Businesses and agencies need robust tools to schedule posts across multiple social networks — including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and more. Popular cloud-based platforms like Buffer, Hootsuite, Zoho Social, Planable, Later, Agorapulse, Sendible, and GoHighLevel offer scheduling, analytics, inbox monitoring, and more.

Below, we compare some of the most popular options, focusing on free or affordable plans with multi-platform support and key features for agencies and growing businesses.

 

 

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Buffer

Buffer is a user-friendly scheduler with a generous free plan. You can connect up to 3 social accounts and schedule 10 posts per account each month. It supports Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube (Shorts).

Pros:

 

• • Free plan available

• • Clean and intuitive interface

• • Simple calendar view

Cons:

 

• • Limited analytics on free plan

• • Some features (like Instagram first comment) require upgrades

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Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a powerful all-in-one tool that supports almost every major social platform. It includes unlimited scheduling, analytics, team inbox, and social listening features. However, it no longer offers a permanent free plan — only a 30-day free trial.

Pros:

 

• • Robust analytics

• • Social listening and monitoring

• • Team collaboration tools

Cons:

 

• • Expensive for small businesses

• • Steep learning curve

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GoHighLevel

GoHighLevel is an all-in-one marketing platform with a built-in social media planner. It supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and Google Business Profile. It’s especially useful for agencies that want to manage multiple clients and brands in one place.

Pros:

 

• • CRM integration

• • Multi-client dashboards

• • AI caption tools and mobile app

Cons:

 

• • No free plan

• • Requires time to learn

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Zoho Social

Zoho Social is one of the best free options on the market. The free plan lets you manage 6 channels, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Google Business Profile. It offers unlimited scheduling and basic analytics. Paid plans unlock YouTube, TikTok, and advanced reports.

Pros:

 

• • Real free plan with no monthly post limit

• • Strong analytics

• • Affordable upgrades

Cons:

 

• • Limited team collaboration on free tier

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Later

Later is perfect for visual planners and content creators. It supports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube. It has a clean drag-and-drop calendar and media library.

Pros:

 

• • Free plan with 30 posts per month

• • Excellent visual scheduling

• • Ideal for Instagram & TikTok creators

Cons:

 

• • Analytics available only on paid plans

• • Some posts require manual publishing

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Planable

Planable focuses on collaboration and client approvals. It supports all major networks including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Business, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads.

Pros:

 

• • Real-time preview & approval workflows

• • Intuitive interface

• • Excellent for agencies

Cons:

 

• • Free plan limited to 50 posts

• • Paid plans can get pricey for larger teams

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Agorapulse

Agorapulse is an agency-favorite platform that combines scheduling, brand monitoring, and a unified inbox. It supports Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Business, YouTube, and TikTok.

Pros:

 

• • Unified inbox for comments and DMs

• • Social listening features

• • Strong team collaboration

Cons:

 

• • No free plan

• • Premium pricing

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Sendible

Sendible supports most major networks, plus blogging platforms like WordPress. It includes scheduling, a social inbox, and Canva integration for easy content creation.

Pros:

 

• • TikTok and YouTube support

• • Agency-friendly features

• • Canva integration

Cons:

 

• • No free plan (trial only)

• • UI can feel dated for some users

Comparison Table

Platform	Free Plan	Supported Networks	Key Features	Starting Price
Buffer	Yes	Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube	Simple scheduling, clean UI, basic analytics	Free / from $6 per mo
Hootsuite	Trial only	Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok	Scheduling, listening, analytics, team inbox	from $99 per mo
GoHighLevel	No	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Google Business	CRM integration, multi-client, AI tools	from $97 per mo
Zoho Social	Yes	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Google Business (+ TikTok & YouTube on paid)	Unlimited scheduling, analytics	Free / from $15 per mo
Later	Yes	Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube	Visual scheduling, media library	Free / from $18 per mo
Planable	Limited	Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Google Biz	Collaboration, approvals, content calendar	Free / from $49 per mo
Agorapulse	Trial only	Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Google Business	Unified inbox, listening, team collaboration	from $99 per mo
Sendible	Trial only	Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business, WordPress	Scheduling, inbox, Canva integration	from $24 per mo

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Best Overall Option

For most small businesses and agencies, Buffer is the best free option. It’s simple, fast, and covers most major platforms with a friendly interface.

If you need a more powerful free plan, Zoho Social is excellent — it allows unlimited posts across six networks.

For advanced agency workflows, GoHighLevel or Agorapulse are great choices if you’re ready to invest.

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Grow Faster with Q&A IT

At Q&A IT, we help businesses manage their entire online presence. Whether you need:

 

• • Social media management

• • Web development

• • Video editing & 2D animation

• • Graphic design

• • Marketing strategy

• • Research

• • And much more

…our team can help you grow smarter and faster. Contact Q&A IT today to supercharge your social media strategy.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is a social media management tool?

A social media management tool is a platform that helps you plan, schedule, publish, and analyze content across multiple social media channels from a single dashboard. It saves time, improves consistency, and provides valuable performance insights.

2. Which is the best free social media management tool?

If you’re looking for a strong free option, Buffer is a great pick for individuals and small businesses. It offers easy scheduling, multi-platform posting, and basic analytics — all for free.

3. Can I schedule posts on multiple platforms at once?

Yes. Most top platforms — including Hootsuite, Zoho Social, and GoHighLevel — let you schedule and publish posts to multiple social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and more.

4. Are these tools suitable for agencies?

Yes. Many of these tools offer advanced features like team collaboration, client account management, white labeling, and bulk scheduling — making them ideal for agencies like Q&A IT.

5. Are there any low-cost premium plans with more features?

Yes. Most tools have a free plan with core features and affordable premium tiers that unlock more scheduling slots, analytics, inbox monitoring, and branding options. This is perfect for small teams and growing agencies.

6. Why should I use a social media management platform instead of posting manually?

Using a single platform saves time, ensures consistent posting schedules, improves engagement tracking, and provides insights you can’t get from manual posting. It’s especially useful when managing multiple clients or channels.

7. Can Q&A IT manage my social media for me?

Absolutely. Q&A IT offers complete social media management, marketing strategy, content creation, graphic design, video editing, web development, and more. If you want experts to handle everything for you — just contact us and we’ll take care of the rest.