The cheapest queue if the posts already exist
Buffer is the clean step down. Free for three channels and ten queued posts each, then $5 per channel a month. No per-seat charge. If you have a writer or a designer, this is the queue.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 channels, 10 queued posts each |
| Essentials | $5/mo per channel | $60 a year per channel, billed annually |
| Team | $10/mo per channel | Unlimited members, approvals |
USD list prices from buffer.com/pricing, checked 21 September 2026.
Pros
- Usable free plan
- Priced per channel, not per person
- Quick to learn
Cons
- Does not make posts
- No inbox
- AI only rewrites text you paste in
Analytics and competitor tracking without the seat tax
Metricool is the closest like-for-like at a fraction of the price. A free plan for one brand, then $25 a month for up to ten. The charts are the point. The posts still have to come from somewhere else.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month |
| Starter | $25/mo | Up to 10 brands. $20/mo billed annually |
USD list prices from metricool.com, checked September 2026.
Pros
- Generous free plan
- Ten brands on Starter
- Organic, paid and competitor analytics
Cons
- Does not make posts
- Reporting is shallower than Sprout
- AI captions are generic
Hootsuite features at a mid-market price
Vista Social gives you an inbox, reviews, and a listening add-on without charging per seat. Professional is $79 a month for two users and fifteen profiles. That is the Hootsuite shape, priced for a small team.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Professional | $79/mo | 15 profiles, 2 users |
| Advanced | $149/mo | 30 profiles, 4 users |
USD list prices from vistasocial.com/pricing, checked 21 September 2026. No free plan. X is $29/mo extra. Web listening starts at $75/mo.
Pros
- Inbox and reviews included
- Two users on the entry plan
- Listening as an add-on, not a new product
Cons
- No free plan
- X costs extra
- Still assumes the posts exist
Making the posts, then publishing them
This week · approved
MonThree things that stall week threeLinkedIn · 9:00Queued
TueReel from Tuesday's callInstagram · 18:30Best time
WedWeek three is where consistency diesLinkedIn · 8:15Queued
Thu"Consistency beats perfection."Facebook · 12:00Queued
Fri22 seconds, captions burned inTikTok · 17:45Best time
Magic Marketer® starts with the part Hootsuite leaves to you. One source - a recording, a voice note, a transcript, a link - becomes a batch of finished posts in eight formats, in your voice, then scheduled to nine channels. It has an inbox for comments and DMs. It does not do listening or competitor monitoring.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Free trial | A$0 for 14 days | Unlimited creations and exports, no card. Publishing needs a paid plan. |
| One brand | A$29/mo | A single brand. Posts in your voice. |
| 5 brands | A$99/mo | Up to 5 brands. A fresh batch on your schedule, daily, weekly, or monthly. Team members included. No extra charge for an admin. More than 5 brands is agency pricing, quoted on a demo. |
Magic Marketer® prices are in AUD.
Pros
- Makes the posts from a source you already have
- Up to 5 brands on one plan, no per-seat charge
- Brand guardrails and compliance presets
Cons
- No social listening
- No competitor monitoring
- Not an enterprise approval suite
Cheap per-account scheduling
Publer prices per social account, from $5 a month, with a free plan for three accounts. Cheap for a few channels. There is no inbox to speak of. Same limit as Buffer: you supply the posts.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 user, 3 accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts each |
| Professional | From $5 per account/mo | Unlimited scheduling. Price scales with accounts |
USD list prices from publer.com/pricing, checked September 2026.
Pros
- Low entry price
- Usable free plan
- Bulk upload if you already have a library
Cons
- No inbox
- Price climbs with every account
- Does not make posts
The step sideways, not down
Sprout Social is better at reporting and listening than Hootsuite, at a similar per-seat price. Essentials is $79 a seat. The tier most teams want is Professional at $299. Keep it if the board wants a deck. Leave it if the calendar is empty.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|
| Essentials | $79 per seat/mo | 5 profiles. Billed annually |
| Standard | $199 per seat/mo | 5 profiles, review workflows |
| Professional | $299 per seat/mo | Unlimited profiles, competitor reports |
USD list prices from sproutsocial.com/pricing, checked 21 September 2026, billed annually.
Pros
- The reporting benchmark
- Real listening, not a mentions feed
- Inbox that doubles as case management
Cons
- Per-seat pricing
- Five-profile cap on cheaper tiers
- Does not make posts
