As a modern business, social media is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. It can help you find new clients, drive traffic to your site, and keep in touch with existing customers. However, with social media becoming even more fractured, it can be difficult to manage multiple inboxes and keep on top of everything else. That’s where social media management apps come in.
The best social media management tools allow you to control your full social media presence in a single app, automate and analyze your accounts, and focus on creating the content your audience loves. After testing almost 50 social media management apps, we have narrowed it down to the six best options to help you stay on top of your social media game.
The Best Social Media Management Tools
If you are looking for a social media management tool, there are several options available. Here are some of the best tools for different needs:
- Buffer: Ideal for simple social media scheduling
- Hootsuite: Offers a comprehensive experience for all social media platforms
- SocialPilot: Great for small teams
- Loomly: Automates any social media service
- Iconosquare: Perfect for visual content
- Sendible: Affordable all-in-one social media management app
What Makes the Best Social Media Management Tool?
When it comes to social media management software, the available features are limited by the social networks they support. Therefore, most social media scheduling tools offer similar features, with variations between the social networks. For instance, TikTok provides a different set of analytics data than Facebook, and posting on Instagram is different from posting on YouTube.
However, some key features set the top social media managers apart and make managing your business’s social media presence easy and efficient. These features include:
Support for Multiple Social Networks
The best social media management tools support multiple social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, among others. Managing as many social networks as possible in one app is the goal of any social media management tool. In addition, support for emerging social networks such as Mastodon, Threads, and BlueSky is becoming increasingly important.
Powerful Scheduling Tools
The top social media management tools offer powerful scheduling tools that allow you to batch your social media posts at the start of the week or month and let them run. Some apps also provide access to your social media inboxes to enable you to reply to customers.
Detailed Analytics on How Your Posts Perform
Detailed analytics on how your posts perform are crucial in assessing your social media strategy. The more expensive the app, the more powerful the analytics it offers. However, most social media management tools hit a limit on what the social media apps offer. For enterprise apps, more powerful features such as social monitoring, where you can scan for posts about your business or even your competitors, are required.
Cost-Effectiveness
With all social media software limited to offering the same kind of features, high prices need to be justified with additional features, stellar customer support, and team and collaboration tools. Therefore, the best social media management tool for you should best fit your needs and price point.
AI-Powered Social Media Management
AI-powered social media management is expected to have a significant impact on how companies manage social media. However, most apps that allow you to schedule your posts already employ some kind of AI to find the best times, and the apps that aim to write social media posts for you are not significantly better than using ChatGPT. While many of the apps on this list are adding AI features, they are still tools that enable you to post whatever you want to social media—whether you, an AI, or an intern wrote it.
In conclusion, the best social media management tool for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. With a free trial or even a free plan, you can try out the tools on this list and find the one that best fits your requirements.
The Best Social Media Management Tools at a Glance
When it comes to managing your social media accounts, there are plenty of options available. Here are some of the best social media management tools to consider:
- Buffer: This tool is great for straightforward social media scheduling. It also offers a “Link in bio” service called Start Page. Buffer has a free plan available, with pricing starting at $6/month per channel.
- Hootsuite: With Hootsuite, you can manage multiple social media accounts with all the features you’re used to. It also offers intuitive analytics. Hootsuite has a free plan available, with pricing starting at $99/month.
- SocialPilot: If you have a small team, SocialPilot is a great option for scheduling posts. It offers robust features at an affordable price, with pricing starting at $30/month.
- Loomly: Loomly offers custom sites and a custom social network that allows you to post to any channel via Zapier. Pricing starts at $42/month.
- Iconosquare: If you’re looking for a tool to help with visual posts, Iconosquare is a great option. It also offers great Instagram integrations. Pricing starts at $39/month.
- Sendible: Sendible is an affordable all-in-one social media management app that nails the basics. Pricing starts at $29/month.
Best Social Media Management Tool for Straightforward Social Media Scheduling
Buffer (Web, iOS, Android)
If you’re looking for a social media management tool that focuses on straightforward scheduling, Buffer is a great option. It’s one of the oldest tools in the game and has undergone multiple updates to stay relevant. Buffer supports a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Mastodon, Pinterest, and Google Business Profile. It also integrates with Shopify, allowing you to see how your social media posts affect your store.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of Buffer is its dead simple scheduling for all your social media accounts. Free users can connect up to three social accounts, including Facebook Pages and groups. While the free plan limits scheduling to 10 posts per channel, it’s still a decent option for small businesses looking to line up a week or so’s worth of posts.
Buffer’s pricing is also relatively affordable, with a decent free tier and per-channel pricing that keeps costs low for small businesses.
Cons
However, one of the downsides of Buffer is its history of changing up its pricing and features quite drastically. This can be frustrating for users who have grown accustomed to certain features or pricing structures.
If you want a more complete social media management solution or to control more than three social media accounts at once, you’ll need to pay for the Essentials plan, which costs $6/month per social channel. This plan gives you access to detailed analytics and engagement features, which let you interact with your audience directly from Buffer. However, if you want to bring team members on board, Buffer goes up to $12/month per social channel.
Link in Bio Service
In addition to the core scheduling, analytics, and audience management features, Buffer also offers its own “link in bio” service called Start Page. This allows you to quickly create and update a small mobile-friendly website with your latest content or even products you want to sell. It’s a handy feature to have included as part of your social media management app, especially as it allows you to get real-world results from your social media posts.
AI Assistant
Like many other social media apps, Buffer has added an AI Assistant. It can generate posts, rephrase your drafts, and otherwise do all the other AI content generating you’d expect. It’s well integrated, though it may not always take your instructions to shorten things or make things more casual on board.
Integration with Other Services
With Zapier, it’s easy to link any other service you use to Buffer. For example, you can automatically add new blog posts to your schedule, either directly from WordPress or through an RSS feed, or add new Instagram photos to Buffer.
Overall, if you’re looking for a social media management tool that focuses on straightforward scheduling, Buffer is a great option. Its pricing is affordable, and it offers a variety of features that make it easy to manage your social media accounts.
Best Social Media Management Tool for Managing X (Twitter)
Hootsuite (Web, iOS, Android, Chrome)
If you’re looking for a complete solution to manage your social media accounts, Hootsuite is a great option that covers all your bases. With Hootsuite, you can schedule messages, create and manage potential posts, monitor your various inboxes, run boosted post advertising campaigns, and pretty much anything else you would want a social media management app to do.
One of the standout features of Hootsuite is its best-in-class X integration. If you’re used to being able to reply to tweets, keep an eye on your mentions, or see what people are posting about your competitors through your social media management app, with Hootsuite, you can still do it.
In addition to X, Hootsuite supports Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest—within the bounds that the given social media companies allow. However, it’s worth noting that Hootsuite is one of the most expensive apps on this list.
Hootsuite Pros:
- A complete social media management platform that includes scheduling messages, inbox monitoring, and managing posts
- Best-in-class X integration
- Full suite of analytics tools that can help you understand how your social media accounts are performing
- AI-powered features such as OwlyWriter AI, which can repurpose your top posts, offer up inspiration, write posts for you, turn your blog posts and other content into posts, or just generate whatever you need it to
- Integrates with Zapier, so you can automatically create new messages directly from a spreadsheet or RSS feed
Hootsuite Cons:
- Expensive, with plans starting at $99/month (billed annually) for the Professional plan that includes 1 user, 10 social profiles, and unlimited scheduling
- Can get even pricier if you add any paid apps
- Doesn’t offer phone support, unlike Sprout Social
Analytics are a particular standout feature of Hootsuite. In addition to offering a full suite of analytics tools that can help you understand how your social media accounts are performing, Hootsuite also pulls in statistics from other businesses in similar industries, so you can see how you stack up to the competition.
Hootsuite is really aimed at businesses that can convert social engagement into revenue. Its standout features aren’t so much what it does, but how well it does them. It’s fast and easy to work with, and it’s one of the most widely used social media management apps for good reason.
If you’re trying to decide between Hootsuite and Buffer, check out our social media management app showdown: Hootsuite vs. Buffer. However, for larger companies who don’t mind paying more, Sprout Social is another great social media management app with phone support. Plans start at $249/month for Sprout Social.
Best Social Media Management Tool for Small Teams to Schedule Posts
SocialPilot (Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
If you’re looking for a social media management tool that offers team features at a reasonable price, SocialPilot is definitely worth considering. With the Small Team plan starting at just $50/month, you can have up to three team members managing up to 20 social media accounts, which is significantly cheaper than most competitors.
One of the biggest advantages of SocialPilot is its team features, which allow you to delegate responsibilities to the people you work with, without giving them free rein. You can assign different team members different roles, based on what you want them to be able to do. For instance, you can set things up so content creators have to submit all posts for approval, or allow managers to edit and schedule but still retain final approval for yourself.
SocialPilot’s user interface may be on the simple side of things, but it’s entirely functional and supports a wide range of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, and even Tumblr. All the features you’d expect of a good social media management app are there, including scheduling, inbox monitoring, and analytics.
In addition, SocialPilot integrates with Zapier, so you can automatically add content to your SocialPilot queue whenever something happens in the other apps you use most.
While the web app may feel a bit basic, SocialPilot doesn’t skimp on other features. It offers a good range of scheduling, inbox monitoring, and analytics features, as well as an AI assistant. The Small Team plan is also significantly cheaper than most competitors, making it an attractive option for small teams on a budget.
SocialPilot Pros:
- Offers team features for a significantly better price than most competitors
- Doesn’t skimp on other features, like scheduling, inbox monitoring, and analytics
SocialPilot Cons:
- Web app feels a bit basic
Overall, if you’re looking for a social media management tool that offers team features at an affordable price, SocialPilot is definitely worth considering.
Best Social Media Management Tool for Custom Sites
Loomly (Web, iOS, Android)
If you’re looking for a social media management tool that allows you to post to almost any service, Loomly is the perfect fit for you. This tool offers a custom social network feature that enables you to post to any channel you can imagine using Zapier.
Pros
- With Loomly, you can create a custom social network that allows you to post to almost any service.
- Each social network can have its own separate scheduling calendar.
Cons
- Loomly is not the most advanced or polished app on the list.
Loomly offers multiple scheduling calendars for your different social media needs. With each calendar, you can add a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok account—and, of course, a Custom Channel.
The Custom Channel feature works using Zapier as the backend. This means you can use it to post to other services like Reddit, send an email to your boss, or near enough anything else you can imagine. Connecting Loomly to Zapier allows you to post the same content on Twitter, Instagram, and your custom network at the same time without having to manage multiple apps.
Loomly offers a Base plan for $42/month with 2 users and 10 social accounts. Overall, Loomly is a decent social media management tool that stands out with its custom social network feature.
Best Social Media Management Tool for Visual Social Networks
Iconosquare (Web, iOS, Android)
If you prioritize visual social networks such as Instagram and TikTok, then Iconosquare is the social media management tool for you. Although it supports other social media accounts like Facebook Pages, X accounts, and LinkedIn Company pages, it puts more emphasis on visuals than text posts.
Iconosquare provides some of the best Instagram features in any app at any price. It is competent across the board, making it a great option for social media management.
Pros
- Iconosquare offers some of the best Instagram features in any app at any price.
- It is competent across social media platforms.
Cons
- Features for other social media accounts are a bit lackluster.
With Iconosquare, you can schedule single photo posts, carousels of multiple photos, Reels, and Stories for Instagram accounts. You can cross-post them all to multiple Instagram accounts at the same time. You can also schedule the first comment if you want.
Although TikTok is not as thoroughly supported, you can still schedule posts and pull content from a shared media library. You can also share versions of all these things on Facebook or X, but it feels like a step back in terms of features.
Iconosquare has surprisingly good reports, analytics, and even social listening features. However, Instagram is by far the most supported. You can track your competitors, monitor specific hashtags, see when you’re tagged, and loads more.
You can use an AI to generate captions, but for now, it’s in beta and more limited than some of the other offerings.
Iconosquare is priced from $39/month for the Single plan with 1 user and 3 social profiles.
Best Affordable All-in-One Social Media Management Tool
Sendible (Web, iOS, Android)
If you’re looking for an affordable all-in-one social media management tool, Sendible is a great option to consider. With support for popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, YouTube, WordPress, and more, Sendible offers a stripped-down experience that is similar to more expensive apps like Hootsuite.
One of the standout features of Sendible is its ability to quickly generate reports that give you a good overview of how your posts are performing on the supported social networks. While you won’t get the same level of detailed competitor analysis that you might find in more expensive apps, the price point of Sendible makes it a great option for small businesses looking to stay on top of their social media presence.
In addition to generating reports, Sendible also allows you to schedule posts to go out at specific times or to be added to a queue for automatic posting at the next available slot. You can also easily reply to comments on your Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn posts, and automatically add posts from RSS feeds.
While Sendible may lack some of the more advanced features found in other social media management tools, it excels at the basics and is incredibly easy to use. For small businesses looking for an affordable way to manage their social media presence, Sendible is definitely worth considering.
Sendible Price: Starting at $29/month for the Creator plan with 1 user and 6 social accounts.
Which Social Media Management Tool is Best for You?
Finding the best social media management tool for your business can be a daunting task, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making your decision. Consider the size of your business, the number of social media profiles you need to manage, and the features you require.
Here are some popular social media management tools to consider:
| Social Media Management Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Scheduling, analytics, team collaboration, content curation |
| Buffer | Scheduling, analytics, content creation, team collaboration |
| Sprout Social | Scheduling, analytics, team collaboration, CRM integration |
| AgoraPulse | Scheduling, analytics, team collaboration, social inbox, automation |
| Later | Scheduling, analytics, content creation, Instagram-specific features |
Remember to take advantage of free trials to test out different tools and see which one best fits your needs. Keep in mind that most social media management tools have similar capabilities due to limitations set by social media networks. Choose the tool that best aligns with your business needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key features to look for in a top-tier social media management tool?
When looking for a top-tier social media management tool, it is important to consider the following features:
- Capability to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms
- Ability to monitor social media activity, including mentions, comments, and messages
- Advanced analytics and reporting features to track the success of social media campaigns
- Integration with other marketing tools, such as email marketing software and CRM systems
- Collaboration and team management tools to streamline communication and workflows
Which social media management tools are best suited for small businesses?
For small businesses, it is important to consider social media management tools that are affordable, easy to use, and offer a range of features. Some of the best social media management tools for small businesses include:
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
- Sprout Social
- Later
- Zoho Social
What are the most cost-effective social media management tools available?
There are several cost-effective social media management tools available, including:
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
- Later
- TweetDeck
- Canva
How do social media marketing tools enhance management skills?
Social media marketing tools can enhance management skills by providing a range of features that streamline workflows, improve communication, and provide valuable insights into social media activity. These tools can help managers:
- Schedule and publish content across multiple platforms
- Monitor social media activity in real-time
- Collaborate with team members and stakeholders
- Analyze data and track the success of social media campaigns
Can you recommend any highly effective social media planners?
Some highly effective social media planners include:
- Trello
- Asana
- CoSchedule
- Airtable
- Google Sheets
What are the preferred social media management tools for agencies?
For agencies, it is important to consider social media management tools that offer advanced analytics, reporting, and collaboration features. Some of the preferred social media management tools for agencies include:
- Sprout Social
- Hootsuite
- Agorapulse
- Buffer
- Sendible
Overall, when choosing a social media management tool, it is important to consider your specific needs and budget, as well as the features and capabilities of the tool. By doing your research and carefully evaluating your options, you can find the best social media management tool to help you achieve your marketing goals.