Managing social media can be incredibly time-intensive, from publishing posts to analyzing their performance across platforms. It’s no surprise that social media management tools are in high demand. However, with so many options and some carrying hefty price tags, it can be difficult to determine which tools are effective and budget-friendly. This list eliminates the guesswork, detailing the free features and paid options of the leading social media management tools.

Leading Free Social Media Management Tools in 2024

1. Buffer
2. Friends+Me
3. Later
4. CoSchedule
5. Hootsuite
6. Crowdfire
7. Tailwind

Buffer: Ideal for Expansion

Buffer stands out as a leading contender in social media management.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 3
• Platforms supported: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest
• Scheduling: Up to 10 posts per channel

Notable Free Features

Buffer’s free plan provides:

• Posting schedules. Content is automatically published on your chosen day and time.
• Queue shuffling. Randomize the order of posts, especially those on similar topics, for content variety.
• Google Analytics Campaign tracking. Analyze traffic generated by your posts to refine your approach.
• Start Page. Craft concise landing pages to introduce your business, guide users to external content, or present details about your latest social media marketing.

Buffer’s free version provides a solid foundation, especially if you anticipate expanding your social media marketing endeavors. Explore the advantages of their paid options.

Paid Plans and Features

Buffer scales with you as your social media requirements and team evolve.

1. Essentials at $6 per channel monthly: Unlimited social media channels (up to 2,000 scheduled posts each), custom video thumbnails, multi-channel campaigns, and more.
2. Team at $12 per channel monthly: Unlimited users, exportable and branded reports, custom access and permissions, and more.
3. Agency at $120 per month for the first 10 channels ($6 per channel monthly for additional channels): Google Analytics integrations, personalized UTM parameters, and approval workflow tools. Eager to boost traffic to your site? Free guide » 25 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

Friends+Me: Perfect for Newcomers

Friends+Me may not be as widely recognized but is a solid choice for those seeking a user-friendly tool to initiate their social media journey.

• Number of users: 2
• Number of profiles: 2
• Platforms supported: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest
• Scheduling: Up to 5 posts per queue (2 queues in the free plan)

Noteworthy Free Features

Friends+Me offers the following free features:

• Bulk scheduling. Upload numerous posts to your preferred queue simultaneously, saving time on manual scheduling.
• Flexible accessibility. Utilize the browser extension, desktop app, or mobile app (Android and iOS) for effortless content sharing.
• Zapier integration. Automate tasks such as creating and scheduling posts or streaming fresh content from RSS feeds directly to your Friends+Me account for publishing.

While the profile, platform, and scheduled post limits might be comparatively lower in the free plan, Friends+Me is ideal for establishing your social media footprint. A notable advantage is its team collaboration feature (up to one additional member), a rarity among free social media tools.

Paid Plans and Features

Friends+Me provides four flexible paid plans:

1. Individual at $9 per month: Five queues, 500 scheduled posts per queue, 10 additional team members, and priority support.
2. Small at $29 per month: 15 queues, 1,500 scheduled posts per queue, and 20 additional team members.
3. Medium at $59 per month: 30 queues, 3,000 scheduled posts per queue, and 30 additional team members.
4. Large at $259 per month: 120 queues, 5,000 scheduled posts per queue, and 50 additional team members.

Later: Supporting the Most Platforms

Later, initially an Instagram scheduling tool, has transformed into a comprehensive social media scheduler.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 6 (1 per platform)
• Platforms supported: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn
• Scheduling: Up to 10 posts per profile monthly

Noteworthy Free Features

Later offers these excellent features:

• Media library. Centralize your visual content for easy access, organization, and future sharing.
• Visual Instagram Planner. Drag and drop media to create visually appealing posts aligned with your brand aesthetic.
• Bio. Integrate a Linkin.bio page into your social media bios to drive traffic to your website and boost sales.

Later surpasses most free social media management tools by supporting six major platforms, including TikTok!

Paid Plans and Features

Enjoy a free 14-day trial for any of these paid plans:

1. Start at $15 per month: One user, one social set, and 30 posts per social profile.
2. Growth at $40 per month: Up to three users, three social sets, 150 posts per social profile, and add-ons for social sets and users.
3. Advanced at $80 per month: Up to six users, six social sets, and unlimited posts. Free guide download » 135 of the Best Words & Phrases for Marketing with Emotion

CoSchedule: Extending Beyond Social Media Content

CoSchedule, a renowned marketing management tool, now offers a free forever version of its Marketing Calendar that lives up to expectations.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 2
• Platforms supported: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest
• Scheduling: Up to five messages

Noteworthy Free Features

The forever free Marketing Calendar comes with these impressive features:

• Messages and campaigns. Schedule single posts across multiple social networks or create message series across multiple platforms over time.
• Best time scheduling. CoSchedule optimizes your posting time for maximum visibility and engagement.
• Automated evergreen content resharing. Sit back as your evergreen content is automatically reposted according to your schedule.
• Historical social messages import. CoSchedule imports up to 60 days (or 100 past messages) when you add a new profile, allowing for measurement and rescheduling.

This tool goes beyond social media scheduling—it’s a complete marketing content management platform. CoSchedule is your solution if you prefer managing content across social media networks, email campaigns, blogs, and more within a single platform.

Paid Plans and Features

Considering upgrading your Marketing Calendar? Explore these options:

1. Pro at $39 per month: Unlimited social media publishing, bulk scheduling, automation, campaign templates, and priority support.
2. Business (custom quote required): Multi-channel campaigns, workflow automation, asset and file storage management, team performance reports, and more.

Hootsuite: Perfect for Paid Post Promotion

Hootsuite, a leading social media tool, offers a robust and reliable free version.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 2
• Platforms supported: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest
• Scheduling: Up to 5 messages simultaneously

Noteworthy Free Features

Hootsuite’s straightforward free plan includes:

• Content customization. Schedule posts across multiple networks while tailoring them for each platform.
• Streams and boards. Monitor activity on your accounts or discover trending content and conversations through dedicated boards.
• Promoted posts. Extend your reach on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram using the Boost Feature.

While lacking extensive features, Hootsuite’s free plan excels in the basics and, unlike many other tools, allows for paid social advertising. It’s the perfect free solution if promoted posts are part of your strategy, and you want to manage expenses effectively.

Paid Plans and Features

Consider these options if you’re looking to upgrade:

1. Professional at $49 per month: One user, 10 social accounts, a unified inbox for messages, and post pre-scheduling.
2. Team for $129 per month: Up to three users, 20 social accounts, team access and roles with permissions, etc.
3. Business at $739 per month: Up to five users, 35 social accounts, extended functionality with premium apps, and more.
4. Enterprise (custom pricing): Automatic assignment of posts or comments to team members, quarterly business reviews, Hootsuite Social Advertising, unlimited post promotion, and more.

Crowdfire: Ideal for Content Curation

Crowdfire is an excellent free tool if content curation (and re-sharing your own content) is part of your marketing strategy.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 3
• Platforms supported: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram
• Scheduling: Up to 10 posts per account

Noteworthy Free Features

Crowdfire’s free plan stands out with features like:

• Unlimited article and image curation. Easily curate and share your own and others’ high-quality content to keep your profiles and audience engaged while reducing the need to constantly create fresh material.
• Advanced analytics. Access one day of advanced analytics data, a feature often absent in most free social media software plans that usually offer only basic analytics!
• Chrome extension. Instantly share articles without leaving your browser or opening Crowdfire to create and publish posts.

This tool simplifies content curation, helping you find relevant owned and unowned content based on your usual topics.

Paid Plans and Features

Crowdfire offers three paid plans:

1. Plus at $9.99 per month: Up to five accounts, 100 scheduled posts per account, 90 days of advanced analytics data, and more.
2. Premium at $49.99 per month: Up to 10 accounts, bulk scheduling, calendar view, up to 15 RSS feeds, mention tracking and reply features, analysis of two competitors per account, and more.
3. VIP at $99.99 per month: Up to 25 accounts, 800 scheduled posts per account, up to two team members per profile, priority support, and more. Want more tips and ideas? We’ve got 130+ for you! Get the guide » 130+ of the Best Online Marketing Tips for Generating More Traffic, Leads, & Sales

Tailwind: Perfect for Visual Platforms

Create a free account with Tailwind, with no credit card required, and explore their focus on post design for visual platforms like Instagram.

• Number of users: 1
• Number of profiles: 3 (1 per platform)
• Platforms supported: Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook
• Scheduling: Up to 20 posts monthly

Noteworthy Free Features

Tailwind’s free plan offers excellent features, including:

• Photo and video support. Capture attention with eye-catching visuals—a feature often restricted to paid users in other social media management software.
• Post designs. Upload images and let Tailwind Create automatically design professional-quality posts using your brand colors, fonts, and logos.
• Bulk uploads. Save time and effort by uploading multiple posts simultaneously, eliminating the need for individual copy-pasting.

Tailwind is a fantastic option if your social media strategy heavily relies on visuals and videos, especially if you’re less focused on text-based platforms like LinkedIn. Their ability to create multiple post variations from a single design is a significant time-saver.

Paid Plans and Features

Tailwind’s paid plans are as follows:

1. Pro at $19.99 per month: Up to 100 posts per month, 200 post designs, advanced analytics, and more.
2. Advanced at $49.99 per month: Up to two accounts each for Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook; up to 1,000 posts monthly; unlimited post designs; two users; and more.
3. Max at $99.99 per month: Up to three accounts per social network, unlimited posts, and up to five users.

Which Free Social Media Management Tool Comes Out on Top?

As demonstrated, many excellent free social media management tools exist. The seven tools covered here are worth exploring, particularly if you’re considering social selling. Starting with a tool that can adapt to your needs saves you the trouble of switching and learning a new platform later. Not sure where to begin? Here’s a summary of our list:

1. Buffer: Ideal if you plan to expand your social media presence.
2. Friends+Me: Perfect for those starting their social media journey.
3. Later: Excellent for scheduling posts across major social media platforms.
4. CoSchedule: Best for managing social media and other marketing campaigns on a single platform.
5. Hootsuite: Ideal if you want to schedule organic posts and have allocated a budget for promoted posts.
6. Crowdfire: Perfect if you’re interested in content curation to populate your social media calendar and boost engagement.
7. Tailwind: Best suited for those focusing on visual platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest.