Top 11 Social Media Scheduling Tools (Features & Pricing)

9 min readJun 14, 2023

Social media scheduling is the process of planning your posts and arranging for them to be posted at a particular time/date on your social media accounts. This saves social media managers time and helps them build a better online presence and social media strategy.

In this article, we’re diving deep into some of the best social media scheduling tools, like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Mentionlytics. But, there are many more to be discussed, so stick around!

Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of today {Μarch 29, 2023}

What’s a Social Media Scheduling Tool?

A social media scheduling tool is any software that helps marketing teams plan their content before automatically publishing it.

You can find scheduling features in most social media dashboard tools, or basically any social media management platform. Social media automation tools allow users to easily schedule posts simultaneously across all social networks and preview their tweets, Instagram posts, etc.

Whether you’re a big-brand social media manager, a small-business owner, or an individual influencer, you need a scheduling platform to help you streamline your online presence on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

Benefits of Using a Social Media Scheduling Tool

So, how can social media management tools with post-scheduling software help you optimize your content marketing and workflows?

Save time

By automatically managing multiple social media accounts at once, even smaller brands that lack resources can save valuable time. While a content planning tool takes care of your social media posts, take the time to focus on improving your social media marketing –perhaps a social media audit can help.

Be proactive

Social media channels are active 24/7 –you can’t. Create and bulk schedule a bunch of posts for the weekend or a holiday period. Extend your social media engagement, presence, and reach, without even logging on to your social profiles!

Maintain brand consistency

A clear brand identity is important for content creation –and content curation, as well. Social media marketing tools will help you look at the bigger picture. For example, you can spot inconsistencies in your visual content and text copies across your social media channels!

Check-in with your content calendar

Another benefit of social media scheduling tools is seeing your monthly planning altogether. Check your social media calendar from the beginning until the end of the month and see what’s coming up. You can still make quick changes and adjust your social channels in order to improve your digital marketing strategy.

Make it easier for your team members

Marketing teams have been working together on projects for a while now. Social media management platforms make team collaboration effortless. Now, all members are able to log in to the brand’s content library and create, review, edit, and schedule content.

Top 11 Social Media Scheduling Tools

Here’s a list of the best social media scheduling tools to boost your social media campaigns and overall online presence.

1. Buffer

Buffer is an intuitive social media management platform. Clients use it to schedule posts, publish high-quality social media content, and raise their engagement rate. Ideal for small businesses and individuals, Buffer offers unique features, like complete Instagram scheduling –including Insta posts and stories. Additionally, the tool’s AI-powered software offers post-inspiration and fast writing assistance.

Buffer features

Social media post-scheduling and publishing
Start page creation and flexible links for online selling
Social media management and engagement boost
AI assistance and content creation ideas
Social media analytics and audience insights
App integrations and extensions

Buffer pricing

While Buffer offers a free plan for individuals and starting businesses, most features are included in the tool’s paid plans:

Essentials ($6/month per channel)
Team ($12/month per channel)
Agency ($120/month for 10 channels)

Also Read: Top 13 Buffer Alternatives to Elevate Your Social Media Strategy

2. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular digital marketing suite that helps users manage and improve their online performance effortlessly. The marketing platform offers cool features, like Instagram scheduling, social listening, managing social profiles, and analytics. In fact, Hootsuite allows users to review their competitors and upgrade their content marketing in 35 supported social media channels.

Hootsuite features

Content creation and content curation assist
Advanced social media calendar planning
Social listening and Share of Voice measurement
Unified social inbox and engagement boost
Social media analytics and reporting
Social networks, mobile apps, and tools integrations

Hootsuite pricing

Professional ($99/month)
Team ($249/month)
Business ($762/month)
Enterprise (Custom pricing)

3. CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a Marketing Calendar solution that offers marketing tools, ranging from a free plan for individuals to advanced paid plans for agencies. Known for its all-in-one content calendar, the platform helps clients to schedule content and publish across multiple social networks. The suite’s intelligent software helps marketers focus on their work while improving team collaboration.

CoSchedule features

Unified marketing calendar and workflow optimization
Time management, work predictability, and flexible error management
Headline Studio for better headlines and traffic boost
WordPress plugin, Browser extension, and app integrations
Brand asset organization with customizable taxonomies
Social media marketing courses and actionable training

CoSchedule pricing

Free Marketing Calendar
Pro Marketing Calendar ($39/month for user)
Marketing Suite (Custom)

4. Mentionlytics

Mentionlytics is an all-in-one media monitoring tool that offers valuable insights to marketers. Operating with AI-powered monitoring software, Mentionlytics scans websites and social media platforms for brand, competitor, and industry mentions. Brands can discover what’s being said about them on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook pages, Google My Business reviews, etc.

In addition to social media analytics, Mentionlytics offers cool social media management features, like post scheduling and publishing content on multiple social media profiles. Use the Mentionlytics app’s Publisher feature, to post social media content simultaneously to your Instagram account, Twitter account, and more.

Mentionlytics features

Automated social media scheduling and publishing
Social Intelligence Advisor and insights on social media strategy optimization
Intelligent media monitoring and sentiment analysis in more than 50 languages
Advanced Boolean search for result filtering via keywords and hashtag combinations with operators such as AND, NOT, and OR
Free social media report builder and customized metrics reporting
Review monitoring, competitor analysis, and influencer identification
Simplified team collaboration, with real-time notifications, tags, labels, and task assignments

Mentionlytics pricing

Basic ($49/month)
Essential ($99/month)
Advanced ($199/month)
Pro ($299/month)
Agency ($450+/month)
Enterprise ($950+/month)

5. Later

Later is a visual marketing platform, trusted by brands and social media platforms for scheduling organic and evergreen content. It’s mostly used for social media management and analytics, as well as planning and publishing across all mainstream social channels. Moreover, Later’s known for helping business owners and social media managers deal with tricky tasks, like influencer marketing and team collaboration –with permissions.

Later features

Linkin.bio page building for customer conversion
Bulk scheduling and publishing automation
Visual planner and feed rearrangement
Social media analytics and engagement
Unified social media management and trend monitoring
Content creation and hashtag suggestions

Later pricing

Starter ($18/month)
Growth ($40/month)
Advanced ($80/month)

6. Loomly

Loomly is a social media marketing platform that helps companies with content planning, posting, and social media management. In addition to simple scheduling and publishing features, the platform offers valuable insights and analytics for marketing strategy optimization. Loomly assists brands in audience targeting and future interactions, as well as in measuring the success of their online performance.

Loomly features

Unified social media content management and team update alerts
Manual and automated publishing for major social networks
Post ideas, based on Twitter trends and RSS feeds
Intuitive library and unified asset management
Post and ad creation and preview
Team collaboration and approval workflow

Loomly pricing

Base ($35 /month)
Standard ($79 /month)
Advanced ($172 /month)
Premium ($359 /month)
Enterprise (Custom)

7. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a well-known social media management tool that focuses on scheduling, publishing, monitoring, and analyzing social media profiles. The software’s intelligent functionality and automated workflow help users improve their social media management game. Sprout Social helps social media managers streamline and upgrade their content marketing with unified social inbox and scheduling features. For instance, businesses can manage conversations across multiple social media accounts with real-time alerts.

Sprout Social features

Social listening and content marketing optimization
Social post scheduling and automated publishing
Engagement boost and online presence evaluation
Interactive calendar and asset management content library
Simplified collaboration with user-level permissions for team members
Social media campaign management and analytics

Sprout Social pricing

Standard ($249/month)
Professional ($399/month)
Advanced ($499/month)
Enterprise (Custom)

8. SocialPilot

SocialPilot is a user-friendly social media marketing platform that offers social media automation, management, analytics, and insights. The platform provides clients with performance evaluations and valuable advice on how to expand their reach and increase their engagement. Meanwhile, SocialPilot is known for its white labeling that allows agencies to create and customize their own tool interface.

SocialPilot features

RSS feeds and CRM functionality integration
Content creation, social media calendar, and content library
Bulk scheduling and social media post publishing
Social media analytics and insights
CRM functionality and conversation management
Team management and workflow optimization
RSS feed automation and app integrations

SocialPilot pricing

Professional (€30/month)
Small Team (€50/month)
Agency (€100/month)
Agency+ (€200/month)

9. Adobe Express

Adobe Express is a cloud-based media creation app that helps users with social media content creation. Having acquired ContentCal’s scheduling software, Adobe Express Content Schedule offers a unique marketing suite that focuses on social media presence. The tool provides a social media calendar planner, high-quality templates, and stock images to help users schedule posts and raise engagement.

Adobe Express features

Social media scheduling and content calendar planning
Content creation and editable templates
Image and video editing and converting
PDF creation, editing, and export
QR Code Maker and Adobe Fonts
iOS, Android, and desktop app option

Adore Express pricing

Adobe Express offers a free plan of two posts per month. However, the real Content Scheduler features are only available through the Premium plan ($9.99/month).

10. Planoly

Planoly is a social media scheduling tool that strives to simplify social marketing. In fact, the platform’s focus lies in helping social media managers create and schedule content. However, Planoly also allows users to improve their social media strategy, offering a user-friendly visual content calendar that saves time.

Planoly features

TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram scheduling (posts and reels)
Customizable content templates and Canva integration
Social media management and team collaboration
Shoppable gallery creation and content monetization
Content creation, repurposing, and sharing across social channels
Social media analytics and social strategy suggestions

Planoly pricing

Starter ($13/month)
Growth ($23/month)
Professional ($43/month)

11. MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a female-founded social media scheduling tool, with a unique spin on it. The cloud-based software aims to help freelancers and small businesses schedule posts and never run out of content to share.

While most scheduling tools discard your content after posting, MeetEdgar stores them in a limitless library. Then, when you don’t have ideas for new content, the tool draws previously published content and repurposes it. Hence, your evergreen content always feels fresh, new, and updated in the eyes of your audience.

MeetEdgar features

Bottomless library building and evergreen content curation
Social media scheduling and publishing
Weekly automation time slots for content repurposing and republishing
Usable social update generation and content creation
Engagement monitoring and A/B test variations
Social media analytics and growth monitoring

MeetEdgar pricing

Eddie ($29.99/month)
Edgar ($49.99/month)

Now Over to You

So, that’s all you need to know about social media scheduling tools.

Planning, editing, and scheduling content to be automatically published is currently essential for effective social media management.

Finding social media trackers with high-functioning scheduling features isn’t easy, but intelligent tools, like Mentionlytics, are always up for the challenge.

Have more questions? Book a free live demo with Mentionlytics and allow our experts to explain how our scheduling software can help you.