How we ranked them
The list is ordered by the entry price each company states on its own pricing page, because it is the one figure every page gives. It is not a verdict on quality: prices are quoted per channel, per user, per brand or per bundle of accounts, and the basis is shown in each row. The "Which one fits" section says who each tool suits.
The tools, from lowest to highest starting price
| Rank | Tool | Starts at | How the price grows | Free plan | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffer | $5 per channel a month (Essentials) | Priced per channel, so the bill grows with every network you add | Free plan with 3 channels | 14 days on paid plans |
| 2 | Publer | From $5 a month for one account (Professional) | A base price with one account, then a price for each extra account and member; about 20% off yearly | Free plan with 3 accounts and no X | No trial period stated on its pages; a free plan is offered |
| 3 | Later | $18.75 a month on yearly billing for one social set (Starter) | Plans by number of social sets, each set holding up to 8 profiles, with add-ons for extra sets and users | No free plan | No trial period stated on its pages |
| 4 | Metricool | From $20 a month on annual billing for 5 brands (Starter) | Plans by number of brands, with tiers inside each plan; X needs a paid add-on | Free plan with 1 brand and 20 posts a month | No trial period stated on its pages |
| 5 | 1Post | $29 a month for 20 connected accounts (Starter) | Plans by connected accounts: Starter $29, Creator $97, Agency $499, then Custom from $499 | No free plan; every plan starts with a trial | 7-day trial for $1 |
| 6 | Blotato | $29 a month for 20 connected accounts (Starter) | Three plans by number of connected accounts; yearly billing is about 17% cheaper and is sold through the billing portal | No free plan | 7 days on every plan with a card; the trial does not include the API or MCP server |
| 7 | Postiz | $29 a month for 5 channels (Standard) | Plans by number of channels with unlimited posts; yearly prices are lower | No free tier on the cloud plans; the software can be self-hosted under the AGPL-3.0 licence | 7 days |
| 8 | Agorapulse | $79 per user a month on annual billing, $99 on monthly billing (Standard) | Priced per user, with a limit on social profiles per plan and a price for each extra profile; annual billing saves up to 20% | No free plan listed; its FAQ mentions a free plan after the trial | 30 days, no card required |
| 9 | Hootsuite | From $99 per user a month (Standard, annual billing) | Priced per user, with prices shown as annual-billing starting points and an Enterprise plan on request | No free plan | 14 days |
| 10 | Vista Social | $99 a month for 15 profiles (Professional) | Four plans by number of profiles and users, with add-ons for listening, X and employee advocacy | No free plan | 14 days, no card |
Which one fits
- Buffer: Buffer fits someone with a few channels who wants a free plan to start and prefers a simple per-channel price. 1Post vs Buffer
- Publer: Publer fits someone who wants a free plan and a low starting price and is happy to add accounts one at a time. 1Post vs Publer
- Later: Later fits visual brands that plan Instagram and TikTok feeds and think in sets of profiles. 1Post vs Later
- Metricool: Metricool fits agencies and marketers who want reports and analytics at the centre and organise work by brand. 1Post vs Metricool
- 1Post: 1Post fits people who want one price for a bundle of connected accounts (20, 40, 100 by plan), teammates and approvals on every plan, and an API and MCP server without an upgrade. 1Post pricing
- Blotato: Blotato fits a single operator who wants a low entry price and an API and who posts to its nine networks. 1Post vs Blotato
- Postiz: Postiz fits teams that value open source and want the option to run the software themselves. 1Post vs Postiz
- Agorapulse: Agorapulse fits social media managers and teams who want a shared inbox and reporting alongside publishing and accept per-user pricing. 1Post vs Agorapulse
- Hootsuite: Hootsuite fits larger organisations that want an established platform and are comfortable with per-user pricing. 1Post vs Hootsuite
- Vista Social: Vista Social fits teams that want a wide network list and an inbox and have budget for a higher monthly price. 1Post vs Vista Social
What to check before you pay
- What your own number of accounts, people and brands costs on each tool, not the first plan.
- Whether every network you post to is supported on the plan you need.
- Whether X, an API or an MCP server is an add-on or an upgrade.
- Whether the price shown is for annual billing.
Posting to many accounts? 1Post is priced by connected accounts, from $29 a month, and Custom starts at $499 a month with a call: book a call. The price check tool lines up your account count against these tools.