Buyer's guide · Updated
The best free social media schedulers in 2026
"Free" means different things across schedulers: a permanent free tier with limits, a no-card free trial, or open-source software you host yourself. This is an honest ranking of the best free and freemium social media schedulers in 2026, with the real limits of each spelled out.
Schedulin tops the list on overall value with a full-featured 7-day free trial, but if you need a permanently free plan, Buffer, Publer, and Post Bridge are the ones to look at.
At a glance
| Tool | Starting price | TikTok / Threads / Bluesky | Free plan / trial | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Schedulin | Free 7-day trial, then $5/mo | Yes / Yes / Yes | Trial: 7 days, no card | The most features to try free (no credit card) |
| 2. Buffer | Free (3 channels, 10 posts) | Yes / Yes / Yes | Free plan (3 channels, 10 scheduled posts) · Trial: 14 days | The best permanent free tier for beginners |
| 3. Publer | Free (3 accounts, limited) | Yes / Yes / Yes | Free plan (3 accounts, limited) | A capable free tier across many platforms |
| 4. Post Bridge | Free (5 posts/mo) | Yes / Yes / Yes | Free plan (5 posts/mo) · Trial: 7 days | Simple free cross-posting |
| 5. Metricool | Free (limited) | — / — / Yes | Free plan (Limited) | Free scheduling plus basic analytics |
| 6. Crowdfire | Free (limited) | Limited / Limited / No | Free (limited) | Free content curation plus scheduling |
| 7. Postiz | Free (self-hosted, open source) | Yes / Yes / Yes | Self-hosted (Open source, you run the server) · Trial: 7 days | Developers who want to self-host for free |
Prices and features as listed in each tool's comparison page. "—" means not covered in our comparison — check the vendor's site.
SchedulinOur pick
Free 7-day trial, then $5/mo · Best for the most features to try free (no credit card)
Schedulin gives you a full-featured 7-day free trial with no credit card — including the AI image generator and captions — across all 23 networks. There's no permanent free tier; paid plans start at $5/mo flat for 3 accounts, which undercuts most competitors' paid plans.
Buffer
Free (3 channels, 10 posts) · Best for the best permanent free tier for beginners
Buffer's free plan connects 3 channels with up to 10 scheduled posts each — the most polished permanent free tier for individuals just getting started. AI and analytics require paid plans.
Publer
Free (3 accounts, limited) · Best for a capable free tier across many platforms
Publer's free plan supports a few accounts with basic scheduling across its wide platform list. It's a strong permanent free option, with paid plans priced per account.
Post Bridge
Free (5 posts/mo) · Best for simple free cross-posting
Post Bridge's free tier allows about 5 posts per month — enough to test simple cross-posting. It's deliberately minimal, with paid plans from $29/mo for higher volume.
Metricool
Free (limited) · Best for free scheduling plus basic analytics
Metricool's free plan combines limited scheduling with a taste of its analytics. Good if you want data alongside posting, with paid plans from $22/mo to unlock more.
Crowdfire
Free (limited) · Best for free content curation plus scheduling
Crowdfire offers a free tier with content curation and basic scheduling. Its strength is RSS-driven curation rather than deep publishing tools.
Postiz
Free (self-hosted, open source) · Best for developers who want to self-host for free
Postiz is open-source and free to self-host if you're comfortable running a server and managing platform API keys. Its hosted cloud starts at $29/mo, so the free path is the DIY one.
Frequently asked questions
Try Schedulin free
Schedule to every network, with AI image and video generation built in — from $5/mo. 7-day free trial, no credit card.
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