Social Media Scheduling Pricing Comparison — 2026
Every social media scheduling tool compared by price, pricing model, and what you actually pay at different usage levels. Real numbers, updated regularly.
Social Media Scheduling Tools
| Tool | Cheapest Plan | Pricing Model | Free Tier | Pain Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FairPost | $0.10-0.25/post | Pay per use (per post published) | Free actions on signup | FAIR |
| Buffer | $6-120/mo | Per-channel monthly | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts | MODERATE |
| Later | $25-80/mo | Monthly subscription | 5 social profiles, 30 posts/month | MODERATE |
| Sendible | $29-240/mo | Monthly with profile limits | 14-day trial | MODERATE |
| Hootsuite | $99-739/mo | Monthly subscription by feature tier | None (free plan discontinued March 2023) | EXTREME |
| Sprout Social | $249-499/user/mo | Per-seat monthly | 30-day trial | EXTREME |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for social media scheduling — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.005/post. Buffer charges $6-120/mo.
Fair charges $0.10-0.25/post — cost plus a small margin.
How pricing models compare
Most social media scheduling tools use one of three models: per-seat (you pay per team member), per-tier (you pay for a bundle of features), or per-usage (you pay for what you use). Each has trade-offs.
Per-seat pricing
You pay for every team member whether they use the tool daily or once a month. Idle seats cost the same as active ones.
Common with: Zendesk, Salesforce, Calendly
Per-tier pricing
You pick a plan that bundles features and limits. Need one feature from a higher tier? Upgrade the whole plan.
Common with: Hootsuite, Mailchimp, SurveyMonkey
Per-use pricing (Fair)
You pay for what you use. Full features from the first use. Light month = small bill. Quiet month = $0.
One pricing model across all Fair tools
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.