The main Buffer alternatives depend on the size of your team: Publer, Metricool and Later suit solo owners, Hootsuite and Loomly suit small teams, and Agorapulse, Sprout Social and Sendible suit agency-style setups. Buffer is a clean, simple scheduler, so most people leave it for more analytics, a social inbox, approval steps or client management. Pick on the one gap that's bothering you, then move your queue across carefully.
Buffer does one job well. You write a post, drop it in a queue and it goes out. People usually start searching for something else when they hit one specific wall, and that wall is rarely the same for a solo founder and a larger team.
So I've grouped the options by team size. Check each tool's current plans page before you commit, because limits on accounts, posts and users change often.
Why people look beyond Buffer
- They want deeper analytics and reporting
- They need a shared inbox for comments and messages
- They need approval steps before a post goes live
- They manage several client accounts and want to keep them apart
- They want a visual calendar that suits Instagram and Pinterest
- They've hit a limit on connected accounts or scheduled posts
Write down your own reason first. It will point you at the right group below and save you a week of trial accounts.
If you're a solo owner
You want something fast, light and forgiving. A big feature list just gets in the way.
Publer
Publer lets you schedule to a wide range of networks from one calendar and suits solo owners who post in several places. It has offered a free plan, though limits change, so confirm the current one. The limit is that its many options can feel busy at first.
Metricool
Metricool combines scheduling with analytics in one dashboard, which suits owners who want to see what worked without opening five tabs. It has also offered a free plan. The limit is that the dashboard covers a lot, so expect a short learning curve.
Later
Later is known for its visual planner, which suits brands that care how their Instagram grid looks. It's a good fit if your posts are image-led. The limit is that it's less of a general-purpose tool if most of your posting is text.
If Instagram is your main channel, my guide to free Instagram post schedulers goes into more detail, and the list of free social media schedulers covers the cheapest ways to start.
If you're a small team
Now the question shifts from speed to coordination. Who writes, who approves and who answers comments?
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the long-standing all-rounders, with scheduling, a social inbox, monitoring and team roles in one place. It suits teams that want one tool for the whole job. The limit is that the breadth can feel heavy if you only need a calendar.
If you're weighing it up, I've compared the field in my guide to Hootsuite alternatives.
Loomly
Loomly is built around a content calendar with approval workflows, plus post ideas and previews. It suits small teams where someone needs to sign off before anything goes live. The limit is that it's more about planning and approving than monitoring conversations.
SocialPilot
SocialPilot focuses on scheduling and reporting for multiple accounts without a complicated setup. It suits growing teams and small agencies who want something simple that handles several brands. Check how its current plans handle users and accounts.
If you run things agency-style
With several clients, the priorities are separation, approvals and reports you can hand over. Mixing up accounts is the nightmare, so look for clear workspaces and permissions.
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Agorapulse
Agorapulse is known for its social inbox and reporting, which suits teams that spend as much time replying as posting. The limit is that it's more tool than a solo owner needs.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social offers publishing, a unified inbox, reporting and team workflows. It suits larger teams and brands that want polished reporting. The limit is that it's built for bigger operations, so smaller businesses may not use most of it.
Sendible
Sendible is aimed at agencies, with client workspaces, approvals and white-label style reporting. It suits anyone managing many brands for other people. Check the current plans for how many profiles and users are included.
How to test a scheduler before you commit
Don't judge a tool on its sales page. Run the same small test in each one you shortlist:
- Connect one real account and schedule a text post, an image post and a link post.
- Check how the previews look compared with the live post on each network.
- Try the mobile app, because that's where most quick edits happen.
- Ask for what you need in a report and see how easily you can find it.
- Invite one teammate and see whether the roles make sense.
An hour of this tells you more than any feature table, including the one below.
Comparison at a glance
| Tool | Team size | Suits | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publer | Solo | Posting to many networks | Can feel busy at first |
| Metricool | Solo | Scheduling plus analytics | Learning curve |
| Later | Solo | Image-led, visual planning | Less suited to text-heavy posting |
| Hootsuite | Small team | One tool for scheduling, inbox and monitoring | Can feel heavy |
| Loomly | Small team | Approval workflows and planning | Light on conversation monitoring |
| SocialPilot | Small team | Several accounts, simple setup | Check user and account limits |
| Agorapulse | Agency-style | Inbox and reporting | More than a solo owner needs |
| Sprout Social | Agency-style | Polished reporting for larger teams | Built for bigger operations |
| Sendible | Agency-style | Client workspaces | Check profile and user limits |
Migration checklist: moving away from Buffer
A tidy move takes an afternoon. A rushed one leaves you with double posts or gaps in your calendar.
- Before anything else, copy out your queued posts. Check whether your current tool lets you export them, and if it doesn't, save the text and images in a document.
- Save your best posting times, saved hashtags and any link shortener or tracking settings.
- Export any analytics history you want to keep, since reports usually don't travel between tools.
- Set up the new tool and connect your accounts. Facebook pages, Instagram business profiles and LinkedIn pages each need the right permissions.
- Rebuild your queue in the new tool and schedule a test post to a quiet account.
- Run both tools side by side for a short overlap, but pause the old queue so nothing posts twice.
- Check that team members have the right roles and approval steps.
- Once you're happy, disconnect your accounts from Buffer and cancel the old plan so it doesn't renew.
One last thing. Don't move everything on a Friday afternoon. Do it early in the week, when you can watch the first few posts go out.
Make a social media scheduling tool? See how to get it featured on this list.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good free alternative to Buffer?
Publer and Metricool are two I'd look at first for solo owners, as both have offered a free plan. Limits change, so check the current plans page before you set up your whole queue.
Which Buffer alternative suits a small team?
Hootsuite and Loomly are worth a look. Hootsuite covers scheduling, inbox and monitoring in one place, while Loomly is built around planning and approvals.
Will I lose my scheduled posts when I switch?
You can if you don't plan for it. Copy out your queued posts, text and images before you cancel, and keep the old queue paused while you rebuild.
Can I run Buffer and another scheduler together?
Yes, for a short overlap while you test. Pause the old queue first so the same post doesn't go out twice.
