The cheapest social media scheduler depends on how many accounts you connect. At 3 accounts, Buffer, Publer and Publora have free plans, and LotsSocial is $6 a month. From about 5 accounts up, Schedchie's flat €7.99 is the lowest paid price I found. LotsSocial is $2 per connected account with no subscription, or $20 for up to 12 accounts on Starter.
This page prices 16 schedulers per connected account, at 3, 5 and 10 accounts, from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on 24 October 2026. These are list prices, with no promotions. I say plainly where a tool is free or cheaper than LotsSocial, because that is the question you came with.
Quick picks
- 3 accounts or fewer, and you can live with limits: Buffer, Publer or Publora free plans. Metricool is free for 1 brand and Pallyy is free for 1 social set.
- The lowest flat price for many accounts: Schedchie, €7.99 a month for unlimited accounts. Outstand is $19 flat if you only need an API and MCP.
- Pay for exactly the accounts you use, from your AI agent: LotsSocial, $2 per account a month.
- You want to own the software: Mixpost, self-hosted (Lite is free, Pro is $299 once).
How I priced it
Every price is the vendor's list price in USD unless marked, for monthly billing, with yearly billing in a second table. "Account" means one connected profile or page on one network, which is how most vendors count it. Tools that sell per brand, per workspace or per social set are priced for the number of accounts that fit in the cheapest plan, and the note says so.
Cheap plans often leave something out: X, post caps, or API and MCP access. The notes under the table say what each price leaves out.
Cost for 3, 5 and 10 accounts (monthly billing)
| Tool | Free option | 3 accounts | 5 accounts | 10 accounts | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LotsSocial | 5,000 signup credits, 90 days | $6 | $10 | $20 | Pay as you go at $2 per account; Starter is $20 for up to 12 |
| Schedchie | 14-day trial | €7.99 | €7.99 | €7.99 | Flat price, unlimited accounts; X is €4.99 per 30 posts |
| Zernio | First 2 accounts free | $6 | $18 | $48 | $6 each for accounts 3 to 10, then $3 each |
| Outstand | None listed | $19 | $19 | $19 | API and MCP for builders; 3,000 posts included |
| Publer | Free plan, 3 accounts, no X | $0 or $12 | $20 | $40 | Professional plan; API and MCP start on Business ($21, $35, $70) |
| SocialPilot | 14-day trial | $20 | $20 | $40 | Essentials covers 5 accounts; 10 is the Standard plan |
| RecurPost | 14-day trial | $13 | $21 | $41 | Starter is $9 with 2 accounts, then $4 for each extra |
| Pallyy | Free plan, 1 social set | $25 | $25 | $25 | One social set holds up to 11 accounts |
| Postiz | 7-day trial | $29 | $29 | $39 | Standard is 5 channels, Team is 10 |
| PostSyncer | 7-day trial | $29 | $29 | $29 | Starter covers up to 10 accounts |
| Publora | Free plan, 3 accounts, no X | $0 | $29.95 | $44.90 | Pro is priced per account, with volume discounts |
| Buffer | Free plan, 3 channels | $0 or $18 | $30 | $60 | Essentials at $6 per channel |
| Post Bridge | 7-day trial | $39 | $39 | $39 | Marketer covers up to 15 accounts |
| Planly | 14-day trial | $15 | $40 | $80 | Plans of 4, 8 and 16 channels |
| Mixpost Cloud | 7-day trial | $49 | $49 | $49 | Momentum, 24 channels, with API and MCP |
| Metricool | Free plan, 1 brand | $0 | $0 | n/a | Priced per brand, not per account; see its entry |
Checked on 24 October 2026 against each vendor's pricing page (links in each entry below).
If you pay yearly (per month, billed yearly)
| Tool | 3 accounts | 5 accounts | 10 accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| LotsSocial Starter ($200 a year) | $16.67 | $16.67 | $16.67 |
| Publer Professional | $9.60 | $16 | $28.80 |
| SocialPilot | $17 | $17 | $34 |
| Planly | $10 | $26 | $53 |
| PostSyncer | $24 | $24 | $24 |
| Postiz | $23 | $23 | $31 |
| Buffer Essentials | $15 | $25 | $50 |
| Publora Pro | free plan | $19.95 | $29.90 |
Post Bridge and RecurPost say yearly billing is two months free, Pallyy says up to 25% off, and Mixpost Cloud says yearly billing saves up to 28%. Only LotsSocial's yearly price is flat across all three counts, because Starter covers up to 12 accounts. Pay as you go has no yearly option.
Where something is free or cheaper than LotsSocial
I'm putting this up front because it is what a price page should do.
- At 3 accounts, Buffer, Publer and Publora are free. Zernio ties at $6. Metricool (1 brand) and Pallyy (1 social set) are free too.
- At 5 accounts, Schedchie's €7.99 is below LotsSocial's $10. The free plans above also still work if their limits suit you.
- At 10 accounts, Schedchie is below LotsSocial's $20, and Outstand's $19 is a dollar less.
- Past 10 accounts, LotsSocial Starter's flat $20 covers 12, so each account costs $1.67. Pro is 40 accounts for $59 and Business is 150 for $149.
- Pay once: self-hosted Mixpost Pro is $299 one time, plus your own server.
What the cheaper options leave out is in the entries below, so you can decide if the saving is worth it.
The 16, cheapest first at 5 accounts
1. Schedchie
Cheapest paid price per account at 5 accounts and up. Schedchie's pricing page lists Pro at €7.99 a month flat for unlimited connected accounts and unlimited scheduled posts, with a 14-day free trial. The page says it covers Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Google Business Profile and X. Posting to X is an add-on at €4.99 per 30 posts. Team is €24.99. It lists an MCP server for AI assistants. Prices are in euros.
2. LotsSocial
Best for people who run their accounts from ChatGPT, Claude or another AI agent and want to pay only for the accounts they connect. Pay as you go is $2 per connected account a month from credits, charged daily, with no subscription. Plans are Starter at $20 for 12 accounts ($200 a year), Pro at $59 for 40 and Business at $149 for 150. Extra accounts on a plan cost $1.67, $1.48 and $0.99 each. See LotsSocial pricing.
Every price includes all 12 networks (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Reddit and Google Business), the MCP server and REST API, and unlimited posts, media storage, brands, workspaces and team members. There is no per-network or per-seat charge, so X costs the same as any other account. New accounts get 5,000 free credits, valid for 90 days, with no card.
Your agent can ask LotsSocial for a secure link, you approve each network on its own page, and the link can connect several accounts at once. LotsSocial checks each post against its account's limits before saving. The dashboard does the whole job too, so you can use either. Pro and Business also include LotsNotes Pro. For more, see LotsSocial pricing explained.
3. Zernio
Best for developers who want to pay per account and nothing else. Zernio's pricing has no plans: the first 2 accounts are free with no card, accounts 3 to 10 are $6 each a month, 11 to 100 are $3 and 101 and up are $1. Every feature is on every account, including its API and MCP. X API costs are passed through at X's exact rates, and messaging and ads are metered separately. That puts 3 accounts at $6, the same as LotsSocial, and 10 at $48.
4. Outstand
Best for builders who want an API and MCP, not a scheduling dashboard. Outstand is $19 a month for 3,000 posts and unlimited connected accounts on all 12 platforms, then $0.007 per post up to 10,000. Business is $129 for 50,000 posts. Its pricing is per post, so account count doesn't change the bill, which puts it a dollar under LotsSocial at 10 accounts if you stay under the post limit. X, Google Business Profile, Vimeo and Reddit need your own developer app.
5. Publer
Best for the free plan with the most breathing room. Publer has a free plan with 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account and 25 drafts. Professional is $12 for 3 accounts, $20 for 5 and $40 for 10 on monthly billing, and $9.60, $16 and $28.80 billed yearly. Professional includes X. API and MCP access starts on Business, at $21 for 3 accounts, $35 for 5 and $70 for 10.
6. SocialPilot
Best for flat per-account tiers with team seats. SocialPilot Essentials is $20 for 5 accounts and 1 user ($17 billed yearly) and Standard is $40 for 10 accounts and 3 users ($34 yearly). Extra accounts are $4 each. It has a 14-day trial with no card.
7. RecurPost
Best for evergreen recycling at a low entry price. RecurPost Starter is $9 for 2 accounts, Personal is $25 for 5 and Agency is $79 for 20. Extra accounts are $4 each, which makes 3 accounts $13, 5 accounts $21 and 10 accounts $41 on the cheapest route. It has a 14-day trial. Yearly billing is two months free.
8. Pallyy
Best for one brand across many networks. Pallyy prices per social set, and a set holds up to 11 accounts. Pro is $25 for 1 set, with extra sets at $10. The free plan is 1 social set with 15 scheduled posts a month and image posts only. Yearly billing saves up to 25%. API access is listed on paid plans.
9. Postiz
Best for the longest network list, or if you want to self-host. Postiz Standard is $29 for 5 channels, Team is $39 for 10, Pro is $49 for 30 and Ultimate is $99 for 100. Yearly billing shows $23, $31, $39 and $79. MCP, CLI and API are on every plan, with a 7-day trial. Self-hosting is offered as a secondary option. See LotsSocial vs Postiz.
10. PostSyncer
Best for one flat price up to 10 accounts. PostSyncer Starter is $29 a month ($24 billed yearly) for 10 accounts, unlimited scheduled posts and unlimited team members. Pro is $49 for 15 accounts. MCP clients connect with a bearer token on every plan, with a 7-day trial.
11. Publora
Best for a free plan with API and MCP. Publora Starter is free for 3 accounts, 15 posts a month and up to 3 scheduled posts at a time, with all platforms except X, and API and MCP included. Pro is priced per account with volume discounts: $5.99 each for accounts 1 to 5, $2.99 for 6 to 20 and $0.99 from 21. That is $29.95 for 5 accounts and $44.90 for 10. Yearly billing is $3.99, $1.99 and $0.66.
12. Buffer
Best for a free plan from a long-established tool. Buffer is free for 3 channels, with 10 scheduled posts per channel and an API with 1 key. Essentials is $6 per channel on monthly billing and $5 billed yearly, so 5 channels cost $30 and 10 cost $60. Team is $12 per channel. See LotsSocial vs Buffer.
13. Post Bridge
Best for one person publishing from an agent. Post Bridge Marketer is $39 a month for up to 15 accounts, with unlimited posts, MCP and API included, and a 7-day trial. Operator is $99 for 99 accounts, then $1 each, and adds team members. See Post Bridge alternatives.
14. Planly
Best for 4 channels at a low price. Planly has plans of 4, 8 and 16 channels at $15, $40 and $80 monthly, or $10, $26 and $53 billed yearly. It has a 14-day trial. 3 accounts fit in the 4-channel plan.
15. Mixpost
Best for owning the software. Self-hosted, Mixpost Lite is free but publishes to Facebook Pages, Mastodon and X only. Pro is $299 once, with 1 year of updates, all platforms, API and MCP, plus your own server. Mixpost Cloud is Spark at $29 for 1 brand, Momentum at $49 for 24 channels with API and MCP, Business at $79 and Agency at $149. Yearly billing saves 28%.
16. Metricool
Best for one brand, free. Metricool is free for 1 brand, with 20 scheduled posts a month and no LinkedIn or X, and the MCP is included. It prices per brand, and a brand holds that brand's networks. Starter is $25 monthly ($20 yearly) for up to 5 brands, so it doesn't compare directly with per-account pricing.
What the cheapest plans leave out
- X. Publer and Publora free plans don't include it. Schedchie charges €4.99 per 30 posts. Zernio passes X's API costs through at X's rates. LotsSocial adds no extra charge for X.
- Post caps. Buffer's free plan allows 10 scheduled posts per channel, Publer's 10 per account, Publora's 15 posts a month and Pallyy's 15 a month. LotsSocial has unlimited posts at every price.
- AI agent access. Publer's MCP and API start on its Business plan. Zernio, Postiz, PostSyncer, Publora and Post Bridge list it on all or most plans. LotsSocial includes MCP and REST API at every price, and works with ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Cursor and other agents. The comparison of every scheduler's MCP support is in the best social media schedulers with MCP support.
- Team members. Many cheap plans are one user. LotsSocial has no per-seat charge.
FAQ
What is the cheapest social media scheduler?
For paid plans at 5 accounts and above, Schedchie's flat €7.99 a month is the lowest I found, and Outstand's flat $19 is another low flat price if you only need an API. For 3 accounts, Buffer, Publer and Publora have free plans. LotsSocial is $6 for 3 accounts and $20 for 10, from $2 per account.
Is there a free social media scheduler?
Yes, with limits. Buffer is free for 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. Publer is free for 3 accounts, but not X. Publora is free for 3 accounts and 15 posts a month, also without X. Metricool is free for 1 brand and Pallyy for 1 social set. Mixpost Lite is free to self-host. LotsSocial gives new accounts 5,000 free credits valid for 90 days, with no card.
How much does LotsSocial cost per account?
On pay as you go, $2 per connected account a month, charged daily from credits. On Starter, $20 a month for up to 12 accounts, which is $1.67 each. Pro is $59 for 40 accounts and Business is $149 for 150. Every price includes all 12 networks, the MCP server and REST API, and unlimited posts and team members.
Is per-account pricing or flat pricing cheaper?
Per-account pricing is cheaper at low counts. LotsSocial's $2 per account beats almost every paid plan here at 3 and 5 accounts. Flat prices pull ahead as you connect more: Schedchie and Outstand first, then Pallyy and PostSyncer past 12 to 14 accounts. Check what the flat price leaves out, such as X, post caps and API access.
Do these prices include X?
Not always. Publer's and Publora's free plans exclude X, Schedchie charges €4.99 per 30 posts, and Zernio passes X's API costs through at X's rates. LotsSocial charges X like any other account.
Can my AI agent schedule posts on these tools?
On several, yes. Postiz, Zernio, Post Bridge, PostSyncer and Publora list MCP access, Publer from its Business plan and Mixpost Cloud from Momentum. LotsSocial includes MCP and REST API at every price, and your agent can connect your accounts for you with a secure link.
