One Post, a Caption Written for Each Network
Make the post once. Spreadcast writes a caption that fits each network's length and tone, checks its limits and posts to all of them at the time you pick.
- Groceries$312
- Rent$1,100
- Coffee$46
Shared budgets are here. Invite your partner, plan the month together and split anything in two taps. Link in bio. #budgeting #moneytips #couples
No more arguing over who paid for groceries. Shared budgets are live in Ledgerly. #moneytok #budgeting
Ledgerly 3.0 is out. Couples told us the hardest part of budgeting was talking about it, so shared budgets let two people plan one month together and split any expense. What would you add next?
Shared budgets just shipped. Two people, one month, zero spreadsheets.
Ledgerly 3.0 adds shared budgets: plan the month with your partner and split anything. On the App Store now.
What Cross Posting Is, and What This Page Covers
Cross posting means publishing the same news, picture or video to several social networks instead of one. Buffer's guide to crossposting defines it as sharing the same piece of content, or a slightly adapted one, across platforms. The adapted part is where most people go wrong. A caption that reads well on LinkedIn is too long for Bluesky, a link that works on Facebook is plain text on Instagram, and a TikTok watermark on an Instagram Reel tells Instagram the video came from somewhere else.
This page is about social media posts. It is not about cross listing items on Poshmark, eBay or other resale marketplaces, which people also call cross posting.
Here is what you will find below. First, how to post to multiple platforms at once in Spreadcast, step by step. Then a table of what each of eleven networks accepts: caption length, how many pictures, how long a video can be and what happens to a link, each figure linked to the network's own documentation. Then what to change per network so the same news does not read as a copy, the free ways to post to all social media at once and where they stop, and seven cross posting tools compared on networks and price from each vendor's own pricing page. Every number was read on November 2, 2026.
We make Spreadcast, so read the comparison with that in mind. We put it first where it does something the others do not: it writes a separate caption for every network, checks each network's rules before the post is scheduled, and tells you which network refused a post and why. Where another tool is the better buy, the comparison says so.
How to Post to Multiple Platforms at Once in Spreadcast
The whole flow happens in one editor, from any computer. You connect each account once, and after that every post is one screen.
- 1
Connect Each Network Once
Add Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord and YouTube from the accounts page. You can connect several accounts on the same network, for example two Instagram accounts or a LinkedIn page and a personal profile. Pro holds 10 social accounts, and Studio holds 50 across up to 5 brands.
- 2
Make the Post or Upload Your Own
Write a text post, design a single picture or a carousel in the editor, or upload your own pictures and video from your computer. If you have an iPhone app on the App Store, Spreadcast also builds the design from your icon, screenshots, colors and fonts. Carousels it designs are 3 to 8 slides at 1080 x 1350, the 4:5 portrait size; see the Instagram carousel maker for how those are built.
- 3
Pick the Networks for This Post
Tick every account the post should go to. The preview on the right switches between networks, so you see the post the way each one shows it before anything is scheduled.
- 4
Generate a Caption for Each Network
Press Generate Caption and Spreadcast writes one caption per selected network, each in the length and tone that network rewards and with the number of hashtags that works there. You can still edit any word on any network's tab. The section on how Spreadcast writes one update for eleven networks shows what that looks like.
- 5
Let It Check Every Network's Rules
Before the post is scheduled, Spreadcast checks it against each network: caption length, whether the network needs a picture or a video, whether it takes pictures at all, and the fields only some networks have, such as a Pinterest or YouTube title. A network that cannot take the post is named in an alert, with two ways out: fix it, or schedule the post without that network.
- 6
Pick a Time or Post Now
Choose a day and time, or press Post Now. Scheduled posts sit on the calendar, where you can drag one to another day, and go out within minutes of their slot. On TikTok you choose who can see the post in the editor, because TikTok requires the person posting to pick it.
- 7
See Why a Network Refused a Post
If a network turns a post down after it was scheduled, the post shows which network refused it and the reason the network gave, with a Try Again button. The other networks are not held back by one refusal.
What Each Network Accepts: Captions, Pictures, Video Length and Links
This is the reason one identical post rarely fits everywhere. Figures are what each network allows a publishing tool through its own API or help center, read on November 2, 2026. For bios, alt text and every other text field, see our social media character limits, and for picture dimensions our social media image sizes.
| Network | Caption | Pictures per post | Video length | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,200 characters and 20 @ tags through the API; up to 5 hashtags a post in the app | Up to 20 in a carousel, per the same reference | Reels from 3 seconds to 15 minutes | A link in a caption is plain text; people tap the link in your bio | |
| TikTok | 2,200 for a video caption | Up to 35 photos in a photo post, with a 90 character title and a 4,000 character description | Set per account: TikTok tells the posting tool each creator's maximum | No clickable link in the caption |
| 3,000 characters | 2 to 20 images in a multi image post | 3 seconds to 30 minutes through the API | Clickable in the post text | |
| No published limit for a Page post | Several photos in one post | Reels from 3 to 90 seconds through the API | Clickable, with a link preview | |
| Threads | 500 characters | 2 to 20 items in a carousel | Up to 5 minutes | 5 links at most per post |
| Title 100, description 800 | 2 to 5 images in a carousel | 4 seconds to 15 minutes | Each Pin carries one destination link | |
| Bluesky | 300 graphemes, so an emoji counts as one | 4 images | Up to 3 minutes since March 2025 | Clickable; the app shortens long links before counting |
| Mastodon | 500 characters by default; each server can change it | 4 images | One video, up to 99 MB | Every link counts as 23 characters, whatever its length |
| Telegram | 4,096 for a text post, 1,024 for a caption under media | 2 to 10 items in an album | Bots upload files up to 50 MB | Clickable, with a preview |
| Discord | 2,000 characters in a message | Attachments up to 25 MiB per message in total | Same 25 MiB request cap | Clickable, with an embed |
| YouTube | Title 100 characters, description 5,000 bytes | Video only | Shorts up to 3 minutes when vertical or square | Not clickable in Shorts descriptions since August 31, 2023 |
Three numbers decide most cross posts: Bluesky's 300, Threads' 500 and Telegram's 1,024 under a picture. A caption that fits those three fits everywhere except Pinterest and YouTube, which also want a title.
Why the Same Post Underperforms When You Copy It Everywhere
Posting the same thing to several networks is normal and allowed. The networks are not hunting your own cross posts. What they push down are signs that a post was made for somewhere else, and copied text and watermarks are the two loudest ones.
Meta says it plainly. Its July 2025 post on unoriginal content tells creators to avoid visible third party watermarks and content visibly recycled from other apps, and to keep captions and hashtags relevant to the content. Pages and profiles, the same post says, get the greatest distribution when they consist mostly of original content. Instagram's recommendation guidelines list content that is largely repurposed from another source with only minor edits, and long captions unrelated to the content, among the things it tries not to recommend to people who do not follow you.
TikTok goes further for tools. Its content sharing guidelines for apps that post to TikTok forbid adding any brand name, logo or watermark to the shared content, and require the person posting to choose the privacy setting, with no default picked for them. A cross posting tool that stamps its logo on your video, or posts publicly without asking, breaks TikTok's rules for integrations.
Then there is the text itself. A caption that says link in bio means nothing on Facebook, where links are clickable, and Buffer's guide calls that exact phrase a giveaway that the post was copied. Five hashtags suit Instagram and read as spam on Facebook and Bluesky. A 2,000 character LinkedIn post cannot be published to Bluesky at all. A Short with a link in the description sends nobody anywhere, because YouTube stopped making those links clickable in 2023.
None of this means writing eleven posts from scratch. The news, the picture and the video stay the same. What changes is the first line, the length, the hashtags and where the link goes. That is about two minutes per network by hand, or none if the tool writes each version for you.
Shared budgets are here. Invite your partner, plan the month together and split anything in two taps. Link in bio. #budgeting #moneytips #couples
No more arguing over who paid for groceries. Shared budgets are live in Ledgerly. #moneytok #budgeting
Ledgerly 3.0 is out. Couples told us the hardest part of budgeting was talking about it, so shared budgets let two people plan one month together and split any expense. What would you add next?
Shared budgets just shipped. Two people, one month, zero spreadsheets.
Ledgerly 3.0 adds shared budgets: plan the month with your partner and split anything. On the App Store now.
What to Change for Each Network When You Cross Post
Keep the picture or video and the facts. Change these. The right hand column says where each rule comes from, so you can tell a network's own rule from our advice.
| Network | What to change | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hook in the first line, the details as a short list, 3 to 5 hashtags. Move the link to your bio. | Captions can run to 2,200 characters but only the start shows before More. Links in captions do not open. | |
| TikTok | One or two short lines over the video or slideshow. Pick who can see it each time. No logos from other apps on the video. | TikTok's content sharing guidelines require the poster to pick privacy and forbid watermarks added by tools. |
| Open with one specific statement, then two or three short paragraphs and a question. Written as a person or team, not as an ad. | 3,000 characters fit. The first lines are what shows in the feed before the post is expanded. | |
| Shorter and conversational, with the link written out because it is clickable. Zero to two hashtags. | Meta asks for captions and hashtags relevant to the content. | |
| Threads | One to three sentences, the way you would say it. At most one tag, because Threads turns one tag into a topic. | 500 characters and 5 links at most. |
| A title and a description written in the words people type into Pinterest search, and a destination link. | Pinterest's specs say only the first 40 characters of a title may show, and that descriptions are used to decide relevance. | |
| Bluesky | One or two sentences. Under 300 graphemes, links included. | The post schema rejects anything longer. |
| Mastodon | Plain and specific, no marketing tone, 2 to 4 hashtags, because people on Mastodon follow hashtags. | 500 characters by default, with every link counted as 23. |
| Telegram | A channel post of up to three short paragraphs. Keep it under 1,024 characters if it sits under a picture. | A caption under media is capped at 1,024; a longer one does not post. |
| Discord | An announcement to people who already use your product: what changed and why it matters to them. | 2,000 characters per message. |
| YouTube | A searchable title under 100 characters and a description that says what the video shows. Put links on your channel page. | Shorts description links do not open. |
How Spreadcast Writes One Update for Eleven Networks
Here is one piece of news written the way Spreadcast's Generate Caption writes it for each network. The app is an invented habit tracker we call Streakly, shipping version 4.1 with a home screen widget. The rules in the second column are the ones Spreadcast follows; the example captions are ours. Hashtags are always lower case, specific to the subject, and never filler tags.
| Network | How Spreadcast writes it | Hashtags | Example caption |
|---|---|---|---|
| A hook line, what the post gives as a short list, then a reason to save it or a question. Under 700 characters. | 3 to 5 | Streakly 4.1 is out. What changed: a home screen widget, a streak freeze for sick days, faster sync. Save this for your next fresh start. #habittracker #productivity #iphoneapps | |
| TikTok | One or two punchy lines, under 150 characters. | 3 to 5 | Your streak now lives on your home screen. #habittracker #productivity #iphone |
| One specific first line, two or three short paragraphs, a closing question. Written by the team. Under 1,300 characters. | 3 | We shipped Streakly 4.1 today, and the widget was the most requested feature of the year. It shows your streak without opening the app. What would you put on your home screen? #productivity #habits #iosdev | |
| One to three short paragraphs, conversational, may end with a question. Under 600 characters. | 0 to 2 | Streakly 4.1 is here with a home screen widget and a streak freeze for the days you are sick. Which one will you use first? | |
| Threads | One to three short sentences, the way a person talks. Under 400 characters. | 0 or 1 | The Streakly widget is finally out. Your streak, on your home screen, no app to open. #habits |
| Bluesky | One or two conversational sentences, under 230 characters, leaving room for a link. | 0 to 2 | Streakly 4.1 puts your streak on the home screen. Small change, and it helps a lot on slow mornings. |
| Mastodon | Plain and genuine, no marketing tone, under 400 characters. | 2 to 4 | Streakly 4.1 adds a home screen widget and a streak freeze for sick days. Your data stays on your phone. #habits #ios #productivity |
| Two or three sentences in the words people search for, under 450 characters, plus a title. | None | Title: Habit Tracker Widget for Your iPhone Home Screen. Description: Track daily habits from your home screen with the Streakly widget, and freeze your streak on sick days. | |
| Telegram | A channel post, up to three short paragraphs, under 900 characters. | None | Streakly 4.1 is live. The widget you asked for is here: your streak on the home screen. Also new: a streak freeze for sick days, and sync that finishes in a second. |
| Discord | An announcement to people who already use the app: what is new and why it matters to them. Under 900 characters. | None | Hey everyone, 4.1 is out. Long press your home screen and add the Streakly widget. And if you get sick, the new streak freeze keeps your count safe. |
| YouTube | For video posts only: a searchable title under 100 characters and a description of what the video shows. | None | Title: Streakly Home Screen Widget in 20 Seconds. |
Eleven captions, one picture. The same work by hand is the reason most people stop cross posting after a month. Our caption generator writes captions per network for free if you only need the text.
How to Post to All Social Media at Once for Free
There are real free ways, and each covers part of the job. The closest thing to a free one button cross post is inside Meta's own apps. Instagram's share to Facebook setting lets you tick Also share on before you post, or turn on automatic sharing in Accounts Center so every future Instagram post also appears on Facebook. It is free and instant. It also posts the same caption to both, link in bio and all, and it only covers two networks.
Next are the networks' own schedulers. Instagram lets public accounts schedule up to 25 posts a day, up to 30 days ahead, from the app. TikTok's video scheduler takes a video from 15 minutes to 10 days ahead on the web upload page. Pinterest's own tool lets you schedule a Pin up to 30 days ahead, with 10 waiting at a time. LinkedIn, YouTube Studio and Meta Business Suite schedule too. They are free and they never break a network's rules, but you open each one, upload the same file again and write the caption again. That is posting to every network one at a time, only earlier.
Then come the free plans of scheduling tools, which do post to multiple platforms at once. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. Publer's free plan covers 3 social accounts, excluding X, with 10 scheduled posts each. Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand and 20 posts a month, without LinkedIn or X. For a person on three networks, any of them is enough. The limit is the number of networks, and every caption is still yours to adapt.
Last, the automation route. Zapier's free plan runs 100 tasks a month on two step Zaps, one trigger and one action, so posting one item to four networks uses four tasks and needs four Zaps. IFTTT's free plan includes 1,000 credits a month. Both are good at moving a new blog post or video into a social account. Neither writes a caption for each network, and when a network refuses a post you find out from an error log. If you like building workflows, our n8n social media automation guide shows the self hosted version.
Spreadcast's free plan is not one of these. It makes 3 posts for you to download, with a small Spreadcast mark, and does not publish. Publishing to every connected network starts on Pro.
- Groceries$312
- Rent$1,100
- Coffee$46
Every one of them read.
Two people, one budget, zero spreadsheets. The shared goals alone saved us an argument a week.
For Every
Trail
Free Ways to Post to Multiple Platforms at Once, and Where Each One Stops
Read the last column first. It is the reason most people outgrow the free route.
| Free option | Networks it reaches | What you still do by hand | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram's share to Facebook | Instagram and Facebook | Nothing, once it is on | Same caption on both, two networks only |
| Each network's own scheduler | One network each | Upload and caption once per network | Eleven networks means eleven uploads |
| Buffer free plan | 3 channels | Adapt each caption | 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time |
| Publer free plan | 3 social accounts, no X | Adapt each caption | 10 scheduled posts per account, 24 hour post history |
| Metricool free plan | 1 brand, no LinkedIn or X | Adapt each caption | 20 posts a month |
| Zapier free plan | Any app it connects to | Build and fix a Zap per network | 100 tasks a month, two step Zaps |
| IFTTT free plan | Services it connects to | Build an Applet per network | 1,000 credits a month |
Prices and limits from each vendor's own page, November 2, 2026. For the paid tools that grow out of these, see the best social media automation tools.
Social Media Cross Posting Software at a Glance
Seven tools that post one item to several networks at once. Network lists and prices come from each vendor's own pricing or help pages on November 2, 2026, in US dollars. Discord and Telegram are where the lists differ most.
| Tool | Networks it posts to | Writes a caption per network | Free plan | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadcast | Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord, plus YouTube for video | Yes, one per network, with that network's hashtags | 3 posts to download, no publishing | $29 a month for 10 social accounts, posts designed, captioned and published |
| Buffer | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, X, Google Business Profile | You edit each network's version | 3 channels, 10 posts each | $6 per channel a month |
| Hootsuite | Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky | AI drafts from your prompt | No, 14 day trial | $99 per user a month, billed annually, 10 accounts |
| Later | Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat | AI caption help | No, 14 days free | $18.75 a month billed yearly, one profile per network |
| Publer | Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business, YouTube, WordPress, TikTok, Telegram, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky | AI drafts on Business | 3 accounts, no X | $5 a month for 1 account |
| Metricool | Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, X as an add on | AI assistant | 1 brand, 20 posts a month | $25 a month, or $20 billed annually, for up to 5 brands |
| SocialPilot | Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business | AI credits | No, 14 day trial | $30 a month for 7 accounts, or $25.50 billed annually |
Spreadcast is the only one of the seven that posts to Discord, and with Publer the only one that reaches Telegram. Mastodon is on Spreadcast, Buffer and Publer. Spreadcast does not post to X.
The Best Cross Posting Apps for Social Media, Compared
Spreadcast is ours and comes first, because it is the only tool here that writes each network's caption, checks each network's rules before scheduling and makes the post as well. The six after it are good schedulers that post one item everywhere and leave the adapting to you, ordered by how many networks you get for the money.
- 1
Spreadcast
Free to try, then $29 a month for 10 social accountsBest when you want each network's caption written for you and every limit checked before the post goes out
Spreadcast posts one picture, carousel or video to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video posts, from one editor. Generate Caption writes a separate caption for each selected network, with the length, tone and hashtag count that network rewards, and you can edit any of them on its own tab.
Before a post is scheduled, Spreadcast checks it against every selected network: too long for Bluesky, no picture for Instagram, pictures sent to YouTube, a missing Pinterest title. The alert names the network and lets you fix it or schedule without it. If a network refuses a post later, the post shows which one and the reason it gave, with Try Again, and the other networks still publish.
It also makes the post. The editor designs single pictures and carousels, and for an iPhone app on the App Store it builds them from your own icon, screenshots, colors and fonts. Carousels go out as a real carousel on Instagram, as a photo slideshow on TikTok and as a multi image post on LinkedIn and Facebook; the TikTok slideshow maker page covers the TikTok side. Video you upload from your computer goes to every network that takes video, YouTube included.
If you have an App Store app, there is one more layer: Spreadcast reads your listing every day and turns a new version into an update post and a rating milestone into a thank you post, so the cross post starts itself. That part is on the auto post to social media page. Without an app, Create and your own uploads do all of the cross posting on this page.
Pro is $29 a month for 1 app or brand and 10 social accounts, with publishing to every network, captions, design and the checks included. Compare that with Buffer, where 8 channels on Essentials cost $48 a month before any caption is written. Plans are on the pricing page.
Pros
- A caption written for each network, with that network's hashtag count
- Every network's limits checked before the post is scheduled
- Says which network refused a post and why, with Try Again
- Posts to Discord, Telegram and Mastodon, which most schedulers skip
- Designs the picture or carousel too, not only the caption
Cons
- No X
- YouTube takes video posts only
- No inbox for replying to comments
- The free plan does not publish
- 2
Buffer
Free for 3 channels, then $6 per channel a monthBest free start for posting to three networks at once
Buffer's pricing page lists a free plan for 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, and Essentials at $6 per channel a month billed monthly, or $5 billed yearly. From the 11th channel the price drops to $4. Its channel list covers Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, X and Google Business Profile.
Cross posting in Buffer means picking several channels in the composer and then choosing Customize for each network, which splits the post into one version per channel for you to edit. After scheduling, each channel's version is a separate post, so a change has to be made in every queue. Buffer's AI Assistant helps rewrite text when you ask it to.
It is the best fit for someone who already has the post and wants it out on three to five networks on time for little money. Telegram and Discord are not on its list. Our best Buffer alternatives covers what to use once the per channel price adds up.
Pros
- Free plan with no end date
- Clean composer with a version per network
- Mastodon and Bluesky included
Cons
- Price grows with every channel
- No Telegram or Discord
- You rewrite each caption yourself
- 3
Publer
Free for 3 accounts, then from $5 a monthBest low price tool for a long list of networks, Telegram included
Publer connects 13 networks, per its supported networks article: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business, YouTube, WordPress, TikTok, Telegram, Mastodon, Threads and Bluesky. Its pricing article lists a free plan with 3 social accounts, excluding X, and 10 scheduled posts per account, then Professional from $5 a month and Business from $10 a month, each for one account, with 20% off yearly.
Publer charges for the exact number of accounts you connect, which keeps a small setup cheap. Business adds AI drafting, analytics and recycling of older posts. It has no Discord.
Choose it when the network list matters more than help with the words. Our best Publer alternatives compares it with the rest.
Pros
- 13 networks, Telegram and Mastodon among them
- Priced per account
- Free plan
Cons
- No X on the free plan
- No Discord
- AI drafting needs Business
- 4
Metricool
Free for 1 brand, then from $20 a month billed annuallyBest when analytics matter as much as posting
Metricool's pricing page lists a free plan for 1 brand with 20 posts a month and every network except LinkedIn and X. Starter is $25 a month, or $20 billed annually, for up to 5 brands, and adds unlimited publishing and LinkedIn. X is a paid add on.
Its networks are Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile, with web analytics beside them. It is strongest as a reporting tool that also schedules, and there is no Telegram, Mastodon or Discord. See our best Metricool alternatives.
Pros
- Generous free plan for one brand
- Several brands from $20
- Strong analytics
Cons
- No LinkedIn on the free plan
- No Telegram, Mastodon or Discord
- X costs extra
- 5
SocialPilot
From $25.50 a month billed annually, 14 day trialBest for small agencies posting for several clients
SocialPilot's plans page lists Essentials at $30 a month, or $25.50 billed annually, for 7 social accounts and 1 user, with extra accounts at $4 each. Standard is $50 a month, or $42.50 annually, for 15 accounts and 3 users with an inbox and manager approval; client approval starts on Premium. There is a 14 day trial with no card and no free plan.
It posts to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest and Google Business. Its strength is client work: approvals, white label reports and bulk scheduling on the higher plans.
Pros
- Built for client approvals
- Cheap extra accounts
- Bluesky and Threads included
Cons
- No free plan
- No Telegram, Mastodon or Discord
- 6
Later
From $18.75 a month billed yearlyBest for planning an Instagram led feed visually
Later's pricing page lists Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly for one social set, which is one profile on each network Later supports, with 30 posts per profile a month. Growth is $37.50 for two sets and 180 posts per profile. The networks are Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat.
Later is built around a visual calendar and an Instagram first workflow. It has no Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram or Discord, and no X. Our best Later alternatives lists other options.
Pros
- Visual planning calendar
- One profile on every supported network per set
- Snapchat support
Cons
- 30 posts per profile a month on Starter
- No Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram or Discord
- 7
Hootsuite
From $99 per user a month, billed annuallyBest for a team that also answers messages from one inbox
Hootsuite's plans page lists Standard at $99 per user a month on annual billing for 10 social accounts, Professional at $199 with no account cap, and a 14 day trial with no free plan. Its integrations page lists Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky for publishing.
Hootsuite earns its price when several people publish and reply from one screen. For one person who wants to post to all social media at once, it is the most expensive way to do it here. Our best Hootsuite alternatives has cheaper picks.
Pros
- Inbox, monitoring and reports in one place
- Bluesky and Threads included
Cons
- Priced per user
- No free plan
- No Mastodon, Telegram or Discord
How to Upload Video to Multiple Platforms at Once
Video is where cross posting breaks most often, because every network has its own length limit and some publish video only in one shape. If you want one file to go everywhere, make it vertical, 9:16, and keep it under 90 seconds. That fits every limit in the table above.
Here is why 90 seconds. Facebook Reels published through Meta's API run 3 to 90 seconds. YouTube treats a vertical or square upload of up to three minutes as a Short. Bluesky raised its cap to three minutes in March 2025. Threads takes five minutes, Instagram Reels up to 15 through the API, LinkedIn up to 30 and Pinterest up to 15. TikTok sets a maximum per account and tells the posting tool what it is. A 60 to 90 second cut clears all of them.
Upload the clean file, not one exported from another app. A TikTok download carries TikTok's watermark, and Meta asks creators to avoid exactly that. Keep the original from your phone or editor and post that file to every network.
In Spreadcast you upload the video once from your computer, select the networks, and generate a caption for each. YouTube asks for a title, which Spreadcast writes with the words people search for. Networks that take no video are flagged before scheduling. Several schedulers in the comparison also publish video; what differs is whether the caption and title are adapted for you and whether a refusal is explained.
Rain on a tin roof, 45 minutes, then silence. Lumi’s new sleep timer fades out on its own
Is Cross Posting a Good Idea?
Yes, for most small accounts, with two conditions: adapt the text and use the clean file. Here is when it works and when it does not.
It Works for News You Already Have
An update, a launch, a sale, a milestone, a new video. The fact is the same on every network, and posting it once on each is how people who follow you in different places hear about it. This is the case cross posting tools are built for.
It Works When Each Version Fits Its Network
Same picture, different first line, length and hashtags. Meta's guidance asks for captions relevant to the content, and Bluesky simply rejects a post over 300 graphemes. A short check per network is the whole difference between a cross post and a copy.
It Does Not Replace Talking to People
Replies and conversations happen on each network separately. A tool can publish everywhere in one click; it cannot be present in eleven comment sections. Pick the two networks where your people talk and answer there yourself.
Skip Networks That Do Not Fit the Post
A text update has no place on Pinterest, and a photo has none on YouTube. Posting everywhere because you can spreads thin; posting where the format fits is the better habit. Our guide on Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn helps you choose.
Never Repost Other People's Work as Yours
This is what the originality rules on Instagram and Facebook target: accounts that repost content they did not make. Cross posting your own posts to your own accounts is a different thing.
Why a Cross Post Gets Refused, and How to Avoid It
Most failed cross posts fail for one of these reasons. Spreadcast checks the ones it can before scheduling and names the network for the rest.
The Caption Is Too Long for One Network
Bluesky stops at 300 graphemes, Threads at 500 and a Telegram caption under a picture at 1,024. Write the long version for LinkedIn and a short one for these three.
The Network Needs Media You Did Not Add
Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest need a picture or a video. YouTube needs a video and takes no pictures. A text only post sent to them fails.
Too Many Links on Threads
Since December 22, 2025, a Threads post with more than five links fails to publish through the API.
Daily Posting Caps
Instagram allows 100 posts through the API in 24 hours, Facebook Pages 30 Reels and Threads 250 posts. A single account will not hit them; a scheduler posting for many clients can.
TikTok Privacy Left Unset
TikTok requires the person posting to pick who can see the post, with no default chosen for them. Spreadcast asks for it in the editor so the post does not stop at TikTok.
A Disconnected Account
Networks expire access from time to time, after a password change for example. Reconnect the account and press Try Again on the refused post.
What Spreadcast Does Not Do
Know these before you connect anything.
No X
Spreadcast does not post to X. If X is one of your main networks, Buffer, Publer, Hootsuite, Metricool or SocialPilot cover it.
No Inbox
There is no shared inbox for comments and messages. You reply in each network's own app.
YouTube Is for Video Posts
Pictures and carousels go to the other networks. YouTube receives a post only when it carries a video.
No Stories
Spreadcast publishes feed posts, carousels, photo slideshows and video. Stories are not supported.
The Free Plan Does Not Publish
Free makes 3 posts for you to download with a small mark. Posting to every network starts on Pro, the 30 Day Pass or the Post Pack.
What Cross Posting With Spreadcast Costs
Pro is $29 a month. It covers 1 app or brand and 10 social accounts on any mix of networks, publishing to all of them, a caption written for each network, the checks before scheduling, design of pictures and carousels, analytics, and Claude or ChatGPT access through the MCP server if you would rather ask an assistant to schedule. Yearly billing gives 2 months free. Studio is $79 a month for up to 5 brands, 50 social accounts and 3 seats.
If you post in bursts, two one time options skip the subscription. The 30 Day Pass is $39 for Pro for 30 days, and nothing renews. The Post Pack is $19 for 10 posts designed and published, $1.90 a post, and it never expires. Every plan can be cancelled at any time, with a full refund within 7 days.
For a sense of value: posting to 8 networks on Buffer Essentials is $48 a month for the scheduling alone, and every caption is still yours to write. On Spreadcast the same 8 networks are inside the $29, with each caption written and checked. If you want to see it first, start free and look at the posts before you pay. More on how planning works is on the content calendar page, and the full list of features is on the features page.
Prefer to drive it from an assistant? Our guide to scheduling social media posts with Claude shows how one request becomes a post on every network, and the guides to scheduling on Threads, Bluesky and Telegram channels go deeper on those three.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cross posting on social media?
It is publishing the same news, picture or video to several social networks instead of one. Done well, the media stays the same and the caption is adapted to each network's length, tone, hashtags and link rules.
Is cross posting a good idea?
Yes, when each version fits its network and you post the clean file. Meta and Instagram push down posts with other apps' watermarks and captions unrelated to the content, so adapt the text and never upload a video exported with another network's logo.
How do I post to all social media at once?
Use a cross posting tool: connect each account once, make or upload the post, select the networks, adapt the caption for each and schedule. In Spreadcast, Generate Caption writes each network's version and every network's limits are checked before the post is scheduled.
Can I post to multiple platforms at once for free?
Yes, within limits. Instagram can share every post to Facebook automatically. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, Publer's covers 3 accounts and Metricool's covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month. Spreadcast's free plan makes posts to download but does not publish.
What is the best app to cross post on social media?
It depends on what you want done for you. If you have the post and only need it out, Buffer or Publer are cheap. If you want each network's caption written and every limit checked before it goes out, on networks including Telegram, Mastodon and Discord, Spreadcast does that for $29 a month.
Can I upload a video to multiple platforms at once?
Yes. Make it vertical and keep it under 90 seconds so it fits every network's limit, including Facebook Reels through the API, then upload the original file, not one downloaded from another app with a watermark.
Does cross posting hurt reach?
Copying your own post to your own accounts is not penalized as such. What lowers reach is what signals a copy: other apps' watermarks, captions that do not fit the post or the network, and reposting content you did not make.
Does Spreadcast post to X or Twitter?
No. Spreadcast posts to Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video posts.
Is this page about cross listing on Poshmark or eBay?
No. Resellers also say cross posting for listing an item on several marketplaces. This page is about social media posts only.
Where These Facts Come From
Every outside number, rule and price on this page links to the page it was taken from.
- Instagram media publishing reference: caption, carousel and Reels limitsMeta for Developers
- Use hashtags on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Instagram content publishing guide: rate limitsMeta for Developers
- How to create and manage scheduled posts and Reels on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Share your Instagram posts to FacebookInstagram Help Center
- Recommendations on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Content Posting API: direct post referenceTikTok for Developers
- Content Posting API: photo post referenceTikTok for Developers
- Content sharing guidelinesTikTok for Developers
- Introducing the video schedulerTikTok for Business
- Post character limitLinkedIn Help
- MultiImage APILinkedIn on Microsoft Learn
- Videos APILinkedIn on Microsoft Learn
- Reels publishing for PagesMeta for Developers
- Combating unoriginal contentFacebook for Creators
- Threads posts: limits for text, carousels, links and videoMeta for Developers
- Review ad and Pin specsPinterest Business Help
- Schedule PinsPinterest Business Help
- Bluesky post schemaBluesky on GitHub
- Bluesky image embed schemaBluesky on GitHub
- Bluesky now lets users upload videos up to 3 minutes longTechCrunch
- Posting tootsMastodon documentation
- Telegram Bot APITelegram
- Message resourceDiscord Developer Portal
- Videos resourceYouTube Data API
- Understand three minute YouTube ShortsYouTube Help
- Some updates to links on YouTubeTeamYouTube
- Buffer pricingBuffer
- How do I schedule posts for multiple social channels at the same timeBuffer Help Center
- How to crosspost on social mediaBuffer
- Hootsuite plansHootsuite
- Hootsuite integrationsHootsuite
- Later pricingLater
- Publer plans and pricingPubler Help
- Social networks Publer supportsPubler Help
- Metricool pricingMetricool
- SocialPilot plansSocialPilot
- Zapier pricingZapier
- IFTTT plansIFTTT
Researched and written by Spreadcast. Last checked on November 2, 2026.