Buffer
Prepare posts for different networks, reply to comments and follow the results in one place. Its free plan gives you room to start with three social accounts.
Marketing · Social Media Management
Best social media management tools
A good social media tool helps you prepare posts, keep up with replies and see what people respond to. The right one can save you from moving between accounts just to get the day's work done.
Buffer is a strong place to start for planning and publishing. Metricool is worth a closer look if reports matter just as much as the calendar. For drafts that need someone else's sign-off, Planable brings the discussion and approval together before a post goes out.
A few good places to start
Metricool
Schedule posts and produce reports for several brands in one subscription. The calendar, account statistics and competitor comparisons help you plan what comes next.
Planable
See a draft as it will appear, leave feedback beside it and agree what is ready to publish. Pro adds required approval before publishing.
Agorapulse
Bring supported comments and messages into one inbox, share the replies with colleagues and keep publishing and reports nearby.
Get a recommendation
Answer a couple of short questions about what you would like to make easier. Your answers suggest a starting point and a close alternative; they do not need to describe everything you do.
Question 1Choose your main need
What would you like to make easier?
Pick the answer that comes closest. You can still compare the other tools afterwards.
Compare the main options
| Product | What it helps you do | The main buying consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Plan posts, reply to comments and review results in one service | Paid subscriptions charge for each connected account |
| Metricool | Compare performance and produce reports across brands | Team approvals and custom reports require Advanced |
| SocialBee | Keep useful evergreen content in circulation with categories and expiry dates | Multi-user work needs a higher plan than solo publishing |
| Later Social | Plan visual posts and connect social content with a Link in Bio page | Plans bundle social sets and limit scheduled posts per profile |
| Planable | Review drafts and keep feedback beside the post | Required approvals start on Pro; reporting and inbox are add-ons |
| SocialPilot | Manage a larger collection of client accounts with shared approvals | Client approvals and bulk scheduling start on Premium |
| Sendible | Give collaborators access to separate client workspaces | Profiles come in workspace bundles; Instagram DMs are not supported |
| Agorapulse | Coordinate replies and share publishing reports | The price grows with users, and supported message types vary by network |
| Sprout Social | Combine social customer care, publishing and detailed reporting | The full inbox starts above Essentials; some analytics and listening are extra |
Compare the full cost
Count the accounts you will connect and the people who need access. Buffer charges by connected account; Metricool and Later group networks into brands or social sets; other providers sell workspace bundles or charge per user. Those units are not interchangeable.
Then include the features you will actually use. A low-priced publishing plan may not include client approvals, downloadable reports or the message types you need. Our free social media tools guide separates ongoing free plans from trials and one-time allowances.
More ways to compare
Posting regularly
A clear calendar and reusable drafts may be all you need. If you often share evergreen articles or useful advice, a content library can save you preparing the same post again. SocialBee adds categories and requeueing; Buffer keeps the everyday schedule straightforward.
Working with other people
Look at who can draft, comment and approve. Planable puts feedback directly beside the content. SocialPilot and Sendible add ways to separate client accounts. A client who only needs to approve a post should not have to learn the whole publishing tool.
Understanding results
Simple post statistics help you see what gets a response. Reports for clients or a wider business may also need competitor comparisons, a longer history or your own branding. Metricool is a useful place to start when reporting is a major part of the work.
Replying to customers
A comment inbox is not necessarily a complete messaging service. Agorapulse and Sprout Social cover more coordinated reply work, but the supported conversations differ. Check the particular conversations you handle, such as LinkedIn Company Page messages, WhatsApp Business or ad comments.
Choosing a free plan
A queue limit and a monthly posting limit are different. A queue of ten posts can refill as posts go out; a monthly allowance does not reset until the next month. An ongoing free plan is also different from a trial or a one-time allowance.
Focusing on one network
If LinkedIn or Pinterest is the main place you post, its built-in scheduler may already cover the basics. Our LinkedIn scheduling guide and Pinterest scheduling guide compare that starting point with the extra planning, reporting and collaboration a separate tool can offer.
Publishing automatically
Social media automation tools can schedule a prepared post, refill a queue with evergreen content or turn an RSS feed into drafts. Those are different benefits: SocialBee focuses on reusable categories and expiry controls, while Publer offers bulk preparation and RSS tools. You still decide what is worth publishing and review anything that has become out of date.
Direct publishing and reminder notifications are different too. Some formats need you to finish the post in the network's own app. Check the formats you use, such as a Reel with native audio or a post with product tags.
Choosing tools for a small business
Start with the accounts you use and the work you want to make easier. A solo owner may need a reliable queue; colleagues sharing the same accounts may also need draft comments or approval. Compare those features and the complete subscription rather than assuming a small business needs the smallest plan—or an expensive agency suite.
Comparing a shortlist?
Buffer vs Metricool compares free plans, reports and costs. Hootsuite alternatives looks at simpler publishing tools and more complete replacements. Sprout Social alternatives separates lower-cost scheduling from customer-care requirements.
The right tool should make posting and responding easier to keep up with. Buffer is a useful first look for everyday publishing; Metricool adds a different emphasis when reports and several brands matter.
Browse all social media tool reviews
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- PLANOLY
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Comparisons, alternatives and guides
- Agorapulse vs Hootsuite
- Best free social media management tools
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- Buffer vs Metricool
- Hootsuite alternatives
- Hootsuite vs Buffer
- Later alternatives
- Later vs Buffer
- LinkedIn scheduling tools
- Loomly alternatives
- Metricool alternatives
- Metricool vs Later
- Pinterest scheduling tools
- Publer vs Buffer
- Sprout Social alternatives