Later alternatives in 2026: schedulers, analytics and influencer tools compared

Buffer prices per connected channel instead of per social set, so a creator with Instagram, TikTok and YouTube pays $15 a month on Essentials. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, 1 user and 30 days of insights, and it includes a link-in-bio Start Page. Paid plans remove the post limit (Buffer applies a fair-use cap of 5,000), keep insights history and add first-comment scheduling and reports; Team adds unlimited users and approvals. It supports the widest list of networks here, including X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads and Google Business Profile, which matters if you left Later when it dropped X.

Planoly is the closest like-for-like replacement: a drag-and-drop visual planner built around the Instagram grid, with link in bio on every plan. Starter covers 1 social set and 1 user, Growth 2 sets and 2 users, Pro 6 sets and 6 users, and every plan has unlimited uploads. It also lets creators sell digital products and run Instagram DM automations from the same account. It schedules to Instagram, Facebook, X, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads and TikTok. The free plan exists only in the mobile app, with 10 uploads a month.

Metricool is the alternative to pick if Later's analytics were the reason you paid for it. The free plan covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month, 5 competitors and 30 days of analytics. Starter gives 5 brands with unlimited posts, 100 tracked competitors, unlimited analytics history and PDF reports; Advanced adds team roles, approvals, a Looker Studio connector and an API. It reads Facebook Ads, Google Ads and TikTok Ads alongside organic accounts, which Later only does for Meta ads on Scale. LinkedIn starts on Starter, and X is a paid add-on.

Vista Social combines scheduling, a social inbox, review management and DM automations, and it covers more networks than any other tool here: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google Business, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Threads, Bluesky and X (X is a $29 a month add-on). Professional includes 15 profiles and Scale 70, with unlimited scheduling. Note that its entry price is now $99 a month; older comparisons quote a cheaper plan that is no longer listed.

Sprout Social is priced per seat, so a three-person team on Essentials pays $237 a month billed yearly for 5 profiles. In return you get the strongest shared inbox and reporting in this list, a 30-day free trial and AI credits per seat. Listening, premium analytics and influencer marketing are sold as separate add-ons through a demo, without public prices. Choose it if Later felt too creator-focused for a team.

Hootsuite's Standard plan covers up to 10 social accounts with unlimited posts, AI post and image generation, a unified inbox and brand and competitor monitoring; Professional removes the account limit and adds trend forecasting and custom reports. There is no free plan, and the 14-day trial caps daily posts and leaves out bulk scheduling. It is a reasonable choice for a team that has outgrown Later, but not a cheaper one.

Modash says it covers more than 380 million Instagram, TikTok and YouTube creators with at least 1,000 followers, searchable by niche, location and audience. Essentials includes 2 seats, 300 opened profiles and 150 email unlocks a month and tracks 100 creators; Performance adds payments and affiliate management. The 14-day trial is small (20 profile views). It is the right replacement if you used Later's influencer side to search for creators rather than to run managed campaigns.

GRIN now publishes its prices, which it did not do for most of its history. Every plan includes creator search, gifting, affiliate and UGC campaigns, a creator CRM and content tracking, plus a percentage fee on money you deposit to pay creators. The free plan allows 2 live campaigns and 10 gifts. It is closest to what Later sells after the Mavely acquisition: paying creators per sale rather than just finding them.