How to pick a free scheduler
Free plans differ less in features than in what they count: channels, posts in the queue, posts a month or posts in total. Start from what you post and where:
| You need | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Several networks, a steady queue | Buffer | 3 channels with 10 queued posts each, and a post slot opens again once a post is published |
| A monthly plan with analytics | Metricool | 20 posts a month and 30 days of analytics for one brand |
| Only Facebook and Instagram | Meta Business Suite | Meta's own free app schedules posts and stories and shows insights |
| LinkedIn and X on one free plan | Zoho Social | One brand with 6 channels, including a LinkedIn profile, a LinkedIn company page and X |
| No limits and your own server | Postiz, Mixpost Lite | Open source, no post caps, but you run and update them |
Before you connect accounts, check which networks the free plan really covers. Metricool's Free plan manages all networks except LinkedIn and Twitter, and Pallyy's free plan is image posts only.
Free limits compared
The numbers below are from the official pricing pages and listings on the date in the table. An empty cell means the page states nothing for the free plan.
| Scheduler | Accounts | Posts | Analytics | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | 3 channels, 1 user | 10 queued per channel | Insights, 30 days | AI Assistant |
| Metricool | 1 brand | 20 a month | 30 days | 5 credits per brand a month |
| Pallyy | 1 social set, 1 user | 15 a month, images only | 30 days retention | No AI captions |
| Planable | 50 in total, no time limit | Paid add-on | ||
| Zoho Social | 1 brand, 6 channels, 1 member | Summary reports | ||
| Meta Business Suite | Facebook Page and Instagram account | Insights | ||
| Postiz | Your server | No cap | Yes, with your own app credentials | With your own API keys |
| Mixpost Lite | Your server | No cap stated | Basic analytics |
Planable's FAQ says the free plan is unlimited in every way except the total number of posts you can create, and lists analytics as a paid add-on at $12 per workspace a month.
Trial-only tools and self-hosting
Several well-known schedulers have no free plan, only a trial. On the date in the table, Hootsuite, Later, SocialBee and Vista Social each offered a 14-day trial, and SocialBee states that posting stops when the trial ends. They are not in the table for that reason.
The two open source schedulers cost nothing but your server and your time:
- Postiz (AGPL-3.0) deploys with Docker, Coolify, Railway or any VPS and needs your own database, Redis and storage. Its site says you handle installation, updates, backups and social network API approvals yourself, and the hosted Postiz Cloud has no permanent free tier.
- Mixpost Lite (MIT) is completely free and open source and publishes to Facebook Pages, X and Mastodon. Other networks, a posting queue and approval flows are part of Mixpost Pro.
Before you schedule
A scheduler posts what you give it, so check each post first. Our tools run in your browser:
- The post character counter checks one text against the limits of X, Instagram, LinkedIn and more, and the hashtag formatter turns phrases into clean hashtags without duplicates.
- The social media image sizes table lists current image and video sizes per network, and the grid preview for Instagram shows how planned posts look in your profile grid.
- The UTM builder tags the links in your posts, so your analytics show which network sent the visit.
If a scheduled post is sponsored or contains an affiliate link, the disclosure has to be in the post itself. Our FTC endorsement rules guide explains what US rules expect.
Frequently asked questions
Which free scheduler supports the most networks?
Buffer lists Bluesky, Facebook, Google Business Profile, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Pinterest, Substack, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube, with 3 channels on the Free plan. The self-hosted Postiz names more than 30 channels, but you run it on your own server.
Can I schedule Instagram posts for free?
Yes. Meta Business Suite is a free app that creates, schedules and manages posts and stories for a Facebook Page and an Instagram account. Buffer, Metricool and Pallyy also include Instagram on their free plans, and Pallyy's free plan covers image posts only.
Does Hootsuite have a free plan?
No. Hootsuite's plans page offers a 14-day trial without a credit card, and you choose a paid plan after it. Later, SocialBee and Vista Social also offered 14-day trials rather than free plans when we checked.
Which free plans include analytics?
Buffer includes Insights with 30 days of history, Metricool 30 days of analytics and Pallyy 30 days of analytics retention. Zoho Social's free plan has summary reports and Meta Business Suite shows insights for posts, stories and ads. Planable sells analytics as a paid add-on.
Can I self-host a social media scheduler?
Yes. Postiz is open source under AGPL-3.0 and runs with Docker on your own server, and Mixpost Lite is MIT-licensed and publishes to Facebook Pages, X and Mastodon. You handle installation, updates and the API approvals of each network yourself.
Do free plans include AI caption writing?
Buffer's Free plan includes its AI Assistant for refining and repurposing posts, and Metricool's Free plan includes an AI assistant with 5 credits per brand a month. Pallyy marks AI-generated captions as unavailable on its free plan. Self-hosted Postiz offers AI features only with your own provider API keys.