Metricool vs Buffer: price, features and comparison 2026
Metricool: get in-depth analysis, plan without limits & manage messages.
No more paying per network. We offer up to 11 different social media channels for $0 a month.
No credit card. No strings attached. For life.
Yes, free. No trial period, no credit card, forever.
Plan up to 50 posts per month, with no additional cost.
Analyze your accounts, your website, your hashtags & your competitors.
Create and measure Google & social ad campaigns.
More than 4 million users trust Metricool
… and here’s why:
Plan comparison
Metricool
Free plan
Yes
Plan up to
11 channels for $0
Premium plans from
$20 per month for 5 brands with 14 accounts per brand
Buffer
Free plan
Yes
Plan up to
3 accounts for $0
Premium plans from
$5 per month for each account
Analytics and reports comparison
Calendar and planner comparison
Compare link-in-bio tools
Ads manager comparison
Team and other features
Content creator / Entrepreneur
1 brand · 1 person · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Free | Per brand | $0/mo | $0/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Standard | Per user | $99/mo | $1,188/yr | +$99/mo |
Buffer | Free | Per channel | $0/mo | $0/yr | Tie |
Sprout Social | Essentials | Per user | $79/mo | $948/yr | +$79/mo |
Agorapulse | Standard | Per user | $79/mo | $948/yr | +$79/mo |
Later | Starter | Per Social Set | $18.75/mo | $225/yr | +$18.75/mo |
Loomly | Starter | Flat rate | $49/mo | $588/yr | +$49/mo |
Planable | Basic | Per workspace | $33/mo | $396/yr | +$33/mo |
Vista Social | Standard | Flat rate | $64/mo | $758/yr | +$64/mo |
Sendible | Core | Per workspace | $30/mo | $360/yr | +$30/mo |
SocialPilot | Standard | Flat rate | $42.50/mo | $510/yr | +$42.50/mo |
Key takeaway
Metricool Free and Buffer Free are the only tools with a permanent $0 plan for 1 brand. All others start at $18.75–$99/month. Metricool Free includes analytics, ads analytics (Google, Meta, TikTok), competitor tracking, and MCP — not found in Buffer Free.
Note
Metricool Free excludes LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Starter ($20/mo) required for LinkedIn. X/Twitter add-on: +$10/mo per account. Even with both add-ons, total = $30/mo — still the lowest paid option in the series.
Small Business / Freelancer
3 brands · 5 people who publish and approve · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (15 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $53/mo | $636/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Advanced × 5 users | Per user | $1,995/mo | $23,940/yr | +$1,942/mo |
Buffer | Team — 9 channels | Per channel | $90/mo | $1,080/yr | +$37/mo |
Sprout Social | Advanced × 5 users | Per user | $1,995/mo | $23,940/yr | +$1,942/mo |
Agorapulse | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $595/mo | $7,140/yr | +$542/mo |
Later | Growth + extras | Per Social Set + user | $60/mo | $720/yr | +$7/mo |
Loomly | Beyond (5 users > 3 cap) | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$196/mo |
Planable | Pro × 3 workspaces | Per workspace | $147/mo | $1,764/yr | +$94/mo |
Vista Social | Scale (5 users > 4 cap) | Flat rate | $304/mo | $3,638/yr | +$251/mo |
Sendible | Plus — 3 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $84/mo | $1,008/yr | +$31/mo |
SocialPilot | Premium — 6 users | Flat rate | $85/mo | $1,020/yr | +$32/mo |
Key takeaway
Approval workflows are the critical differentiator. Hootsuite and Sprout Social require their most expensive per-user plan ($399/user) for approvals — $1,995/month for 5 people. Metricool includes approvals for $53/month with unlimited users.
User cap traps
Loomly ($49 → $249) and Vista Social ($120 → $304) both force expensive plan upgrades solely because of the 5-user requirement — regardless of how many brands or accounts are managed.
Small Agency
15 clients · 3 users · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (15 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $53/mo | $636/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Professional × 3 users | Per user | $597/mo | $7,164/yr | +$544/mo |
Buffer | Team — 45 channels (tiered) | Per channel | $220/mo | $2,640/yr | +$167/mo |
Sprout Social | Professional × 3 users | Per user | $897/mo | $10,764/yr | +$844/mo |
Agorapulse ⚠️ | Advanced × 3 users (10 profiles max) | Per user | $447/mo | $5,364/yr | +$394/mo |
Later | Scale + 9 extra Social Sets | Per Social Set | $183.75/mo | $2,205/yr | +$130.75/mo |
Loomly | Beyond | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$196/mo |
Planable | Pro × 15 workspaces | Per workspace | $735/mo | $8,820/yr | +$682/mo |
Vista Social | Scale | Flat rate | $304/mo | $3,638/yr | +$251/mo |
Sendible | Elite — 15 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $254/mo | $3,048/yr | +$201/mo |
SocialPilot | Premium + 20 extra accounts | Flat rate + $4/extra acct | $165/mo | $1,980/yr | +$112/mo |
Key takeaway
At 15 clients, Metricool Advanced ($53/mo) is the only tool under $100/month. SocialPilot is next at $165/mo. Planable reaches $735/mo and Sprout Social $897/mo — 11× to 17× more expensive than Metricool.
⚠️ Agorapulse
All public plans cap at 10 social profiles — technically incompatible with 15 real clients. Advanced shown is public maximum reference only. Custom plan required.
Consolidated Agency
30 clients · 5 users · Annual billing
Tool | Plan | Pricing model | Monthly cost | Annual cost | vs. Metricool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metricool | Advanced (50 brands) | Per brand, unlimited users | $159/mo | $1,908/yr | – |
Hootsuite | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $995/mo | $11,940/yr | +$836/mo |
Buffer | Team — 90 channels (tiered) | Per channel | $315/mo | $3,780/yr | +$156/mo |
Sprout Social | Professional × 5 users | Per user | $1,495/mo | $17,940/yr | +$1,336/mo |
Agorapulse ⚠️ | Advanced × 5 users (10 profiles max) | Per user | $745/mo | $8,940/yr | +$586/mo |
Later | Scale + 24 extra sets + 1 user | Per Social Set + user | $356.25/mo | $4,275/yr | +$197.25/mo |
Loomly ⚠️ | Beyond (60 accts max — insufficient) | Flat rate | $249/mo | $2,988/yr | +$90/mo |
Planable | Pro × 30 workspaces | Per workspace | $1,470/mo | $17,640/yr | +$1,311/mo |
Vista Social ⚠️ | Scale + 40 extra profiles (undisclosed) | Flat rate + extras | $304/mo+ | $3,638/yr+ | +$145/mo min |
Sendible | Enterprise — 50 workspaces | Per workspace, unlimited users | $638/mo | $7,656/yr | +$479/mo |
SocialPilot | Ultimate + 40 extra accounts | Flat rate + $4/extra acct | $330/mo | $3,960/yr | +$171/mo |
Key takeaway
At 30 clients, Metricool Advanced ($159/mo) remains dramatically cheaper than every competitor. Buffer is next at $315/mo. Planable reaches $1,470/mo and Sprout Social $1,495/mo — over 9× Metricool.
⚠️ Structural notes
Agorapulse (10 profiles cap on all public plans), Loomly Beyond (60 accounts — insufficient for 90 needed), Vista Social Scale (70 profiles — needs 20 extra at undisclosed price). Prices marked with ⚠️ are public maximum references — real cost would be higher.
What Our Users Say
Prerna P.
Social Media Marketing Specialist
The best social media management platform!
I love this platform! I’ve tried so many other scheduling tools and they were not as good as Metricool. If you want to use a platform that gives you wholistic knowledge about your brand(s) Metricool is for you. I love the approval and analytics w feature of this software! Metricool provides the most in depth information about my progress on social media and ads. Absolutely LOVE!
Fernando S.
Marketing Manager
Very usefull tool with the best prices
Good because it doesn’t have failures, except the mentioned. It’s the cheapest social media tool and I don’t miss anything on it: support team answers in a few minutes, it’s very easy to post on social media with it and I’m able to manage multiple accounts
John C.
Technical Director
We bought this to have a dashboard of our analytics across multiple social media channels. Easier to see everything in the same place. — Reason for choosing field: “They had a one year special offer which was less than Buffer.
Kelly M.
Social Media Manager & Podcaster
It’s easy to learn how to use Metricool. I haven’t had any security concerns with it. I am able to manage accounts successfully. 95% of the time my posts go through when scheduled.
Robyn-Lee S.
LinkedIn Marketing Consultant
Metricool’s platform stands out to me in terms of look, feel, and pricing when compared to other tools I’ve tried, like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Social Curator.
Alex C.
Small-Business
It includes all the platforms, plenty of user seats, and reporting I need at a good price. I haven’t had any issues connecting accounts and find customer service very responsive.
The only tool you need is just a click away
Manage your entire social media strategy from $0
Analyze, plan, manage conversations, and create social media ad campaigns from one place.
Choose the right plan for you
Create the experience you need. Whether you’re freelance, working for one or multiple clients, or as part of a social media team, you’ll find an ally in Metricool. Get much more, for much less
Our best-kept secret?
We’re always here for you. No chatbots. No endless FAQs. Just real, human support tailored to your questions. When you need us, we’re ready to help.
No credit card. No strings attached. For life.
Other Metricool comparatives
Metricool delivers Google and TikTok Ads analytics, white-label reports, and Data Studio integration — without reserving the good stuff for top-tier plans.
Metricool gives you deep analytics, competitor tracking, and ads management across Google, Meta, and TikTok — all in one place, without having to upgrade just to do your job.
Metricool is built for strategy. Schedule across all your platforms, track your competitors, manage your ads, and measure what actually matters — no extra tools needed.
You can find other comparisons on our social media management tools comparison page.
FAQ
1. How much does a social media management tool cost per month?
It depends on how many brands and social accounts you manage. Buffer charges per social channel, so each connected account is billed separately. For example, managing 10 social accounts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and TikTok for two brands would cost $60/month on Buffer’s Essentials plan before adding any team members.
Metricool uses a different pricing model. Plans are based on brands rather than individual social accounts, starting at $20/month for 5 brands, with up to 14 social accounts per brand. For freelancers and agencies managing multiple clients, this pricing structure can be more cost-effective as the number of accounts grows.
2. Do social media management tools offer a free plan — and what’s actually included?
Yes, several social media management tools offer a free plan, but the features included vary considerably. Buffer’s free plan supports up to three social channels with a limited post queue, but it doesn’t include analytics, team collaboration, or a unified inbox.
Metricool’s free plan includes support for 11 social platforms, up to 50 scheduled posts per month, analytics, competitor tracking (up to five competitors), website analytics, hashtag tracking, and a unified inbox. It’s available at no cost, with no credit card required.
3. What is a good alternative to Buffer?
Metricool is consistently ranked as one of the top Buffer alternatives — and for a clear reason: it covers everything a scheduling tool should do, and adds what Buffer doesn’t offer: competitor analysis, Google Ads + Facebook Ads + TikTok Ads analytics, hashtag tracking, web analytics, white-label reporting, Looker Studio integration, and AI-powered reporting with Metricool Studio.
4. What features should I look for beyond basic scheduling?
Scheduling is just the starting point. The tools that deliver real value are those that also tell you how your content performs, who your audience is, and how you compare to competitors. Look for: cross-platform analytics (not just for posts published through the tool), competitor tracking, ads performance data if you run paid campaigns, a unified inbox to manage all comments and DMs, and client-ready reports you can share without hours of manual work. Metricool covers all of these from a single dashboard — including Google, Meta and TikTok Ads in the same view as your organic content.
5. Can I get detailed analytics without switching between multiple tools?
With the right tool, yes. Metricool centralizes everything in a single analytics dashboard: post performance across all connected platforms, website and blog traffic, hashtag performance, competitor data (up to 100 profiles), and Google + Meta + TikTok Ads — all in one place, included from your first paid plan. Most scheduling-focused tools require you to go back to each social platform, or to a separate analytics tool, to get this level of data.
6. Can I get social media reports without spending hours building them?
Yes — and this is one area where the right tool makes a dramatic difference. Metricool offers four reporting modes under one roof: standard Reports (PDF or PowerPoint, exportable in one click), Campaign Dashboards (organic + paid combined for any date range), Metricool Studio (type what you want in plain language, get a structured analytics report instantly from your real data), and a Looker Studio connector for fully custom BI dashboards. All shareable with clients via a live URL — no login required.
7. Can I use AI to manage my social media more efficiently in 2026?
Absolutely — and the tools that do it best go beyond just writing captions. Metricool integrates AI at three levels: content creation via the AI Assistant, automated custom reporting via Metricool Studio (describe what you need, get a live shareable report from your real Metricool data in minutes), and direct AI agent integration via MCP (Model Context Protocol) — meaning you can schedule posts, pull analytics, or identify your best posting times directly from Claude or ChatGPT, without opening Metricool. This kind of end-to-end AI workflow is rare at this price point, and absent from most competing tools.