Best Social Media Management Tools

Social media management tools, also called social media management software, schedule, publish, approve, and measure posts across social accounts. The right tool depends on whether the job is a few personal accounts, client approvals, an inbox, or enterprise listening.

The shortlist below covers 13 tools. The table and the tool sections use the same numbering. Each tool section names the job the tool fits and the job it does not fit.

Social Media Management Tools at a Glance

The table lists each tool’s pricing model, because vendor prices change often. RecurPost’s dollar amounts below come from RecurPost’s own pricing page.

What Social Media Management Tools Cover

Social media management tools share six jobs. A tool is worth its price only for the jobs your team runs.

• Every tool on this list schedules posts on a calendar to more than one network. The differences show up in per-network options such as first comments, post types, and CTA buttons.
• Agency work needs roles for the team, a way for clients to approve posts, and a way for clients to connect accounts. A solo account owner needs none of the three.
• A social inbox collects replies, comments, and DMs in one place. An inbox is a different product from enterprise listening, which tracks brand mentions across the web.
• Analytics for agencies means white-label reports that carry the agency’s logo. A single brand usually needs only post performance numbers.
• Network coverage decides which clients a tool can serve. RecurPost publishes to 10 networks, listed on its supported social networks page:
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Threads
  • Bluesky
• The pricing model determines the bill more than the starting price does. Tools charge per social account, per user seat, per client workspace, or by custom quote.

The 13 Best Social Media Management Tools

1. RecurPost: Best for Agencies Running Client Work Through Roles and Approvals

RecurPost fits agencies that publish and approve posts for clients, up to the Enterprise plan at 100+ social accounts. A new client adds social accounts at $4 per month each, and each teammate beyond the plan’s included users costs a flat $20 per month.

Team members get one of four editable role templates (Contributor, Writer, Editor, or Publisher) or a custom role built from permissions for posts, approvals, social profiles, the inbox, reports, and client review. Roles are set per client workspace, so one teammate can publish for one client and only write drafts for another.

On the Agency plan, posts move through a staged approval workflow from writing to internal review to client review. Each stage alerts its assigned role at 50%, 80%, and overdue. Overdue internal stages pass to the workspace’s Account Manager, and stuck client approvals escalate to them. The Account Manager can approve on the client’s behalf or reschedule the post, and every such approval is logged.

Clients approve scheduled posts through a shareable link. On Agency, clients also connect their social accounts through an email or link invite, so the agency never handles a client password. The publishing queue surfaces 850+ documented platform error types with plain-language guidance.

See all RecurPost features

RecurPost does not fit a team whose service is social listening. The other jobs it leaves to other tools are listed under “When RecurPost Is Not the Right Tool” below.

2. Hootsuite: Best When Social Listening Is the Service

Hootsuite fits organizations that sell or run social listening, which Hootsuite powers with Talkwalker. It also manages ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

Hootsuite does not fit a team that adds people often. Every plan is priced per user, so each new teammate adds a full seat, and the price is built around listening that a publishing-only team never uses.

Hootsuite adds branded reports on its Advanced plan, while RecurPost includes white-label reports on Agency.

See RecurPost vs Hootsuite

3. Buffer: Best for One to Three Personal Accounts

Buffer fits a solo creator or solopreneur running one to three personal accounts. Its free plan covers 3 channels.

Buffer does not fit an agency that reviews posts with clients. There is no shareable calendar for client approval, and approvals are on the Team plan only. Buffer also has no content library.

Buffer charges per channel, which means per connected social account. Connecting a client’s channels takes admin access or the client’s login, while RecurPost clients connect through an email or link invite without sharing a password. Buffer publishes YouTube Shorts only, and it supports Mastodon, which RecurPost does not.

See RecurPost vs Buffer

4. Zoho Social: Best for Teams Already in Zoho

Zoho Social fits a company that already runs Zoho CRM, Desk, or Mail and wants social inside the same suite. It publishes to Mastodon, and its Premium and Agency plans add WhatsApp and Telegram.

Zoho Social does not fit an agency whose client runs two accounts on one network. Each Zoho Social brand connects one account per platform.

Zoho Social charges per brand. It has no calendar sharing, so clients review posts inside Zoho Social itself.

See RecurPost vs Zoho Social

5. Sprout Social: Best for Enterprise Listening and Customer Care

Sprout Social fits a larger team whose main work is listening, review management across many platforms, and customer care. Care work also syncs with Salesforce.

Sprout Social does not fit an agency running many client profiles on a lower tier. Essentials and Standard cap at 5 social profiles, and approvers outside the Sprout account need the Advanced plan.

Sprout Social charges per user seat and sells listening as an add-on from the Standard plan up. It publishes to Facebook Groups but not to personal Facebook or Instagram profiles, which RecurPost reaches through push-notification posting.

See RecurPost vs Sprout Social

6. Sendible: Best When Blog Publishing Sits Next to Social

Sendible fits an agency that publishes to WordPress blogs from the same tool as its social posts. Its Client Connect lets clients link their accounts without sharing a password.

Sendible does not fit an agency that wants white-label branding on a mid-tier plan. White labelling is a paid add-on on the Elite and Enterprise plans only.

Sendible prices tiers by workspace, each with 6 social profiles, and includes unlimited users on every plan. It does not publish to Pinterest, and RecurPost does.

See RecurPost vs Sendible

7. SocialPilot: Best When Clients Get Their Own Seats

SocialPilot fits an agency that wants clients inside the tool. From the Premium plan, clients get free, unlimited seats with their own Client role, and they can also approve posts from Approve On-the-Go links without signing in. The Ultimate and Enterprise plans allow unlimited team users.

SocialPilot does not fit an agency that needs client approvals on an entry plan. Client approval workflows start on Premium.

SocialPilot sells tiers that bundle an account count with a user count. It has no paid ads, and RecurPost boosts published Facebook and Instagram posts.

See RecurPost vs SocialPilot

8. Planable: Best for One Brand Reviewed by Many People

Planable fits a single brand or client reviewed by many people. It allows unlimited users per workspace, and its Pro plan adds a required approval step.

Planable does not fit an agency adding clients regularly, because every client adds a workspace and its add-ons. Posts are also capped per workspace each month, at 60 on Basic and 150 on Pro.

Planable charges per workspace. It does not publish to Bluesky or to Facebook personal profiles.

See RecurPost vs Planable

9. SocialBee: Best for Category-Based Content Planning

SocialBee fits a team that plans content in categories and recycles evergreen posts by category. It also offers ConciergeBee, an optional done-for-you content service.

SocialBee does not fit an agency whose clients must approve posts without creating a login. It also lacks Instagram DM automation and AI inbox replies.

SocialBee sells tiers by profile count, with users and workspaces added per tier. It does not post to Facebook Groups, and its mobile app sends reminders instead of publishing.

See RecurPost vs SocialBee

10. NapoleonCat: Best When Comment Moderation Is the Daily Work

NapoleonCat fits a team whose daily work is answering and hiding comments, including comments on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ads. Its Expert plan automates that moderation.

NapoleonCat does not fit an agency whose daily work is filling client calendars. Clients must create an account to review posts, with no link review and no pending-approval emails. There is also no content library or recurring queue.

NapoleonCat sells bundles of profile slots and users, and its inbox starts on the Pro tier. It does not support CSV bulk uploads and cannot publish to Pinterest, Threads, or Bluesky.

See RecurPost vs NapoleonCat

11. Later: Best for Visual Planning Without X

Later fits an Instagram-first brand or creator that plans a visual feed. Its Visual Planner previews and rearranges the grid before posts go live. Link in Bio with Mavely affiliate links and an influencer marketing platform sit alongside scheduling.

Later does not fit an agency whose core work is publishing and approving client posts across networks. It does not publish to X, Google Business Profile, or Bluesky, and it publishes YouTube Shorts only. The Starter plan has no approvals.

Later charges per Social Set plus users. It removed X support on August 28, 2025, and RecurPost publishes to X.

See RecurPost vs Later

12. Sprinklr: Best for an Enterprise Suite Beyond Scheduling

Sprinklr fits a large enterprise that wants social publishing inside a broader customer experience platform covering care, listening, and marketing.

Sprinklr does not fit a team whose job is scheduling and approving posts. That team pays for modules it does not run.

Sprinklr has discontinued its self-serve plans and sells by custom quote.

13. HubSpot: Best When Social Has to Live in HubSpot CRM

HubSpot fits a marketing team that already runs HubSpot CRM and wants social posts tied to contacts, campaigns, and deals.

HubSpot does not fit a team outside HubSpot. That team takes on a CRM and marketing suite to get a social scheduler.

HubSpot’s free tools and Marketing Hub Starter include social post scheduling. Paid Marketing Hub tiers are priced per seat.

Which Tool Fits the Job

Each row below pairs one job with the tool that fits it.

RecurPost lists every one-to-one matchup on the RecurPost comparisons page.

Social Media Management Tools Pricing

An agency with 20 accounts and 5 users pays $119 per month on RecurPost’s Agency plan. The $79 plan includes 3 users. Two extra teammates at $20 each make up the rest. RecurPost bills per social account, not per user seat.

RecurPost adds social accounts at $4 per month each on any plan. Yearly billing gives two months free. Current add-ons and limits are on the RecurPost pricing page.

The other 12 tools charge by the models in the table at the top of this page. A per-seat tool costs more as the team grows. A per-workspace tool costs more as the client list grows.

When RecurPost Is Not the Right Tool

RecurPost leaves four jobs to other tools. The tool sections and the job table above name the tool for each one.

1. RecurPost does not include social listening.
2. RecurPost boosts published Facebook and Instagram posts. It does not run Google or TikTok ads.
3. RecurPost does not publish to Mastodon.
4. RecurPost has no permanent free plan.

FAQs