Updated November 2026
5 Metricool alternatives to compare in 2026
We compared Postocial, Iconosquare, Buffer, SocialPilot and Zoho Social with Metricool on price, free plans, networks, inbox, approvals, link in bio, API and MCP. Every fact links to an official source.
A card is required to start the 7-day free trial. When the trial ends, we charge your card for the plan you picked, unless you cancel before.
About Metricool
What is Metricool?
Metricool prices by brand rather than by account, and its reporting is the main draw for freelancers, small agencies and creators. Starter starts at $25 a month for up to 5 brands, and a free-forever plan covers 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month.
- Category: Social media analytics and scheduling
- Starting price: $25/month. Starter, up to 5 brands; $20 billed yearly
- Free plan: Yes. 1 brand, 20 posts a month
- Free trial: None. Free plan instead
- Networks listed: 11
Why people switch
Why people look for Metricool alternatives
Most reasons come down to price, plan limits and network coverage. This is what Metricool's own pages show, as of November 2026.
- Price grows with the number of brands, and X is a $10 monthly add-on per account
- Approvals, team and client roles, and the API start on Advanced
- AI is metered in credits per brand
- There is no standard free trial of paid plans; the free plan takes its place
- Its network list does not include Mastodon, Reddit, Tumblr and Telegram
Alternative 1 of 5
Postocial
Postocial fits Metricool users who need team features sooner. Approvals, roles and the REST API are on every plan from €19.99 a month, with Mastodon, Reddit, Tumblr and Telegram publishing. Metricool keeps the stronger analytics and a free plan.
- Approvals, team roles and the REST API on every plan; Metricool starts them on Advanced
- Client invite links and client review from a shared calendar link on every plan; Metricool starts client roles on Advanced
- X with your own X API key and pre-funded X developer credits, instead of a $10 monthly add-on per account
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Worth knowing
- Metricool has a free plan. Postocial does not: its 7-day trial needs a card.
- Metricool also lists Twitch, which is not on Postocial's network list.
- On Postocial, X needs your own X API key and pre-funded X developer credits, and there are no X analytics.
More options
Other Metricool alternatives
Numbered for reference, not ranked. Each card says how that tool differs from Metricool, using facts from its official pages.
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2. Iconosquare
Iconosquare is analytics-first as well, from $10 a month on annual billing, with a free plan for 2 profiles and a 14-day trial with no card. Its inbox starts on Launch and approvals on Scale.
Postocial vs Iconosquare -
3. Buffer
Buffer bills per channel, $6 a month on Essentials, instead of per brand, and its free plan covers up to 3 channels. Approvals and unlimited users come with its Team plan, at $12 per channel.
Postocial vs Buffer -
4. SocialPilot
SocialPilot counts accounts rather than brands: Essentials is $30 a month for 7 accounts. It adds white-label reports for agencies, though analytics start on Standard and there is no free plan.
Postocial vs SocialPilot -
5. Zoho Social
Zoho Social also counts brands and has a free plan, though its free plan cannot schedule posts. Standard costs $15 a month for 1 brand and 1 team member, and the inbox and approvals start on Zoho Social Premium.
Postocial vs Zoho Social
At a glance
Metricool and its alternatives, side by side
Entry prices, trials and the features teams ask about most. On Postocial, the inbox and link in bio come with Premium and higher plans.
| Feature | Postocial | Metricool | Iconosquare | Buffer | SocialPilot | Zoho Social |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting priceMonthly billing unless noted | €19.99/monthStarter, or €199.90 a year | $25/monthStarter, up to 5 brands; $20 billed yearly | $10/monthUSD rate on annual billing; varies by region | $6/channel/monthEssentials, 1 user; $5 billed yearly | $30/monthEssentials, 7 accounts, 1 user; $25.50 yearly | $15/monthStandard, 1 brand, 1 member; $10 yearly |
| Free plan | No | Yes1 brand, 20 posts a month | Yes2 profiles, 10 posts per profile a month | YesUp to 3 channels | No | Yes1 brand, 6 channels; no scheduling |
| Free trial | 7 daysCard required | NoneFree plan instead | 14 daysNo card; then the free plan | 14 daysOn paid plans | 14 daysNo card | 15 daysThen the free plan |
| NetworksPublishing networks each tool lists | 14X with your own X API key | 11 listedX add-on; LinkedIn on paid plans | 8 listedX from the Launch plan | 11 listed | 10 listed | 15 listedOne account per network per brand |
| Unified inbox | YesOn Premium and higher plans, with WhatsApp, a Telegram bot, SMS, live chat and chatbots | Yes | YesFrom Launch | YesComments; DMs not mentioned | YesFrom Standard | YesFrom Zoho Social Premium |
| Post approvals | YesClients approve from a shared link | YesFrom Advanced | YesScale plan | YesTeam plan | YesFrom Standard; client approvals from SocialPilot Premium | YesFrom Zoho Social Premium |
| Link in bio | YesOn Premium and higher plans, with up to 3 custom domains | YesSeveral pages | No | YesStart Page, billed as a channel | Not confirmed | NoNone listed |
| Public API | YesPublishing API and webhooks; Messaging and Link in Bio APIs on Premium and higher plans | YesFrom Advanced | No | Yes1 API key on the free plan | YesEnterprise, on request | Yes |
| MCP server | YesDrafts and schedules posts | YesFree plan included | YesFrom Starter, for Claude and ChatGPT | YesFree plan included | YesAll paid plans | Not confirmedNot in Zoho MCP services |
On Postocial, message only people who opted in or wrote to you first, and stop when they ask. Broadcasts go to contacts who opted in and skip anyone who opted out, and on Messenger and Instagram they reach only people who messaged you in the last 24 hours. Meta bills WhatsApp messages to your WhatsApp Business account, and SMS goes through your own Twilio, Plivo or SMS gateway account. Competitor details as of November 2026, from the official pricing, feature and help pages linked here. Plans change often, so check the source before you buy. Sources: Metricool: metricool.com/pricing, metricool.com/metricool-mcp-claude, metricool.com/premium-vs-free-metricool-plans; Iconosquare: iconosquare.com/plans-and-pricing, iconosquare.com/alternative/iconosquare-vs-loomly, iconosquare.com/integrations; Buffer: buffer.com/pricing, buffer.com/pricing.md, buffer.com/mcp, buffer.com/community; SocialPilot: socialpilot.co/plans, socialpilot.co/socialpilot-pricing.md, socialpilot.co/mcp-server; Zoho Social: zoho.com/social/pricing.html, zoho.com/social/pricing.md, zoho.com/…/social-pricing-val.json, zoho.com/social/plan-comparison.md, zoho.com/social/api.html, zoho.com/…/introduction.html, zoho.com/mcp/pricing.md.
FAQ
Metricool alternatives: questions and answers
Is there a free alternative to Metricool?
Iconosquare, Buffer and Zoho Social have free plans, as of November 2026. Metricool has one too. Postocial has no free plan; every plan starts with a free trial instead. A card is required to start the 7-day free trial. When the trial ends, we charge your card for the plan you picked, unless you cancel before.
Which Metricool alternative is closest?
Iconosquare is the closest analytics-first tool. Zoho Social is a low-cost suite with a free plan, and SocialPilot suits agencies.
How did you choose these Metricool alternatives?
We picked Iconosquare, Buffer, SocialPilot and Zoho Social because they overlap with Metricool, which is a visual planner or analytics tool. Then we compared starting prices, free plans, trials, networks, inbox, approvals, link in bio, API and MCP using official pricing and feature pages, as of November 2026. Postocial comes first because this is the Postocial site; the other tools are not ranked.
Try Postocial as your Metricool alternative
Connect your accounts, schedule a real week of posts and see how it compares with Metricool. Free for 7 days.
A card is required to start the 7-day free trial. When the trial ends, we charge your card for the plan you picked, unless you cancel before.