9 Best Social Media Automation Tools in 2024 (Reviewed)

Have you spent countless hours posting last minute, juggling platforms, and trying to figure out what’s working?

I know what you’re thinking. “There’s got to be a better way.”

Luckily, social media automation tools help you take back your time and streamline your process.

These tools handle everything from scheduling posts to analyzing performance, freeing you up to focus on what matters.

But the options are OVERWHELMING, so how do you know which one is best for you?

We did the research, so you can have the answers. Here’s what we’re getting into:

• 1. Best for content curation and social media scheduling on a budget: Post Planner
• 2. Best for social media scheduling for enterprise companies: Hootsuite
• 3. Best for simplicity: Buffer
• 4. Best for analytics and reporting: Sprout Social
• 5. Best for visual content planning: Later
• 6. Best for team collaboration: CoSchedule
• 7. Best for multi-account management: SocialPilot
• 8. Best for content recycling and automation: MeetEdgar
• 9. Best for social media inbox management: Agorapulse
• What to look for in a social media automation tool
• FAQs
• Automate your social media success

1. Best for content curation and social media scheduling on a budget: Post Planner

If you need a tool that covers all the basics without breaking the bank, Post Planner is your new best friend.

It helps keep your social media feeds active and engaging without spending hours brainstorming ideas or scheduling posts.

Are you struggling to find fresh content? Post Planner has a feature that helps you discover top-performing content in your niche. This way, you’ll always share something your audience will love.

Post Planner lets you automate your posting schedule, so you don’t have to be glued to your screen. And, with just a few clicks, you can create automated posting plans straight from an RSS feed.

Need help crafting captions or finding the right hashtags? Post Planner’s AI-powered features make it easy.

If you have a post that deserves a second run, Post Planner can automatically repost your evergreen content, keeping your feed fresh without any extra work.

Check out Post Planners demo video here to see it in action.

Pros

• Content curation made easy
• User-friendly interface
• AI-powered assistance
• Smart scheduling
• Post recycling

Cons

• No social listening tools
• No built-in inbox for keeping up with comments or messages

Features

• Connect - Integrates all your social media accounts in one place (Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X, TikTok, and YouTube).

• Discover - Curate content from around the web to share.
• Design - Create your own visual posts with our content studio.
• Categorize - Organize your content into bucket categories.
• Create - Tailor each of your posts to be optimized for each social media platform.
• Schedule - Automate your content to be posted at the perfect time with bulk scheduling and post-recycling.
• Analyze - Evaluate your historical posts' engagement and performance.
• Mobile App - Create and schedule content from your mobile device with the IOS or Android app.

Pricing

Post Planner offers 4 affordable, tiered plans that grow with your business, whether you’re just starting out or scaling up:

• Free
• Starter – $7/month (billed annually)
• Growth – $27/month (billed annually)
• Business – $47/month (billed annually)

Check out our pricing page to see what’s packed into each plan.

Reviews

Post Planner consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Melanie D. had to say about Post Planner:

“Huge time saver & helps with consistency. Post planner helps solve the problem of wanting and needing to be present and consistently providing value to your followers on social media, but without having to be online every second of every day. I love that my followers can count on when my content will appear!”

2. Best for social media scheduling for enterprise companies: Hootsuite

Hootsuite might be worth looking into if you’re managing social media for a large team or enterprise.

It’s packed with features designed to handle the complexity of big business social media strategies while still being user-friendly for your team.

Hootsuite also offers social listening tools, helping you stay ahead of trends and customer feedback.

Pros

• Flexible scheduling with bulk options
• Comprehensive analytics
• Easy team collaboration
• Offers social listening

Cons

• No free plan
• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• Higher cost for advanced features
• Limited options for customizing analytics

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, X, TikTok, Pinterest, and Threads.
• Publish and schedule posts
• Social listening tools
• Inbox and messaging
• Employee advocacy tools
• AI-powered content creation
• Social advertising management
• Social media analytics and reporting
• Engagement tools (inbox and messaging)

Pricing

Hootsuite offers 3 tiers, allowing you to adjust your plan as your team grows:

• Professional – $99/month
• Team – $249/month
• Enterprise – Custom pricing for larger teams with specific needs

Check out Hootsuite’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

Hootsuite consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Jacqueline M. had to say about using Hootsuite:

“Hootsuite is a very user-friendly platform that I've been using for nearly a decade. It has changed quite a bit over the years but has remained consistent at doing the best it can with what API access social platforms provide. The ability to schedule content, plan content out, and view analytics and build reports in a centralized location is immensely valuable and useful for social media teams. Whether social media is 10% of your job or 100% of your job, Hootsuite is a great tool to help you save time and not lose your mind while managing your brand's social presence.”

3. Best for simplicity: Buffer

If you want a simple, straightforward social media tool that handles the basics without overwhelming you with features, Buffer might be a good fit.

It’s built for ease of use, making it ideal for individuals and small businesses looking to schedule posts and track performance without getting bogged down by too many features.

Pros

• Easy scheduling
• Clean, simple interface
• Manages multiple platforms
• Built-in link shortening and tracking

Cons

• No content curation feature
• Basic analytics unless you upgrade to a higher plan

Features

• Integrations - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, X, Pinterest,
• Threads, Google Business Profile, Shopify, Mastodon, and Bluesky.
• Publishing - Create and schedule posts from a single dashboard.
• Analytics - Track engagement, reach, and sales, and generate white label reports.
• Engagement management -Filter and manage comments and DMs.
• AI assistant - Use AI to write and repurpose content.
• Customized landing page builder - Build landing pages to drive traffic from your bio link.

Pricing

Buffer offers 4 main plans, with pricing that adjusts based on the number of channels you manage:

• Free
• Essentials - $5/month per channel paid annually
• Team - $10/month per channel paid annually
• Agency - $100/month for the first 10 channels + $5/month for each additional channel paid annually

Check out Buffer’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

Buffer has received a wide range of ratings, from 1 star to 5 stars, across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Jeffrey S. had to say about Buffer:

“Honestly dealing with buffer over the last couple of months has been fantastic. As a social media marketer for Verizon I have been able to use this for a variety of different projects and it really saves time, energy and stress.

Small monthly payment is nothing compared to the hundreds of hours and dollars you would save!”

4. Best for analytics and reporting: Sprout Social

For those who live and breathe data (or need to present a solid case for their social media strategy to management), Sprout Social is an ideal tool.

It comes loaded with advanced analytics and reporting features that make it easy to track your performance.

Customizable reports make it easy to share results and keep stakeholders informed about your strategy’s impact on the bottom line.

Pros

• Custom reports
• Powerful analytics
• Social listening tools
• Team collaboration and task management

Cons

• No free plan
• Higher price point
• Complex for beginners

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, Threads, X, and YouTube.
• Advanced analytics and reporting
• Social listening
• Content scheduling and publishing
• Social media inbox
• Team collaboration
• Task management

Pricing

Sprout Social offers 4 pricing tiers, starting with higher-end plans designed for professionals and teams:

• Standard – $199/month (billed annually)
• Professional – $299/month (billed annually)
• Advanced – $399/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise – Custom pricing

Check out Sprout Social’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

Social Sprout consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Kelsey S. had to say about Social Sprout:

“I love the calendar and publishing tools, the asset library, inbox management, campaigns, and tag features. It has been so helpful in keeping our team organized. We're even able to have external approvers who don't have licenses, and it's easy for them to do. The reporting is pretty robust as well, although I feel like we've only scratched the surface of what it can tell us.”

5. Best for visual content planning: Later

If your social media strategy revolves around stunning visuals and eye-catching content, Later can help you achieve that.

It’s designed to help you create visually cohesive feeds that stand out, making it perfect for brands, influencers, and businesses focused on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.

Later’s features make it easy to plan and curate your content, so your posts not only look great but also attract and engage your audience.

Pros

• Visual content calendar
• Instagram-specific tools
• Hashtag suggestions
• User-generated content management
• Link in bio feature

Cons

• Limited support for platforms outside of Instagram
• Some features require higher-tier plans
• Basic analytics and reporting

Features

• Integrates with Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X.
• Visual drag-and-drop content calendar
• Best time to post recommendations
• First comment scheduling
• Instagram specific tools
• Analytics and reporting
• Hashtag suggestions
• Team collaboration

Pricing

Later offers 5 plans designed to accommodate a range of users:

• Starter – $16.67/month (billed annually)
• Growth – $30/month (billed annually)
• Advanced – $53.33/month (billed annually)
• Agency – $133.33/month (billed annually)
• Enterprise – Custom pricing

Check out Later’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

Later consistently earns 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Andrew S. had to say about Later:

“Super convenient for posting content to multiple platforms. Makes it easy when you have a team as well instead of having to share passwords. Love their link in bio too. A bit on the pricey side but comparable to other solutions out there. Been happily using for over 6 months.”

6. Best for team collaboration: CoSchedule

If you manage a team and need a tool to keep everyone on the same page, CoSchedule is a reliable option.

It’s built to help teams streamline workflows, so everyone stays on track with their tasks and deadlines. It’s ideal for coordinating all social media and marketing efforts in one place.

Pros

• Unified marketing calendar
• ReQueue for automated posting
• Task management and team collaboration
• Integration with various marketing tools
• Content organizer

Cons

• Can be overwhelming for smaller teams
• Higher cost for full features
• Requires time to set up

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and X.
• ReQueue for automated posting
• Integration with popular tools
• Unified marketing calendar
• Publishing and scheduling
• Analytics and reporting
• Content organizer

Pricing

Choose from 5 CoSchedule plans to best suit your needs:

• Free Calendar
• Social Calendar – $19/month (billed annually)
• Agency Calendar – $49/month (billed annually)
• Content Calendar – Custom pricing
• Marketing Suite – Custom pricing

Check out CoSchedule’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

CoSchedule consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Rhiannon R. had to say about CoSchedule:

“I love that I am able to plan my posts ahead of time so that I can move on and not worry about if I have something planned to post 2 days from now or 4 days from now. I also love the ease of moving things around in case something comes up that needs to be added to my schedule.”

7. Best for multi-account management: SocialPilot

SocialPilot is a solid option for efficiently managing multiple social media profiles.

It’s built for agencies, small businesses, and social media managers who need to manage several profiles without spending a fortune.

With its user-friendly interface and strong scheduling tools, SocialPilot simplifies the process of managing multiple clients or accounts efficiently.

Pros

• Bulk scheduling
• Client management tools
• Supports multiple platforms
• Content curation and suggestions

Cons

• Basic analytics
• No social listening features
• Limited team collaboration options

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok.
• Bulk scheduling
• Client management
• Social media calendar
• Analytics and reporting
• Team collaboration tools
• Content curation and suggestions

Pricing

SocialPilot offers 4 plans designed to scale with your business:

• Professional – $25.50/month (billed annually)
• Small Team – $42.50/month (billed annually)
• Agency – $85/month (billed annually)
• Agency+ – $170/month (billed annually)

Check out SocialPilot’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

SocialPilot has earned a mix of 1 and 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Jacob had to say about SocialPilot:

“Been using SocialPiot for a while, it's an easy-to-use tool with great features & prompt support and most importantly, I found the pricing to be much lower than other similar tools. Overall, I would recommend SocialPilot for social media management.”

8. Best for content recycling and automation: MeetEdgar

If you want to maximize the value of what you’ve already created, late could be the ideal solution.

This tool focuses on content recycling and automation, helping your social media channels stay active without requiring fresh content every day.

Pros

• Content library
• Category-based scheduling
• Automated content recycling
• Auto-generated post variations
• Social media updates from RSS feeds

Cons

• Basic analytics
• Limited platform support
• No social listening features

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, TikTok, and Google
• Business Profile
• Social media updates from RSS feeds
• Auto-generated post variations
• Automated content recycling
• Simple scheduling interface
• Category-based scheduling
• Content library
• Basic analytics

Pricing

MeetEdgar offers 2 straightforward plans:

• Eddie Annual Plan – $24.91/month (billed annually)
• Edgar Annual Plan – $41.58/month (billed annually)

Check out MeetEdgar’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

MeetEdgar consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

See what Alyssa G. had to say about MeetEdgar:

“I love that you can setup campaigns to recycle content on a custom schedule. The schedule is visual and you can see what category of content is going to go out and when. The queue is easy to manage and add content. It also pulls in data from my website's news feed to make it easy to remember to create posts for it. I love that it will analyze the copy on a link and come up with suggestions for posting.”

9. Best for social media inbox management: Agorapulse

If managing your social media inbox feels overwhelming, Agorapulse is here to simplify this task.

With a strong focus on community engagement and inbox management, it’s ideal for businesses that prioritize customer interactions.

Pros

• Inbox assistant
• Social listening
• Unified social inbox
• Team collaboration tools
• Detailed analytics and reporting
• Content scheduling and publishing

Cons

• Higher price point for advanced features
• Can be complex for new users

Features

• Integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Google Business Profile
• Unified social inbox
• Inbox assistant
• Social listening
• Detailed analytics and reporting
• Content scheduling and publishing
• Team collaboration tools
• Competitor analysis
• Customizable reports
• Pricing

Agorapulse offers 4 pricing tiers, each designed for different types of users:

• Standard – $49/month (billed annually)
• Professional – $79/month (billed annually)
• Advanced – $119/month (billed annually)
• Custom made plans

Check out Agorapulse’s pricing page for more details.

Reviews

Agorapulse consistently earns 4 to 5 stars across popular review platforms.

Here’s what Robyn M. had to say about Agorapulse:

“I've loved working with Agora Pulse so much. I have used a few different social media scheduling softwares and Agora Pulse is by far the best. The reason our agency decided to go with Agora Pulse was that it was the most cost-effective option for our size and it gave the most features...”

What to look for in a social media automation tool

You’ve got a TON of options, each with its own unique features. So, how do you determine which tools are worth your time?

Keep these points in mind when selecting the right social media automation tool:

• Does the pricing fit your budget?
• Is the customer support reliable?
• Can it manage multiple platforms?
• Does it allow you to schedule posts from your phone?
• Are features like bulk scheduling and post-recycling included?
• Does it help spark new content ideas when you’re running low?

These are the key features to look for in a social media automation tool that will meet your needs now and save you COUNTLESS hours later.

Simply put, Post Planner meets all these needs. (And it won’t break the bank.)

FAQs

What exactly is a social media automation tool?

A social media automation tool acts like your personal social media assistant. It handles the nitty-gritty tasks like scheduling posts, finding cool content, and even checking how well your posts are doing. (All so you can spend more time focusing on the fun stuff, like interacting with your followers.)

How do social media automation tools save time?

These tools handle repetitive tasks (like posting content at optimal times), so you don’t need to log in and do it manually every day. This means you can get more done in less time, freeing you up to focus on bigger-picture strategies.

Are social media automation tools suitable for small businesses?

Absolutely! These tools are ideal for small businesses, allowing you to manage multiple social media accounts without needing a large team. Plus, many tools are SUPER AFFORDABLE (like Post Planner), so you can stay on top of your social media game without overspending.

Can I use social media automation tools for all platforms?

Most of these tools support major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X,

LinkedIn, and Pinterest. However, it’s always a good idea to double-check that the tool you’re considering works with the platforms you use.

Ready to automate your social media success?

Let’s face it — managing social media accounts in today's digital world can feel like an endless task.

From creating fresh content to posting regularly and staying on top of trends, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

That’s where a social media automation tool becomes a game-changer.

It saves you hours every week, so you can focus on what truly matters. (Engaging with your audience and growing your brand.)

When it comes to choosing the right tool, Post Planner is an easy choice. It offers all the features you need in one place and is budget-friendly.

Plus, you can try it for free (no strings attached).

Give yourself a break and see how Post Planner can make managing your social media a whole lot easier. Start your free account and give it a try today.