- Postiz is a good pick for builders who like open source, APIs and many channels.
- Moonya is for owners who want the posts created for them, with approval before publishing.
- Buffer, Publer and Metricool all list free plans; Postiz uses a 7-day trial.
- Metricool is the pick if analytics and competitors matter most.
- Self-hosting saves money only if you are happy to run and maintain the software.
How we chose these tools
Postiz is a social media scheduler with an open source core, a hosted cloud version and developer features like an API, an MCP server and a CLI. People look for a Postiz alternative when they want a free plan, deeper analytics, a more guided setup, or help with the part that takes longest: making the posts.
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 the posts made for you | No ($1 7-day trial) | $29/month |
| Buffer | Simple scheduler | Yes | $5/month per channel |
| Publer | Budget scheduler with many features | Yes | From $5/month (1 account) |
| Metricool | Analytics | Yes | From $25/month (monthly billing) |
| FeedHive | AI writing | No (7-day trial) | EUR 15/month billed yearly |
| SocialBee | Content categories | No (14-day trial) | $29/month |
1. Moonya: best if you want the posts made 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 Postiz comparison.
2. 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.
3. Publer: best budget scheduler with many features
What it is. A feature-rich scheduler with a free plan and paid plans priced by account.
What it does well. According to Publer's plans and pricing page, the free plan includes 1 user and up to 3 social accounts (excluding X/Twitter), with up to 10 scheduled posts at a time per account. Professional starts at $5/month and Business at $10/month for one account, the price grows as you add accounts and members, and yearly billing is 20% cheaper. Business adds AI Assist without a prompt cap, best times to post, competitor analysis, post recycling, recurring posts and approval workflows.
Things to consider. The free plan keeps only 24 hours of published post history, and many features sit on Business. You still create the posts yourself. See Moonya vs Publer.
4. 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.
5. FeedHive: best for AI writing
What it is. A scheduler with AI writing, AI images and performance prediction built in.
What it does well. FeedHive's pricing page lists Creator at EUR 15/month billed yearly (EUR 180 a year) with 4 social accounts, Brand at EUR 22/month billed yearly with 10 accounts and 5 workspaces, and Business at EUR 69/month billed yearly with 100 accounts. The feature list includes an AI writing assistant, AI image generation, AI hashtag generation and AI performance prediction.
Things to consider. There is a 7-day free trial and no free plan, and prices are in euros. The AI helps when you sit down to write; you still decide and drive each post. See Moonya vs FeedHive.
6. SocialBee: best for content categories
What it is. A scheduler built around content categories and recycling evergreen posts.
What it does well. SocialBee's pricing page lists Bootstrap at $29/month (5 social profiles, 10 content categories), Accelerate at $49/month (10 profiles, 50 categories) and Pro at $99/month (25 profiles). Unlimited AI content generation is listed on the standard plans, along with an inbox for comments, mentions and DMs on Facebook and Instagram, plus comments and mentions on networks such as LinkedIn and Threads.
Things to consider. No free plan; each plan has a 14-day trial with no credit card required. You set up the categories and the content mix yourself. See Moonya vs SocialBee.
When Postiz is still the right choice
Postiz has a lot going for it. Its pricing page lists Standard at $29/month ($23 billed yearly) for 5 channels, Team at $39/month for 10 channels with unlimited team members, Pro at $49/month for 30 channels and Ultimate at $99/month for 100 channels. Posts are unlimited on every plan, every plan has a 7-day trial, and each one includes an AI copilot, an API, an MCP server, a CLI and webhooks. The page describes the product as hosted cloud plus open source, with the code on GitHub.
Stay with Postiz if you like open source, want to automate through an API, or need many channels at a low price. Switch when the scheduler is fine but the calendar stays empty because nobody has time to make posts.
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 Postiz
- List what you really use. Write down the Postiz 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 Postiz 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 schedulers? See our best Buffer alternatives and best Publer alternatives. If you work from an AI assistant, read how to manage Instagram and Facebook from ChatGPT or Claude.
By industry: see how this works for social media agencies, coaches and consultants and real estate agents, or browse all industry playbooks.
FAQ
Is Moonya a good Postiz alternative?
For small businesses that want the posts created for them, yes. Postiz is a scheduler you run; Moonya learns your brand, creates the posts and publishes them after your approval. Developers who want open source may prefer Postiz.
Is there a free alternative to Postiz?
Buffer, Publer and Metricool list free plans with limits on accounts or posts. Postiz offers a 7-day trial on its hosted plans.
Is Postiz open source?
Its pricing page describes Postiz as hosted cloud plus open source and links to its GitHub repository. Running it yourself means you host and maintain it.
Can I manage Moonya from ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. Moonya has an MCP connector, so you can create, check and approve posts from ChatGPT or Claude.
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
- Postiz pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Buffer pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Publer plans and pricing (help center) (checked October 29, 2026)
- Metricool pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- FeedHive pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- SocialBee pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)