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The 13 best Metricool alternatives for 2026 (ranked)

Discover 13 strong Metricool alternatives for 2026. Compare pricing, features & workflows — PostOnce ranks #1.

Metricool has built a loyal following as one of the more generous social media management tools available — its free plan alone gives you unlimited scheduling and solid analytics, which is hard to argue with. But spend enough time with it and the cracks start to show.

The brand-based account structure trips up agencies and multi-location businesses the moment they try to scale. Each brand allows only one account per platform, so managing multiple Instagram accounts for different clients quickly becomes either expensive or impossible. Twitter/X isn't included in standard plans — you pay for it as an add-on. The interface is notoriously cluttered. And like every other traditional scheduler on the market, Metricool still requires you to manually schedule each post on each platform individually. Post something on Instagram and want it on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Threads too? That's four separate scheduling tasks.

For creators and businesses publishing across five, six, or even eight platforms daily, that repetitive workflow adds up fast. Research shows the average user actively visits 6-7 social platforms per month — and brands are expected to show up on all of them. Crossposting has become standard practice in 2025-2026, but most social media management tools still treat it as an afterthought.

This guide covers 13 Metricool alternatives worth considering in 2026 — some that excel at analytics, some that shine for agencies, one that automates crossposting entirely, and several that simply do the scheduling job better. You'll find PostOnce (which removes the manual crossposting workflow completely), enterprise platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social, visual planners like Later, collaboration tools like Planable, and affordable agency options like SocialPilot and Sendible.

Here's what this Metricool alternative comparison covers:

  • A quick comparison table of all 13 tools with pricing and workflow type
  • What Metricool does well and where it genuinely falls short
  • A detailed breakdown of each alternative with pros, cons, and use cases
  • Persona-based recommendations so you find the right fit fast
  • FAQs about switching from Metricool

Let's look at the best Metricool alternatives for 2026.


Quick comparison table

ToolBest forWorkflowPlatformsPricing fromStrength
PostOnceCrossposting automationNative→AutoIG/X/LI/BS/TH/FB/PT/YT*$19/moEliminates manual reposting
BufferSimple schedulingManual scheduling8 networks$6/mo/channelClean, minimal UI
HootsuiteEnterprise teamsManual scheduling20+ networks$99/moComprehensive features
Sprout SocialAnalytics & reportingScheduled postsAll major platforms$249/moDeep analytics
LaterVisual Instagram planningCalendar-basedIG/FB/TT/PT/LI/X$25/moVisual content calendar
PlanableTeam collaborationApproval workflowsAll major platforms$33/moContent approval
LoomlyBrand managementCampaign planning10+ networks$42/moPost ideas & optimization tips
SocialPilotBudget agenciesBulk scheduling10+ networks$30/moAffordable + bulk scheduling
AgorapulseSocial inbox managementUnified inboxFB/IG/X/LI/YT/TT$99/moInbox + scheduling
SendibleAgenciesClient management20+ networks$29/moWhite-label reports
SocialBeeContent recyclingEvergreen content10+ networks$29/moContent categories
CoScheduleMarketing teamsMarketing calendar5+ networks$29/moFull marketing suite
Zoho SocialZoho ecosystem usersScheduled posts + CRMAll major platforms$15/moCRM integration

*IG=Instagram, X=Twitter, LI=LinkedIn, BS=Bluesky, TH=Threads, FB=Facebook, PT=Pinterest, YT=YouTube, TT=TikTok


Why consider a Metricool alternative?

Metricool is a capable tool — particularly for solo creators and small brands that want scheduling and analytics in one place without paying much. But it has clear boundaries, and knowing them helps you decide when to look elsewhere.

What Metricool does well

Generous free plan

Metricool's free plan is one of the most competitive available. You get unlimited scheduled posts, comprehensive analytics, and competitor tracking for one brand — all at $0/month. Most tools in this category either limit your post count, remove analytics from free tiers, or restrict platform access. Metricool does none of those things on the free plan.

Integrated analytics and scheduling in one place

Metricool combines social media scheduling with analytics, ad performance tracking (Facebook Ads, Google Ads), and even website traffic monitoring in a single dashboard. For creators who want to avoid toggling between tools, this unified view is genuinely useful.

Competitor benchmarking

Even on lower-tier plans, Metricool lets you track competitor account performance — follower growth, engagement rates, posting frequency. This kind of competitive intelligence is often locked behind expensive enterprise plans elsewhere.

Broad platform support

Metricool supports 15+ platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Google My Business, and even Twitch. That's broader than many alternatives at similar price points.

Where Metricool falls short

Twitter/X is a paid add-on

This is one of the most complained-about quirks. Twitter/X support isn't included in Metricool's standard plans — it's purchased as a separate add-on. For creators who rely heavily on X, this makes Metricool's apparent affordability less straightforward.

The brand structure limits agency scaling

Metricool organizes accounts by "brands," where each brand permits one account per platform. This works fine for managing a single business, but agencies managing multiple clients (or businesses with multiple Instagram accounts) find the structure expensive and restrictive very quickly.

The interface is cluttered and confusing

User reviews consistently mention Metricool's interface as a frustration point. The dashboard tries to surface a lot of data, and navigating between scheduling, analytics, and reports can feel disorganized. For teams new to the tool, the learning curve is steeper than it should be for a scheduling product.

Limited AI capabilities

Metricool offers some AI-powered scheduling (best-time suggestions on Advanced plans), but it lags behind newer tools when it comes to AI-assisted caption generation, content variation, or post optimization. Users who want AI writing assistance built into their scheduling workflow will need to look elsewhere.

No automatic crossposting

Like most social media management tools, Metricool requires manual scheduling per platform. If you want to share the same post on LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads, that's four separate tasks — plus adapting captions, image formats, and hashtags for each. For creators publishing daily across many platforms, this is where the hours disappear.

Bottom line on Metricool

Metricool is an excellent choice for budget-conscious creators who need analytics alongside scheduling and are comfortable managing one brand per account. But the Twitter add-on cost, clunky interface, brand-structure limitations, and lack of crossposting automation make it a poor fit for agencies, multi-platform creators, and anyone trying to reduce repetitive work.


How these alternatives were evaluated

Each Metricool alternative on this list was assessed against the following criteria:

Workflow efficiency — How many steps does it take to get content distributed across multiple platforms? Does it eliminate repetitive scheduling work?

Platform coverage — Which social networks are supported? Does it include newer platforms like Threads, Bluesky, and TikTok?

Automation capabilities — Does the tool require manual intervention for every post, or does it offer genuine automation for crossposting or content distribution?

Analytics depth — How robust are the reporting features? Can you get actionable insights without upgrading to expensive tiers?

AI features — Does the tool offer AI-powered caption generation, scheduling suggestions, or content optimization?

Pricing fairness — Is the cost proportional to the features? Are there accessible free plans or affordable entry points for individuals and small businesses?

Best use cases — Who is the tool actually designed for? Creators, agencies, enterprises, or specific workflows?

Now let's examine the 13 best Metricool alternatives for 2026.


Metricool alternative #1: PostOnce

PostOnce solves a problem that Metricool — and virtually every traditional social media management tool — doesn't address: the repetitive, time-consuming work of manually crossposting the same content across multiple platforms.

Where Metricool requires you to schedule each post on each platform individually, PostOnce works the other way around. You post natively on your preferred platform (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever you naturally create), and PostOnce automatically distributes that content to all your connected accounts.

PostOnce dashboard showing cross-posting automation workflow

PostOnce vs Metricool

The core difference is the workflow model. Metricool is a scheduler — you queue content manually for each platform and it publishes at the scheduled time. PostOnce is a crossposting automation layer — you post natively once and it handles distribution automatically.

Metricool workflow:

  1. Create post for Instagram
  2. Schedule Instagram post in Metricool
  3. Create version for LinkedIn
  4. Schedule LinkedIn post
  5. Create version for Twitter/X (add-on cost)
  6. Schedule Twitter post
  7. Repeat for Bluesky, Threads, Facebook...

PostOnce workflow:

  1. Post natively on Instagram (or whichever platform you prefer)
  2. PostOnce automatically crossposts to Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Facebook — all at once
  3. Done.

That's not an incremental improvement in efficiency — it's a fundamentally different way of managing multi-platform content. Instead of treating crossposting as a series of scheduling tasks, PostOnce makes it invisible. You can crosspost automatically without ever opening a scheduling dashboard.

Platform support

PostOnce supports:

  • Instagram (feed posts, carousels, Reels)
  • Twitter/X (posts, threads, media)
  • LinkedIn (posts, documents, videos)
  • Bluesky (posts, media)
  • Threads (text posts, media)
  • Facebook (pages, media)
  • Pinterest (pins, boards)
  • YouTube (Shorts, community posts)

Unlike Metricool, Twitter/X isn't an add-on — it's fully included. PostOnce also supports Bluesky and Threads, two platforms Metricool doesn't cover, which matters in 2026 as creators build audiences there.

Workflow steps

  1. Connect your accounts — One-time setup, link all your social profiles to PostOnce
  2. Configure crossposting flows — Choose which source platform triggers distribution and which destinations receive content
  3. Post natively — Publish content on your preferred platform as you normally would
  4. PostOnce distributes automatically — Content reaches all connected platforms based on your flows

No scheduling calendar to manage. No copy-pasting posts. No reformatting captions eight times. Just create content once and let automation handle everything else.

Content rules and filtering

PostOnce gives you control over what gets crossposted through smart filtering:

  • Hashtag rules — Only crosspost content tagged with specific hashtags (useful for separating personal posts from business content)
  • Content type filtering — Choose to crosspost only images, only videos, or only text posts to specific destinations
  • Platform-specific rules — Send Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts and TikTok, but skip LinkedIn for that content type

This means you can repurpose content intelligently — polished posts go everywhere, casual content stays where it belongs.

Pricing

Creator Plan — $19/month

  • 15 social accounts
  • 5 automated crossposting flows
  • All platforms supported
  • Unlimited posts
  • Content filtering rules

Pro Plan — $49/month

  • Unlimited social accounts
  • Unlimited crossposting flows
  • Priority support
  • Advanced content rules

Both plans include a 7-day free trial (credit card required). No per-channel pricing — flat monthly rates regardless of how many platforms you manage. Compare that to Metricool's brand-based pricing where each additional brand tier costs more, and PostOnce becomes especially affordable for multi-platform creators.

Why PostOnce stands out for creators

  • Post once, distribute everywhere — eliminates Metricool's manual platform-by-platform scheduling
  • Saves creators ~4 hours per week on repetitive crossposting work
  • Twitter/X fully included — no add-on costs unlike Metricool
  • Bluesky and Threads supported — platforms Metricool doesn't cover
  • Content rules keep the right content on the right platforms
  • 50,000+ posts published through the platform
  • Flat pricing — $19/mo for 15 accounts vs Metricool's brand-based structure

Best for: Content creators, indie hackers, newsletter writers, podcasters, YouTubers — anyone publishing similar content across 4+ platforms regularly who wants to eliminate repetitive scheduling work.

Not ideal for: Teams needing deep analytics dashboards, agencies managing dozens of client accounts with approval workflows, or social media managers who need social listening tools. PostOnce is focused on crossposting automation, not comprehensive social media management.


Alternative #2: Buffer

Buffer is Metricool's most direct natural comparison — both serve creators and small businesses, both offer straightforward scheduling, and both have free plans. But they take different approaches.

Buffer social media scheduling dashboard

Buffer vs Metricool

Where Metricool leans into analytics, Buffer leans into simplicity. The interface is cleaner, the setup is faster, and the per-channel pricing model makes it transparent — but that per-channel model also means costs add up quickly if you manage many platforms.

Simple, minimal interface

Buffer's biggest selling point is how easy it is to use. The dashboard is uncluttered, the scheduling flow is intuitive, and new users can have their first posts queued within minutes. If Metricool's interface feels busy and overwhelming, Buffer is the palate cleanser.

Queue-based scheduling

Buffer's queue system lets you load posts and auto-publish them at set times throughout the week. This "set it and forget it" approach works well for creators who want consistency without manual daily effort. Unlike Metricool's brand structure, Buffer's per-channel model is more flexible for managing a handful of platforms.

Browser extension

Buffer's browser extension lets you schedule content directly from any web page — useful for curating articles, sharing links, and scheduling content without opening the main dashboard.

Analytics

Buffer's analytics are more basic than Metricool's. You get engagement metrics, top posts, and basic reach data — enough for casual tracking, but not the competitor benchmarking or ad performance tracking that Metricool offers.

Pricing

Free — $0/month

  • 3 channels
  • 10 scheduled posts total

Essentials — $6/month per channel

  • Unlimited scheduling
  • Basic analytics

Team — $12/month per channel

  • Approval workflows
  • Team access

Managing five platforms on Essentials costs $30/month. Ten platforms costs $60/month. The per-channel model gets expensive for multi-platform creators quickly.

Pros

  • Cleanest, most intuitive interface in this category
  • Affordable for 1-3 platforms
  • Browser extension for quick scheduling
  • Free plan available

Cons

  • Per-channel pricing gets expensive for multi-platform users
  • Analytics significantly less detailed than Metricool
  • No competitor tracking or ad performance monitoring
  • Doesn't support Bluesky or Threads
  • No crossposting automation
FeatureBufferMetricool
InterfaceClean, minimalFeature-rich, complex
AnalyticsBasicComprehensive
Free plan3 channels, 10 posts1 brand, unlimited
Twitter/X✅ IncludedAdd-on cost
Competitor data❌ No✅ Yes

Verdict

Buffer beats Metricool on interface simplicity and is a better fit for creators who primarily need a clean scheduler. But for analytics, Metricool's free plan is more powerful. If scheduling simplicity matters more than analytics depth, Buffer is a solid Metricool alternative — just be aware costs rise with each additional channel.

Best for: Solo creators managing 3-5 platforms who prioritize a clean workflow over advanced analytics.


Alternative #3: Hootsuite

Hootsuite is the enterprise-grade Metricool alternative — more features, more platforms, more team capabilities, and significantly more expensive.

Hootsuite enterprise social media management platform

Hootsuite vs Metricool

Where Metricool is optimized for solo creators and small businesses, Hootsuite is built for teams managing complex social media operations across multiple brands, geographies, and networks.

Platform coverage

Hootsuite supports 20+ social networks, more than Metricool's 15+. This includes deeper integrations with platforms like Reddit and Tumblr in addition to all the standard networks.

Unified social inbox

Unlike Metricool, Hootsuite includes a unified social inbox that aggregates messages, comments, and @mentions from all connected accounts into a single feed. For brands with active communities, this inbox feature alone can justify the price difference.

Team collaboration and approval workflows

Hootsuite's team features are significantly more mature than Metricool's:

  • Role-based access (admin, editor, viewer)
  • Multi-level approval workflows
  • Campaign organization
  • Task assignments for team members

Analytics and reporting

Hootsuite's analytics are comprehensive, covering engagement, reach, follower growth, and custom report exports. They're comparable to Metricool's advanced reporting — though both tools charge for the deepest insights.

Pricing

Professional — $99/month

  • 1 user, 10 social accounts
  • Unlimited scheduling

Team — $249/month

  • 3 users, 20 social accounts
  • Enhanced analytics

Enterprise — Custom pricing

  • 5+ users, 50+ accounts

Pros

  • Comprehensive social inbox for community management
  • Mature team collaboration and approval workflows
  • 20+ platform integrations
  • Trusted by enterprise brands for years

Cons

  • Significantly more expensive than Metricool ($99/mo vs free)
  • Interface is dated compared to modern tools
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
  • Overkill for solo creators or small businesses
FeatureHootsuiteMetricool
Social inbox✅ Comprehensive❌ No
Pricing$99-249/moFree-$50/mo
Team workflows✅ Advanced✅ Basic
Best forEnterprise teamsSolo creators

Verdict

Hootsuite is the right Metricool alternative if you're a marketing team that needs a social inbox, approval workflows, and enterprise-grade features. The price jump is steep — but for teams managing multiple brands and clients at scale, it's justified. Solo creators and small businesses are better served by Metricool or a more affordable alternative.

Best for: Marketing teams, enterprises, agencies managing multiple brands at scale with dedicated social media managers.


Alternative #4: Sprout Social

Sprout Social is the analytics-first Metricool alternative, offering the most detailed reporting and social listening in this category — at a premium price.

Sprout Social analytics and social listening platform

Sprout Social vs Metricool

Both Sprout Social and Metricool emphasize analytics over basic scheduling — but Sprout Social operates at an entirely different depth. Where Metricool gives you solid standard metrics, Sprout Social provides customizable dashboards, competitor analysis, audience demographics, and social listening that let teams demonstrate ROI in detailed board-level reports.

Advanced analytics and customizable reports

Sprout Social's analytics include:

  • Custom report templates with drag-and-drop modules
  • Audience demographic breakdowns (age, location, interests)
  • Competitor benchmarking across all major platforms
  • Paid social performance alongside organic metrics
  • Tag-based reporting to track campaign performance

For social media managers who need to present quantified results to executives, Sprout Social's customizable reports are unmatched.

Social listening

Sprout Social's listening tools monitor brand mentions, industry keywords, and sentiment across platforms in real time. This goes far beyond Metricool's competitor tracking — it's proactive intelligence gathering. You can spot emerging conversations, identify influencers discussing your brand, and track sentiment shifts before they become problems.

Smart Inbox

Like Hootsuite, Sprout Social includes a Smart Inbox that consolidates all messages, comments, and mentions. The inbox adds collision detection (prevents two team members from responding to the same message), automated tagging, and saved replies.

Pricing

Standard — $249/month per seat

  • 5 social profiles, all-in-one inbox

Professional — $399/month per seat

  • Competitive reports, listening, custom workflows

Advanced — $499/month per seat

  • Advanced automation, digital asset library

Pros

  • Industry-leading analytics and reporting depth
  • Social listening for real-time brand monitoring
  • Smart Inbox for efficient community management
  • Excellent for demonstrating social media ROI

Cons

  • Extremely expensive ($249/mo per seat vs Metricool's free plan)
  • Overkill for solo creators or small businesses
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
  • Steep learning curve
FeatureSprout SocialMetricool
AnalyticsEnterprise-gradeSolid, mid-tier
Social listening✅ Advanced❌ No
Pricing$249-499/moFree-$50/mo
Best forEnterprise analyticsSMBs & creators

Verdict

Sprout Social is built for established brands with dedicated social media teams and reporting requirements. If you're currently using Metricool's analytics and find them sufficient, Sprout Social is probably more than you need. But for teams that must prove ROI and justify social media budgets with granular data, no tool in this category matches it.

Best for: Established brands, marketing teams, social media managers at mid-size to enterprise companies who need detailed analytics and social listening.


Alternative #5: Later

Later began as an Instagram-first scheduler and has evolved into a visual-first planning platform with a strong free plan and TikTok support.

Later visual social media planning and Instagram scheduling

Later vs Metricool

Where Metricool organizes content around analytics and scheduling calendars, Later organizes around visual content and media libraries. If Instagram is your primary platform and the aesthetics of your grid matter to you, Later has capabilities Metricool simply doesn't offer.

Visual Instagram grid planner

Later's signature feature is the visual Instagram planner — a drag-and-drop grid showing exactly how your Instagram profile will look before posts go live. You can rearrange posts to maintain a cohesive aesthetic, which is significant for creators and brands where Instagram grid appearance matters.

Media library

Later includes a media library to store and organize images, videos, and content assets. You can tag content, search by file type, and quickly find assets across campaigns — useful for creators building libraries over time.

TikTok support

Later supports TikTok direct posting — something Metricool offers but worth highlighting as TikTok continues to grow as a primary platform for creators.

Platform support

Later supports Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X. It doesn't cover Bluesky or Threads.

Pricing

Free — $0/month

  • 1 social set, 10 posts per profile/month

Starter — $25/month

  • 1 social set, 30 posts/profile/month, link in bio

Growth — $45/month

  • 3 social sets, unlimited posts, UGC tools

Advanced — $80/month

  • 6 social sets, competitor analytics

Pros

  • Visual Instagram grid planning (unique in this category)
  • Free plan available
  • TikTok direct posting
  • Strong media library organization

Cons

  • Weaker for platforms beyond Instagram
  • Analytics less detailed than Metricool
  • No competitor tracking on lower plans
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureLaterMetricool
Grid planning✅ Instagram grid❌ No
Free plan✅ 10 posts/profile✅ Unlimited posts
AnalyticsBasicComprehensive
Best forVisual creatorsAnalytics + scheduling

Verdict

Later is the better Metricool alternative if Instagram aesthetics and visual planning are priorities. But Metricool's free plan is more powerful from an analytics perspective, and Later's free tier is significantly more restrictive on post count. Choose Later for visual-first Instagram work; stay with Metricool (or pick something else) if analytics matter more.

Best for: Instagram-focused creators, influencers, visual content brands who prioritize grid aesthetics and media organization.


Alternative #6: Planable

Planable is the collaboration-first Metricool alternative, built around content approval workflows that Metricool handles only partially.

Planable collaboration and content approval platform

Planable vs Metricool

While Metricool offers basic team access, Planable is built from the ground up for teams that need review and approval before publishing. Agencies creating content for clients, marketing teams with sign-off requirements, and brands where executives review posts before going live — Planable serves all of these better than Metricool.

Multi-level approval workflows

Planable's core feature is structured content approval:

  • Creators draft posts in Planable
  • Reviewers leave inline feedback on specific posts
  • Approvers give final sign-off
  • Posts publish only after approval completes

This eliminates the email back-and-forth that Metricool users typically work around.

Multiple content views

Planable provides calendar, list, grid, and feed view — the feed view renders posts exactly as they'll appear on each platform, making it easy to catch formatting issues before publishing.

Real-time collaboration

Multiple team members can work on content simultaneously with real-time co-editing and comment threads on individual posts.

Platform support

Planable supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, TikTok, and Google My Business. No Bluesky or Threads yet.

Pricing

Free — $0/month

  • 50 posts total, 1 workspace

Basic — $33/month

  • Unlimited posts, workspaces, unlimited users

Pro — $66/month

  • Custom approval workflows, universal content

Enterprise — Custom pricing

Pros

  • Best-in-class approval workflows
  • Feed view shows exactly how posts render per platform
  • Unlimited users even on Basic plan
  • Collaborative editing and feedback

Cons

  • Analytics minimal compared to Metricool
  • No social inbox or listening features
  • More expensive than Metricool on paid plans
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeaturePlanableMetricool
Approval workflows✅ Multi-level❌ Basic
Analytics❌ Minimal✅ Comprehensive
Pricing$33/mo unlimitedFree-$50/mo
Best forTeam collaborationSolo analytics

Verdict

Planable is the right Metricool alternative for agencies and marketing teams where content review and approval is a core workflow requirement. If you're managing social media solo or in a small team without approval needs, Metricool's analytics make it more useful. Planable focuses on collaboration; Metricool focuses on performance data.

Best for: Agencies, marketing teams with approval processes, brands requiring stakeholder sign-off on social content.


Alternative #7: Loomly

Loomly is a brand management platform that combines scheduling with post ideas, optimization tips, and content inspiration — useful for teams that struggle with consistent content creation.

Loomly brand success platform with post optimization tips

Loomly vs Metricool

Where Metricool emphasizes analytics, Loomly emphasizes content creation support. The platform tries to help you create better posts, not just track how your existing posts perform.

Post ideas and inspiration

Loomly automatically surfaces post ideas based on trending topics, RSS feeds you follow, holidays, and industry events. For teams that hit creative walls or need a prompt to maintain consistent posting, this structured inspiration is more useful than an empty scheduling calendar.

Platform-specific optimization tips

Before publishing, Loomly provides platform-specific tips:

  • Suggested character limits per network
  • Optimal image dimensions
  • Hashtag recommendations
  • Best posting time suggestions

This guidance is helpful for teams less familiar with the technical requirements of each platform.

Approval workflows

Like Planable, Loomly includes content approval workflows where team members review and approve posts before publishing.

Pricing

Loomly doubled its pricing in 2025, making it notably more expensive than it was:

Base — $42/month

  • 2 users, 10 social accounts

Standard — $80/month

  • 6 users, 20 social accounts

Advanced — $175/month

  • 14 users, 35 social accounts

Premium — $369/month

  • 30 users, 50 social accounts

All plans include a 15-day free trial. No free plan available.

Pros

  • Post ideas reduce content creation friction
  • Optimization tips help teams new to social media
  • Approval workflows included across plans
  • Multi-channel campaign organization

Cons

  • Pricing significantly increased in 2025 — less competitive now
  • No free plan
  • Analytics less detailed than Metricool
  • Interface feels dated compared to modern tools
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureLoomlyMetricool
Post ideas✅ Yes❌ No
AnalyticsBasicComprehensive
Free plan❌ No✅ Yes
Pricing$42/mo (2 users)Free-$50/mo

Verdict

Loomly's 2025 pricing increase makes it harder to recommend enthusiastically. If the post ideas and optimization tips genuinely help your team create better content consistently, the price can be justified — but for most users, Metricool provides better analytics at a lower cost, and Planable offers better collaboration at a similar price.

Best for: Small marketing teams that need help generating content ideas and structuring workflows with approval steps.


Alternative #8: SocialPilot

SocialPilot is the budget-friendly agency-focused Metricool alternative, delivering more features at prices well below Hootsuite or Sprout Social.

SocialPilot affordable social media management for agencies

SocialPilot vs Metricool

Metricool's brand-based structure limits agency scalability. SocialPilot is built to handle agency volume — bulk scheduling, client workspaces, white-label reports, and high account limits at affordable pricing.

Bulk scheduling

SocialPilot's standout feature is bulk scheduling via CSV upload. Upload hundreds of posts at once and schedule them across multiple accounts — dramatically faster than Metricool's individual post scheduling for agencies with high-volume content calendars.

Client management

SocialPilot includes agency-specific features Metricool lacks:

  • Separate workspaces per client
  • White-label reports branded with your agency logo
  • Client approval workflows
  • Role-based team access

Pricing

Essentials — $30/month

  • 7 social accounts, 1 user

Growth — $50/month

  • 25 accounts, 3 users, client management

Advanced — $100/month

  • 50 accounts, 6 users, white-label reports

Ultimate — $200/month

  • 100 accounts, 10 users

All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Pros

  • Affordable compared to enterprise tools
  • Bulk scheduling saves significant time for agencies
  • White-label reports for client presentation
  • TikTok, Google My Business support

Cons

  • Interface less polished than modern tools
  • Analytics less detailed than Metricool
  • No social inbox or listening features
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureSocialPilotMetricool
Bulk scheduling✅ Yes❌ No
Client management✅ Yes❌ Limited
AnalyticsStandardComprehensive
Pricing$30/mo (7 accounts)Free-$50/mo

Verdict

SocialPilot is the better option for agencies that need to manage many client accounts affordably. Metricool's brand structure makes agency use expensive; SocialPilot's flat-account pricing scales more predictably. But if analytics depth matters more than agency features, Metricool wins.

Best for: Budget-conscious agencies, freelancers managing multiple client accounts, small businesses needing bulk scheduling.


Alternative #9: Agorapulse

Agorapulse builds its case on the social inbox — a unified command center for all your brand's social interactions that Metricool entirely lacks.

Agorapulse social inbox and community management platform

Agorapulse vs Metricool

Metricool schedules posts and tracks performance metrics. Agorapulse does that too, but adds a comprehensive social inbox for managing every comment, DM, and @mention across all your platforms in one place.

Unified social inbox

Agorapulse's inbox aggregates:

  • Comments on all posts
  • Direct messages across platforms
  • @mentions and tags
  • Ad comments (Facebook and Instagram)

Features inside the inbox include saved replies for frequent questions, message assignment to team members, tagging and labeling for organization, and sentiment flagging to prioritize critical feedback.

Social listening

Agorapulse includes social listening to monitor brand mentions and keywords on Twitter and Facebook — basic, but functional for tracking brand health.

Reporting

Agorapulse provides analytics comparable to Metricool at the standard tier, including engagement metrics, audience growth, competitor benchmarking, and custom reports.

Pricing

Agorapulse recently updated pricing:

Free — $0/month

  • 3 profiles, 1 user, 10 scheduled posts

Standard — $99/month

  • 10 profiles, 2 users, unified inbox

Professional — $149/month

  • 20 profiles, 4 users, competitor analysis

Advanced — $199/month

  • 40 profiles, 8 users, advanced analytics

Pros

  • Best unified social inbox in this category
  • Saved replies and message assignment for teams
  • Competitor benchmarking included
  • 30-day free trial on paid plans

Cons

  • More expensive than Metricool at equivalent feature levels
  • Standard plan jumped to $99/mo — significant increase
  • No crossposting automation
  • Learning curve for all features
FeatureAgorapulseMetricool
Social inbox✅ Comprehensive❌ No
AnalyticsStrongComprehensive
Pricing$99/moFree-$50/mo
Best forCommunity mgmtAnalytics + scheduling

Verdict

Agorapulse is worth the premium if community management — responding to comments, DMs, and mentions at scale — is a core part of your social media workflow. If you primarily schedule content and track analytics without heavy engagement management, Metricool provides comparable analytics at a fraction of the cost.

Best for: Brands with active social media communities, customer service teams, businesses prioritizing engagement alongside scheduling.


Alternative #10: Sendible

Sendible is built specifically for agencies, offering the white-label branding, client management, and workflow tools that Metricool's structure isn't designed to support.

Sendible agency social media management tool

Sendible vs Metricool

Metricool is optimized for managing your own brand's social presence. Sendible is optimized for agencies managing many clients' brands simultaneously — a fundamentally different use case.

Client management

Sendible's agency features include:

  • Separate workspaces per client
  • Client users who can view and approve content without seeing other clients' accounts
  • Branded reports with your agency logo
  • Approval workflows before publishing

RSS automation and content suggestions

Unlike Metricool, Sendible can:

  • Pull content from RSS feeds and auto-create scheduled posts from new blog articles
  • Suggest relevant articles and content for sharing
  • Recycle evergreen posts automatically

Platform support

Sendible supports 20+ platforms including all standard networks plus Tumblr, WordPress, Medium, and Blogger — useful for agencies managing clients with content marketing alongside social media.

Pricing

Creator — $29/month

  • 1 user, 6 social profiles

Traction — $89/month

  • 4 users, 24 social profiles, client management

Scale — $199/month

  • 10 users, 60 profiles, white-label branding

White Label+ — $399/month

  • 20 users, 120 profiles

All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Pros

  • Designed for agencies with client management built in
  • White-label branding for reports and interface
  • RSS automation reduces manual content curation
  • Most affordable agency entry point at $89/mo

Cons

  • Interface feels dated compared to modern tools
  • Analytics less detailed than Metricool
  • No crossposting automation
  • Cluttered workflow for non-agency use
FeatureSendibleMetricool
Client management✅ Yes❌ Limited
White-label reports✅ Yes✅ Advanced tier
AnalyticsStandardComprehensive
Best forAgenciesSolo/small business

Verdict

Sendible is the better choice for agencies where managing multiple client accounts cleanly is the primary need. Metricool's analytics are more detailed, but Metricool's brand structure becomes expensive for agencies fast. For agency workflows specifically, Sendible scales more sensibly.

Best for: Digital marketing agencies, freelancers managing client social accounts, consultants needing white-label capabilities.


Alternative #11: SocialBee

SocialBee differentiates with content categorization and recycling — a system that automates evergreen content distribution in ways Metricool's manual scheduling doesn't.

SocialBee content categorization and recycling social media tool

SocialBee vs Metricool

Metricool requires you to manually schedule every post. SocialBee uses content categories to automate ongoing publishing — once you've built a library of evergreen content, SocialBee can maintain your posting schedule largely on autopilot.

Content categories and recycling

SocialBee's core mechanic:

  • Create content categories ("Educational," "Promotions," "Curated Links," etc.)
  • Assign posts to categories when creating them
  • Set category-based schedules (e.g., 2 educational posts/day, 1 promotion/week)
  • SocialBee automatically cycles through content in each category to fill your calendar

For creators with substantial evergreen content, this is significantly less manual work than Metricool's approach.

AI writing assistant

SocialBee includes an AI writing assistant for generating post variations, adapting content for different platforms, and suggesting hashtags. Metricool's AI capabilities are more limited — SocialBee's AI tools are more developed for active content creation support.

RSS automation

SocialBee can pull content from RSS feeds and auto-create posts from new articles — useful for creators promoting blog content and curating industry news.

Pricing

Bootstrap — $29/month

  • 5 social profiles, 1 user, all core features

Accelerate — $49/month

  • 10 social profiles, 1 user, audience growth tools

Pro — $99/month

  • 25 social profiles, 3 users, concierge onboarding

All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Pros

  • Content category system automates evergreen scheduling
  • AI writing assistant for post variation
  • RSS automation for blog promotion
  • More affordable than enterprise alternatives

Cons

  • Content category approach has a learning curve
  • Analytics less comprehensive than Metricool
  • No competitor tracking
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureSocialBeeMetricool
Content recycling✅ Category-based❌ No
AI writing✅ Yes❌ Limited
AnalyticsStandardComprehensive
Best forEvergreen contentAnalytics + scheduling

Verdict

SocialBee is the better Metricool alternative for creators with a library of evergreen content that benefits from automated recycling. The content category system reduces daily scheduling work more than Metricool's manual approach. But if analytics depth and competitor tracking are priorities, Metricool's free plan outperforms SocialBee's.

Best for: Bloggers, coaches, educators, and brands with substantial evergreen content libraries that benefit from automated recycling.


Alternative #12: CoSchedule

CoSchedule expands beyond pure social media into a full marketing calendar — integrating social scheduling with blog publishing, email campaigns, and project management.

CoSchedule marketing calendar and social media management

CoSchedule vs Metricool

Metricool is a social media tool. CoSchedule is a marketing operations tool that includes social media. If your workflow spans blogs, emails, and campaigns alongside social posts, CoSchedule's unified marketing calendar may reduce the number of tools you need overall.

Marketing calendar

CoSchedule's signature feature is a unified marketing calendar that includes:

  • Social media posts
  • Blog content publishing schedule
  • Email campaign dates
  • Campaign milestones and deadlines
  • Team tasks and project tracking

For marketing managers coordinating multiple channels, this single-view calendar is more useful than Metricool's social-only focus.

ReQueue for evergreen content

CoSchedule includes ReQueue — it automatically fills gaps in your social schedule with your top-performing evergreen posts. Unlike manual queue management in Metricool, ReQueue keeps accounts active without constant input.

Headline Studio

CoSchedule includes Headline Studio, which scores post headlines and copy for engagement potential and suggests improvements — useful for teams optimizing for click-throughs.

Platform support

CoSchedule supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. More limited than Metricool's 15+ platforms.

Pricing

Free — $0/month

  • Calendar for 1 user, 2 social profiles

Social Calendar — $29/month

  • 3 profiles, ReQueue, best time scheduling

Content Calendar — $39/month

  • 5 profiles, WordPress integration

Marketing Suite — Custom pricing

  • Unlimited profiles, full marketing calendar

Pros

  • Integrated marketing calendar beyond social media
  • ReQueue automates evergreen content recycling
  • Headline Studio improves copy quality
  • Affordable entry point

Cons

  • Narrower platform support than Metricool
  • Analytics less detailed than Metricool
  • Overkill if you only need social scheduling
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureCoScheduleMetricool
Marketing calendar✅ Yes❌ Social only
AnalyticsBasicComprehensive
Platform coverage5 platforms15+ platforms
Best forContent marketersAnalytics-focused

Verdict

CoSchedule makes sense as a Metricool alternative only if you're managing a full content marketing operation — blogs, emails, campaigns, and social together. For social-only work, Metricool's analytics and platform coverage are stronger. Check out the best social media management tools roundup if you want a broader comparison.

Best for: Content marketing teams, bloggers managing multiple channels, marketing managers coordinating campaigns across channels.


Alternative #13: Zoho Social

Zoho Social targets businesses already embedded in the Zoho ecosystem — particularly those using Zoho CRM — where social media data integration with customer records adds real value.

Zoho Social CRM-integrated social media management

Zoho Social vs Metricool

Both Zoho Social and Metricool target SMBs at accessible price points. The key differentiator is Zoho CRM integration — if you use Zoho CRM, Zoho Social connects social media activity to customer records in ways Metricool can't.

Zoho CRM integration

Zoho Social can:

  • Pull social media interactions into customer CRM profiles
  • Track social leads and conversions
  • Sync social campaign data with sales pipelines
  • View customer social activity history in CRM records

For sales-oriented businesses using social media for lead generation, this integration is a genuine differentiator.

Social listening

Zoho Social includes monitoring for brand mentions, keywords, and hashtag performance — comparable to Metricool's competitor tracking.

Platform support

Zoho Social supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, and Google My Business. Fewer platforms than Metricool's 15+.

Pricing

Standard — $15/month

  • 1 brand (7 channels), 1 team member

Professional — $40/month

  • 1 brand (10 channels), 2 team members, custom reports

Premium — $65/month

  • 1 brand, 3 team members, Zoho CRM integration

Agency — Custom pricing

  • Multiple brands, team collaboration

Zoho Social offers a 15-day free trial. No permanent free plan.

Pros

  • Deep Zoho CRM integration for sales teams
  • Affordable — $15/month for 7 channels
  • Social listening included
  • TikTok and Google My Business support

Cons

  • Less valuable without other Zoho products
  • Fewer platforms than Metricool
  • No permanent free plan (Metricool's free plan is stronger)
  • Still requires manual scheduling per platform
FeatureZoho SocialMetricool
CRM integration✅ Zoho CRM❌ No
Free plan❌ Trial only✅ Permanent free
Platform count7-10 channels15+ platforms
Best forZoho ecosystemStandalone analytics

Verdict

Zoho Social makes sense as a Metricool alternative primarily if you're already using Zoho CRM and want social media data integrated with your sales workflow. For users outside the Zoho ecosystem, Metricool's free plan and broader platform support are more compelling.

Best for: Businesses using Zoho CRM, sales teams generating leads through social media, Zoho ecosystem users.


Which Metricool alternative fits you?

Here's a persona-based guide to the right tool for your situation:

You crosspost the same content across 4+ platforms daily

  • PostOnce — Post once natively, automatic distribution everywhere. Eliminates manual scheduling repetition. $19/month. How to crosspost on social media covers the broader strategy.

You want a cleaner, simpler scheduling interface

  • Buffer — Minimal UI, easy setup, good for 3-5 platforms. Per-channel pricing.

You need enterprise-grade features and social inbox

  • Hootsuite — Unified inbox, mature team collaboration, 20+ platforms. $99/month.

You need the deepest analytics to prove ROI

  • Sprout Social — Customizable dashboards, social listening, competitor benchmarking. $249/month.

You're Instagram-focused and care about grid aesthetics

  • Later — Visual grid planner, strong free plan, TikTok support. From $25/month.

You're an agency managing client approvals

  • Planable — Multi-level approval workflows, unlimited users. From $33/month.
  • Sendible — White-label branding, client workspaces. From $89/month for agencies.
  • SocialPilot — Budget-friendly, bulk scheduling, client management. From $30/month.

You need team collaboration and content creation guidance

  • Loomly — Post ideas, optimization tips, approval workflows. From $42/month.

You're focused on community management alongside scheduling

  • Agorapulse — Best unified social inbox. From $99/month.

You have a lot of evergreen content to recycle

  • SocialBee — Content categories, AI writing, RSS automation. From $29/month.

You're managing a full marketing calendar beyond social media

  • CoSchedule — Blog, email, campaign, and social in one calendar. From $29/month.

You use Zoho CRM and want social-to-sales integration

  • Zoho Social — CRM-connected social scheduling. From $15/month.

FAQs about Metricool alternatives

What is the best alternative to Metricool?

The best Metricool alternative depends on what's frustrating you. For creators who are tired of manually scheduling the same content across multiple platforms, PostOnce is the best option — it automates crossposting so you post natively once and content distributes automatically. For better analytics at enterprise scale, Sprout Social wins. For agency workflow with client approvals, Planable or Sendible are stronger. For a simpler interface, Buffer is the cleanest option.

Which is better, Metricool or Buffer?

It depends on what you prioritize. Metricool has the stronger free plan — unlimited posts, comprehensive analytics, and competitor tracking at no cost. Buffer wins on interface simplicity and ease of use. Buffer's per-channel pricing ($6/mo/channel) becomes more expensive than Metricool as you scale beyond 3-4 platforms. If analytics matter, Metricool. If you just want a clean, simple scheduler, Buffer.

What is the difference between Metricool and Planable?

They solve different problems. Metricool is an analytics and scheduling tool for managing your own brand's social presence — it excels at performance tracking, competitor analysis, and comprehensive metrics. Planable is a collaboration tool for teams that need approval workflows before publishing — it's built for agencies and marketing teams, not solo analytics. Metricool doesn't prioritize team collaboration; Planable doesn't prioritize analytics.

Is Metricool better than Later?

For most users, Metricool's free plan is stronger than Later's free plan — unlimited scheduled posts vs Later's 10 posts per profile per month. Metricool also covers more platforms (15+ vs Later's 6) and provides deeper analytics. Later beats Metricool if Instagram visual planning is your priority — the grid preview and media library are capabilities Metricool doesn't have. For Instagram-first visual creators, Later. For analytics-first multi-platform creators, Metricool (or PostOnce if crossposting is the goal).

Is there a free alternative to Metricool?

Yes — Metricool itself has an excellent free plan, but several alternatives also offer free tiers:

  • Buffer — 3 channels, 10 total scheduled posts
  • Later — 1 social set, 10 posts per profile per month
  • Agorapulse — 3 profiles, 10 scheduled posts
  • CoSchedule — 2 social profiles, 1 user

For free scheduling with analytics, Metricool's own free plan remains the most generous option. If you're looking for a free alternative because of Metricool's limitations (not pricing), PostOnce's 7-day trial lets you test whether crossposting automation solves your actual problem.

What is a cheaper alternative to Metricool for agencies?

SocialPilot starts at $30/month for 7 accounts and scales to $200/month for 100 accounts — flat account-based pricing that works better for agencies than Metricool's brand structure. Sendible starts at $89/month for 4 users and 24 profiles, including white-label reports and client workspaces. Both are significantly cheaper than Hootsuite or Sprout Social at agency scale.

Does any Metricool alternative automate crossposting?

PostOnce is the tool in this category that genuinely automates crossposting. Rather than manually scheduling content on each platform, PostOnce monitors your source platform (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, wherever you post natively) and automatically distributes content to all connected destinations based on your configured flows.

You can also repurpose existing content that's already published — PostOnce isn't limited to new posts only. Metricool and all other traditional schedulers in this list require manual scheduling for each platform.

What social media tools do small businesses use instead of Metricool?

Small businesses commonly look at Buffer (simpler interface, affordable for 3-5 platforms), Later (strong if Instagram is primary), Zoho Social (if using Zoho CRM), and PostOnce (if crossposting across multiple platforms without manual effort). For budget-conscious teams, Metricool's free plan is often the answer itself — but when the brand structure or lack of automation becomes a constraint, these are the most common alternatives.


Final thoughts: Choosing the right Metricool alternative

Metricool earns its place in this category — the free plan genuinely delivers value, the analytics are solid for the price, and platform breadth is competitive. But it's not the right fit for everyone.

If Metricool's Twitter add-on cost, confusing interface, or brand-structure limitations are the issue, there are direct answers: Buffer for a cleaner experience, Planable or Sendible for agency workflows, SocialPilot for budget agency scaling.

If Metricool's analytics aren't deep enough, Sprout Social is the upgrade — at a significant price increase.

And if the underlying frustration is the repetitive manual work of scheduling the same content across platform after platform — that's where PostOnce solves a problem none of the other tools on this list address. The best crossposting tools and best social media automation tools roundups both put automation first for a reason: manual crossposting is where creators lose the most time.

The difference comes down to your primary workflow:

Primarily need analytics and scheduling together → Metricool (or Sprout Social at enterprise scale)

Primarily need to eliminate crossposting repetitionPostOnce — post natively once, distribute automatically everywhere

Primarily need team approval workflows → Planable or Sendible

Primarily need budget agency tools → SocialPilot or Sendible

Primarily need a clean, simple scheduler → Buffer

For creators publishing across four or more platforms daily, PostOnce's automated crossposting workflow saves approximately four hours per week — time spent not copying, reformatting, and scheduling the same content repeatedly. At $19/month for 15 accounts, it's the most direct answer to the problem most creators are actually trying to solve.

Try PostOnce free for 7 days

Stop scheduling the same content manually on every platform. Post once natively and let PostOnce handle automatic distribution to all your connected accounts. See how much time you reclaim.

Start your free trial →

The best social media management tool is the one that fits the way you actually work — not the one with the most features. Start with your biggest pain point and work backwards from there.

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