Which AI tools help plan and write social media posts?
Last verified 2026-10-11Paid placement never changes our picks.
Short answer
As of October 2026, start with Buffer if you want simple scheduling with an AI assistant on a free plan, Metricool if you also want analytics across several brands, and Predis.ai if you want AI to make the images and videos too. The main catch: each tool bills by a different unit, so compare at your own account count.
Top picks
Simple scheduling with free AI drafting for a few channels
- Free tier
- 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas, 1 user
- Starting price
- From $6
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Free for 3 channels. Essentials is $6 per channel a month billed monthly, so cost grows with accounts.
Planning plus analytics and competitor tracking across brands
- Free tier
- 1 brand, 20 posts per month, 5 competitor profiles, 30 days of analytics
- Starting price
- From $25
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Free for 1 brand and 20 posts a month. Starter is $25 a month billed monthly for up to 5 brands.
Low-cost scheduling for creators and small teams
- Free tier
- 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 drafts, 24-hour h…
- Starting price
- From $5
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Free for 3 accounts, not X. Professional from $5 a month billed monthly; price rises with accounts and members.
Generating post images, carousels and video ads with AI
- Free tier
- No free tier
- Starting price
- From $32
- Platforms
- Web, API
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
No free plan; 3-day trial needs a card. Core is $32 a month billed monthly. Now leans toward ad creative.
Category-based content calendars with evergreen recycling
- Free tier
- No free tier
- Starting price
- From $29
- Platforms
- Web
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
No free plan; 14-day trial without a card. Bootstrap is $29 a month billed monthly for 5 profiles.
Teams that need an inbox, listening and approvals
- Free tier
- No free tier
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
No free plan and no monthly price shown; per-user annual pricing costs more than lighter schedulers.
Designing post graphics, with scheduling if you already pay
- Free tier
- Up to 20 Standard or Premium AI uses, shared across AI tools
- Starting price
- See pricing page
- Platforms
- Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Last verified
- 2026-10-10
Free plan has up to 20 AI uses shared across tools; its pricing page lists content scheduling on Pro.
Prices come from each tool's fact block. "See pricing page" means we have not confirmed the number on the official pricing page in the last 30 days, so we do not show one.
How to choose
- If you run one to three accounts and want light AI drafting → Buffer (free for 3 channels with its AI Assistant; paid plans are priced per channel) or Publer (free for 3 accounts, excluding X).
- If you want analytics and competitor tracking → Metricool (free plan includes 30 days of analytics and 5 competitor profiles; Starter covers up to 5 brands).
- If you plan a repeating content mix → SocialBee (content categories, evergreen recycling and unlimited AI generation on every plan; 14-day trial without a card).
- If you want AI to make the visuals or ads → Predis.ai (video, carousel and image posts from a link or prompt; credit-based, and its 3-day trial takes a card).
- If a team needs one inbox and social listening → Hootsuite (per-user pricing, listening and approvals; no free plan). Whatever you pick, edit AI drafts and label AI content where a platform requires it.
How we checked
- 7 of 7 picks have a Toolsfine fact block.
- 7 of 7 picks had their pricing checked on the official site in the last 30 days.
- 1 of 1 models also suggested Buffer.Panel: Claude (2026-10-10).
- Verified on 2026-10-11.
Listed in other directories
| Tool | theresanaiforthat.com | futurepedia.io | toolify.ai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Not checked | Listed | Not checked |
| Metricool | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Publer | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| Predis.ai | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
| SocialBee | Not checked | Listed | Not checked |
| Hootsuite | Not checked | Listed | Not checked |
| Canva | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked |
"Not checked" means we could not open that directory's page; it does not mean the tool is missing there.
Where sources disagree
- Billing units are not comparable: Buffer charges per channel, Publer per social account, Metricool per brand, Predis.ai by credits and Hootsuite per user. Headline prices alone mislead.
- Monthly vs annual prices: Earlier research read Buffer at $5, which turned out to be the annual-equivalent price; the monthly figure is $6. Hootsuite shows only annual pricing, so we publish no number for it.
- Predis.ai positioning: Older lists mention a free Predis.ai plan. The current page shows none and leans toward ad creative, with a 3-day trial that takes a card.
- Network coverage changes: Which networks each plan covers (for example X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads) varies by plan and changes often. Metricool's and Publer's free plans exclude some networks.
Also mentioned elsewhere
Other sources name these tools for this job. They are not in our picks because we have not checked them yet.
- Later · Official siteVisual planner with AI credits and best-time suggestions; no free plan, 14-day trial.
- Ocoya · Official siteAI writer, design studio and scheduler on monthly credits; 7-day trial.
- FeedHive · Official siteAI writing, templates and scheduling for creators; only annual pricing was read.
- Vista Social · Official siteScheduler, inbox and reporting with an AI assistant; priced for small teams and agencies.
- Sprout Social · Official siteEnterprise-leaning social suite; not checked for this page.
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Related answers
Changelog
- 2026-10-12 · Page updated
- 2026-10-12 · First published
- 2026-10-11 · Picks, prices and sources re-checked
Last verified 2026-10-11 · next re-check 2027-01-09. Report an error
Researched with AI assistance and checked by our editors. AI can make mistakes and vendors change plans often — confirm prices and terms on the vendor's site before you buy.
Paid placement never changes our picks. Data: JSON