Social Media Scheduler Cost: What You'll Really Pay in 2026

Social media scheduler cost runs from $0 on a free plan, to about $15 to $25 a month for five accounts on a low-cost plan, to $79 to $99 a month per person on team tools. Pay-per-post tools have no monthly price at all, so you might pay a dollar or two in a normal month. Which one is lowest depends on how many accounts you run and how often you post.

We sell one of these tools, Postlefy, so we've kept this guide honest. Every price below was checked on the vendor's own page between 27 and 30 October 2026, and we say plainly when another option beats us. Prices change, so check before you buy.

The four ways schedulers charge

Two tools with the same headline price can cost very different amounts once you add your accounts. Most tools charge in one of four ways.

Per channel. You pay for each social account you connect. Buffer's Essentials plan is $5 per channel a month, billed yearly, so five channels cost $25 a month. This is great for one or two accounts, and it adds up as you grow.

A plan with an account limit. You pay one price for up to a set number of accounts. SocialPilot Essentials is $17 a month, billed yearly, for 5 accounts. PostEverywhere Starter is $190 a year for 5 accounts, which is about $15.83 a month. If you go over the limit, you move up a plan.

Per person. You pay for each team member. Sprout Social Essentials is $79 per seat a month, billed yearly, and Hootsuite Standard starts at $99 per user a month. These tools are built for teams with bigger budgets, and they do far more than scheduling.

Per post. You buy credits and spend them when you publish, with no monthly bill. Postlefy works this way, and PostScheduler also sells credits with no subscription. A quiet month costs almost nothing, and a busy one costs more.

What social media scheduler cost looks like at 12, 30 and 90 posts a month

Here's what a small business posting to five accounts would pay each month. Postlefy's figures assume the $10 pack, which gives 300 credits. The others are their plan prices at yearly billing, which is usually their lowest.

So at these paces, paying per post costs less. A flat plan only starts to win when each post costs you more credits, which we cover below. This table only compares the price. It doesn't compare features, so it's worth checking what each plan includes.

Our cost calculator lets you try your own numbers, including other account counts and tools.

Costs the price page doesn't show

The headline price is rarely the whole story. Look for these before you decide:

• Post limits. Later's Starter plan allows 30 posts per profile a month. If you post more than that, you need a higher plan.
• Team seats. Most low-cost plans include one user. Adding a second person can mean a higher plan or a charge per seat.
• AI features. Some plans include few AI credits or none. Later's Starter plan includes 5 AI credits a month, and Postiz's Standard plan doesn't include AI images. Check this if you want help writing or designing posts.
• Yearly billing. Many of the prices you see are only available if you pay for a full year up front. Monthly billing usually costs more.
• Your own time. A scheduler publishes posts you've already made. It doesn't take the photos or write the captions unless it has AI tools for that.

When a free plan is enough

If you post a few times a week to a few accounts, a free plan may be all you need, and it's hard to beat $0. Three worth a look:

• Buffer: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user.
• Publer: up to 3 accounts, excluding X, 10 scheduled posts at a time per account.
• Metricool: 1 brand and 20 posts a month, without LinkedIn or X.

The catch is the limits. A cap on scheduled posts means you need to top up your queue often, so you can't load a whole month at once. Check that the platforms you use are included, too.

When pay per post isn't the lowest

Paying per post suits most small businesses, but not everyone. Here's where it loses, using Postlefy as the example:

• A lot of X posts with links. On Postlefy, posting to X adds 1 credit, and a link on X adds 12 more. A post with a link on X uses 14 credits, so doing that every day comes to about $14 a month. On one or two accounts, a flat plan can be lower.
• Daily AI video. An 8-second AI video with sound uses 41 credits, so one a day comes to about $41 a month.
• Very high volume with extras. At 120 posts a month with an AI image and an X link on each, Postlefy comes to about $64 a month. Most of the flat plans above would cost less.
• One account on a basic plan. Publer's Professional plan starts at $5 a month for one account. If you post daily with AI images, that's close to what you'd pay us.
• Several accounts on one platform. Postlefy connects one account per platform today, so it won't suit you if you run two Instagram accounts.

How to choose

Work it out in this order, and you'll find your answer quickly:

1. Count your accounts and your posts. Use a normal month, not your busiest one.
2. Check the free plans first. If one covers you, start there.
3. Decide if you need help making posts. If you already have your photos and captions, a basic scheduler is fine. If not, include AI tools in your comparison.
4. Think about quiet months. A monthly plan charges you the same whether you post once or a hundred times. If your business has slow seasons, that matters.
5. Compare the yearly total. That's what you'll really pay, and it makes the differences easier to see.

For a closer look at specific tools, see our comparison of Buffer alternatives. Vendor pricing pages: Buffer, Later and PostEverywhere.

FAQ

How much does a social media scheduler cost per month?

From $0 on a free plan to about $15 to $25 a month for five accounts on a low-cost plan. Team tools start at about $79 to $99 per person. Pay-per-post tools have no monthly price, so you pay only for what you publish.

Is there a social media scheduler with no subscription?

Yes. Postlefy has no monthly subscription, and you pay per post with credits. PostScheduler also sells credits with no subscription. Free plans from Buffer, Publer and Metricool have no charge either, within their limits.

Are free social media schedulers good enough?

They can be, if you post a few times a week to a few accounts. Their limits on scheduled posts or platforms are the main drawback, so check them against how you work.

Do Postlefy credits expire?

Not while your account is active. If an account has no login for 12 months or more, we may expire or freeze its credits after warning you by email, and logging back in restores access. The details are in our terms.

Try it with your own numbers

The quickest way to know is to try it. You can see all the Postlefy pricing details, then begin with 50 free credits. That's 50 plain posts, or fewer with AI images or X, and no card is needed.