Publer Alternatives: What You Are Leaving and Who This List Is For
The best Publer alternatives in 2026 are Spreadcast for app makers, Buffer for a free plan that includes X, Metricool for analytics, Postiz for open source and an API, SocialPilot for more accounts per dollar, SocialBee for evergreen recycling, Vista Social for an inbox with reviews, Planable for client approvals, Later for Instagram planning and Hootsuite for large teams. Which one fits depends on why Publer stopped working for you.
Publer is a social media scheduler with a free plan and paid plans priced by the number of social accounts you connect. Publer's plans and pricing article, updated on September 15, 2026, lists four plans: Free, Professional from $5 a month, Business from $10 a month and Enterprise at a custom price. It publishes to 13 destinations, per Publer's list of supported networks: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business, YouTube, WordPress, TikTok, Telegram, Mastodon, Threads and Bluesky.
That is a strong product for the money, and plenty of readers should keep it. People who search for a Publer alternative usually hit one of five walls: the free plan leaves out X, the bill grows with every account, analytics and AI sit on the Business plan, a team needs approvals and seats, or nobody has time to make the posts in the first place. This page is the ranked list for all five. If you want a single comparison of Publer and Spreadcast instead, read Spreadcast as a Publer alternative.
We make Spreadcast. It is first because it is the only tool here that designs the post from your App Store listing and publishes it for you, so the queue fills itself. The nine after it are schedulers, ranked by how directly they answer a reason for leaving Publer. Every price and limit below was read on the vendor's own pages on October 19, 2026, and each one links to its source.
Key Takeaways
Publer Charges by the Account
Professional starts at $5 a month for one account and Business at $10. On October 19, 2026, the price selector that Publer's pricing article points to showed $32 a month for 8 accounts on Professional and $56 on Business.
Spreadcast Makes the Posts
Spreadcast designs each post from your App Store listing and publishes it to 8 networks. Free drafts your posts; Pro is $29 a month and includes design, captions and publishing to every network.
Best Free Publer Alternative: Buffer
Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, and X is allowed on it. Publer's free plan also covers 3 accounts but cannot connect X.
Cheaper Analytics: Metricool
Metricool's free plan has 30 days of analytics, and Starter keeps the full history with PDF and PPT reports from $25 a month. In Publer, analytics start on Business.
Best for Agencies: SocialPilot or Planable
SocialPilot gives 15 accounts and 3 users with manager approval for $50 a month. Planable prices per workspace with unlimited users and required approvals on Pro.
Open Source Option: Postiz
Postiz is open source under AGPL 3.0, free to self host, and $29 a month hosted for 5 channels with an API, webhooks and repeated posts on every plan.
Publer Pricing in 2026: Plans and What Each One Adds
Publer pricing has four plans, and the paid ones are built from a base price, a price per social account and a price per extra team member. Plan contents come from Publer's plans and pricing article and Publer's Business plan article, read on October 19, 2026.
| Plan | Starting price, billed monthly | Trial | Who it is for | What the plan adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no end date | Not needed | 1 user, 1 workspace, 3 social accounts without X | 10 scheduled posts per account at a time, 25 drafts, a 24 hour post history, the Canva button, a photo editor and the Linkie link in bio page |
| Professional | $5 a month for 1 account | 7 days | Solo creators and founders | X, unlimited scheduling and drafts, unlimited workspaces, bulk scheduling, unlimited RSS automations, first comments and threads, a permanent post history |
| Business | $10 a month for 1 account | 14 days, with a card or PayPal | Small teams and agencies | Unlimited AI Assist prompts, analytics and reports, best times to post, competitor analysis, recycling and recurring posts, roles and approval workflows, API and MCP access for eligible customers |
| Enterprise | Custom quote, billed yearly | Not stated | Large organizations | Higher volume discounts, 1:1 onboarding, prioritized support, unlimited daily posting from Publer's side, payment by wire transfer |
| Extra team members | $2 each on Professional, $3 each on Business | Not applicable | Anyone beyond the plan owner | The owner is included in the price, and every 10th additional member is free |
Yearly billing takes 20% off Professional and Business. Every 10th social account is free. Charities and nonprofits get 50% off with proof of status, per Publer's nonprofit discount article. Member prices are the per member rates used by the price selector on Publer's plans page.
How Much Does Publer Cost by Number of Social Accounts?
Publer's plans page has a selector instead of a price list: you pick the number of social accounts and members and the total updates. These are the totals it worked out on October 19, 2026 for one user, in US dollars before tax. The yearly columns are the price per month when you pay for 12 months at once.
| Social accounts | Professional, monthly | Professional, yearly per month | Business, monthly | Business, yearly per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5 | $4 | $10 | $8 |
| 3 | $12 | $9.60 | $21 | $16.80 |
| 5 | $20 | $16 | $35 | $28 |
| 7 | $28 | $22.40 | $49 | $39.20 |
| 8 | $32 | $25.60 | $56 | $44.80 |
| 10 | $36 | $28.80 | $63 | $50.40 |
| 20 | $72 | $57.60 | $126 | $100.80 |
From 3 accounts up, each account costs $4 a month on Professional and $7 on Business, and every 10th one is free, so 10 accounts are billed as 9 and 20 as 18. Totals are from the selector on Publer's plans page, which Publer's pricing article names as the place for exact totals. Social networks can still apply their own posting limits, and Publer applies daily post limits to each account on a rolling 24 hour window.
Is Publer Free? What the Publer Free Plan Includes
Yes, Publer has a free plan with no end date, and it is one of the more generous ones. Publer's free plan article lists 3 social accounts, 10 scheduled posts per account at a time (30 in total), 25 saved drafts, post previews for each network, a calendar view, the built in photo editor, the Canva integration, link shortening with UTM tags and a Linkie link in bio page. Once a post publishes, its slot frees up for the next one.
Four limits push people off it. X cannot be connected on the free plan at all. Published posts are deleted from Publer after 24 hours, so there is no history to look back on. A Pinterest account needs at least 100 followers or a claimed website before it can connect. And a CSV upload on the free plan stops at 5 posts, per Publer's CSV upload article, where Professional takes up to 500 at once.
So the honest answer to whether Publer is free is yes for three accounts without X, and the cheapest paid step is $12 a month for 3 accounts on Professional. A Publer free alternative is worth a look in two cases: you need X without paying, which Buffer's free plan allows, or you need analytics without paying, which Metricool's free plan gives for 30 days of history. If what you lack is the posts themselves, Spreadcast's free plan makes 3 designed posts for your app to download.
Video: A Walkthrough of Publer for Teams and Clients
Publer's own walkthrough, useful for seeing the workspaces, roles and approvals you would need to rebuild in another tool.
Why People Leave Publer: The Limits Behind the Search
None of these is a hidden flaw. Each is a plan rule that Publer states on its own pages, and each one is a good reason to compare Publer alternatives.
No X on the Free Plan
Publer's free plan connects 3 accounts on any supported network except X. To post to X you need Professional, which is $5 a month for that one account.
The Bill Grows With Every Account
Each account adds $4 on Professional and $7 on Business in the price selector on Publer's plans page, and every 10th account is free, per Publer's plans and pricing article. Eight accounts are $32 or $56 a month, and 20 accounts on Business are $126 before any extra team member.
Analytics and AI Sit on Business
Analytics, reports, best times to post, competitor analysis and unlimited AI Assist prompts are Business features. Publer's AI Assist article says Free and Professional users can connect their own OpenAI key instead.
Approvals and Roles Sit on Business Too
Roles, permissions and approval workflows are listed under Publer Business, and every additional member is paid: $2 a month each on Professional and $3 on Business.
Recycling Skips YouTube and TikTok
Recycling and recurring posts are Business features, and Publer's recycling guide says YouTube, TikTok and WordPress cannot use them. X, Pinterest and Google Business need 10 or more variations of a post.
The API Is Not for Everyone
Publer says there is no public API open to every customer. The API and the MCP server are for eligible Business and Enterprise customers in good standing.
A Downgrade Deletes Scheduled Posts
Publer's guide to downgrading warns that moving from a paid plan to Free loses all scheduled posts, and moving from Business to Professional loses recycling and recurring posts.
Someone Still Has to Make Every Post
Publer schedules what you bring: a post you wrote, a CSV file, an RSS feed or an old post to recycle. AI Assist drafts from your prompt. For an app maker with no content in the queue, that is the real wall.
How We Picked These Publer Alternatives
We started from what people actually type. Google's search suggestions for Publer on October 19, 2026 included Publer alternative free, Publer competitors, Publer vs Buffer, Publer vs Hootsuite, Publer vs Later, Publer vs Metricool, Publer vs SocialBee and Publer vs Vista Social. Every tool named in those comparisons is on this list, plus Postiz, SocialPilot and Planable, which answer the open source, accounts per dollar and client approval cases.
Each tool was scored on seven things that decide a move away from Publer: who makes the post, whether there is a free plan and what it leaves out, the monthly price for 3, 7 and 20 accounts, where analytics and AI sit, how approvals and extra seats are priced, which networks are on the vendor's own list, and whether an API is open to customers. Facts come only from each vendor's pricing page, help center or product pages, opened on October 19, 2026. Where a page did not say something, the tables say Not stated rather than guess.
We make Spreadcast, so read its place with that in mind. It is first because it is the only tool here that creates the post for you, and the page says plainly what it does not do. The schedulers after it are ranked by how directly they answer a reason for leaving Publer: a free plan with X, cheaper analytics, open source and an API, more accounts per dollar, evergreen recycling, an inbox, client approvals, Instagram planning, and finally the full enterprise suite. We did not score ease of use, which is a matter of taste. Use the free plans and trials for that.
Publer Alternatives at a Glance
Starting prices are for monthly billing in US dollars unless the row says otherwise, read on October 19, 2026. The last column is the one an account count leaves out: who makes the post. Publer is in the last row for reference.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Makes the posts for you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast | App makers: every post designed and published for you | Yes: 1 app, 3 designed posts to download | Pro is $29 a month and includes design, captions and publishing to 8 networks | Yes. Spreadcast designs the post and publishes it for you |
| Buffer | A free plan with X, and a simple queue | Yes: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each | $6 per channel a month | No. AI Assistant helps with wording |
| Metricool | Analytics, competitors and reports | Yes: 1 brand, 20 posts a month, no LinkedIn or X | $25 a month for up to 5 brands | No. AI credits for text |
| Postiz | Open source code, an API and webhooks | Self hosted only | $29 a month hosted, 5 channels | No. An AI copilot drafts from your prompt |
| SocialPilot | More accounts and seats per dollar | No, 14 day trial | $30 a month, 7 accounts | No. AI credits for captions |
| SocialBee | Evergreen posts sorted into categories | No, 14 day trial | $29 a month, 5 profiles | No. AI drafts when you ask |
| Vista Social | An inbox, reviews and reports in one place | No, 14 day trial | $99 a month, 15 profiles, 2 users | No. AI credits for captions and replies |
| Planable | Client approvals with unlimited users | First 50 posts free | $39 per workspace a month | No. AI rewrites and generates text |
| Later | Instagram and TikTok visual planning | No, 14 day trial | $18.75 a month billed yearly | No. 5 AI credits a month on Starter |
| Hootsuite | Large teams with monitoring and routing | No, 14 day trial | $99 per user a month, billed annually | No. AI drafts posts and images from your prompt |
| Publer (for reference) | A low price per account and bulk scheduling | Yes: 3 accounts, no X | $5 a month for 1 account | No. AI Assist drafts from your prompt |
Every source is linked in the entries below. Taxes are extra on every plan.
The 10 Best Publer Alternatives in 2026, Ranked
Spreadcast comes first because it is the only tool here that designs the post from your App Store listing and publishes it for you. The other nine are ranked by how directly they answer a reason for leaving Publer.
- 1
Spreadcast
Free drafts your posts; Pro is $29 a month and includes design, captions and publishing to every networkBest Publer alternative for app makers: it designs the posts and publishes them for you
Publer waits for you to bring a post. Spreadcast makes it. You paste your App Store link once at the Spreadcast start page, and Spreadcast checks the listing every day. When a new version goes live, it becomes an update post: your own screenshot in an iPhone frame, a headline, and two or three points from the release notes, written in the language of the release notes. When the app reaches a rating milestone, it becomes a thank you post. Every post is designed in your icon, screenshots and colors, with the logo and fonts from your website.
A caption is written for each network, and Spreadcast publishes to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video posts. Instagram carousels go out as real carousels, and LinkedIn posts go to your personal profile. Each post takes the next free slot on the calendar, and you drag it to another day if you want. By default every post waits for one tap of approval; on paid plans you can switch to full autopilot, which schedules posts for nine in the morning in your time zone.
Beyond the automatic posts, you can make review quote posts from a real 5 star review, carousels of 3 to 8 slides, and text or picture posts on demand in Create, or from an AI assistant. You can also upload your own pictures and video. Analytics show interactions, new followers, taps on your App Store link, which networks, kinds of post and days work best, and the best day and time to post. The Spreadcast MCP server lets Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code or Cursor design and schedule posts, and it saves drafts by default. In ChatGPT, write actions work on Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces.
Compare what the money buys. Publer Business for 7 accounts is $49 a month and gives you analytics and AI Assist for posts you still make. Spreadcast Pro is $29 a month, or $290 a year, for 1 app and 10 social accounts, and the price includes the design, the captions and the publishing. Free makes 3 posts for you to download with a small Spreadcast mark, and Studio is $79 a month for 5 apps, each with its own brand, 50 social accounts and 3 seats. Plans are on Spreadcast pricing, with a full refund within 7 days.
Pros
- Designs each post from your App Store listing, in your own brand
- Publishes to 8 networks with a caption written for each one
- One tap approval by default, full autopilot on paid plans
- Analytics that count taps on your App Store link
- MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code and Cursor
Cons
- Works for apps on the Apple App Store only
- 2
Buffer
Free for 3 channels, then $6 per channel a monthBest free Publer alternative, with X on the free plan
Buffer answers the most common complaint about Publer's free plan. Buffer's pricing page lists a Free plan with up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, an AI Assistant, replies to comments and 30 days of insights, and X is among its 12 channels. Publer Free has the same 3 accounts and 10 posts each, but no X.
Paid plans are priced per channel. Buffer's machine readable pricing lists Essentials at $6 per channel a month billed monthly or $5 billed yearly, with unlimited scheduled posts, first comment scheduling, a hashtag manager, reports and unlimited analytics history. Team is $12 or $10 per channel and adds unlimited users, approval workflows, custom permissions and branded reports. From the 11th channel the price drops to $4 a channel on both plans.
Publer vs Buffer on price comes down to two things: the number of accounts and the plan you need. For 3 accounts, Publer Professional is $12 and Buffer Essentials $18. For 7, Publer Professional is $28 and Buffer $42. If you need analytics, the picture changes: Publer's are on Business, which is $49 for 7 accounts, and Buffer's are on Essentials at $42. If you need approvals and three people, Publer Business for 20 accounts and 2 extra members is $132, and Buffer Team for 20 channels is $160 with no charge per user.
Buffer also has an API on every plan, the free one included, with 3,000 requests a month, where Publer keeps its API for eligible Business customers. What you give up is recycling, bulk RSS and Telegram, which is not among Buffer's channels. Our Publer vs Buffer comparison goes through the two side by side.
Pros
- Free plan with 3 channels, and X is allowed on it
- Analytics and reports on Essentials, not a higher tier
- API access on every plan
- Unlimited users and approvals on Team
Cons
- Costs more than Publer Professional at every account count
- No Telegram or WordPress among its channels
- No recycling on the pricing page
- 3
Metricool
Free, then from $25 a month for up to 5 brandsBest Publer alternative for analytics and client reports
Metricool started as an analytics tool, and its free plan already does what Publer keeps for Business. Metricool's pricing page lists a Free plan for 1 brand with 20 posts a month, 30 days of analytics and 5 competitor profiles. Starter is $25 a month billed monthly or $20 billed annually for up to 5 brands, with unlimited analytics history, Reels and Stories analytics, up to 100 competitors and automated PDF and PPT reports.
The unit is the brand, not the account. Each brand holds one profile on each network, so one company on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky fits inside a single brand. That makes Starter $25 for those 7 profiles, against $49 for 7 accounts on Publer Business, the plan where Publer's analytics live. Starter for up to 10 brands is $45. Metricool's homepage lists Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Twitter, Twitch, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
Three costs sit outside the headline. The free plan leaves out LinkedIn and X. X costs $10 a month for each connected account on paid plans. And post approval, team roles, client management and the API start on Advanced at $67 a month billed monthly for up to 15 brands. AI help comes as credits: 5 per brand a month on Free and 20 on Starter, and the Metricool MCP is listed on every plan.
Pros
- Free plan with 30 days of analytics and 5 competitors
- Full analytics history and PDF and PPT reports from $25
- One brand covers one profile on each network
- Inbox on every plan, with LinkedIn added on Starter
Cons
- The free plan leaves out LinkedIn and X
- X costs $10 a month per connected account
- Approvals and the API start at $67 a month
- 4
Postiz
Free to self host, hosted from $29 a monthBest open source Publer alternative, with an API on every plan
Postiz answers the API complaint. Publer limits its API to eligible Business customers; the Postiz pricing page lists the API, webhooks and repeated posts on every plan. Standard is $29 a month for 5 channels, Team $39 for 10 channels with unlimited team members, Pro $49 for 30 and Ultimate $99 for 100. Billed yearly those are $23, $31, $39 and $79 a month.
The Postiz homepage says it supports more than 30 channels from one calendar, including X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord and WordPress, which is wider than Publer's 13. The code is published under AGPL 3.0, and the self hosted edition costs nothing beyond your own server, though you create your own developer app on each network and handle updates and backups yourself.
On price per account it works out well from 10 channels up. Ten channels are $39 on Postiz Team and $36 on Publer Professional, but Postiz includes unlimited team members at no extra charge and repeated posts, which in Publer need Business at $63. At 30 channels, Postiz Pro is $49. The trade offs: there is no free hosted plan, the trial is 7 days, and AI image generation starts on Team, with 100 images a month.
Pros
- Open source under AGPL 3.0 and free to self host
- API, webhooks and repeated posts on every plan
- More than 30 channels, Telegram and Mastodon among them
- Unlimited team members from the $39 plan
Cons
- No free hosted plan, and a 7 day trial
- Standard includes no team members
- Self hosting needs a server and your own developer apps
- 5
SocialPilot
From $30 a month for 7 accountsBest for more accounts and seats per dollar
SocialPilot sells flat plans with many accounts in each. SocialPilot's plans page lists Essentials at $30 a month billed monthly or $25.50 billed yearly with 7 social accounts, 1 user, 500 AI credits, a content library and a Repeat Post option. Standard is $50 for 15 accounts and 3 users, and adds the social inbox, analytics, team collaboration and manager approval. Extra accounts are $4 a month each.
The sum against Publer shifts with the plan you compare. For 7 accounts, Publer Professional is $28 and SocialPilot Essentials $30, close to a tie. For a team the gap opens: 15 accounts with 3 users and approvals cost $50 on SocialPilot Standard, while Publer Business for 15 accounts and 2 extra members comes to $104 ($98 for 14 paid accounts, since the 10th is free, plus $6 for the members). Premium is $100 for 25 accounts and 6 users and adds bulk scheduling with CSV uploads, client approval and white label reports. Ultimate is $200 for 50 accounts and unlimited users.
Coming from Publer, note two things. Bulk scheduling and CSV uploads start on Premium at $100, where Publer has them on Professional. And there is no free plan, only a 14 day trial with no credit card. Its networks are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business. For more on this field, see the best SocialPilot alternatives.
Pros
- 7 accounts for $30 a month
- 15 accounts, 3 users and manager approval for $50
- Extra accounts at $4 a month each
- A 14 day trial with no credit card
Cons
- No free plan
- No analytics or inbox on Essentials
- Bulk scheduling and CSV uploads start at $100 a month
- 6
SocialBee
From $29 a month for 5 profilesBest for evergreen recycling on the entry plan
SocialBee is built on content categories that recycle evergreen posts, and it puts recycling on its first plan. SocialBee's pricing page lists Bootstrap at $29 a month or $290 a year for 5 social profiles, 1 user, 10 content categories with up to 1,000 posts each, 10 RSS sources and 3 months of analytics. Accelerate is $49 for 10 profiles and adds CSV uploads, the bulk editor, post approval and 2 years of analytics. Pro is $99 for 25 profiles, 3 users per workspace and 5 workspaces.
In Publer, recycling sits on Business. For 5 accounts that is $35 a month, which is $6 more than SocialBee Bootstrap ($35 minus $29). For 3 accounts the order flips: Publer Business is $21, $8 less than Bootstrap. SocialBee also recycles by category, so a library of tips loops by itself, where Publer recycles post by post and skips YouTube and TikTok. Add ons are bought in the app: a set of 5 extra profiles for $15 a month, an extra user for $10 and an extra workspace for $10.
SocialBee's homepage names ten networks: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Google Business Profile. Telegram and Mastodon, both on Publer, are not among them. There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial without a card, so Publer vs SocialBee comes down to whether recycling is the core of your plan.
Pros
- Recycling by category on every plan
- AI content generation on every plan
- Post approval and CSV uploads from $49
- Pro includes 3 users per workspace for $99
Cons
- No free plan
- One user and 3 months of analytics on Bootstrap
- No Telegram or Mastodon
- 7
Vista Social
From $99 a month for 15 profilesBest all in one alternative with an inbox, reviews and reports
Publer vs Vista Social is a choice between a scheduler and a fuller suite. Vista Social's pricing page lists Professional at $99 a month, or $950 a year, for 15 social profiles and 2 users, with planning and publishing, bulk scheduling, post approval workflows, a social inbox, review management, reports, 1,000 AI credits a month, a link in bio page and an MCP connection for AI tools. A 14 day trial needs no credit card.
Advanced is $199 a month, or $1,910 a year, for 30 profiles and 3 users, and adds smart scheduling, custom reports and Zapier and Make integrations. Scale is $449 for 70 profiles and 4 users with white label reports. X is a separate $29 a month add on on every plan, and listening across social, the web and news starts at $75 a month. Vista Social's integrations page lists Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, X, Pinterest, Threads, Snapchat and Reddit.
On price per account it is not a cheaper Publer: 15 accounts on Publer Business cost $98 a month against $99 here. What the $99 adds is the inbox and review management, which Publer's plan pages do not list. If your team answers comments, DMs and reviews every day, that is the reason to move.
Pros
- Inbox and review management on every plan
- Post approval workflows from the first plan
- 1,000 AI credits a month on Professional
- A 14 day trial with no credit card
Cons
- No free plan
- X is a $29 a month add on
- $99 a month is the floor
- 8
Planable
First 50 posts free, then $39 per workspace a monthBest for agencies that need client approvals
Planable is built around approval, and it prices by workspace instead of by seat or account. Planable's pricing page says the first 50 posts are free with no time limit and no card. Basic is $39 per workspace a month billed monthly, or $33 billed yearly, with 4 social pages, 60 posts a month, unlimited users and optional approvals. Pro is $59, or $49 yearly, with 10 pages, 150 posts a month, required approvals and a public API.
Planable's pricing summary lists analytics as a $14 per workspace add on, a social inbox for comments and DMs at $9, and social listening at $99, each with a 30 day trial. Recurring posts, first comment scheduling and AI rewriting are on every plan. On Basic, X is limited to 1 published tweet every 24 hours, and the free posts cannot publish to X.
For an agency with 20 accounts and three people who must sign off, two Pro workspaces cost $118 a month with unlimited users and required approvals. Publer Business for the same 20 accounts and 2 extra members is $132. The networks are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Google Business Profile, Pinterest and Threads. Our Planable alternatives roundup compares the other approval tools.
Pros
- Unlimited users on every plan
- Required approvals on Pro, multi level on Enterprise
- First 50 posts free with no time limit
- Recurring posts on every plan
Cons
- Post caps: 60 or 150 per workspace a month
- Analytics and the inbox are paid add ons
- No Bluesky or Telegram
- 9
Later
From $18.75 a month billed yearlyBest for planning an Instagram and TikTok feed visually
Later plans around the picture. Later's pricing page lists Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly for 1 social set, which is one profile on each of its 8 networks, with 1 user, 30 posts per profile a month, 5 AI credits, 3 months of analytics, best time to post for Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and a link in bio page. The page's FAQ says yearly billing saves 25%, which puts monthly billing at about $25.
Growth is $37.50 a month billed yearly for 2 social sets, 2 users and 180 posts per profile, and adds approvals, a social inbox and a year of analytics. Scale is $82.50 for 6 sets and 4 users with unlimited posts and competitive benchmarking. Later's networks are Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Snapchat.
Publer vs Later is mostly about networks and caps. Later has no X, Bluesky, Telegram or Mastodon, all of which Publer covers. Starter caps each profile at 30 posts a month, where Publer Professional has unlimited scheduling. In return Later gives one profile on every network for one price, so 7 or 8 accounts cost the same as one.
Pros
- A visual planner built for the Instagram and TikTok feed
- One social set covers 8 profiles
- Best time to post and link in bio on every plan
- Approvals and inbox from Growth
Cons
- No X, Bluesky or Telegram
- 30 posts per profile a month on Starter
- No free plan, only a 14 day trial
- 10
Hootsuite
From $99 per user a month, billed annuallyBest for large teams that need monitoring and message routing
Hootsuite is the enterprise end of this list. Hootsuite's plans page lists Standard at $99 per user a month billed annually for up to 10 social accounts, with unlimited scheduling, AI drafts and images, one inbox for messages, and monitoring of your brand and competitors. Professional is $199 with unlimited accounts, automated inbox replies and custom reports. Advanced is $399 and adds approvals and routing messages to the right teammate.
Publer vs Hootsuite on price is not close. One person with 10 accounts pays $36 a month on Publer Professional or $63 on Business, and $99 on Hootsuite Standard. A team of three with approvals pays $1,197 a month on Hootsuite Advanced (3 times $399), against $132 for 20 accounts and 2 extra members on Publer Business. What the difference buys is listening, benchmarking, inbox automation and governance.
There is a 14 day trial with no credit card, and the page notes that trial accounts have daily posting limits and no bulk scheduling. Hootsuite's integrations page lists Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky for publishing.
Pros
- One inbox with brand and competitor monitoring
- Unlimited social accounts from Professional
- Approvals and message routing on Advanced
- A 14 day trial with no credit card
Cons
- No free plan
- Priced per user: $99 a month each on annual billing
- Approvals start at $399 per user
Video: How Buffer Works in Two Minutes
Buffer's own quick start, a fast way to see whether its queue and free plan suit you before you move.
Publer Alternatives Compared Feature by Feature
These are the features that decide most moves away from Publer. Each cell comes from the vendor's own pricing or help page, read on October 19, 2026. Not stated means the page we read did not say, which is different from a no.
| Tool | Free plan | Analytics | AI help | Recycling or repeats | Approvals | Inbox | API |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast | 1 app, 3 designed posts to download | Interactions, new followers, App Store link taps, best day and time | Spreadcast designs the post and writes a caption for each network | Not needed: each update is a new post | One tap approval on every post, or full autopilot | No | MCP server |
| Buffer | 3 channels, 10 posts each | 30 days on Free, full history on Essentials | AI Assistant on every plan | Not on the pricing page | Team plan | Replies to comments on every plan | Every plan |
| Metricool | 1 brand, 20 posts a month | 30 days on Free, full history on Starter | Credits per brand | Not stated on the pricing page | Advanced plan | Every plan | Advanced plan |
| Postiz | Self hosted only | Not stated on the pricing page | AI copilot on every plan | Repeated posts on every plan | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page | Every plan, with webhooks |
| SocialPilot | No | From Standard | 500 credits on Essentials | Repeat Post | Manager approval from Standard | From Standard | Enterprise |
| SocialBee | No | 3 months on Bootstrap, 2 years from Accelerate | AI content generation on every plan | Categories on every plan | From Accelerate | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Vista Social | No | Reports on every plan | 1,000 credits on Professional | Not stated on the pricing page | Every plan | Every plan, with reviews | MCP on every plan, Zapier and Make from Advanced |
| Planable | First 50 posts | $14 add on per workspace | Rewrite and generate on every plan | Recurring posts on every plan | Optional on Basic, required on Pro | $9 add on per workspace | Pro plan |
| Later | No | 3 months on Starter, 1 year on Growth | 5 credits on Starter | Not stated on the pricing page | Growth plan | Growth plan | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Hootsuite | No | Every plan, custom reports on Professional | Every plan | Not stated on the plans page | Advanced plan | Every plan | Not stated on the plans page |
| Publer (for reference) | 3 accounts, no X | Business plan | Business, or your own OpenAI key | Business, not for YouTube or TikTok | Business plan | Not stated on the plans page | Eligible Business customers |
Sources are the pricing and help pages linked in the entries above. If a Not stated cell decides your choice, ask the vendor before you pay.
Which Networks Each Publer Alternative Publishes To
Publer reaches 13 destinations, so check this table if one network decides your move. Each list comes from the vendor's own pricing, integrations or help page.
| Tool | Publishes to | Missing from Publer's list |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast | Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video posts | X, Google Business, WordPress |
| Buffer | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, YouTube, Google Business Profile, Mastodon and Substack | Telegram, WordPress |
| Metricool | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, YouTube, Google Business Profile and Twitch | Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
| Postiz | More than 30 channels, among them every network on Publer's list plus Reddit and Discord | None |
| SocialPilot | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business | Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
| SocialBee | Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Google Business Profile | Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
| Vista Social | Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, X, Pinterest, Threads, Snapchat and Reddit | Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
| Planable | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Google Business Profile, Pinterest and Threads | Bluesky, Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
| Later | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Snapchat | X, Bluesky, Telegram, Mastodon, Google Business, WordPress |
| Hootsuite | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky | Telegram, Mastodon, WordPress |
Account types matter inside a network: personal Facebook and Instagram profiles, groups and LinkedIn pages are treated differently by each tool, so check your own account type before you switch.
What Publer Alternatives Cost for a Solo Creator With 3 Accounts
Setup one: one person posting to Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, billed monthly in US dollars before tax, as of October 19, 2026. This is where Publer and Buffer are strongest, because both free plans cover it.
| Tool and plan | Monthly price | How the number is worked out | What the price includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast Pro | $29 | One price for 1 app and up to 10 accounts | Posts designed, captioned and published for you, plus analytics |
| Spreadcast Free | $0 | 1 app | 3 designed posts to download and post yourself |
| Publer Free | $0 | 3 accounts, X excluded | 10 scheduled posts per account at a time |
| Publer Professional | $12 | 3 accounts at $4 | Unlimited scheduling, no analytics |
| Publer Business | $21 | 3 accounts at $7 | Analytics, AI Assist, recycling |
| Buffer Free | $0 | 3 channels | 10 scheduled posts per channel, AI Assistant |
| Buffer Essentials | $18 | 3 times $6 | Unlimited posts, analytics and reports |
| Metricool Starter | $25 | Free leaves out LinkedIn, so Starter | Up to 5 brands, full analytics |
| Later Starter | About $25 | $18.75 billed yearly, 25% less than monthly | 1 social set, 30 posts per profile |
| SocialBee Bootstrap | $29 | 5 profiles included | Recycling, 10 categories |
| Postiz Standard | $29 | 5 channels included | API, webhooks, repeated posts |
| SocialPilot Essentials | $30 | 7 accounts included | 500 AI credits, no analytics |
| Planable Basic | $39 | 1 workspace with 4 pages | 60 posts a month, unlimited users |
For a solo creator who already makes the posts, Publer Free and Buffer Free are hard to beat, and Buffer's includes X. Spreadcast is the one row where the price buys the posts as well as the publishing.
What Publer Alternatives Cost for a Small Business on 7 Networks
Setup two: one business or app on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky, with analytics. Billed monthly in US dollars before tax, as of October 19, 2026.
| Tool and plan | Covers all 7 | Monthly price | How the number is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast Pro | Yes | $29 | One flat price, with the posts designed, captioned and published, and analytics included |
| Publer Professional | Yes | $28 | 7 accounts in the selector, no analytics |
| Publer Business | Yes | $49 | 7 accounts at $7, the plan with analytics |
| Buffer Essentials | Yes | $42 | 7 times $6 |
| Metricool Starter | Yes | $25 | One brand holds one profile on each network |
| SocialPilot Standard | Yes | $50 | Essentials at $30 covers 7 accounts but has no analytics |
| SocialBee Bootstrap with 5 extra profiles | Yes | $44 | $29 plus $15 for the profile add on |
| Postiz Team | Yes | $39 | Standard stops at 5 channels |
| Later Starter | 6 of 7, no Bluesky | About $25 | One social set, $18.75 billed yearly |
| Planable Pro with analytics | 6 of 7, no Bluesky | $73 | $59 for 10 pages plus the $14 analytics add on |
| Vista Social Professional | Yes | $99 | 15 profiles included |
| Hootsuite Standard | Yes | $99 | 1 user, billed annually |
With analytics in the requirement, Publer Business at $49 is $20 more than Spreadcast Pro ($49 minus $29), and Buffer Essentials at $42 is $13 more. Metricool Starter is the cheapest analytics plan here at $25. Every scheduler price buys a queue for posts you make; Spreadcast's $29 includes making them.
What Publer Alternatives Cost for an Agency Team of 3 With 20 Accounts
Setup three: three people managing 20 social accounts, with approval before anything publishes. Billed monthly in US dollars before tax unless the row says otherwise, as of October 19, 2026. This is where per account and per user pricing add up fastest.
| Tool and plan | Monthly price | How the number is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast Studio | $79 | 5 apps, each with its own brand, 50 social accounts and 3 seats, with one tap approval |
| Publer Business | $132 | 18 paid accounts at $7 (the 10th and 20th are free) plus 2 extra members at $3 |
| Buffer Team | $160 | 10 channels at $12 plus 10 at $4, unlimited users |
| Metricool Advanced | $67 | Up to 15 brands with approvals and roles, if the 20 accounts fit in 15 brands |
| SocialPilot Standard | $70 | $50 for 15 accounts and 3 users plus 5 extra accounts at $4, manager approval |
| SocialBee Pro | $99 | 25 profiles, 3 users per workspace, post approval |
| Planable Pro, 2 workspaces | $118 | 2 times $59, 10 pages each, unlimited users, required approvals |
| Later Growth | $52.50 billed yearly | $37.50 for 2 sets and 2 users, plus 1 set at $11.25 and 1 user at $3.75 |
| Vista Social Advanced | $199 | 30 profiles and 3 users, approval workflows |
| Hootsuite Advanced | $1,197 billed annually | 3 users times $399, the plan with approvals |
Spreadcast Studio fits a studio with up to 5 apps. For an agency with many client brands, SocialPilot Standard at $70 and Metricool Advanced at $67 are the lowest totals here. See Spreadcast for agencies for how Studio splits apps and seats.
Publer vs Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, Metricool, SocialBee and Vista Social: Short Answers
These are the head to head comparisons Google suggests for Publer. Each row gives the short answer, from the prices and limits above.
| Comparison | Publer is stronger on | The other tool is stronger on | Pick the other tool if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publer vs Spreadcast | Video, YouTube, X, bulk CSV and RSS, posts on any topic | Spreadcast designs the post and publishes it for you, from your App Store listing | You make an iPhone app and nobody has time to make the posts |
| Publer vs Buffer | Price per account, bulk uploads, RSS, recycling, Telegram | X on the free plan, analytics on Essentials, an API on every plan | You need X for free or analytics without a top tier |
| Publer vs Metricool | Bulk uploads, recycling, Telegram and Mastodon | A free plan with analytics, reports from $25, pricing per brand | Reports matter as much as the queue |
| Publer vs SocialBee | A free plan, $12 for 3 accounts, more networks | Recycling by category on the $29 plan | Evergreen categories are the core of your plan |
| Publer vs Later | X, Bluesky, Telegram and unlimited scheduling | A visual planner and one price for 8 profiles | Instagram and TikTok carry your marketing |
| Publer vs Vista Social | Price, from $5 a month | An inbox, review management and approvals on every plan | Your team answers messages and reviews daily |
| Publer vs Hootsuite | Price, by a wide margin | Monitoring, listening, inbox automation, message routing | A large team needs governance and listening |
Publer Alternatives by Need: Which Tool for Which Job
The best Publer alternative depends on the job. Find your case and start there.
Best for App Makers: Spreadcast
If you ship an iPhone app and the queue is empty, Spreadcast turns each new version and rating milestone into a designed post and publishes it on 8 networks. Free drafts your posts; Pro is $29 a month and includes design, captions and publishing to every network.
Best Free Publer Alternative: Buffer
Three channels, 10 scheduled posts each, an AI Assistant and X on the free plan, with no end date. Past 3 channels you pay $6 a channel.
Best for Small Business: Metricool
One brand covers one profile on every network, so a business on 7 networks pays $25 a month for scheduling, full analytics history and PDF reports.
Best for Agencies: SocialPilot
Fifteen accounts, 3 users and manager approval for $50 a month, with extra accounts at $4. Client approval and white label reports start on Premium at $100.
Best for Client Approvals: Planable
Unlimited users on every plan and required approvals on Pro at $59 per workspace, so clients sign off before anything goes live.
Best Open Source Option: Postiz
Free to self host under AGPL 3.0, or $29 a month hosted, with an API, webhooks and repeated posts on every plan, across more than 30 channels.
Best for Evergreen Recycling: SocialBee
Content categories that recycle on every plan from $29 a month, where Publer keeps recycling for Business.
Best for an Inbox and Reviews: Vista Social
Inbox, review management and approvals from $99 a month for 15 profiles and 2 users.
How to Switch From Publer to Another Tool
Moving off Publer takes an afternoon if you do it in this order. The first step matters most, because a downgrade in Publer deletes scheduled posts.
- Step 1
Copy Your Scheduled Posts First
When a paid plan ends and the account drops to Free, all scheduled posts are lost, per Publer's guide to downgrading. Copy the text and media of everything still in the queue before you cancel, and on Business, download the analytics reports you want to keep.
- Step 2
Consider a Pause Instead of a Cancel
Publer's cancellation guide offers a pause of 1, 2 or 3 months that keeps posts, insights and account data. That gives you time to run the new tool before you let Publer go.
- Step 3
Set Up the New Tool and Reconnect Accounts
Connections never move between tools. Sign in to each network again from the new tool and approve access. Rebuild your posting times and, if you used recycling on Business, recreate the evergreen posts there.
- Step 4
Import the Queue
Most schedulers take a CSV file. Rename the columns to match the new tool's template and attach video again by hand where a tool imports only text and images.
- Step 5
Run Both for a Week, Then Cancel
Cancel under Settings, then Billing, then Cancel or pause subscription. The plan runs to the end of the paid period, and you can resubscribe within 24 hours without losing data. Publer's refund policy gives a full refund within 14 days of a web payment, and a prorated one after that.
- Step 6
Moving to Spreadcast Needs No Import
Paste your App Store link, connect your networks and choose one tap approval or full autopilot. The posts come from your listing, so there is no queue to carry over.
When Publer Is Still the Right Choice
Many people who read a list of Publer competitors should stay. For one to five accounts, Publer Professional is the cheapest paid scheduler on this page: $12 a month for 3 accounts and $20 for 5, with unlimited scheduling, bulk uploads of up to 500 posts and unlimited RSS automations. No other tool here puts all three on its entry plan.
It is also the right choice if you post to many kinds of destinations. Thirteen networks, with Telegram, Mastodon and WordPress among them, are more than most tools on this list cover, and only Postiz goes further. If you run a blog or a newsletter, the RSS automation shares each new article for you. And charities pay half price with the nonprofit discount.
Spreadcast is not a replacement for all of that. It works only for apps on the Apple App Store, it does not post to X or Google Business, and it has no social inbox, RSS automation or bulk CSV upload. If you need any of those, keep Publer for that work and let Spreadcast run the posts about your app: new versions, rating milestones and the posts you make on demand in Create.
Switch when you hit a real wall. If you need X on a free plan, try Buffer. For analytics that cost less than Business, Metricool. For an open API, Postiz. For more accounts and seats per dollar, SocialPilot, and for client approvals, Planable. If nobody has time to make the posts and you make an iPhone app, Spreadcast designs them and publishes them for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Publer alternative?
For an app on the App Store, Spreadcast, because it designs each post from your listing and publishes it for you. For a free scheduler with X, Buffer. For analytics on a budget, Metricool from $25 a month. For open source and an API, Postiz.
Is there a free Publer alternative?
Yes. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each and allows X, per Buffer's pricing page. Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month and 30 days of analytics, without LinkedIn or X. Spreadcast's free plan makes 3 designed posts for your app to download.
How much does Publer cost in 2026?
Professional starts at $5 a month for one account and Business at $10, and each extra account adds $4 or $7. On October 19, 2026 the price selector on Publer's plans page, described in Publer's plans and pricing article, showed $32 a month for 8 accounts on Professional and $56 on Business. Yearly billing takes 20% off.
Is Publer free?
Publer has a free plan with no end date: 1 user, 3 social accounts without X, 10 scheduled posts per account at a time, 25 drafts and a 24 hour post history. X, bulk scheduling beyond 5 posts and RSS automations need a paid plan.
Why can't I add X to Publer's free plan?
Publer does not allow X accounts on the free plan. Its free plan article says you must upgrade to connect one, and Professional starts at $5 a month for a single account. Buffer's free plan is the closest alternative that includes X.
Publer vs Buffer: which is better?
Publer is cheaper per account and has bulk uploads of 500 posts, RSS automations and recycling. Buffer has X on the free plan, analytics on Essentials and an API on every plan. For 7 accounts, Publer Professional is $28 a month and Buffer Essentials is $42.
Publer vs Hootsuite: which should I choose?
Choose Publer if one to three people schedule posts and price matters: 10 accounts cost $36 a month on Professional. Choose Hootsuite, from $99 per user a month billed annually, when a team needs monitoring, listening and message routing.
Publer vs Vista Social: what is the difference?
Publer is a low cost scheduler from $5 a month. Vista Social starts at $99 a month for 15 profiles and 2 users and adds an inbox, review management and approvals on every plan, with X as a $29 a month add on.
What apps are like Publer?
The apps most like Publer are Buffer, Metricool, SocialPilot, SocialBee, Postiz, Later, Planable, Vista Social and Hootsuite, which all schedule posts you create. Spreadcast is different: it designs the posts for an iPhone app and publishes them for you.
Does Publer have a nonprofit discount?
Yes. Publer gives charities and nonprofit organizations 50% off. You apply by email or live chat with a government issued document that proves your status, such as a 501(c)(3) letter in the US.
What happens to my posts when I cancel Publer?
The paid plan runs to the end of the period you paid for. When the account drops to Free, all scheduled posts are lost, so copy them first or pause the subscription for 1 to 3 months instead, which keeps your data.
Prices, plans and features change. This comparison describes each product as its own site described it on the date shown under Sources. Check the vendor's site before you decide. Product names are trademarks of their owners.
Where These Facts Come From
Every outside number, rule and price on this page links to the page it was taken from.
- What are Publer's plans and pricing, updated September 15, 2026Publer
- What is included in Publer FreePubler
- What is included in Publer Business, with API and MCP termsPubler
- Social networks Publer supportsPubler
- Publer discount for charities and nonprofitsPubler
- Daily post limits in PublerPubler
- CSV upload limits in Publer by planPubler
- What is the Publer AI AssistPubler
- Recycling and recurring posts in PublerPubler
- Upgrading or downgrading a Publer subscriptionPubler
- How to cancel a Publer subscriptionPubler
- Publer refund policyPubler
- Buffer pricing and supported channelsBuffer
- Buffer machine readable pricing with prices per channelBuffer
- Metricool pricing, plans and add onsMetricool
- Metricool homepage with supported networksMetricool
- Postiz pricing and plan featuresPostiz
- Postiz homepage with channels, license and self hostingPostiz
- SocialPilot plans and pricingSocialPilot
- SocialBee pricing, plans and add onsSocialBee
- SocialBee homepage with supported networksSocialBee
- Vista Social pricing and plan comparisonVista Social
- Vista Social integrationsVista Social
- Planable pricingPlanable
- Planable pricing summary with add on pricesPlanable
- Later pricingLater
- Hootsuite plans and pricesHootsuite
- Hootsuite integrations and supported networksHootsuite
- Video: managing social media with Publer, a walkthroughPubler on YouTube
- Video: how to use Buffer in two minutesBuffer on YouTube
Researched and written by Spreadcast. Last checked on October 19, 2026.