9 schedulers tested hands-onPrices checked October 20, 2026

The Best Social Media Scheduler in 2026, Picked by How You Work

The best social media scheduler for most creators, small brands and agencies in 2026 is Kadenzo: 11 networks including X, comment-to-DM, brand listening and free approvers, from $19 a month with no seats or add-ons. Buffer has the best free plan, Sprout Social the deepest reports, and Metricool is cheapest for one person running many brands.

We make Kadenzo. Between October 16 and 20, 2026 we tested nine schedulers, ran the same jobs in each and read every price from their own checkout. Here’s what we found.

Price your setup

The short answer

Best overall

Kadenzo

11 networks including X, comment-to-DM, listening and free approvers, from $19 a month. No seats, no add-ons.

Best free plan

Buffer

3 channels with 10 queued posts each, free for good.

Best for big teams with a budget

Sprout Social

Deep reports and a shared inbox, priced per seat.

At a glance

Nine schedulers, one table

Entry prices on monthly billing, read from each checkout in October 2026. Coverage counts the four extras most people end up paying for.

IncludedPartly, on a higher plan or for a feeNot available

	Pricing	What’s included
Scheduler	From	Free plan	X	Comment-to-DM	Listening	Coverage
1KadenzoBest overall	$19/mo5 accounts, flat	$1 trial	Included	Every plan	2–15 keywords	3.5/4
2BufferFree plan	$6/moper channel	3 channels	Included	No	No	2/4
3HootsuiteEnterprise listening	$149/moper person	Trial	Included	Professional	Enterprise	2/4
4Sprout SocialBig teams	$99/moper seat	Trial	Included	No	Add-on	1.5/4
5LaterInstagram planning	$25/moper brand	12 posts	Dropped 2025	No	Scale	1/4
6MetricoolMany brands, one person	$25/mo5 brands, 1 user	1 brand	$10 add-on	Paid plans	By the day	2/4
7AgorapulseInbox moderation	$99/moper person	Trial	$29+ add-on	No	$100 a search	1/4
8LoomlyApproval workflows	$65/mo3 users	5 posts	Dropped 2025	AI replies	2 reports	1/4
9PlanolySelling from your bio	$16/moper brand	App only	Reminders	Paid plans	No	2/4

Price your setup

What you’d pay in each, every month

Schedulers bill by account, channel, brand, seat or a mix. Set your brands and whether someone approves posts, and every bill is worked out on the same setup.

Brands you post for28 accounts: 4 networks per brandSomeone approves postsA client or manager signs off before posts go out

Kadenzo

Enterprise, approver free

Lowest$49

Later

Growth

$50

Loomly

Starter, 12 accounts

$65

Metricool

Advanced for 15 brands

$67

Buffer

Team, 8 channels

$96

Agorapulse

Professional × 2

$298

Sprout Social

Professional × 2 seats

$798

Hootsuite

Advanced × 2 people

$998

Planoly

No approval step

Can’t

Monthly billing, USD before tax, the cheapest plan in each tool that covers the setup. Free plans are left out because they cap posts or channels.

Best for…

The right scheduler for the job

Ten situations, each with a winner and a runner-up from our tests.

Small teams with approvals

Kadenzo

Approvers are free on Enterprise ($49); elsewhere they’re a paid seat.

Runner-up: Later Growth

Posting to X, Bluesky and Mastodon

Kadenzo

All three included on every plan, with no per-account add-on.

Runner-up: Buffer

Sending a link when people comment

Kadenzo

Comment-to-DM on every plan, 500 people a month from $19.

Runner-up: Metricool

Hearing about your brand

Kadenzo

Keyword listening included, 2 to 15 keywords by plan.

Runner-up: Hootsuite Enterprise

Paying nothing

Buffer

The most usable free plan: 3 channels.

Runner-up: Metricool Free

Many brands, one person, analytics

Metricool

$45 covers 10 brands, with ads and competitor reports.

Runner-up: Kadenzo

Planning an Instagram grid

Later

The most complete visual planner and hashtag suggestions.

Runner-up: Planoly

Selling from your bio

Planoly

A Creator Store on every plan, with no platform fee.

Runner-up: Later

Moderating a busy inbox

Agorapulse

Every network’s comments, ad comments and Google reviews, with hide rules.

Runner-up: Sprout Social

Multi-step sign-off rules

Loomly

Custom workflows that require named people to approve.

Runner-up: Sprout Social

The nine tools

Each scheduler, reviewed

What it’s best at, what it costs and what to watch for, from our own tests.

The most included for the least, with flat pricing that stays flat as you add accounts and people.

Price, monthly: $19 for 5 accounts, $29 for 15, $49 unlimited

What’s good

11 networks, X, Bluesky, Mastodon and Telegram included
Comment-to-DM and brand listening on every plan
Free approvers, no seats
Grid planner, bulk upload and AI captions

Watch for

No free plan: a 7-day trial for $1
LinkedIn personal profiles only
No Snapchat or Google Business yet

Our test: Our own product, used every daySee Kadenzo’s plans

Simple and fair for a few channels, and the best free plan. The bill climbs with every channel.

Price, monthly: Free for 3 channels; $6 a channel, $12 with approvals

What’s good

Clean queue with recommended times
Comment inbox on 10 networks
Refunds within 7 or 30 days

Watch for

No DMs or listening
Approvals double the per-channel price

Our test: Planning a week, a composer testRead our full Buffer test

Enterprise depth with a per-person bill to match.

Price, monthly: $149 a person, $499 for approvals

What’s good

Strong enterprise listening
Comment-to-DM from Professional
Google Business and WhatsApp

Watch for

Every teammate is a seat
Approvals start on Advanced

Our test: A shared draft and four after-publish tasksRead our full Hootsuite test

A great Instagram planner held back by post caps and no X.

Price, monthly: $25 for one brand, 30 posts per profile

What’s good

Drag-and-drop grid planning
Hashtag suggestions and link in bio

Watch for

Starter caps posts; drafts count
X support ended in 2025
Plans are non-refundable

Our test: An Instagram week and leaving Later

Cheap for many brands and strong on analytics; the extras are add-ons.

Price, monthly: $25 for 5 brands; X $10 per account

What’s good

Unlimited analytics history
Ads and competitor reports

Watch for

A second person means Advanced
X and listening cost extra

Our test: An Instagram growth kit on the free plan

Built for inbox moderation, priced per person with add-ons on top.

Price, monthly: $99 a person; X from $29

What’s good

The widest comment inbox
Rules that hide spam

Watch for

No DM automation
Listening is $100 a search
The free plan ended in 2026

Our test: An inbox on autopilot

Still excellent at approvals; the 2025 plans made it expensive past three users.

Price, monthly: $65 for 3 users, then $332

What’s good

Custom approval workflows
New AI auto-replies

Watch for

Clients count as paid users
No X

Our test: A feature-by-feature re-review

Cheapest for one Instagram brand, with a store built in.

Price, monthly: $16 for one brand

What’s good

Grid planner with holidays and trends
Creator Store and auto-DMs

Watch for

Analytics needs a Facebook Page
X is reminders only
No approvals

Our test: A creator’s week, six jobs

How we tested

Five days, nine tools, one Instagram account

Every tool got the same connected account and the same jobs. Prices come from each tool’s own checkout, on monthly billing. Nothing was published.

Oct 16ManychatPricing and limits, read live
Oct 19Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout SocialThe same draft in every composer; four after-publish jobs
Oct 20Buffer, HootsuitePlanning next week
Oct 20MetricoolAn Instagram growth kit
Oct 20LaterAn Instagram week, then cancelling
Oct 20AgorapulseAn inbox on autopilot
Oct 20LoomlyFeature by feature
Oct 20PlanolyA creator’s week

schedulers tested

Instagram account, connected to each

posts published during testing

Hidden costs

Five things that raise the bill later

The entry price is rarely what you pay. These are the costs that showed up in our tests.

1.Seats
A second person can double the bill, even if they only approve posts.
Hootsuite $149+ eachSprout $99+ eachLoomly counts clients
2.X as an add-on
Several tools dropped X or charge for it per account.
Metricool $10Agorapulse $29 to $69Later and Loomly: none
3.Post caps
Entry plans that limit posts per profile, sometimes counting drafts.
Later Starter: 30 per profileLoomly Free: 5 a month
4.Listening sold separately
Hearing about your brand is rarely in the base price.
Agorapulse $100 a searchSprout: add-onHootsuite: Enterprise
5.Refunds and renewals
Trials that need a card and plans that never refund.
Later: non-refundablePlanoly: no refundsAgorapulse: monthly never

Kadenzo: no seats, X and listening included, no post caps, and 14 days’ money back on the first plan charge.

Best social media scheduler: common questions

What is the best social media scheduler in 2026?

For most creators, small brands and agencies, Kadenzo: it schedules to 11 networks including X, and includes comment-to-DM, brand listening and free approvers from $19 a month. Buffer has the best free plan, Sprout Social the deepest reports for large teams.

What is the best free social media scheduler?

Buffer: 3 channels with 10 queued posts each. Metricool’s free plan covers one brand with 20 posts a month. Later and Loomly have smaller free plans that aren’t on their pricing pages.

What is the cheapest social media scheduler?

For one Instagram-first brand, Planoly at $16. For many brands run by one person, Metricool at $25 for five. Once you add X, approvals or DMs, Kadenzo’s flat $19 to $49 is usually lowest.

Which scheduler is best for agencies?

One that doesn’t charge per person or per client. Kadenzo Enterprise is $49 for unlimited accounts with free client approvers. Metricool is cheaper if no one else needs to log in.

Which schedulers still post to X?

Kadenzo, Buffer, Hootsuite and Sprout Social include it. Metricool and Agorapulse charge per X account, Planoly only sends reminders, and Later and Loomly dropped X in 2025.

Do I need a scheduler with comment-to-DM?

If you use “comment a word for the link” posts, yes, or you’ll need a second tool. Kadenzo includes it on every plan; Metricool, Planoly and Hootsuite have it on paid or higher plans.

How did you test these tools?

We tested each tool between October 16 and 20, 2026, connected the same Instagram account, ran the same jobs in each, and read every price from the tool’s own checkout. Nothing was published.

Try the scheduler that includes the rest

Kadenzo schedules to 11 networks with comment-to-DM, listening and free approvers, from $19 a month.

Start your 7-day trial