- Enterprise
Free plan, paid from € 3.58/month
15
Emplifi
Emplifi Inc., Columbus (Ohio)
Enterprise platform for social customer experience with social marketing (publisher, analytics, community), listening, influencer management, social customer care as well as ratings & reviews, UGC and live commerce.
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
from $ 1,249/month
16
Brandwatch
Runtime Collective Limited (handelt als Brandwatch), London
Enterprise suite for consumer research/social listening (Brandwatch Consumer Research) and social media management with publishing, engagement, ads, benchmarking and influencer marketing.
- Agencies
- Enterprise
- Community management
- PR & media monitoring
Price on request
17
Buffer
Buffer, Inc., San Francisco
Social media tool for scheduling and publishing, analytics, comment management and a link-in-bio page, aimed at small businesses, creators and agencies, billed per connected channel.
- Getting started & small teams
- Enterprise
Free plan, paid from $ 5/month
18
Meltwater
Meltwater Deutschland GmbH, Berlin
Platform for media intelligence, social listening, AI visibility measurement, media relations, influencer marketing and social media management (Engage).
- Enterprise
- Community management
- PR & media monitoring
Price on request
19
Planable
Planable Inc., Lewes, Delaware
Collaboration and social media management platform for planning, approving and publishing content together, billed per workspace with unlimited users.
- Getting started & small teams
- Enterprise
Free plan, paid from $ 33/month
20
DotSimple
.simple Marketing GmbH & Co KG, Vienna
Social media management tool from Vienna for SMEs, freelancers, social media managers and agencies with AI-generated posts (AI BrandPost), content calendar, publishing, inbox and analytics.
- Getting started & small teams
- Community management
from € 16/month · preliminary, 64 % documented
21
Later
Victory Square Media Inc. dba Later, Vancouver
Later Social is a social media management tool for content planning, auto-publishing, link in bio, analytics and inbox management; influencer and affiliate products (Mavrck, Mavely) are separate offers.
- Agencies
- Getting started & small teams
Free plan, paid from $ 18.75/month
A social media scheduler is a tool in which you create posts for several networks in one calendar, have them approved and publish them automatically at a set time. Another common name is social media planner. On this page we compare social media scheduling tools on documented facts from the vendors’ pricing and help pages, as of October 2026. The list is above; below you find what matters in detail for calendars, approvals and automation. Metrics and reports have a page of their own, so this comparison stays focused on planning.
What does a social media scheduler do?
Social media scheduling tools collect all planned posts in one calendar and publish them at the chosen time, directly through the networks’ interfaces. So you do not have to log in to Instagram at 7 am for the post to go live then.
The difference from a content calendar matters. The content calendar decides which topics come when. The scheduler carries out that plan. Our guide to the social media content calendar explains how to build one. For a social media planner used by a team, two questions count: how clear is the calendar, and how does a post get from draft to approval?
Not every network allows automatic publishing equally well. According to its pricing page, Buffer publishes to Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups only via a reminder, and you then press send yourself. Fanpage Karma publishes automatically only to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky; other networks run through its Publish app.
How does a content calendar tool help you schedule social media posts?
A social media content calendar tool helps you schedule social media posts by bringing topics, drafts and finished posts together in one view. The calendars differ mainly in their views and in what fits in besides social posts.
According to its features page, Fanpage Karma shows a central calendar with month, week and day views. Facelift ranges from a list view to a month view and offers strategic annual and quarterly planning from the Business plan. Lomavis suggests recommended posting times in the calendar. Planable also schedules newsletters, blog posts or ads as Universal Content, and Brandwatch brings organic and paid content together in one calendar.
For teams, sharing the calendar is decisive. Later unlocks shared calendars, notes and comments only from Growth, Agorapulse shared calendars from Advanced. Adhook imports dates from team calendars such as Outlook. In Later’s free plan the calendar is limited to two weeks forwards and backwards, according to its help centre. If you mainly post on Instagram, our guide schedule Instagram posts walks you through the steps.
Which approval workflows do you need?
You need as many approval steps as there are people who have to sign off a post before it goes out. For a two-person team one step is enough; corporations or agencies with client approval need several steps and access for external people.
| Tool | Approvals according to the vendor (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Planable | 3 approval types (none, optional, required), required approval from Pro, multi-step only in Enterprise |
| Lomavis | up to three approval steps, two-step from Business |
| Agorapulse | single-step from Professional, multi-step chains only in Custom |
| Facelift | custom and multi-step approvals from Business |
| SocialHub | multi-step and email approval for external people in the Enterprise package |
| Swat.io | from Medium, external approvals in Custom and Agency |
| Hootsuite | from Advanced (€399 per user and month) |
Our view: when clients or the legal department approve, the question of external approvers matters more than the number of steps. Sprout Social, for example, allows external approvers only in the Advanced plan. At DotSimple, team management and approval processes are included only in the Teams and Pro plans, according to its features page, and at Buffer only in the Team plan. An approval workflow therefore often means changing plans; Vista Social, by contrast, names single-step approvals in all plans.
How much social media automation makes sense?
Social media automation makes sense when you schedule many posts at once and for recurring formats. Checking the content stays with you. The most important tool is bulk upload via CSV file, and the limits differ clearly here:
- Publer: up to 500 posts at once, from Professional.
- Planable: CSV import up to 400 rows.
- Hootsuite: Bulk Composer up to 350 posts via CSV, not during the trial.
- Sprout Social: up to 350 messages, only Professional and Advanced.
- Buffer: 100 posts per upload in paid plans, 10 in the free plan, not for YouTube.
Bulk scheduling is often tied to higher plans: Agorapulse unlocks bulk scheduling from Advanced, Lomavis bulk upload from Business. Metricool imports CSV files directly into the calendar.
Later takes a different route and fills recurring time slots with Quick Schedule; Later does not document a CSV import. Publer also pulls in posts from RSS feeds.
AI copy is now part of almost every tool. DotSimple creates posts in your own brand’s style with AI BrandPost and builds a 30-day content plan from a website URL. For its AI features, Swat.io names Claude via Amazon Bedrock on AWS Frankfurt, without training on customer data.
What should you check for networks and limits?
For networks and limits, check that every one of your profiles is supported and that your posting volume fits the plan. Planable limits Basic to 60 posts and 4 social pages per workspace and month, Pro to 150 posts and 10 social pages. Hootsuite allows only 10 to 20 posts per day during the trial.
The networks show gaps. Later has not supported X since 28 August 2025, Publer unlocks X only in paid plans, Metricool only through a paid add-on. Buffer and Later publish only Shorts on YouTube. For businesses with branches, Google Business Profile counts: Later does not support it, while Adhook and Lomavis manage location data such as opening hours centrally, according to the vendors. If you want to analyse as well as plan, you find the details on the social media analytics tools page and the overall picture on the social media management tools page. How we calculate the list above is explained on the methodology page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a social media scheduler?
A social media scheduler is a tool in which you create posts for several networks in one calendar, have them approved and publish them automatically at a set time. Another common name is social media planner. The tool publishes through the networks' interfaces, so you do not have to be online yourself at posting time. All tools on this page have a content calendar.
Is there a free social media scheduler?
Yes, several vendors have a free social media scheduler with a post limit. Buffer schedules 10 posts per channel on up to 3 channels for free, Metricool 20 posts per month for 1 brand, Publer 10 posts per account. Planable gives you the first 50 posts in total for free. For more volume or approvals you need a paid plan.
How much does a social media scheduler cost?
A paid social media scheduler starts in the low double digits per month at several vendors. According to the pricing pages (October 2026), DotSimple starts at €16 with 2 social accounts, Later at 18.75 USD, Lomavis at €24 and Planable at 33 USD per workspace, each billed annually. Approvals and bulk upload often cost the next plan up.
Which social media scheduler is the best?
The best social media scheduler only exists for a specific need, such as a single profile, a team with approvals or an agency with many clients. The list above is sorted by a score that counts only documented facts from vendor sources, without a hands-on test. Then check approvals, CSV upload and post limits in the plan you want. The methodology page explains how the score works.
How can I schedule social media posts?
You schedule social media posts by connecting your profiles to a scheduler, creating the post with text and image and choosing the date and time. The tool then publishes automatically. Before that, a content calendar with topics and a posting rhythm is worth it, so that your calendar is more than a collection of one-off ideas.
What is the difference between a social media scheduler and a content calendar?
A content calendar is the editorial plan: topics, formats, dates and who is responsible. A social media scheduler is the software that schedules and publishes these posts. Many schedulers have a calendar that covers both, such as Facelift with annual and quarterly planning from Business. Our guide to the social media content calendar explains how to build one.
Which social media scheduler suits teams?
A social media scheduler with a shared calendar and an approval workflow suits teams, and both often sit only in higher plans. According to its help centre, Later unlocks shared calendars, notes and comments from Growth, Agorapulse shared calendars from Advanced. Vista Social names single-step approvals in all plans, Emplifi multi-step workflows in all tiers. At Buffer, approvals come only with the Team plan.
Can clients approve posts in the tool?
Yes, but often only in higher plans. SocialHub allows email approval for external people in the Enterprise package, Sprout Social external approvers in the Advanced plan, Swat.io external approvals in Custom and Agency. Fanpage Karma names approvals by internal or external people. Planable charges per workspace with unlimited users, so extra approvers cost nothing more there.
Can a social media scheduler publish Instagram posts automatically?
Yes, a social media scheduler usually publishes Instagram posts automatically; Fanpage Karma explicitly lists Instagram among the networks it publishes to automatically. There are restrictions for personal profiles: according to its pricing page, Buffer publishes there only via a reminder, and you then send the post yourself. Later also offers Quick Schedule with fixed time slots for Instagram.
Do all social media schedulers support X and YouTube?
No, there are clear gaps for X and YouTube. According to its help centre, Later has not supported X since 28 August 2025, Publer unlocks X only in paid plans, Metricool only through a paid add-on. On YouTube, Buffer and Later publish only Shorts. So before buying, check each of your profiles one by one in the vendor's list of networks.
Can I upload posts via a CSV file?
Yes, with many tools. Publer takes up to 500 posts at once, Planable up to 400 rows, Hootsuite and Sprout Social up to 350. Buffer allows 100 posts per upload in paid plans. Check whether the upload is already included in the entry plan: at Sprout Social it starts only from Professional. Metricool imports the CSV file directly into the calendar.
How many posts can I schedule per month?
How many posts you can schedule per month depends on the plan, and some vendors set fixed limits. According to its pricing page, Planable allows 60 posts and 4 social pages per workspace and month in Basic, 150 posts and 10 social pages in Pro. Hootsuite limits the trial to 10 to 20 posts per day. Free plans usually have even tighter limits.
Can a social media scheduler create posts with AI?
Yes, many social media schedulers now have AI features for copy. According to the vendor, DotSimple creates posts in your own brand's style with AI BrandPost and builds a 30-day content plan from a website URL. For its AI features, Swat.io names Claude via Amazon Bedrock on AWS Frankfurt, without training on customer data. Checking the content before publishing still stays with you.
17 sources for this page in the source index · with access dates