Metricool vs Later: price, features and comparison 2026
Metricool: analyze multiple brands in-depth, plan freely & fully manage your social ad campaigns.
Join Metricool, your social media copilot, from $0 per month.
No credit card. No strings attached. For life.
Forget about big investments, the best and most efficient tool doesn’t have to be expensive.
You can do all of this and much more with Metricool:
Manage up to 11 different social media platforms per brand.
Plan & analyze your social ad campaigns.
Improve your workflow with our AI Assistant.
More than 4 million users trust Metricool
… and here’s why:
Plan comparison
Metricool
Free plan
Yes
Premium plans from
$20 a month for 5 brands
Plan from
50 free monthly posts
Later
Free plan
No
Premium plans from
$16.67 a month for 1 brand
Plan from
30 posts per month for $16.67
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 do our users say about us?
Paula G.
Co-founder
Metricool works great
It’s been great! Metricool works well with a ton of platforms and they are constantly making updates to the app. The flexibility and ease of use is unmatched in a free/reasonably priced social media scheduling app. I just discovered Autolist, which could make it even more convenient to continuously schedule social posts without spending a huge amount of time.
Nia P.
Social Media Manager
I have loved Metricool from the beginning and will keep using it until something comes along that blows it out of the water. My favorite aspects: the price, the number of accounts you can post to, easily cross-posting, easily editing cross-posted posts, the preview function, and the easy scheduling functions. And the analytics are AMAZING! — “Signing up for Later cost me like $75/month for all my brand accounts and wouldn’t let me easily cross-post. I signed up for Metricool at $18/month and haven’t looked back!
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. As someone managing multiple brands, its features remain invaluable, particularly the ability to view conversations in the inbox and respond to them.
Christa P.
Owner, Small-Business
It is great for scheduling social media posts for various clients as it allows posting to multiple platforms at once. The platform’s analytics are valuable because I can link it to the websites I manage and track both website and social media engagement. I especially appreciate the nice, clean analytics reports I can share with my clients without the need to manually send them out.
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 is your social media copilot. Competitor analysis, ads tracking, inbox management, and an AI assistant — all in one tool, built to grow with you.
Metricool covers the full picture — Google, Meta, and TikTok Ads analytics, white-label reporting, competitor tracking, and Data Studio, built for agencies that need everything in one place.
Metricool delivers Google and TikTok Ads analytics, white-label reports, and Data Studio integration — without reserving the good stuff for top-tier plans.
You can find other comparisons on our social media management tools comparison page.
FAQ
1. Is Later a social media management tool?
Later started as an Instagram-first visual scheduler and has grown into a broader social media management tool. Today, it supports eight platforms: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, and Snapchat. It stands out for visual content planning, with features like a drag-and-drop calendar, Instagram feed preview, and link-in-bio.
You’ll start to notice its limitations if you need support for more channels (such as X/Twitter or Google Business Profile), more advanced analytics, or a way to manage paid ads alongside your organic content. Metricool supports 11 platforms, including X/Twitter and Google Business Profile, and adds competitor tracking, ads analytics, and AI-powered reporting in its paid plans.
If your focus is planning Instagram content, Later is a solid choice. But if you’re managing multiple channels and want deeper insights in one place, Metricool gives you more room to grow.
2. Is there a free version of Later?
No. Later doesn’t offer a permanent free plan. Instead, you get a 14-day free trial before moving to a paid plan, starting at $16.67/month when billed annually or $25/month when billed monthly.
Metricool, on the other hand, offers a free plan with no time limit. It includes support for 11 social platforms, up to 50 scheduled posts per month, analytics, competitor tracking for up to five profiles, website analytics, and a unified inbox. You can get started without a credit card, and there’s no expiration date.
3. How do I know which social media content is actually driving results?
The difference comes down to analytics. While Later includes platform analytics on all plans, competitor benchmarking is only available on the Scale plan ($53.33/month billed annually), and it doesn’t include ads analytics at any price.
Metricool includes competitor tracking in its free plan (up to five profiles) and Google, Meta, and TikTok Ads analytics from its first paid plan. Seeing your organic and paid performance in one place makes it easier to understand what’s driving traffic, which content deserves more attention, and where your budget is delivering results
4. How do I track performance across multiple brands or clients from a single dashboard?
The best choice depends on how you manage your brands. Later uses a Social Set model, where each set covers one profile per supported platform. If you need more brands, you’ll need additional Social Sets at $11.25/month each. For example, managing three client brands on the Growth plan costs $52.50/month ($30 for the base plan plus $22.50 for two extra Social Sets) and includes two users.
Metricool takes a different approach. The Starter plan ($20/month) includes up to five brands with unlimited users. Each brand has its own analytics, competitor tracking, and content calendar, all managed from a single account. You can also share live reports that update automatically, so there’s no need to create and send a new report every time
5. How can I share social media performance data with clients without sending manual reports?
The right reporting tool should create reports automatically and let you share them through a live link, so clients always have access to the latest data. In Later, shareable reports are only available on the Scale plan ($53.33/month billed annually).
Metricool includes live reports in its paid plans. It also includes Metricool Studio, where you can tell it what you need and generate a structured analytics report from your real data in minutes. That means less time building reports and more time acting on the insights
6. Can I use AI to manage my social media more efficiently in 2026?
AI is changing how social media managers create content, analyze performance, and manage their daily work. Later includes an AI Caption Writer and Ideas Generator on all plans, but usage is limited to monthly credits—five on the Starter plan and 50 on Growth. Its AI features are focused on content creation and don’t extend to analytics or reporting.
Metricool brings AI into more parts of the workflow. The AI Assistant helps you create content, Metricool Studio generates complete analytics reports from a simple prompt using your real data, and MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration lets AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT schedule posts or retrieve analytics without opening the app.
Instead of switching between different tools, you can create content, analyze results, and manage your workflow from one place.