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Alternatives

Best Publer alternatives in 2026

Publer is cheap to start and covers more networks than almost anyone. But the price grows with every account and teammate, and approvals, best times and the API need its Business plan. Here are eight alternatives.

By Kumar Gaurav, founder of OctoqueUpdated Facts checked

The short answer

Publer is well reviewed and hard to beat for one or two accounts, so only switch for a reason. If per-account pricing is adding up, plans with accounts included are cheaper from about 6 accounts: Octoque Creator ($29 for 8), SocialPilot ($30 for 7) or Zoho Social ($15 for one brand across 14 networks). If you need an inbox, Buffer and Metricool include one even on their free plans, and Octoque has one for comments, DMs and Google reviews.

Why people look for a Publer alternative

These come up most in Publer’s own documentation and in recent public reviews. Each links to where we saw it.

  1. Approvals, best times, analytics and the API need the Business plan, which costs more per account. (Publer: Professional vs Business)
  2. No unified inbox: comments are handled post by post, and an inbox is still on the roadmap. (Publer roadmap)
  3. Per-account pricing grows with every account and teammate you add. (Publer plans)
  4. X isn’t on the free plan, which some low reviews mention (overall Publer scores 4.9 on Trustpilot). (Trustpilot reviews of Publer)
“My only wishlist item is the ability to split billing between my different companies”
Trustpilot reviewer (5 stars), July 2026, Trustpilot

Publer also does things well, and it may still be the right tool for you: a real free plan and a very low per-account starting price; the widest network list here, including Facebook Groups, Google Business, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and WordPress.

At a glance

Checked 14 October 2026, USD, monthly billing unless stated
ToolBest forStarts atFree plan
Octoque (ours)One short video to many platforms, each at its own hour$15/mo for 3 accountsReminders only (you post), 3 accounts, 10 posts a month
BufferA free plan with an inbox and an API$6/mo per channel3 channels, 10 queued each
MetricoolAnalytics, best times and an inbox, even on Free$25/mo for 5 brands1 brand, 20 posts a month
Zoho SocialOne brand on up to 14 networks for $15$15/mo for 1 brand1 brand, 6 channels
SocialPilot7 accounts for $30, approvals from $50$30/mo for 7 accountsNo
LaterInstagram-first planning and link in bio (no X)$25/mo, 1 social setLimited, not on pricing page
PlanolyAn Instagram grid planner and a link-in-bio store$16/mo, 1 social setApp only, 10 uploads a month
TypefullyWriters who mainly post text to X and LinkedIn$99/year10 posts a month
Publer (for reference)Budget users who want many networks, including Mastodon, Telegram and WordPress.From $5/mo per account3 accounts, 10 queued each

The alternatives

Octoque (made by us)

Best for: Creators who post one short video to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X and more, each at that platform’s own hour.

Price
Free: reminders only, you post (3 accounts, 10 posts a month); Starter $15 a month for 3 accounts, posting for you; Creator $29 for 8. Pricing
Why pick it
  • Golden hour on every plan: each platform at its own time, in your audience’s time zone.
  • Accounts included in the plan, not billed one by one; approvals from Creator.
  • 14-day trial with no card that posts for you (3 accounts, 30 posts), and a full refund within 14 days of any payment, renewals included.
  • API and MCP server on every paid plan.
Watch out for
New, with no third-party reviews yet. Lighter listening than Brandwatch-class tools (Mentions, on Studio: no web, news or forums); boosts live posts but has no full ads manager; no X comments or DMs in the inbox, and no routing or assignment for teams. The Free plan doesn’t post for you, and there’s no native phone app.

Compared with Publer: Octoque includes golden hour (each platform at its own time) on every plan, where Publer’s best times need Business. Octoque’s approvals start on Creator ($29). Octoque also has an inbox for comments and DMs, which Publer doesn’t yet. Publer has more networks (Mastodon, Telegram, WordPress), phone apps and a lower price for 1–4 accounts. Full breakdown: Octoque vs Publer.

Buffer

Best for: A free plan with an inbox and an API

Price
Essentials $6 per channel a month ($5 paid yearly), 1 user, unlimited scheduled posts. Cheaper per channel above 10 channels. sourceFree plan: 3 channels, 10 queued each
Why pick it
  • A usable free plan with 3 channels, a community inbox and API access. source
  • Networks Octoque doesn’t post to, including Mastodon and Substack. source
  • Public API and an official MCP server on every plan, plus Zapier, Make and n8n. source
  • Native iOS and Android apps, and unlimited users on Team. source
  • Years of track record and many public reviews to read. source
Watch out for
Cost grows with every account you add, and approvals need Team at double the per-channel rate: 10 channels with approvals is $120 a month billed monthly. source

Metricool

Best for: Analytics, best times and an inbox, even on Free

Price
Starter $25 a month ($20 paid yearly) for up to 5 brands, unlimited posting, link-in-bio, Canva. No team members, approvals or API. sourceFree plan: 1 brand, 20 posts a month
Why pick it
  • A free plan that includes auto-publishing, best times and an MCP server. source
  • Deep analytics: up to 100 competitors, PDF reports, ad analytics for Meta, Google and TikTok. source
  • An inbox for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Google Business, even on Free. source
  • Native iOS and Android apps. source
Watch out for
X costs $10 a month per account on every plan, and team members, approvals and the API need Advanced, sold in 15-brand bundles. source

Zoho Social

Best for: One brand on up to 14 networks for $15

Price
Standard $15 a month ($10 paid yearly): 1 brand with up to 14 channels, 1 team member, scheduling and calendar. sourceFree plan: 1 brand, 6 channels
Why pick it
  • Wide network coverage in one brand, including Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon and Snapchat. source
  • Monitoring columns for keywords and mentions from Professional. source
  • An inbox with assignment rules and AI reply drafts, on Premium. source
  • Built-in Zoho CRM and Zoho Desk integration: leads and tickets from social. source
Watch out for
Inbox, approvals and best-time scheduling are all on Premium ($65 a month), and Standard and Professional allow one team member. source

SocialPilot

Best for: 7 accounts for $30, approvals from $50

Price
Essentials $30 a month ($25.50 paid yearly): 7 accounts, 1 user, MCP server, phone app; no inbox, analytics or approvals. sourceFree plan: No
Why pick it
  • Low per-account cost at agency size: 50 accounts and unlimited users for $200 a month. source
  • Client management, client approvals and white-label reports from Premium. source
  • An MCP server on every paid plan, for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor. source
  • A social inbox and review management from Standard, also in the phone app. source
Watch out for
The entry plan has no inbox, analytics or approvals, bulk scheduling needs Premium ($100), and the public API is Enterprise only. source

Later

Best for: Instagram-first planning and link in bio (no X)

Price
Starter $25 a month ($18.75 paid yearly): 1 user, 1 social set (one profile on each of 8 networks), 30 posts per profile a month. sourceFree plan: Limited, not on pricing page
Why pick it
  • A visual planner with an Instagram grid preview and a strong Instagram focus. source
  • Built-in Link in Bio pages with analytics. source
  • Personalised best times from your own data for Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. source
  • Pinterest and Snapchat publishing, native phone apps, and a social inbox from Growth. source
Watch out for
A card is needed for the trial, it turns into a paid plan automatically, and plans are non-refundable. source

Planoly

Best for: An Instagram grid planner and a link-in-bio store

Price
Starter $16 a month ($14 paid yearly): 1 social set (one account per network), 1 user, unlimited uploads, link in bio, Instagram DM automation. sourceFree plan: App only, 10 uploads a month
Why pick it
  • A visual Instagram grid planner: preview and rearrange your feed before you post. source
  • A link-in-bio store for digital products, services and bookings, with no transaction fees, on every plan. source
  • Instagram comment and DM automation on every paid plan. source
  • Pinterest publishing, native phone apps and a low $16 starting price. source
Watch out for
No refunds, X is reminder-only, and best-time suggestions cover Instagram only. source

Typefully

Best for: Writers who mainly post text to X and LinkedIn

Price
Creator $99 a year (yearly only): 1 social set, AI writing, X analytics. sourceFree plan: 10 posts a month
Why pick it
  • A writing editor built for threads and long posts. source
  • API and MCP even on the free plan, and a 14-day refund window like ours. source
Watch out for
Text networks only: no Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or Facebook. source

How to choose

  • You run 1–4 accounts: stay on Publer, or try Buffer. Per-account pricing is cheapest at that size.
  • You run 6 or more accounts: compare plans with accounts included: Octoque, SocialPilot, Zoho Social, Metricool.
  • You need an inbox: Publer handles comments post by post. Buffer, Metricool, Octoque and SocialPilot (from Standard) have inboxes.
  • You post to Telegram, Mastodon or WordPress: Publer is one of very few tools that do. Keep it for those.
How we compared

We read each tool’s own pricing page, help centre and terms on 14 October 2026, and linked every price and drawback to its source. Reasons for leaving come from Publer’s own documentation and recent public reviews, which skew negative by nature. We did not run a long hands-on test of each tool, so this compares published plans and documentation, not day-to-day reliability. We picked tools that solve the problems above, not every scheduler on the market. Corrections to hello@octoque.com.

Questions people ask

Is there a cheaper alternative to Publer?

Rarely for 1–3 accounts: Publer Professional starts at $5. From about 6 accounts, Zoho Social ($15 for one brand), Metricool Starter ($25 for 5 brands), Octoque Creator ($29 for 8 accounts) and SocialPilot ($30 for 7) can cost less.

Which Publer alternative has approvals on a cheaper plan?

Planable (optional approvals on Basic), Vista Social and Loomly include approvals on their entry plans; Octoque from $29 (Creator, 2 seats); SocialPilot from $50.

Does Publer refund?

Yes: a full refund within 14 days of each web payment, like Octoque. Many alternatives refund only a first purchase, or nothing.

Which alternative times each platform separately?

Octoque schedules each platform in a post at its own golden hour, on every plan (on Free it times your reminders, and you post).

Keep reading

Octoque vs PublerHead to head, with pricing sums.Buffer alternativesThe other per-account scheduler.Octoque for creatorsOne video, every app.All comparisonsEvery scheduler in one dated table.

More comparisons

Octoque head to head

Alternatives to

Sources

All links checked on 14 October 2026.

  1. Publer: Professional vs Business
  2. Publer roadmap
  3. Publer plans
  4. Trustpilot reviews of Publer
  5. Buffer pricing
  6. Buffer: source for “watch out for”
  7. Metricool pricing
  8. Metricool: source for “watch out for”
  9. Zoho Social pricing
  10. SocialPilot pricing
  11. SocialPilot: source for “watch out for”
  12. Later pricing
  13. Later: source for “watch out for”
  14. Planoly pricing
  15. Planoly: source for “watch out for”
  16. Typefully pricing

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