Category
Social media management software: what they are and who makes them
Buffer, Metricool, Agorapulse and 7 more, sorted into types, with the company behind each and where it is based.
Types of social media management software
Per-channel publishers
Buffer and Publer center on scheduling, with small plans priced by how many accounts you connect. They suit creators and small brands that want a queue and a calendar. The inbox, listening and approvals are lighter, and costs scale with every account added.
Seat-based suites
Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Agorapulse sell an inbox, analytics and approvals together and charge per user. They suit marketing departments and care teams. Prices begin near $80 to $100 per seat and the strongest features sit on upper tiers. Expect the inbox and reporting to be deeper than in the simpler publishers.
Agency and multi-brand tools
Metricool, SocialPilot and Sendible price by brand, account bundle or workspace, so agencies can add clients without adding seats. Client approvals, white-label reports and separate workspaces are the draw, and the limits are the number of profiles per plan. Read the profile cap on each plan before counting clients.
Visual and approval specialists
Later leans on visual feed planning for Instagram and TikTok, and Planable on review chains before posts go out. Each does one stage well. Planable sells analytics, inbox and listening as add-ons, so the real bill is larger than the first price shown.
Facts at a glance
| Tool | Publisher | Based in | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Buffer, Inc. | United States | Free tier + API |
| Metricool | Metricool Software, S.L. | Spain | Free tier + API |
| Agorapulse | Agorapulse SAS | France | Trial + API |
| Hootsuite | Hootsuite Inc. | Canada | Trial + API |
| Sprout Social | Sprout Social, Inc. | United States | Trial + API |
| SocialPilot | SocialPilot Technologies Inc. | United States | Trial + API |
| Sendible | Sendible Limited | United Kingdom | Trial + API |
| Later | Later | Canada | Trial |
| Planable | Planable | Romania | Trial + API |
| Publer | Publer | Albania | Free tier + API |
