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Metricool Alternatives: 6 Tools for Scheduling and Social Analytics

Written by the Sharevia team··3 min read

Metricool has quietly become one of the most popular social media tools around. It shows up in Google Trends at a level most competitors would envy, and searches for "Metricool pricing" and "Metricool review" are common, which suggests a lot of people are weighing it up against something else.

Here's what else is out there. Disclosure: Sharevia is ours and is on the list.

Metricool in brief

As of October 2026, Metricool offers:

  • Free: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, 30 days of analytics, no LinkedIn or X.
  • Starter: $25 a month billed monthly ($20 yearly) for 5 brands, unlimited scheduling (fair use), reports, competitor tracking.
  • Advanced: from $67 a month billed monthly ($53 yearly) for 15 brands, with team roles and approvals.

Its strength is analytics and reporting for the price. People leave when they want something simpler, something focused on creating content, or something built for larger teams.

1. Buffer: simpler and cheaper per channel

Buffer is famously easy to use. Free for 3 channels (10 queued posts each), then $5 per channel a month on Essentials, $10 on Team.

Better than Metricool for: simplicity and small setups. Weaker on: deep analytics and competitor tracking. See Buffer alternatives.

2. Later: creator- and Instagram-friendly

Later started as an Instagram planner and still feels visual-first. Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly; 14-day trial.

Better for: visual planning of Instagram and TikTok grids. Later alternatives has more.

3. Hootsuite: for big teams

Hootsuite offers social listening, competitor benchmarking and enterprise features. From $99 per user a month billed yearly.

Better for: larger marketing teams with approval workflows. Hootsuite alternatives covers cheaper options.

4. Postiz: open source

Postiz is open source and can be self-hosted, with a hosted version from $29 a month.

Better for: developers who want control and API access.

5. Genviral: scheduling plus AI content

Genviral combines scheduling across many accounts with AI video generation, a slideshow editor and an analytics dashboard. From $29 a month for 5 accounts.

Better for: agencies and people running many accounts with AI content.

6. Sharevia: content creation first

Sharevia (ours) is less a reporting tool and more a content engine: AI influencers, UGC-style videos, slideshows, hook-and-demo videos, competitor research and scheduling, plus analytics for your connected accounts. From $25 a month.

Better for: founders whose real bottleneck is making content, not reporting on it. Weaker on: client-ready PDF reports and multi-brand agency analytics, where Metricool shines.

Quick comparison

ToolFrom (Oct 2026)Strength
MetricoolFree, $25/moAnalytics and reports for the price
BufferFree, $5/channelSimplicity
Later$18.75/mo yearlyVisual planning
Hootsuite$99/user/moEnterprise teams
PostizSelf-host or $29/moOpen source
Genviral$29/moMany accounts plus AI content
Sharevia$25/moCreating content plus scheduling

What Metricool does especially well

Metricool punches above its price in a few areas:

  • Reports. PDF and PPT reports on Starter make it popular with freelancers and agencies who report to clients.
  • Competitor tracking. Up to 100 competitors on Starter, which is generous.
  • Breadth. Most major networks, plus integrations with Canva and Google Drive.
  • A real free plan for one brand.

If client reporting is central to your work, it's hard to beat at this price point.

Matching tools to roles

  • Freelance social media manager with several clients: Metricool or Genviral.
  • In-house marketer at a small company: Buffer or Metricool.
  • Creator focused on Instagram and TikTok: Later or Buffer.
  • Agency with dozens of accounts: Genviral or Hootsuite.
  • Developer or technical founder: Postiz.
  • Founder who needs content made: a content creation tool with scheduling.

Before you switch, export your data

Analytics history often doesn't transfer between tools. Before cancelling:

  • Export reports for the periods you care about.
  • Save screenshots of key trends.
  • Note your baseline numbers (median views, engagement, follower growth) so you can compare after switching.

That way, you don't lose the context that makes future numbers meaningful.

Which should you choose?

If you're happy with Metricool's analytics but find posting slow, the issue probably isn't the scheduler, it's content production. If you need simpler scheduling, Buffer. If you need team workflows, Hootsuite. And if reports are what clients pay for, Metricool is hard to beat at its price.

Not sure what to track at all? Read social media analytics: what to track.

FAQ

How much does Metricool cost?

As of October 2026, Metricool has a free plan for one brand. Starter is $25 a month billed monthly ($20 billed yearly) for up to five brands, and Advanced starts at $67 a month billed monthly ($53 yearly).

What's the best free Metricool alternative?

Buffer's free plan, which supports three channels with 10 queued posts each. If you're technical, Postiz can be self-hosted.

Make content that moves.

  • Create AI influencers and UGC
  • Recreate what’s working in your niche
  • Post everywhere from one place
Get started

Plans from $25 a month

The Sharevia team

We build Sharevia, an AI social media manager for founders and brands. We write about what we learn making short-form content, including the parts that didn’t work.

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