Free Social Media Scheduler: 7 Free Plans Compared (2026)
Every limit on this page comes from the company's own pricing or help page, checked on November 12, 2026.
Quick answer: these seven tools let you schedule social media posts without paying. The best free social media scheduler for you depends on how often you post and where.
- Buffer: 3 channels, with 10 scheduled posts waiting on each. X is included.
- Metricool: 1 brand and 20 posts a month, with 30 days of analytics. LinkedIn and X are left out.
- Publer: 3 accounts, with 10 scheduled posts waiting on each. X is left out.
- Socialync: 5 posts a month and up to 5 connected accounts across 8 platforms. One post can go to all 5 accounts at once and still counts as one. X is on paid plans.
- Meta Business Suite: free scheduling for Facebook and Instagram only.
- Planable: your first 50 posts are free, with no time limit.
- Postiz: free if you run it on your own server.
Hootsuite and Later have a 14 day free trial and no free plan.
You search for a free social media scheduler. Most of them say "start free."
Then you sign up and find the limit. One is a 14 day trial. One holds 10 posts in a queue. One gives you 20 a month. One gives you 50 and then stops for good.
Those are four different deals behind the same button. This page lines them up so you can pick the one that matches how you post.
If your goal is one video on every platform in one go, read free apps to post to all social media next. This page is about scheduling: how many posts you can line up, on which networks, and what happens when you run out.
Try Socialync free: 5 posts a month, no card.
What Counts as a Free Social Media Scheduler
A tool is on this list if it passes two tests.
- It costs $0 with no end date. A trial that ends does not count.
- It schedules. You pick a date and time, and the post goes out without you.
The second test is the one to check. A free edition can let you publish right away and still keep the calendar for paid plans.
Zoho Social is the clearest example. It has a free edition. Its plan comparison table shows a tick for Scheduled Posts and the Publishing Calendar from the Standard plan up, and a dash in the Free column for both. Check that table before you count on it for scheduling.
The seven tools below pass both tests.
Free Plans at a Glance
| Scheduler | What you can schedule for free | Accounts on free | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | 10 posts waiting per channel, refilled as they publish | 3 channels | 1 user |
| Metricool | 20 posts a month | 1 brand | No LinkedIn, no X |
| Publer | 10 posts waiting per account | 3 accounts | No X |
| Socialync | 5 posts a month, each sent to every account you pick | 5 accounts | No X, no analytics |
| Meta Business Suite | Posts, stories and reels | Your Facebook and Instagram | Meta networks only |
| Planable | 50 posts in total | Not stated on the pricing page | The 50 never reset, no X |
| Postiz, self hosted | Open source, no plan to buy | Your choice | You run the server |
Read the units in the second column before you compare numbers. Three different units are hiding in it.
How Free Plan Limits Work
Free schedulers count posts in three ways. Compare the unit first, then the number.
Posts per month
Metricool gives you 20 posts a month. Socialync gives you 5.
A monthly count is the simplest to plan around. You know on day one what you have until the count resets.
The size of a "post" still differs. On Socialync one post can go to every account you have connected and it counts once. Check how your tool counts a post that goes to several networks before you plan a month.
Posts waiting in the queue
Buffer and Publer cap how many scheduled posts can wait at one time. Buffer holds 10 per channel. Publer holds 10 per account.
A queue cap has no monthly ceiling. When a post publishes, the slot opens and you can schedule another.
Buffer's help center says it plainly: 10 per channel, up to 30 in total with 3 channels connected, and the number is "not a daily, weekly, or monthly limit." Post once a day on a channel and you can schedule 10 days ahead.
The cost is upkeep. You come back to refill the queue.
A one time allowance
Planable gives you 50 posts in total. They do not reset. Once you have used them, you upgrade to keep publishing.
That makes Planable a long test drive. You can run real posts through its approval flow with no clock running.
1. Buffer: Three Channels With X Included
Free plan:
- Up to 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel, refilled as posts go out
- X is included
- 100 ideas
- 1 user account
The catch: the free plan stops at 3 channels and 1 user. If you post daily, you refill each queue every 10 days.
Paid: Essentials starts at $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly. The full math is in the Buffer pricing breakdown.
Best for: posting most days on up to three accounts, with X as one of them.
2. Metricool: Free Scheduling With Analytics
Free plan:
- 1 brand
- 20 scheduled posts a month
- Every network Metricool supports except LinkedIn and X
- 30 days of analytics
- 5 competitor profiles to track
The catch: 20 a month is about 5 a week. LinkedIn and X need a paid plan.
Paid: Starter is $25 a month, or $20 a month billed yearly, for up to 5 brands. See the Metricool pricing breakdown for what each tier adds.
Best for: one brand that wants numbers next to the calendar.
3. Publer: Three Accounts With a Rolling Queue
Free plan:
- Up to 3 social accounts
- 10 scheduled posts at once per account
- 25 saved drafts
- No expiry date
The catch: X cannot be added on the free plan. Published posts leave your Publer history after 24 hours, so keep your own record if you need one.
Paid: X is on paid plans. The Publer and Socialync comparison lists Publer's paid prices.
Best for: three accounts and a steady queue you top up each week.
4. Socialync: One Post to All Your Connected Accounts
Free plan:
- 5 posts a month, refreshed on the 1st
- One post counts once, however many of your accounts you send it to
- Up to 5 connected accounts, any mix of 8 platforms: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky and Pinterest
- A separate caption for each platform
- Schedule up to 2 months ahead
- Works inside Claude and ChatGPT through the Socialync connector
- No credit card
The catch: 5 posts a month is about one a week. If you post daily, a queue based free plan will suit you better. X, analytics and the AI caption assistant are on paid plans.
Paid: plans start at $20 a month for 5 connected accounts with unlimited posts. Extra accounts are from $2 a month. Paid plans schedule up to 12 months ahead.
Best for: one video or post a week that goes to several platforms at once. Five posts sent to 5 connected accounts is 25 platform posts a month from five uploads.
Post to all your platforms in one click
Socialync lets you cross-post to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, and Pinterest, with AI-powered captions for each platform. Free to start.
5. Meta Business Suite: Free for Facebook and Instagram
Free plan:
- Free to use on desktop and in the mobile app
- Schedules posts, stories and reels
- A calendar view of everything you have scheduled
The catch: it covers Meta's own networks. TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and the rest need another tool.
Best for: a business that only posts to Facebook and Instagram. Meta's help center explains how it works.
If you want the walkthrough for each network, see how to schedule Instagram posts and how to schedule Facebook posts.
6. Planable: 50 Free Posts to Test a Team Workflow
Free plan:
- Your first 50 posts are free
- No time limit
- No credit card
The catch: the 50 posts never reset. X publishing is off until you pay. Planable calls this a free trial.
Paid: Basic is listed at $33 per workspace a month, with 60 posts a month, 4 social pages and unlimited users.
Best for: a team that wants to try approvals and shared planning on real posts before paying.
7. Postiz: Free if You Host It Yourself
Free plan:
- The code is open source on GitHub under the AGPL 3.0 license
- You run it on your own server
- No subscription to buy: your cost is the server
The catch: you are the host. Updates, backups and uptime are yours.
Paid: the hosted version has a 7 day free trial, then Standard is $29 a month for 5 channels with unlimited posts.
Best for: people who are comfortable running their own software.
Trials That End: Hootsuite and Later
Two well known schedulers come up in searches for free tools. Both are paid tools with a trial.
Hootsuite offers a free 14 day trial. When it ends, regular billing begins. Standard is $99 per user a month, billed annually. The Hootsuite pricing breakdown has the details, and the free Hootsuite alternative page compares the costs.
Later is free for 14 days. Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly for 1 social set of 8 profiles, with up to 30 posts per profile. More in the Later pricing breakdown.
Both are solid paid tools. Use the trial to decide, and set a reminder for day 13.
Which Free Schedulers Include X
X is where free plans split.
- Buffer: yes. X profiles can be one of your 3 channels.
- Metricool: no. X is a paid add on.
- Publer: no. X needs a paid plan.
- Socialync: no. X is on paid plans.
- Planable: no. X publishing is off during the 50 free posts.
- Meta Business Suite: no. It covers Facebook and Instagram.
If X is the account you care about most, start with Buffer.
Which Free Scheduler Should You Pick
Match the plan to your posting habit.
- You post most days on up to three accounts. Pick Buffer. The queue refills as you go and X is included.
- You post about five times a week and want analytics. Pick Metricool, as long as you can live without LinkedIn and X.
- You run three accounts and like a rolling queue. Pick Publer.
- You make one video a week and want it on several platforms. Pick Socialync. One upload goes to up to 5 connected accounts, such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and it counts as one post.
- You only use Facebook and Instagram. Pick Meta Business Suite.
- You are choosing a tool for a team. Use Planable's 50 posts to test the approval flow.
- You would rather host it yourself. Pick Postiz.
You can also combine two: Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram, and a second free plan for everything else.
For the wider field, paid tools included, see the best social media scheduler comparison.
Start on Socialync's free plan
How to Schedule a Week of Posts for Free
This routine works on any free plan above.
- Count your posts first. Write down how many posts you publish in a normal week and on which networks. That number picks your plan from the table.
- Make the week in one sitting. Film or write everything for the week at once. The batch content creation guide shows how.
- Connect your accounts. Do it once. Most free plans cap accounts, so connect the ones that matter most.
- Upload and write a caption for each platform. A caption that fits TikTok rarely fits LinkedIn.
- Pick the dates and times. Spread the posts across the week.
- Check the calendar. Look for gaps and double bookings before you close the tab.
- Set one refill reminder. On a queue plan, that is the day the queue runs low. On a monthly plan, it is the 1st.
If you worry that scheduled posts get less reach, read does scheduling hurt engagement.
For TikTok specifically, read how to schedule TikTok posts.
When a Free Plan Stops Being Enough
Free plans are built for a light, steady schedule. You have outgrown yours when one of these keeps happening.
- You refill the queue every few days.
- You run out of monthly posts before the month ends.
- You need X or LinkedIn and your plan leaves it out.
- You add a fourth account, or a teammate.
This is what the next step costs on each tool, from the same vendor pages.
| Scheduler | First paid plan | What it is priced by |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | $6 a month, or $5 billed yearly | Per channel |
| Metricool | Starter at $25 a month, or $20 billed yearly | Brands, up to 5 on Starter |
| Socialync | From $20 a month | 5 connected accounts, unlimited posts |
| Planable | Basic at $33 a month | Per workspace |
| Postiz, hosted | Standard at $29 a month | 5 channels |
| Later | Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly | 1 social set of 8 profiles |
| Hootsuite | Standard at $99 a month billed annually | Per user |
Billed monthly, Buffer Essentials is $6, $12 or $18 for one to three channels, which is under Socialync's $20. At four channels it is $24 and at five it is $30, and Socialync's $20 covers 5 connected accounts. Do the math for your own account count before you choose.
See what Socialync costs for your accounts
FAQ
Is there a completely free social media scheduler?
Yes. Buffer, Metricool, Publer and Socialync each have a free plan with no end date. Meta Business Suite is free for Facebook and Instagram. Each one caps something: channels, posts a month, or posts waiting in the queue.
Is Hootsuite still free?
Hootsuite's plans page lists a free 14 day trial and no free plan. After the trial, Standard is $99 per user a month, billed annually.
Is there a free Instagram scheduler?
Yes. Meta Business Suite schedules Instagram posts, stories and reels at no cost. Socialync's free plan also connects Instagram, and Metricool's free plan covers every network it supports except LinkedIn and X.
Is there a free Facebook post scheduler?
Yes. Meta Business Suite is Meta's own free tool for scheduling Facebook and Instagram content, on desktop and in its mobile app.
Which free scheduler includes X?
Buffer is the one on this page. X profiles count toward its 3 free channels. Metricool, Publer, Socialync and Planable keep X for paid plans.
Can you schedule TikTok videos for free?
Yes. Socialync's free plan posts video to TikTok, and the same upload can go to Instagram, YouTube and your other connected accounts, up to 5 in all. Buffer counts a TikTok account as one of your channels, and Metricool's free plan covers every network it supports except LinkedIn and X.
Does Zoho Social's free edition schedule posts?
Zoho Social has a free edition. Its plan comparison table shows Scheduled Posts starting on the Standard plan, so check that table before you rely on it for scheduling.
Is Socialync free?
Socialync has a free plan that costs $0 and needs no card. You get 5 posts a month and up to 5 connected accounts across 8 platforms, with X on paid plans. Paid plans start at $20 a month with unlimited posts.
Start With the Plan That Fits
Pick by how you post. Daily on a few accounts points to Buffer. One brand with analytics points to Metricool. Facebook and Instagram only points to Meta Business Suite.
If you make one post and want it on several platforms, start with Socialync:
- 5 posts a month on the free plan, no card
- One upload to up to 5 connected accounts on free, from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky and Pinterest
- A caption for each platform
- Schedule up to 2 months ahead on free, 12 months on paid plans
- Paid plans from $20 a month with unlimited posts
- Extra accounts from $2 a month