Tool comparisons
The Best Social Media Scheduling Tools for Indie Hackers, Compared
For most indie hackers the best social media scheduler in 2026 is Buffer, because its free plan covers three channels and paid channels cost $5 a month each. Typefully is the better pick if you mostly write for X and LinkedIn, and Postiz is the one to self-host. The table compares ten tools on price, free plan and networks.
Last updated October 2026
The comparison table
A solo founder needs something different from a social media team. You post a handful of times a week across two or three networks, you do not need approval chains or a shared inbox, and every monthly fee competes with your hosting bill. So this comparison weights three things: whether there is a usable free plan, what one person pays for the networks they actually use, and whether the networks you care about are supported at all. That last point rules more tools out than price does: several well known schedulers have dropped X, never added Bluesky, or keep LinkedIn behind a paid tier.
Prices are the lowest paid plan as published on each tool's own pricing page. Where a vendor shows a different price for annual billing, both are given.
Pricing checked on each tool’s own pricing, feature or help pages. Prices change; confirm on the vendor’s page before you buy.
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffer | Cheap, simple scheduling on many networks | 3 channels, 10 queued posts per channel | $5 per channel per month (Essentials) | Supports X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, Mastodon and more |
| 2 | Typefully | Writing threads and posts for X and LinkedIn | 10 posts per month, 1 account set | $10 per month or $99 per year (Creator) | X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram; no TikTok |
| 3 | Publer | Per account pricing with bulk scheduling | 3 accounts, 10 queued posts each, no X | $5 for 1 account (Professional) | Analytics, API and MCP start on Business at $10 per account |
| 4 | Postiz | Self-hosting an open source scheduler | Self-hosted is free (AGPL-3.0); cloud has a 7-day trial | $29 per month, or $23 billed yearly (cloud, 5 channels) | Around 34 platforms, API, webhooks and MCP on every plan |
| 5 | Metricool | Scheduling plus analytics and competitor tracking | 1 brand, 20 posts per month, no LinkedIn or X | $20 per month billed yearly, $25 monthly (Starter) | X is a paid add-on even on Starter |
| 6 | TimeToPost | Timing posts from your own engagement data, plus SEO | No free plan; 14-day trial, card required | $12 per month (Starter, 30 posts per month) | 16 networks including X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok; no LinkedIn yet |
| 7 | Hypefury | Engagement automation on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram | None; 7-day trial, no card | $6 per month for 1 channel, or $19 for all channels | Its pricing FAQ says it no longer supports X |
| 8 | SocialBee | Evergreen content categories and recycling | None; 14-day trial, no card | $29 per month, or about $24 billed yearly (Bootstrap) | 5 profiles and 1 user on the entry plan |
| 9 | Later | Visual planning for Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest | None; 14-day trial | $18.75 per month billed yearly (Starter) | X and Bluesky are not listed as supported networks |
| 10 | Hootsuite | Teams that need inbox, listening and reporting | None; 14-day trial, no card | $99 per user per month billed yearly (Standard) | Standard is capped at 10 social accounts |
Which one to pick
- You want free and simple: Buffer. Three channels free, no time limit, and $5 per channel when you outgrow it.
- You mostly write threads for X and LinkedIn: Typefully. The best editor here for long text, at $10 a month.
- You want to own the tool: Postiz. Open source and free to self-host, if you can run a server.
- Analytics matter as much as scheduling: Metricool. Unlimited history and competitor reports on Starter.
- You want an agent to run your posting, and SEO in the same account: TimeToPost. MCP on every plan and an AutoSEO blog engine, but only if you do not need LinkedIn.
- You run a team inbox: Hootsuite. The only full suite here, at a team price.
What we did not weigh: AI caption writing. Nearly every tool now has it, the output is similar, and your own voice beats all of it. What we did weigh heavily is network support, because it changes faster than anything else on these pages: within the last year one tool here dropped X and others added Bluesky and Threads. Check the network list on the vendor's own page on the day you buy.
Every tool, one by one
Each entry links to the tool’s own site, the primary source for every price above. How we source facts is on the methodology page.
1. Buffer
Buffer is the default answer for a reason. The free plan is permanent and covers three channels, the paid Essentials plan is priced per channel so you only pay for what you connect, and the network list is the widest among the cheap tools: X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Mastodon and Google Business Profile. It also has an API on every plan, including one key on the free tier.
Pros
- Free plan with 3 channels and no time limit
- Per channel pricing: one channel on Essentials is $5 a month
- Widest network list of the low cost tools, including Bluesky and Mastodon
Cons
- Cost grows with every channel: five channels on Essentials is $25 a month
- The free plan holds only 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time
- Essentials is one user; collaborators need the Team plan at $10 per channel
2. Typefully
Typefully is a writing tool first and a scheduler second, which is exactly what text-first founders want. The editor is built for threads and long posts, the Creator plan includes analytics and an AI assistant, and it has a public API and an MCP server. It is not the right tool if video is your main format: TikTok is not on its network list.
Pros
- Best editor in this list for threads and long text posts
- Creator plan allows 1,000 posts a month for one set of accounts
- Public API and MCP server for automation
Cons
- Free plan is capped at 10 posts a month with no analytics
- No TikTok support
- Each extra set of accounts costs more on Creator
3. Publer
Publer prices per social account, like Buffer, and adds bulk scheduling and RSS automation on its Professional plan. The network list is broad and includes Bluesky, Threads, Telegram, Mastodon and WordPress. The catches are on the free plan: X cannot be connected at all, and post history is kept for only 24 hours.
Pros
- Low per account price with bulk scheduling and RSS on Professional
- Broad network list including Bluesky, Telegram and WordPress
- Every 10th account or member is free
Cons
- X needs a paid plan
- Free plan keeps post history for only 24 hours
- Analytics, best times, API and MCP need the Business plan
4. Postiz
Postiz is the open source option. Self-hosted, it is free with no plan limits, and it supports more networks than anything else here, including Reddit and Discord. The trade is the work: you run the server, apply updates, and create a developer app with each network to get API credentials. The cloud version removes that work but starts at $29 a month for five channels.
Pros
- Free and unlimited when self-hosted, under the AGPL-3.0 licence
- Largest network list here, including Reddit and Discord
- API, webhooks, MCP server and CLI on every plan
Cons
- Self-hosting means your own server and your own API keys for each network
- Cloud has no free plan and starts at $29 a month
- Cloud Standard has no team members
5. Metricool
Metricool is strongest on analytics: unlimited history on paid plans, competitor tracking, reports and a Looker Studio connector. The free plan is generous for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube but excludes LinkedIn and X, and on the Starter plan X is still an extra add-on whose price is not on the pricing page.
Pros
- Strong analytics and competitor reports
- Starter covers up to 5 brands
- Free plan includes an AI assistant and an MCP server
Cons
- Free plan cannot connect LinkedIn or X
- X costs extra even on Starter, price not published
- API and approvals start on Advanced at $53 a month billed yearly
6. TimeToPost
TimeToPost schedules to 16 networks, including X, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, Telegram, Ghost and Buttondown, and recommends posting times per account from that account's own engagement history. It has a free official MCP server on every plan, so an agent can draft, queue and check the scheduler for you. Higher plans add AI drafting, backlink outreach and an AutoSEO blog engine, which matters if social is only half of your marketing.
Pros
- Best times computed from each account's own engagement history
- Free MCP server on every plan for agent-driven posting
- Covers decentralised networks (Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr) and newsletters (Ghost, Buttondown)
Cons
- No LinkedIn, YouTube or Pinterest yet, which rules it out for many B2B founders
- No free plan, and the 14-day trial needs a card
- Starter caps you at 30 posts a month; unlimited posting is $49.99 a month
7. Hypefury
Hypefury started as an X growth tool, with auto plugs, recycled evergreen posts and engagement helpers. Its own pricing FAQ now says it no longer supports X, while some other pages still mention it, so check before you pay if X is your main channel. For Bluesky, Threads, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok it remains a cheap way to automate first comments and reposts.
Pros
- Cheap single channel plan at $6 a month
- Automation features (auto plugs, Instagram auto DMs) other schedulers lack
- Trial needs no card
Cons
- No longer supports X according to its own FAQ
- No free plan
- Analytics and cross posting to LinkedIn need the $19 Full plan
8. SocialBee
SocialBee organises posts into content categories and recycles evergreen ones on a schedule, which suits founders who want a steady background drumbeat rather than daily writing. The entry plan includes unlimited AI content generation. It is pricier than the per channel tools and caps the entry plan at five profiles.
Pros
- Content categories and evergreen recycling built in
- Unlimited AI content generation on every plan
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- No free plan, $29 a month to start
- Only 5 profiles and 1 user on Bootstrap
- Analytics history limited to 3 months on the entry plan
9. Later
Later is built around visual planning for Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and the other image and video networks, with link in bio and best time features. Much of its site now focuses on influencer marketing. For indie hackers who live on X or Bluesky it is the wrong tool: neither is on its network list.
Pros
- Visual grid planning for image and video networks
- Link in bio and best time to post included
- Covers LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest on Starter
Cons
- No X or Bluesky support
- Starter allows 30 posts per profile per month
- No free plan, and the monthly price is not shown next to the yearly one
10. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a full social suite: a unified inbox, listening, AI generation and reporting, priced per user. It is included because founders ask about it, not because it fits them. At $99 per user per month billed yearly, it costs many times more than every other tool here for features a solo founder rarely uses.
Pros
- Unified inbox and listening in one product
- Unlimited scheduled posts on Standard
- Trial needs no card
Cons
- $99 per user per month billed yearly, the most expensive tool here
- No free plan
- Standard is limited to 10 social accounts
Common questions
What is the best free social media scheduler?
Buffer, for most people: its free plan covers 3 channels with up to 10 queued posts each and no time limit. Metricool's free plan allows 20 posts a month for one brand but cannot connect LinkedIn or X. Typefully's free plan allows 10 posts a month. Self-hosted Postiz is free with no limits if you run it yourself.
Which scheduler is cheapest for one person?
On 10 October 2026, Buffer and Publer both started at $5 for one channel or account, Hypefury at $6 for one channel, Typefully at $10 a month, and TimeToPost at $12 a month. Per channel pricing is cheapest when you post to one or two networks and grows linearly after that.
Which schedulers support Bluesky and Threads?
Buffer, Typefully, Publer, Postiz, Metricool and TimeToPost list both Bluesky and Threads. Hypefury lists both too. Later lists Threads but not Bluesky. Hootsuite's plans page does not list its publishing networks, so check with the vendor.
Can an AI agent schedule my posts?
Yes, with tools that expose an MCP server or API. Typefully, Postiz, Metricool, TimeToPost and Publer (on its Business plan) publish MCP servers, and Buffer, Typefully, Publer and Postiz have APIs. Keep a human approval step for anything that publishes under your name.
Is it worth paying for a scheduler at all?
If you post fewer than a few times a week, native scheduling inside X, LinkedIn or Meta's tools is enough and costs nothing. A scheduler earns its fee when you post across several networks, batch a week of posts at once, or want analytics in one place.
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