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By Lucy Bloomfield, Founder, Magic Marketer® · Updated

Planoly alternatives in 2026: six tools, prices checked

If you want a more polished grid planner, Later. If you want a free plan on the web, Buffer. If you want an inbox, Pallyy. If you want analytics, Metricool. If the design is the hard part, Canva. If your posts come from what you know rather than what you shoot, Magic Marketer®. If you shoot your own products and the grid is the point, stay on Planoly.

How we compared them

We read each vendor's own pricing page on 12 October 2026 and copied the list prices as published. Where a page did not show a price we could read, we wrote "Check current pricing" rather than guess. Each tool gets one best-for label, so no two are pitched at the same reader. The switching section comes from the vendor's own help centre. Magic Marketer® is our product. The choose-them-if lines are written so you can leave this page for someone else.

Why people leave Planoly

Planoly is the Instagram planner for people who care how the grid looks. Drag in photos, preview the feed, schedule, sell through the link in bio. It is cheap and it is pretty.

The search for an alternative starts when the camera is not the business. A consultant, an accountant, a clinic: the content is what they know, not what they can photograph.

A grid preview does not help with the hard part. (It is very good at showing you the gap.)

PlanPriceWhat you get
Starter$16/moOr $14/mo billed yearly. 1 social set, 1 user, unlimited uploads
Growth$28/moOr $24/mo billed yearly. 2 social sets, 2 users. Extra set $10/mo, extra user $5/mo
Pro$55/moOr $47/mo billed yearly. 6 social sets, 6 users. Extra set $8/mo, extra user $3/mo

USD list prices from planoly.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. The page opens on yearly billing. Planoly's help centre says prices are in USD. Free on the mobile app for 10 uploads a month. 14-day trial on paid plans.

Stay on Planoly if

You shoot your own product photos, the Instagram grid is the point, and you want a cheap visual planner with a link in bio.

Planoly alternatives at a glance

ToolBest forStarting priceWatch out for
PlanolyA cheap Instagram grid for photos you already shot$16/mo, or $14/mo billed yearlyFree only on the mobile app.
LaterA more polished grid planner with Link in Bio$18.75/mo billed yearlyNo free plan. 30 posts per profile on Starter.
BufferA free queue on the webFree, then $5 per channel/moNo grid preview.
Magic Marketer®Posts that come from what you know, not what you shootA$99/mo for up to 2 brandsNo grid preview. Plans by week and channel.
PallyyA visual planner with a real inboxFree, then $25/mo per social setFree plan is images only.
MetricoolKnowing which posts work, across several brandsFree, then from $20/moDoes not make posts.
CanvaDesigning the posts, then scheduling them yourselfFree, then US$144/yearYou still write, size and publish the post.

Prices from each vendor's own pricing page, checked 12 October 2026: planoly.com/pricing, later.com/pricing, buffer.com/pricing, pallyy.com/pricing, metricool.com/pricing and canva.com/pricing. Competitor prices in USD, except Pallyy, whose page does not name a currency. Magic Marketer® prices are in AUD.

Best for: A more polished grid planner with Link in Bio

Later

Later logo

Later is the other Instagram-first planner. Grid preview, media library, Link in Bio, and eight profiles on Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly. Compared with Planoly, it is more polished and a little dearer, with no free plan.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Starter$18.75/mo billed yearly1 social set (8 profiles), 1 user, 30 posts per profile a month, 5 AI credits
Growth$37.50/mo billed yearly2 social sets (16 profiles), 2 users, 180 posts per profile, 50 AI credits
Scale$82.50/mo billed yearly6 social sets (48 profiles), 4 users, unlimited posts, 100 AI credits

USD list prices from later.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. No free plan, 14-day trial. The page showed yearly billing only. For the month-to-month price, check current pricing.

Choose Later if

You're a visually-led brand or creator with content already shot and ready, and you mainly need a beautiful calendar and Link in Bio to manage it.

Pros

  • Grid preview and media library
  • Eight profiles on Starter
  • Link in Bio included

Cons

  • No free plan
  • 30 posts per profile on Starter
  • Does not make posts

Best for: A free queue on the web

Buffer

Buffer logo

Buffer is the cheapest way to keep scheduling if the grid was never the point. Free for three channels, then $5 per channel a month. Compared with Planoly, there is no grid preview, and it adds Google Business.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$03 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user
Essentials$5/mo per channelOr $60 a year per channel. Unlimited scheduled posts, 1 user
Team$10/mo per channelOr $120 a year per channel. Unlimited team members

USD list prices from buffer.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. 14-day trial on paid plans. The price per channel drops past 10 channels.

Choose Buffer if

You already have a marketing team or writer producing content, and you just need a reliable place to schedule and queue posts across platforms.

Pros

  • Usable free plan on the web
  • Priced per channel
  • Google Business included

Cons

  • No grid preview
  • Fewer visual tools
  • Does not make posts

Best for: Posts that come from what you know, not what you shoot

Magic Marketer®

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 from a source, not a photo. A recording, a voice note, a transcript, a link - and out comes a batch of finished posts in eight formats in your voice, including Instagram carousels and stories. Then it publishes to nine channels. It costs more than Planoly, because it does the part Planoly leaves to you.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free trialA$0 for 7 daysCard at sign-up. Publishing, scheduling and unlimited creations included. Free for 7 days. Cancel anytime before day 7 and you won't be charged.
Up to 2 brandsA$99/moUp to 2 brands. Unlimited team members. Publishing and scheduling included. A fresh batch on your schedule, daily, weekly, or monthly. Weekly community calls and workshops included. For 3 or more brands, book a demo and we quote agency pricing. Or A$986/yr, save 17%.
AgencyCustom3 or more brands. No public rate, quoted on a demo.

Magic Marketer® prices are in AUD.

Choose Magic Marketer® if

You are a service business, your content is what you say to clients, and the grid stays empty because there is nothing to photograph.

Pros

  • Makes the posts from a source you already have
  • Instagram formats included
  • Brand guardrails and compliance presets

Cons

  • No grid preview
  • No link-in-bio shop
  • No permanent free plan

Best for: A visual planner with a real inbox

Pallyy

Pallyy logo

Pallyy has a visual planner too, plus an inbox and analytics on paid plans. Pro is $25 a month for one social set of up to eleven accounts. Compared with Planoly, you get a real inbox and a longer analytics history.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$01 social set, 15 scheduled posts a month, images only
Pro$25/moOr $240 a year. 1 social set, 1 user, unlimited posts. Extra set $10/mo
Agency$99/moOr $950 a year. 10 social sets, 3 users. Extra set or user $10/mo
Scale$199/moOr $1,980 a year. 30 social sets, 10 users

List prices from pallyy.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. The page does not name a currency. 14-day trial on paid plans. No video, carousels or inbox on the free plan.

Choose Pallyy if

You already have posts, want the cheapest well-made scheduler with a real inbox, or run an agency with up to ten clients.

Pros

  • Usable free plan
  • Inbox on paid plans
  • Five years of analytics on paid plans

Cons

  • Free plan is images only
  • One user on Pro
  • Does not make posts

Best for: Knowing which posts work, across several brands

Metricool

Metricool logo

Metricool plans and measures. A free plan for one brand, then Starter from $20 a month for five brands, with competitor analytics. Compared with Planoly, the planner is plainer and the numbers are much better.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$01 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month
StarterFrom $20/mo5 brands. $36/mo for 10 brands
AdvancedFrom $53/mo15 brands, up to 50

USD list prices from metricool.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. Annual billing saves up to 24%.

Choose Metricool if

You already have content and mainly need a cheap, capable dashboard for scheduling, analytics, and competitor tracking across a lot of brands or accounts.

Pros

  • Generous free plan
  • Several brands on the entry plan
  • Competitor analytics

Cons

  • No grid-first planning
  • Busier interface
  • Does not make posts

Best for: Designing the posts, then scheduling them yourself

Canva

Canva logo

If what you actually use Planoly for is getting visuals ready, Canva makes them. Free to start, Pro is US$144 a year for one person Compared with Planoly, the design is better and the planning is plainer.

PlanPriceWhat you get
Free$01 person. Core editor and templates
ProUS$144/year1 person
BusinessUS$250/year per personFor teams. You pay for members who accept an invite
EnterpriseCustomQuoted by sales

USD list prices from canva.com/pricing, checked 12 October 2026. Annual prices as shown. A monthly option exists but the page did not show its price.

Choose Canva if

You need graphics, carousels, or branded visuals and you're happy writing the copy, assembling the design, and posting it yourself.

Pros

  • The editor most people know
  • Huge template library
  • Usable free plan

Cons

  • No grid preview
  • You still write the caption
  • Not a dedicated scheduler

How to choose a Planoly alternative

Start with what fills your grid. It usually points to one of six.

  1. 01

    Your own product photos

    Stay on Planoly. It is cheap and does the job.

  2. 02

    Your own photos, and you want more polish

    Later.

  3. 03

    You want a free plan on the web

    Buffer.

  4. 04

    You want a real inbox

    Pallyy.

  5. 05

    You want to know what works

    Metricool, or Canva if the design is the gap.

  6. 06

    Nothing, because you are not a photo business

    Magic Marketer®. It makes the posts from a link, a photo or one line. That is the only reason to pick us over Planoly.

Switching from Planoly: your calendar, media and billing

Most roundups skip this bit. With Planoly, where you signed up decides how you cancel.

The short version: we found no export, a shared report link lasts seven days, and deleting a social account deletes its posts.

What moves

  • A view of your calendar. Plan Report shares scheduled posts for a date range. The link expires in seven days, so copy what you need.
  • Your posts already on Instagram. Deleting your Planoly account does not remove them from Instagram.
  • Your images, from your own copies. We found no bulk download for the media library.

What does not

  • The scheduled calendar as a file. We found no export in Planoly's help centre.
  • Connected accounts. Connections do not transfer. You reconnect each one in the new tool.
  • Your posts, if you delete a social account. Planoly says this removes all its content and posts, and cannot be undone.
  • Your analytics. We found no export article.

In this order

  1. Open Plan Report and copy the scheduled captions and images you want to keep.
  2. Connect your accounts in the new tool and rebuild the calendar there. Magic Marketer® does not import a Planoly calendar - it makes new posts from a source.
  3. Delete the scheduled posts in Planoly, so nothing goes out twice before the plan ends.
  4. Cancel on the web from your profile, then Billing. If you subscribed through Apple or Google Play, cancel there instead. Planoly says Apple keeps charging even if you delete the app.

From Planoly's help centre (How to Use Plan Report, Understanding Account States in Planoly, How to Cancel a Planoly Subscription, and How to Delete Your Planoly Account), checked 12 October 2026.

Planoly alternative FAQs

Does Planoly have a free plan?

Only on the mobile app: ten uploads a month, one social set, one user. Paid plans have a 14-day trial. Buffer, Metricool and Pallyy have free plans that work on the web.

How much does Planoly cost?

Starter is $16 a month, Growth $28 and Pro $55, billed monthly. Billed yearly, they are $14, $24 and $47 a month. The pricing page opens on yearly billing, which is why you often see the lower numbers.

Can I export my scheduled posts from Planoly?

We found no export in Planoly's help centre. Plan Report shares a view of scheduled posts for a date range, and the link expires in seven days. Copy the captions you want to keep before you leave.

Is Magic Marketer® good for Instagram?

Yes. It makes carousels, stories, quote cards, feed graphics and short-form video sized for Instagram, and publishes them. It plans by week and channel rather than by grid preview.

Can Magic Marketer® post to Google Business Profile?

Yes. Google Business, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, Pinterest and YouTube are all supported, from one calendar.

Related: Later alternatives · Buffer vs Later

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