- Loomly fits small marketing teams where someone signs off on posts.
- Moonya creates the posts itself and still waits for your approval.
- Planable and Vista Social are the closest matches for approvals.
- Buffer and Metricool list free plans; Loomly uses a free trial.
- Check the jump between plans: it often decides the real cost.
How we chose these tools
Loomly is a content calendar with post ideas, an AI Assistant, approval workflows, an inbox and analytics. People search for a Loomly alternative when the Starter price is high for one person, the next plan is a big jump, or when they want the tool to create the posts rather than guide them through creating them.
For this list we looked at what matters to a small business owner with limited time:
- Who makes the content. Some tools schedule posts you already made. Others help you write and design them, and a few create them for you.
- Networks you actually use. Check that Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn or Google Business are covered on the plan you would pay for.
- Price at your size. Tools charge per channel, per user, per workspace or per brand. Do the math for your own accounts.
- Free plan or trial. Useful for testing, but read the limits.
- Extras you need. Inbox, analytics, approvals, link in bio, DM automation.
Every price and plan detail below comes from each company's own pricing page, checked on October 29, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moonya | If you want posts created for you | No ($1 7-day trial) | $29/month |
| Planable | Client approvals | No (50 free posts) | $33 per workspace/month |
| Vista Social | All-in-one with inbox and reviews | No (14-day trial) | $99/month |
| Buffer | Simple scheduler | Yes | $5/month per channel |
| Hootsuite | Larger teams | No (14-day trial) | From $99 per user/month |
| Metricool | Analytics | Yes | From $25/month (monthly billing) |
1. Moonya: best if you want posts created for you
What it is. Moonya is a social media autopilot for small businesses. Its Brand Brain reads several pages of your website and learns your offer, voice, audience and brand colors in a few minutes. Then it creates carousels, single image posts, Stories and Reels in your brand colors and fonts.
What it does well. You set rules like "a carousel every Monday at 9 am" and drafts appear on their own. Every post waits for your approval: approve, edit or skip. Nothing is published without you. It publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business (X is a paid add-on), with a caption fitted to each network and no more than 5 hashtags on Instagram, the current limit there. It also runs comment-to-DM automations for Instagram and Facebook (1 on Starter, 10 on Pro, up to 1,000 on Agency) and has a unified inbox.
Things to consider. There is no free plan and no social listening. Starter is $29/month (3 social channels, 1,000 AI credits), Pro is $79/month (15 channels, 4,000 credits) and Agency is $199/month (30 channels, 12,000 credits, 10 workspaces), each after a 7-day trial for $1. See Moonya pricing and the full Moonya vs Loomly comparison.
2. Planable: best for client approvals
What it is. A collaboration-first tool where teams and clients comment on and approve posts.
What it does well. Planable's pricing page lists Basic at $33 per workspace/month (60 posts and 4 social pages per workspace) and Pro at $49 per workspace/month (150 posts, 10 pages), with unlimited users. Pro adds required approvals, and Enterprise adds multi-level approvals. The first 50 posts are free, with no time limit.
Things to consider. Analytics and the social inbox are paid add-ons on Basic and Pro. Your team still makes the content. See Moonya vs Planable.
3. Vista Social: best all-in-one with inbox and reviews
What it is. A social media management platform with publishing, inbox, reviews, reporting and DM automations.
What it does well. Vista Social's pricing page lists Professional at $99/month with 15 social profiles, a social inbox, review monitoring for Facebook and Google Business, single-stage approvals and DM automations. Advanced ($199/month, 30 profiles) adds multi-stage approvals and more review sites.
Things to consider. No free plan (14-day trial). Listening across the web and news is a paid add-on. It is built for people who manage social media every day. See Moonya vs Vista Social.
4. Buffer: best simple scheduler
What it is. A clean, simple scheduler priced per channel.
What it does well. Buffer's pricing page lists a free plan for up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. Essentials is $5/month per channel and Team is $10/month per channel, with content approvals on Team. It supports 12 networks, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky and Mastodon, and every plan includes an AI Assistant and a community inbox.
Things to consider. Pricing is per channel, so the total grows with each account you add. Buffer publishes what you prepare; making the posts is still your job. See Moonya vs Buffer.
5. Hootsuite: best for larger teams
What it is. A long established platform for scheduling, inbox, analytics and social listening.
What it does well. The Standard plan on Hootsuite's plans page includes 10 social accounts, unlimited scheduling, AI post generation, one inbox, analytics with competitor benchmarking and brand monitoring. Higher plans add inbox automation, content approvals and team routing.
Things to consider. Plans are sold per user, and the FAQ says paid plans start at $99 for Standard. There is a 14-day trial, no free plan. For a solo owner it is a lot of tool. See Moonya vs Hootsuite.
6. Metricool: best for analytics
What it is. A planning and analytics tool organized by brands.
What it does well. Metricool's pricing page lists a free plan for 1 brand with up to 20 scheduled posts per month, 5 competitor profiles and 30 days of analytics. The Starter plan starts from $25/month on monthly billing and adds unlimited publishing under a fair use policy, LinkedIn connection, more competitors and reports.
Things to consider. The free plan excludes LinkedIn and Twitter/X, and post approval is listed on the Advanced plan. Metricool is strongest on data; creating the content is not its main focus. See Moonya vs Metricool.
When Loomly is still the right choice
Loomly is a well-rounded tool. Its pricing page lists Starter at $49/month billed yearly ($65 on monthly billing) with 12 social accounts and 3 users, and Beyond at $249/month billed yearly with 60 accounts and unlimited users. Both include an AI Assistant chat, an ideas board, post inspiration, approval workflows, an inbox with saved replies and analytics, and there is a free trial with no credit card.
Stay with Loomly if a small team needs a shared calendar with clear sign-off. Switch when you are a team of one and the calendar is waiting on you to fill it.
Tip: Before you switch, list your channels, how many posts you publish per week and who makes them. Then price each tool at that exact size. The cheapest headline price is not always the cheapest for you.
How to switch from Loomly
- List what you really use. Write down the Loomly features you used last month, your channels and how many posts go out each week.
- Run one real week in a trial. Connect your accounts and schedule the posts you would publish anyway, not test posts.
- Overlap for a short time. Let posts already queued in Loomly go out while the new tool handles the weeks after.
- Cancel last. Only cancel once the new tool has published reliably for at least a week.
Keep reading
Comparing approval tools? See our best Planable alternatives and best Hootsuite alternatives. For your plan, read our social media content calendar guide.
By industry: see how this works for social media agencies, dental clinics and med spas, or browse all industry playbooks.
FAQ
Is Moonya a good Loomly alternative?
For owners without a marketing team, yes. Loomly guides your team through creating posts; Moonya creates them itself and publishes after your approval.
Is there a free alternative to Loomly?
Buffer, Publer and Metricool list free plans with limits. Loomly offers a free trial, not a free plan.
Which Loomly alternative is best for agencies?
Planable is built around client approvals with unlimited users, and Vista Social adds inbox, reviews and reporting for many profiles.
Does Moonya give post ideas?
Yes. Moonya suggests topics from your Brand Brain and turns them into finished drafts, so you review posts instead of a list of ideas.
Does Moonya have a free plan?
No. Every Moonya plan starts with a 7-day trial for $1, then Starter is $29/month. You can cancel anytime.
Does Moonya publish without my approval?
No. Every post waits in an approval queue. You approve, edit or skip it, and nothing goes out without your decision.
Sources
- Loomly pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Planable pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Vista Social pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Buffer pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Hootsuite plans page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Metricool pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)