Alternatives
The best Later alternatives in 2026 (honest picks)
Full disclosure: I'm the founder of Pinned, one of the Later alternatives on this list, so I'm biased. I'll still tell you when another tool fits better, and for most of the reasons people leave Later, one of the others does.
The short answer: for the closest swap (scheduler, link in bio, inbox, analytics) at a lower price, try Metricool. To get X (Twitter) back on a small budget, Buffer. For unlimited video posting, Post Bridge. For a bigger social team, Hootsuite. If you stream or post to Discord, the Pinned scheduler is built for that.
Later alternatives at a glance
| Product | Best for | Price | Posts to X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinned (mine) | Streamers, Discord | Free page; $39/month | Yes |
| Metricool | Closest swap | Free; from $20/month billed annually | $10/month add-on |
| Buffer | X on a budget | Free; from $5 per channel/month billed yearly | Yes |
| Post Bridge | Video volume | $39/month | Yes |
| Hootsuite | Big social teams | From $99 per user/month billed annually | Yes |
Why people look for Later alternatives
Later does a lot well. The visual planner is lovely, the Instagram tools are deep, the link in bio turns posts into a clickable shop, and Growth adds an inbox and approvals. It has iOS and Android apps and includes AI credits. If that is your workflow, staying might be the right call.
These are the usual reasons people go looking:
- X is gone. Later ended X support on August 28, 2025, and it doesn't support Bluesky or Discord either.
- Post caps. Starter allows 30 scheduled posts per profile per month and Growth 180. Unlimited means Scale, at $110/month or $82.50/month billed yearly.
- One of each network. Plans are counted in Social Sets, one profile per network, so a second Instagram account means Growth, which has 2 sets. Extra sets, at $15/month month to month, aren't sold on Starter.
- Team features cost a tier. Starter has 1 user and no inbox. Both start on Growth at $50/month, or $37.50/month billed yearly.
1. Pinned
Mine- Best for
- streamers, gamers and creators on X, Bluesky and Discord
- Price
- Free link in bio; Creator $39/month or $390/year
- Posts to
- X, Instagram, Facebook Pages, Threads, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Discord, Shopify blog
If X and Discord pushed you out, Pinned covers both, plus Bluesky. Creator includes 15 social accounts, unlimited posts, more than one account per platform, advanced analytics, a media kit builder and a custom domain for your page.
The link in bio leans streaming: a weekly stream schedule, events, clips, a Discord invite card and a live badge that turns on when you go live on Twitch or Kick.
The catch: no TikTok, YouTube or Pinterest posting yet (TikTok is in TikTok's app review), no shared team inbox with assignments, no native app, and the page doesn't sell or collect emails the way Later's does.
2. Metricool
- Best for
- a like-for-like swap at a lower price
- Price
- Free plan; Starter from $20/month billed annually, $25 monthly
- Posts to
- Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business, X (add-on)
Metricool has the same shape as Later: a planner, a link in bio called SmartLinks, an inbox, phone apps, and analytics with competitor tracking and ads reports. Starter covers up to 5 brands with unlimited publishing under a fair use policy.
The free plan gives you 1 brand and 20 scheduled posts a month, without LinkedIn or X.
The catch: X costs $10/month per connected account on top, team roles and approvals need Advanced (from $53/month billed annually), and each brand holds one profile per network.
3. Buffer
- Best for
- getting X and Bluesky back on a small budget
- Price
- Free for 3 channels; Essentials $6 per channel/month, $5 billed yearly
- Posts to
- X, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads, Mastodon, Google Business, Substack Notes
Buffer charges per channel, so you only pay for what you connect: 3 channels on Essentials cost $18/month month to month, or $15/month billed yearly. The AI Assistant and the comment inbox are on every plan, and its Start Page gives you a simple link in bio that counts as a channel.
The free plan holds 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time.
The catch: the bill grows with every account, approvals need the Team plan at $12 per channel/month ($10 billed yearly), and there is no Discord.
4. Post Bridge
- Best for
- posting lots of short video with no caps
- Price
- $39/month, or $32.50/month billed $390 yearly
- Posts to
- X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business
If the post caps were the problem, Post Bridge removes them. Marketer gives 15 accounts in any mix, unlimited posts, bulk video scheduling, and an API and MCP server so an AI assistant can post for you.
The catch: it does posting and little else. No link in bio, no inbox, analytics still in beta, team invites only on the $99 Operator plan, and a 7-day trial instead of a free plan.
5. Hootsuite
- Best for
- social teams that outgrew Later's Growth plan
- Price
- From $99 per user/month billed annually, no free plan
- Posts to
- Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, Bluesky, YouTube, Pinterest
When the inbox is the job, Hootsuite is built for it. Standard includes 10 social accounts, unlimited scheduled posts, AI post generation, the inbox, and brand and competitor monitoring, with a 14-day free trial.
The catch: it is priced per user, so a team of three costs several times Later's Growth plan, and approvals only come on Advanced at $399 per user/month billed annually.
My pick
If you left Later for X, start with Buffer on a budget or Metricool if you want the whole kit back. If your problem was post caps on video, Post Bridge. If five people answer DMs all day, Hootsuite.
If you stream, game or run a Discord, I'd pick Pinned: that is the audience I built it for. And if your link in bio is a shop window and you don't need X, look hard before you move: Later's shoppable linked posts and affiliate links are a real strength.
What I'd do today
- Write down the networks you post to each week and how many posts per profile you schedule a month. That decides more than any feature list.
- Open a free account and schedule a real week of posts: Buffer's free plan, Metricool's free plan, or a free Pinned page.
- If you stream or run a Discord, start the 14-day Creator trial at pinned.gg and connect X, Bluesky and Discord.
- Rebuild your link in bio before you cancel Later, so the link on your profiles never breaks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Later?
Buffer and Metricool both have free plans that schedule posts. Buffer's covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, including X, plus its AI Assistant and comment inbox. Metricool's gives you 1 brand and 20 posts a month, without LinkedIn or X. If you only need a link in bio page, Pinned's free plan includes one that never expires.
Which Later alternatives still post to X (Twitter)?
Buffer, Post Bridge, Hootsuite and Pinned all publish to X today. Metricool does too, through an X add-on that costs $10/month per connected account on its paid plans. Later stopped publishing to X on August 28, 2025. If Bluesky matters as well, Buffer, Post Bridge, Hootsuite, Metricool and Pinned all support it, and Pinned is the only one here that also posts to Discord.
Is there a Later alternative with a link in bio?
Yes, several. Metricool has SmartLinks on its paid plans, Buffer has a Start Page that counts as a channel, Hootsuite lists Hootbio on every plan, and Pinned's link in bio is free with a stream schedule and a live badge, plus events on Creator. Pinned's page doesn't sell or collect emails, so if you rely on Later's shoppable linked posts, compare each option carefully first.
What can't Pinned do that Later does?
Quite a bit, honestly. Pinned doesn't post to Snapchat, and TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest are still coming (TikTok is in app review). Its inbox covers only X mentions and DMs and Facebook Page comments, with no shared team inbox or assignments. There's no native mobile app, and its link in bio doesn't sell or collect emails. Its AI agents need the Business plan and your own AI key. If those matter, Later or Metricool fits better.
Try Pinned free
Make your pinned.gg page for free, with every theme and the live badge, and keep it as long as you like. If the scheduler looks right, every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial you can cancel at no cost. Start free or see the plans.
I checked prices and features for every product here on October 3, 2026. They change often, so double-check before you buy.