Later and Metricool both court creators and small marketing teams, but they grew from opposite roots. Later started as an Instagram planner and is best known for its visual grid preview — though it dropped X support in 2025 and has pivoted toward influencer marketing. Metricool is a Spanish analytics-first suite with a genuinely free plan and per-brand tiers listed from €16/month — though X costs extra and listed prices exclude VAT. This page compares the two honestly — platforms, pricing, and post limits as of June 2026 — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, covers more networks on one flat EUR plan.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Later | Metricool | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | 7 of 11Also supports: Snapchat | 10 of 11Also supports: Twitch | All 11 |
| Bluesky | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | No | No | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | No | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $25/mo (Starter, 1 social set)Lists at $18.75/mo billed annually (June 2026) | From €16/mo (Starter, 5 brands, billed annually)Listed prices exclude VAT; free plan available (June 2026) | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per “social set” — extra sets, users, and AI credits are paid add-ons | Per brand — tiers scale by brand countX (Twitter) is a +$5/account add-on on every tier | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | 1 social set (8 profiles) on Starter2 sets (16 profiles) on Growth · 6 sets (48) on Scale | 5 brands on StarterA brand = one set of connected accounts; 10 brands lists at €29/mo | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (no free plan) | Free plan (1 brand, 20 posts/mo)No full-feature trial of paid tiers listed on metricool.com/pricing (June 2026) | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | 30/profile/mo on Starter · 180 on GrowthUnlimited only on Scale ($110/mo) | Unlimited on paid plans (Fair Use Policy) · 20/month on Free | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Yes | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Visual calendar + Instagram grid preview | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | Metered credits: 5/mo on Starter50/mo on Growth · 100/mo on Scale; extra credits are paid add-ons | AI assistant, incl. on the free plan | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Not itemizedNot detailed on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | No X, Bluesky, or Mastodon to thread onLater ended X support Aug 28, 2025 | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Hashtag suggestionsUsers report on G2 the hashtag tools feel limited | Hashtag analyticsPer Metricool’s own comparison pages (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | 1 on Starter · 2 on Growth · 4 on ScaleExtra users are paid add-ons | Team & client management on AdvancedFrom €43/mo (15 brands), excl. VAT (June 2026) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Advanced planFrom €43/mo, excl. VAT (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Metricool’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | Up to 3 months history on Starter1 year on Growth · 2 years on Scale | Core strength — in-depth analytics, competitor tracking, custom reports | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | Not listedNo public API or webhooks shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Metricool API on Advanced planZapier, Make & MCP; the free plan lists MCP access (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help centerSupport tiers not detailed on the pricing page (June 2026) | Dedicated account manager on Custom tier | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Instagram-first visual planning and influencer campaigns | Analytics-heavy marketers managing several brands | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Later figures per their public pricing page; Metricool figures per their public pricing page. Both may change. SocialKit facts per our own pricing page.
Entry plans compared. SocialKit prices are in EUR; all 11 platforms included — no per-network pricing.
One social set = up to 8 profiles, 1 user, 30 posts per profile/month, 5 AI credits, 3 months of analytics history. Lists at $18.75/month billed annually. As of June 2026.
Listed prices exclude VAT; 10 brands lists at €29/month. X (Twitter) is +$5/month per account on every tier. Approvals, client management, and API require Advanced from €43/month. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Later and Metricool prices are taken from their public pricing pages (linked above) and may change. Full SocialKit plan details on our pricing page.
Each tool genuinely wins somewhere. Here is the honest split.
Bottom line
Pick by what you actually do all week. Later is the better of the two for Instagram-first visual planning and Snapchat — if your brand lives in the grid, its workflow is still the benchmark. Metricool is the better of the two for analytics and breadth on a budget: a real free plan, reporting depth well above its price, and coverage of X, Bluesky, and Google Business — networks Later dropped or never added. But if your week revolves around publishing to many networks, including Mastodon, which neither tool supports, SocialKit covers all 11 platforms with unlimited posts, flat EUR pricing, API + webhooks on every tier, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on top of the trial.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
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Every SocialKit plan includes all 11 platforms, analytics, AI, and API + webhooks — no per-channel meters, no per-seat pricing. Try it free for 7 days.
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