How we make this list: we compare vendor pricing pages, product documentation and plan limits, and print the month we checked each price. We don’t accept payment for rankings.
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Buffer is the best Metricool alternative in 2026 because its free plan covers 3 channels with X included, and Essentials costs $5 a channel a month. Publer ranks second at $5 an account, and Agorapulse is the best pick for a real inbox.
Key takeaways
4 of 8 tools in this list have a free plan, and the lowest paid start is $5 a month (Buffer and Publer) (Nov 2026).
Buffer ranks first as a Metricool alternative because its free plan includes X, which Metricool charges extra for.
Metricool Starter costs $20 a month billed annually for up to 5 brands, with a free plan for 1 brand and 20 posts a month.
Agorapulse Standard at $79 a user a month adds the unified inbox Metricool gates behind Advanced.
Loomly Starter at $49 a month adds approvals Metricool keeps on Advanced.
Metricool alternatives make sense once the add-ons, not the analytics, become the problem. Metricool Starter costs $20 a month billed annually for up to 5 brands, but X is a paid add-on on every plan, LinkedIn is missing from the free plan, and team approvals need the Advanced plan. This list groups the 8 best Metricool alternatives by the reason people leave: the X add-on, the free-plan gaps, and gated approvals. Each pick carries a clear switch-if line, so you can find the tool that fixes your exact complaint. Start with our best social media management tools for small business guide if you want the wider picture.
Switch if: Switch if you post on X and do not want to pay $10 a month extra.
Buffer is the best Metricool alternative for X users. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each and includes X publishing, and Essentials at $5 a channel a month adds unlimited scheduling and advanced analytics. Metricool charges $10 a month per X account on top of every plan.
The catch is the per-channel math. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, and Essentials at $5 a channel a month removes the cap and adds advanced analytics. A brand with 10 channels pays $50 a month on Essentials, or $100 on Team, which is the plan that adds unlimited members and approval workflows. There is no listening, so what people say about your brand outside your own posts stays invisible.
What we like
Free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each (Nov 2026).
Essentials at $5 a channel a month adds unlimited scheduling and analytics.
Supports Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon alongside the big networks.
Watch out for
Costs grow with every channel you add.
Engagement covers comments, not a full message inbox.
Listening and advanced enterprise features are absent.
Starting priceFrom $5/month for 1 account and 1 user (Pr…
Free planYes
Free trial7 days (Professional) or 14 days (Business)
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, API
Switch if: Switch if you want X included from the cheapest paid plan.
Publer is the cheapest Metricool alternative with X included. The free plan covers 3 accounts except X, and Professional starts at $5 a month for 1 account with X integration, unlimited scheduling and RSS automations. Business at $10 an account adds analytics and recycling.
The catch is that analytics cost extra and the bill scales per account. The free plan covers 3 accounts except X, with 10 scheduled posts each. Professional starts at $5 a month for 1 account, $4 a month billed annually, with extra accounts at $4 each and every 10th free. Business at $10 an account adds analytics, best times and competitor analysis.
What we like
Free plan covers 3 accounts with 10 scheduled posts each (Nov 2026).
Professional starts at $5 a month for 1 account, $4 a month billed annually.
Bulk scheduling and evergreen recycling are included.
Watch out for
Analytics only come with Business at $10 a month per account.
Switch if: Switch if you need an inbox and approvals without the Advanced plan.
Agorapulse is the Metricool alternative for teams that answer customers. Standard at $79 a user a month covers 10 profiles with a unified inbox, unlimited scheduling and branded reports, and Advanced at $149 adds ROI reports. Metricool keeps team approvals on Advanced.
The catch is the per-user price and the add-ons. Standard at $79 a user a month billed annually, or $99 month to month, covers 10 profiles with the inbox and unlimited scheduling. Professional at $119 adds link in bio and ad comment replies, and Advanced at $149 adds ROI reports and competitor benchmarking. The free Archie plan only schedules with AI, so real inbox work needs a paid seat.
What we like
Standard covers 10 profiles with a unified inbox and unlimited scheduling (Nov 2026).
Branded reports and ROI reporting are built in.
Supports Bluesky and Reddit alongside the major networks.
Watch out for
Per-user pricing adds up for larger teams.
Advanced listening and advocacy are paid add-ons.
The free Archie plan covers AI scheduling only, with no inbox or listening.
Switch if: Switch if you need approvals, listening and benchmarks together.
Hootsuite is the Metricool alternative for brands that watch competitors. Standard at $99 a user a month covers 10 profiles with a unified inbox, listening and benchmarking against 5 competitors, and Professional at $199 adds unlimited profiles and automated inbox replies.
The catch is the per-user bill. Standard at $99 a user a month billed annually covers 10 social profiles, and Professional at $199 lifts the profile cap and adds automation and custom reports. Advanced at $399 adds approvals and team reporting. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, so a three-person team pays $297 a month before it adds a second seat for approvals.
What we like
Standard covers 10 social profiles with a unified inbox and listening (Nov 2026).
Professional adds unlimited profiles and custom reports at $199 a user a month.
Supports many networks, including WhatsApp and Bluesky.
Watch out for
No free plan, and per-user pricing adds up fast for a team.
Advanced reporting and approvals sit on the $399 a user a month plan.
Switch if: Switch if you need LinkedIn on a free or entry plan.
Later is the Metricool alternative for visual brands that post on LinkedIn. Starter at $18.75 a month billed annually covers 1 social set with LinkedIn, a visual calendar and Link in Bio, and Growth at $37.50 adds the inbox and approvals. Metricool has no LinkedIn on its free plan.
The catch is what Starter leaves out. At $18.75 a month billed annually it covers 1 social set, 30 posts per profile a month and 3 months of analytics history, but the inbox, approvals and best-time data need Growth at $37.50 a month. Scale at $82.50 adds full analytics, competitor tracking and listening. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
What we like
Starter covers 1 social set with 30 posts per profile a month (Nov 2026).
Link in Bio is included on every plan.
Visual calendar suits Instagram and TikTok planning.
Watch out for
No free plan, and Starter caps at 30 posts per profile a month.
Inbox and approvals need Growth at $37.50 a month.
Full analytics and competitor tracking need Scale at $82.50 a month.
Switch if: Switch if you want evergreen content to recycle itself by category.
SocialBee is the Metricool alternative for steady content. Bootstrap at $29 a month, or $24.17 billed annually, covers 5 profiles with unlimited AI generation and category recycling, so one batch of posts keeps feeding the queue. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
The catch is the missing free tier and the single user. Bootstrap at $29 a month, or $24.17 a month billed annually, covers 5 profiles with unlimited AI generation and category recycling, but only one user and 3 months of analytics history. Accelerate at $49 a month raises the profile count to 10 and the history to 2 years, and Pro at $99 adds 25 profiles and 5 workspaces.
What we like
Bootstrap covers 5 profiles with unlimited AI content generation (Nov 2026).
Switch if: Switch if you want approvals and an inbox for $25 a month.
Pallyy is the Metricool alternative for freelancers who need sign-off. The free plan covers 1 social set with 15 image posts a month, and Pro at $25 a month covers unlimited posts with inbox, approvals and shared calendars, against the Advanced plan Metricool requires for approvals.
The catch is the free-plan format limit. The free plan covers 1 social set with 15 scheduled image posts a month, and video, reels and carousels need Pro at $25 a month. Each extra client set costs $10 a month, Agency at $99 covers 10 sets and 3 users, and Scale at $199 covers 30 sets and 10 users.
What we like
Free plan covers 1 social set with 15 image posts a month (Nov 2026).
Pro at $25 a month covers unlimited posts with inbox and approvals.
Per-client social sets keep agency work tidy.
Watch out for
Free plan is image posts only, with no video or reels.
Free trialFree trial, no credit card required (length not stated)
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android
Switch if: Switch if approvals are the whole job and Metricool gates them.
Loomly is the Metricool alternative for teams that live on approvals. Starter at $49 a month billed annually covers 12 accounts and 3 users with approval workflows, post mockups and unlimited calendars. Beyond at $249 a month is a steep jump, so judge it on Starter alone.
The catch is the gap between the two plans. Starter at $49 a month billed annually, or $65 month to month, covers 12 accounts, 3 users and approvals. The next step, Beyond at $249 a month billed annually, is five times the price for 60 accounts, unlimited users and custom branding. There is no free plan, only a trial with no card required.
What we like
Starter covers 12 social accounts and 3 users (Nov 2026).
Approval workflows and post mockups are built in from Starter.
Unlimited calendars come with every plan.
Watch out for
No free plan, only a free trial.
Beyond at $249 a month is a steep jump from Starter.
Annual plans are charged upfront and cannot be canceled early.
Sources used: vendor pricing pages, vendor product pages and vendor help pages, checked Nov 2026.
Criterion
Weight
What we looked at
Price against Metricool Starter
35%
Metricool Starter costs $20 a month billed annually, so we compared each tool's price at the same brand count, including free plans.
X and LinkedIn coverage
30%
Metricool charges $10 a month per X account and has no LinkedIn on the free plan, so we favored tools that include both networks.
Approvals included
20%
Metricool keeps team approvals on Advanced, so we favored tools that include approvals at the entry price.
Analytics depth
15%
We weighed reporting depth, since Metricool leads on analytics and any alternative must come close.
What are the best Metricool alternatives in 2026?
The best Metricool alternatives in 2026 are Buffer, Publer and Agorapulse. Buffer leads because its free plan includes X and Essentials costs $5 a channel a month, Publer includes X from $5 a month, and Agorapulse adds the inbox Metricool gates behind Advanced.
How much does Metricool charge for X?
Metricool charges $10 a month per X account as an add-on on every plan, on top of Starter at $20 a month billed annually for up to 5 brands. Buffer includes X on its free plan and Essentials at $5 a channel a month, and Publer includes X on Professional from $5 a month for 1 account.
Is there a free Metricool alternative?
Yes, Buffer, Publer, Pallyy and Agorapulse have free plans. Buffer gives 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each and includes X, Publer gives 3 accounts with 10 posts each, Pallyy gives 1 social set with 15 image posts a month, and Agorapulse Archie covers AI scheduling only.
Which Metricool alternative has the best approvals?
Loomly has the best approvals of the Metricool alternatives, with workflows, post mockups and roles from Starter at $49 a month billed annually. Pallyy includes approvals on Pro at $25 a month, and Planable includes them from Basic at $33 a workspace a month billed annually.
Can I switch from Metricool to Buffer?
Yes, most people can switch from Metricool to Buffer and keep the same scheduling work. Buffer Essentials at $5 a channel a month gives unlimited scheduling and advanced analytics, and includes X without an add-on. The gap is analytics depth: Metricool tracks paid ads and competitors better, so keep it for reporting if you need that.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Metricool alternative?
Buffer is the best Metricool alternative because its free plan covers 3 channels with X included, and Essentials costs $5 a channel a month. Publer ranks second at $5 an account, and Agorapulse is the best pick for a real inbox.
Is Buffer better than Metricool?
Buffer is better than Metricool for price and X coverage, with a free plan that includes X and Essentials at $5 a channel a month. Metricool is better for analytics, with organic and paid data, competitor tracking and best-time data from $20 a month billed annually. Pick Buffer for scheduling, and Metricool for reporting.
What is the cheapest Metricool alternative?
Buffer and Publer are the cheapest Metricool alternatives, both starting at $5 a month, with free plans that cover 3 channels or accounts. Later Starter is $18.75 a month billed annually, and Pallyy Pro is $25 a month with inbox and approvals included.
Does Metricool have a free plan?
Yes, Metricool has a free plan with 1 brand, 20 posts a month and 30 days of analytics, with no card required. Starter costs $20 a month billed annually, or $25 month to month, for up to 5 brands. X is a paid add-on on every plan, and LinkedIn is not available on the free plan.
How much does Metricool cost?
Metricool Starter costs $20 a month billed annually, or $25 month to month, for up to 5 brands, and $36 a month billed annually for up to 10 brands. Advanced adds approvals and Looker Studio reports. Each X account costs $10 a month extra, and the free plan covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month.
Why do people leave Metricool?
People leave Metricool for three main reasons: X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per account, LinkedIn is missing from the free plan, and team approvals need the Advanced plan. This guide groups the alternatives by those reasons, so you can pick the tool that fixes your exact complaint.
Which Metricool alternative is best for agencies?
Agorapulse is the best Metricool alternative for agencies that answer clients, with a unified inbox from Standard at $79 a user a month. Loomly is best for approval-heavy agencies at $49 a month, and Buffer is best for small agencies that want X included without an add-on.
Final verdict
Pick Buffer if you post on X and do not want to pay $10 a month extra.
Pick Publer if you want X included from the cheapest paid plan.
Pick Agorapulse if you need an inbox without the Advanced plan.
Pick Hootsuite if you need approvals, listening and benchmarks together.
Pick Later if you need LinkedIn on a free or entry plan.
Pick SocialBee if you want evergreen content to recycle itself.
Pick Pallyy if you want approvals and an inbox for $25 a month.
Our 2026 shortlist of the 10 best social media management tools, with real starting prices, free plan details, pros, cons and a clear pick for each use case.
