Social Media Management Tools Pricing 2026: Price Comparison of 17 Tools
What 17 social media management tools really cost: the same setups priced on each, the cheapest options, free plans, add-ons, and Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social and Later pricing.
By Online Life Control team ·
Quick answer: social media management tools cost from $0 to about $35 a month for one business, and $20 to $800 a month for a small team managing several brands. The cheapest we found is Online Life Control: $9.99 a month for one business, and $19.99 for 10 channels, two people and approvals. The same team setup costs $120 on Buffer and $798 on Hootsuite.
Updated October 2026. Prices checked on each tool's own pricing page on 9 October 2026, in US dollars before tax, billed monthly unless stated. We make Online Life Control, one of the tools compared here.
Key takeaways
- For 10 channels, 2 people and approvals, Online Life Control costs $19.99/mo: 6× less than Buffer ($120), 15× less than Agorapulse ($298) and 40× less than Hootsuite or Sprout Social ($798).
- For one brand and six channels, Online Life Control Starter is $9.99/mo; the next cheapest is Zoho Social at $15.
- Per-user pricing (Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Agorapulse) is the most expensive model as soon as a second person joins.
- Watch for add-ons: posting to X, extra users, listening and analytics often cost extra.
Contents
- Social media management tools price comparison
- Cheapest social media management tools for one business
- Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social and Later pricing
- How social media management tools charge
- Free social media management tools compared
- Hidden costs and add-ons
- Annual billing discounts
- Social media management cost FAQ
Social media management tools price comparison
Headline prices aren't comparable, because tools charge per user, per channel or per workspace. So we priced one setup on every tool: a small agency or freelancer with 10 social channels, two people and an approval step, using the cheapest plan that covers it.
| Tool | Plan | Monthly cost | vs Online Life Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Life Control | Pro | $19.99 | Cheapest |
| Publer | Professional | About $42 | 2.1×, $264 more a year |
| Social Champ | Standard + 4 accounts | $49 | 2.5×, $348 more a year |
| SocialPilot | Standard | $50 | 2.5×, $360 more a year |
| Later | Growth | $50 | 2.5×, $360 more a year |
| SocialBee | Accelerate + 1 user | $59 | 3.0×, $468 more a year |
| Loomly | Starter | $65 | 3.3×, $540 more a year |
| Metricool | Advanced | $67 | 3.4×, $564 more a year |
| ContentStudio | Advanced | $69 | 3.5×, $588 more a year |
| Zoho Social | Premium + 1 brand | $88 | 4.4×, $816 more a year |
| Sendible | Plus | $99 | 5.0×, $948 more a year |
| Vista Social | Professional | $99 | 5.0×, $948 more a year |
| Planable | Pro, 2 workspaces | $118 | 5.9×, $1,176 more a year |
| Buffer | Team, 10 channels | $120 | 6.0×, $1,200 more a year |
| Agorapulse | Professional, 2 users | $298 | 14.9×, $3,336 more a year |
| Hootsuite | Advanced, 2 users | $798 | 39.9×, $9,336 more a year |
| Sprout Social | Professional, 2 seats | $798 | 39.9×, $9,336 more a year |
Publer is priced per account, so its figure is estimated from its published rates. Hootsuite doesn't publish monthly prices, so its figure is the annual-billing price. Network coverage differs: Online Life Control doesn't support X, and Later, Planable and Loomly don't support Bluesky. Compare networks and features in our best social media management tools ranking.
Cheapest social media management tools for one business
For a small business posting to six channels on its own, here's the cheapest plan on each tool that covers six channels:
| Tool | Plan that covers 6 channels | Monthly cost | vs Online Life Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Life Control | Starter (2 brands, 6 channels) | $9.99 | Cheapest |
| Zoho Social | Standard (1 brand) | $15 | 1.5× |
| Metricool | Starter | $25 | 2.5× |
| Later | Starter (30 posts per profile a month) | $25 | 2.5× |
| Publer | Professional, 6 accounts | About $25 | About 2.5× |
| Social Champ | Starter, 6 profiles | $30 | 3.0× |
| SocialPilot | Essentials (7 accounts) | $30 | 3.0× |
| Sendible | Core (6 profiles) | $35 | 3.5× |
| Buffer | Essentials, 6 channels | $36 | 3.6× |
| SocialBee | Accelerate (Bootstrap stops at 5) | $49 | 4.9× |
| Planable | Pro (Basic stops at 4) | $59 | 5.9× |
| Loomly | Starter | $65 | 6.5× |
| ContentStudio | Advanced (Standard stops at 5) | $69 | 6.9× |
| Hootsuite | Standard (annual billing) | $99 | 9.9× |
| Agorapulse | Standard | $99 | 9.9× |
| Vista Social | Professional | $99 | 9.9× |
| Sprout Social | Professional (lower plans stop at 5) | $399 | 39.9× |
Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social and Later pricing
The four tools people search pricing for most, plan by plan:
Hootsuite pricing
Standard $99, Professional $199 and Advanced $399 per user per month on annual billing; Hootsuite doesn't publish its monthly prices. Standard covers 10 social accounts; the higher plans are unlimited. Approvals need Advanced. There's a 14-day free trial and no free plan.
Buffer pricing
Free for 3 channels. Paid plans are per channel: 10 channels cost $60 per month on Essentials and $120 per month on Team, which you need for approvals and more than one user. Volume discounts start at 11 channels, and annual billing saves about 20%.
Sprout Social pricing
Per seat, billed monthly: Essentials $99, Standard $249, Professional $399 and Advanced $499 (from $79 to $399 on annual billing). Essentials and Standard cover only 5 profiles; approvals, bulk scheduling and RSS need Professional. There's a 30-day free trial.
Later pricing
Starter $25, Growth $50 and Scale $110 per month, 25% less on annual billing. Starter allows 30 posts per profile a month and one user; approvals start on Growth. Later doesn't support X, Bluesky or Google Business Profile.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to these? Online Life Control's plans start free, with Pro at $19.99 a month for 10 brands, 30 channels and 3 teammates.
How social media management tools charge
- Per user or seat (Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Agorapulse): cheap for one person, expensive as soon as anyone else needs a login.
- Per channel or account (Buffer, Publer, Social Champ): fair for a few accounts, but the bill grows with every network you add.
- Per workspace or brand (Planable, Zoho Social): every new client or brand is another charge.
- Flat plans with allowances (Online Life Control, SocialPilot, Sendible, SocialBee, ContentStudio, Later, Vista Social, Loomly, Metricool): one predictable price for a set number of brands, channels and users. Online Life Control Pro covers 10 brands, 30 channels and 3 teammates for $19.99.
Free social media management tools compared
| Tool | Free plan includes |
|---|---|
| Online Life Control | 1 brand, 2 channels, 15 scheduled posts a month; no AI. Free for good, no trial clock. |
| Buffer | 3 channels, 10 posts queued per channel, 1 user. |
| Zoho Social | 1 brand on 6 networks, 1 user, 5 AI credits. |
| Publer | 3 accounts (not X), 10 posts scheduled per account. |
| Metricool | 1 brand, 20 posts a month; no LinkedIn or X. |
| Social Champ | 3 accounts, 15 scheduled posts; no X or Pinterest. |
| Planable | 50 posts in total, then a paid plan. |
Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Agorapulse, Later, Vista Social, ContentStudio, Loomly, SocialPilot, Sendible and SocialBee offer free trials of 7 to 30 days, but no free plan.
Hidden costs and add-ons
- Posting to X: $29/mo extra on Vista Social, $10 per X account on Metricool, and a per-profile add-on on Social Champ.
- Extra users: $12/mo per member on Zoho Social, $10 on SocialBee and ContentStudio, $5 on Later and SocialPilot; on Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse each user is a full seat.
- Extra profiles: $15/mo per profile beyond 10 on Agorapulse, $15 per 5 profiles on SocialBee, $4 per account on SocialPilot.
- Analytics and inbox: Planable charges $14 and $9 per workspace per month.
- Listening: $75/mo on Vista Social, $99 on ContentStudio and Planable, and paid add-ons on Sprout Social and Agorapulse.
- AI credits: metered on Later, Metricool and Sprout Social; included in Online Life Control's Starter and Pro.
Annual billing discounts
Paying yearly saves about 15% on SocialPilot and Sendible, about 20% on Buffer, Vista Social, Publer and Social Champ, 25% on Later and Loomly, up to 24% on Metricool, and about a third on Zoho Social and ContentStudio. Online Life Control is billed monthly, so you can cancel any time, and it's still cheaper than competitors' annual prices in both setups above. Buffer Team, for example, is $100 a month for 10 channels even when billed yearly.
Social media management cost FAQ
How much does a social media management tool cost?
For one business, between free and about $35 a month on most tools. For a team managing several brands with approvals, typically $50 to $120 a month, and up to $798 on Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Online Life Control covers that for $19.99.
What is the cheapest social media management tool?
Online Life Control was the cheapest in both setups we priced: $9.99 a month for one business with six channels, and $19.99 a month for 10 channels, two people and approvals.
What is the most affordable social media management tool for agencies?
Online Life Control Pro: 10 client brands, 30 channels, approvals and 3 teammates for $19.99 a month. The next cheapest options for that setup start around $42 to $50 a month.
How much is Hootsuite per month?
From $99 per user per month on annual billing for Standard. Approvals need Advanced at $399 per user per month. Hootsuite doesn't publish monthly prices.
How much is Buffer per month?
Buffer is free for 3 channels. Paid plans are per channel: $60 a month for 10 channels on Essentials, or $120 a month on Team.
How much is Sprout Social per month?
From $99 per seat per month for Essentials (5 profiles), up to $499 for Advanced, billed monthly.
Is there a free social media management tool?
Yes: Online Life Control, Buffer, Zoho Social, Publer, Metricool and Social Champ all have free plans. The table above shows their limits.
Pay less, manage more. Online Life Control starts free, and Pro covers 10 brands, 30 channels and 3 teammates for $19.99 a month. Create your free account or see the plans. Comparing features too? Read our ranking of the best social media management tools.
