- Publer is excellent value if you already make your own posts.
- Moonya creates branded posts and Reels from your website and waits for your approval.
- Buffer and Metricool also list free plans; Later, SocialBee and Postiz use trials.
- Metricool is the pick for analytics, Later for a visual Instagram grid.
- Count your accounts and team members: Publer and Buffer prices grow with them.
How we chose these tools
Publer is a popular scheduler with bulk scheduling, recycling, a link in bio page and a free plan. People look for a Publer alternative when the price grows with more accounts, when they need features beyond scheduling, or when the real problem is that making the posts takes all their time.
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 do not want to make posts yourself | No ($1 7-day trial) | $29/month |
| Buffer | Simple scheduler | Yes | $5/month per channel |
| Metricool | Analytics | Yes | From $25/month (monthly billing) |
| SocialBee | Content categories | No (14-day trial) | $29/month |
| Postiz | Open source and APIs | No (7-day trial) | $29/month ($23 yearly) |
| Later | Visual Instagram planning | No (14-day trial) | $18.75/month billed yearly |
1. Moonya: best if you do not want to make posts yourself
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 Publer 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. 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.
4. 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.
5. Postiz: best for open source and APIs
What it is. A scheduler with an open source core, offered as a hosted cloud service.
What it does well. Postiz's 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, and each plan includes an AI copilot, an API, an MCP server, a CLI and webhooks.
Things to consider. Standard has no team members, and AI images start on Team. Self-hosting the open source version is possible, but then you run and maintain it. See Moonya vs Postiz.
6. Later: best for visual Instagram planning
What it is. A social media planner known for its visual calendar and link in bio.
What it does well. Later's pricing page shows a visual planner and Link in Bio on every plan. Starter is $18.75/month billed yearly for 1 social set (8 profiles) and 1 user. Growth adds a social inbox and approvals.
Things to consider. There is a 14-day free trial rather than a free plan. Starter includes up to 30 posts per profile and 5 AI credits a month. See Moonya vs Later.
When Publer is still the right choice
Publer is a strong scheduler. Its plans and pricing page lists a free plan with 1 user and up to 3 social accounts (excluding X/Twitter), up to 10 scheduled posts at a time per account and 25 saved drafts. Professional starts at $5/month and Business at $10/month for one account, with every 10th account or member free and 20% off on yearly billing. Business adds AI Assist without a prompt cap, best times to post, competitor analysis, recycling, recurring posts and approval workflows.
Stay with Publer if you make your own posts and want many features for little money. Switch when scheduling is easy but creating the posts is where the week disappears.
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 Publer
- List what you really use. Write down the Publer 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 Publer 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 Later alternatives. To plan the month first, read our social media content calendar guide.
By industry: see how this works for beauty salons, restaurants and cafes and gyms and trainers, or browse all industry playbooks.
FAQ
Is Moonya a good Publer alternative?
Yes, if you want the posts made for you. Publer schedules the content you already made; Moonya writes and designs the posts too, then publishes after your approval. If you only need scheduling, Publer is cheaper.
Is there a free alternative to Publer?
Buffer and Metricool both list free plans with limits. Publer itself also has a free plan for up to 3 accounts.
Is Buffer better than Publer?
They suit different needs. Buffer is simpler and priced per channel; Publer packs more features, many of them on its Business plan.
Which Publer alternative is best for Instagram grid planning?
Later is built around a visual planner and link in bio, which many Instagram-first brands like.
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
- Publer plans and pricing (help center) (checked October 29, 2026)
- Buffer pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Metricool pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- SocialBee pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Postiz pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)
- Later pricing page (checked October 29, 2026)