Managing your brand’s presence on social media isn’t just about creating effective posts, it’s also about posting it at the right time, on the right platform. That’s where social media scheduling tools come in. These platforms let you plan, schedule, and organize your posts in advance so you’re not scrambling last-minute or forgetting to post altogether. Whether you’re a solo creator, a small business owner, or part of a marketing team, the right tool can save you time and help you stay consistent. Below, we’ve rounded up five popular tools Canva, Later, Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and PosterMyWall based on user reviews, with a closer look at how each one handles social media scheduling.
1. Canva
Canva is super popular not just for designing eye-catching graphics but also for helping you get your social media posts out there with ease. It lets you publish directly to your favorite platforms and has a handy content planner that makes scheduling your posts way less stressful. What’s really cool is Canva’s Magic Studio AI tools. These include Magic Write which helps you come up with captions or text, Magic Edit for quick and easy design changes, and the background remover that makes your images pop. On top of that, Canva has tons of beautiful, ready-made templates that look professional and stylish. And if you’re working with a team, the collaboration features make it super easy to share your designs, get feedback, and keep everyone on the same page.
The only thing to keep in mind is that Canva’s social media scheduling tools are part of their paid plans. So you’ll need to subscribe to Canva Pro, Teams, or Enterprise to use the Content Planner. This feature lets you schedule your posts ahead of time on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X which used to be Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok.
Based on user reviews, some people find Canva’s scheduling options basic compared to other dedicated social media schedulers. One user commented, “I would not recommend the Canva scheduler. It’s really basic compared to every other social media scheduler on the market.” Not all social media platforms are supported for scheduling, and certain features like scheduling Instagram Stories or Reels are not available.
2. Later
Later is an excellent, widely popular scheduling tool that allows you to plan and schedule posts across various social media platforms using an easy drag-and-drop interface. It supports scheduling for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X. A particularly important feature offered by Later is Instagram feed preview, allowing you to see the exact layout of your feed before your posts go live. Later also offers additional features like hashtag recommendations and analytics to help increase reach and engagement.
Later offers various pricing plans, including a free version that lets you schedule up to 30 posts per social profile. Paid subscriptions start at $18 per month with higher post limits, increased analytics duration and additional profiles. Some extra features include saved hashtags and scheduled stories. Whether you are a startup or an established business, Later offers plans suitable for various levels of need.
We went through several user reviews so you don’t have to and people love Later’s ease of use and clean, visual scheduling interface as major plus points. Many appreciate how simple it is to plan Instagram content with the feed preview and hashtag tools. However, some users note that Later’s features for platforms other than Instagram, like Facebook scheduling, are a bit more basic. A few users also mention that advanced analytics and team collaboration options are only available in higher-priced plans. Overall, Later is praised as a beginner-friendly scheduler with strong visual planning features but with some limitations on deeper social media management functions.
3. SproutSocial
Similar to other tools, Sprout Social helps you plan, organize, and post content across all your social platforms from one clean dashboard. You can drag and drop posts into your calendar, set them to auto-publish, and even see how everything will look before it goes live. One of the most loved features is the Smart Inbox. It gathers messages from all your platforms in one place so you don’t miss a single DM or comment. Plus, it gives you helpful suggestions on the best times to post based on your audience’s behavior. If you’re managing social for a brand or working with a team, Sprout makes it easy to collaborate.
Sprout Social offers a 30-day free trial, but after that, it’s on the pricier side. Plans start at $249/month for the Standard package, which includes basic scheduling, analytics, and one user profile. If you need more advanced features like competitive reports, response time tracking, or chatbots, you’ll need to go for their Professional or Advanced plans which cost $399/month and $499/month respectively. Each additional user adds extra cost.
According to user reviews, Sprout Social gets a lot of love for its sleek interface, powerful analytics, and top-notch customer support. Most users say it’s especially good for teams and agencies who need serious organization and reporting tools. However, some folks feel the price is a bit steep for small businesses or solo creators. One reviewer said, “It’s amazing, but the cost adds up fast if you’re not a large team.
4. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the OG tools for social media scheduling and still a solid pick if you’re managing multiple accounts. You can plan and post to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Pinterest, and TikTok all from one dashboard. The drag-and-drop calendar makes scheduling easy, and there’s even an AI caption generator to help when you’re stuck. You can also reply to messages and comments from different platforms in one place, which is a huge time-saver. For teams, Hootsuite offers approval workflows and content collaboration tools to keep things organized.
There’s a 30-day free trial, but paid plans start at $99/month for 1 user and 10 social accounts. The Team plan is $249/month, and Business is $739/month, with more advanced tools and user access.
Users say Hootsuite is reliable and great for managing lots of accounts, especially for agencies and teams. But some feel it’s a bit outdated and pricey. One reviewer said, “It works, but the interface feels clunky—and for that cost, I expected better.” Still, it’s a dependable option if you want everything in one place.
5. PosterMyWall
PosterMyWall isn’t just for design, it also has a Facebook post scheduler, scheduling for Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. You can plan your content with a visual calendar, customize posts for each platform, and use ready-made templates to save time. It’s super convenient if you want to create and publish from the same place without switching tools. Also comes with helpful AI tools like an AI Writer which thinks for you!
Social media scheduling is only available on paid plans. The Premium plan is $9.95/month, while the Premium Plus plan at $29.95/month unlocks the full content calendar and team features.
Users love how simple and time-saving it is for small businesses. One said, “I can design and post everything in one go, it’s a huge help!” Just note that it’s more basic than advanced schedulers like Hootsuite or Sprout.
Conclusion
Whether you’re after powerful analytics or just want a simple way to stay consistent online, there’s a scheduler out there that fits your style and budget. These tools make it easier to focus on your content while they handle the when and where.
