Buffer starts free (up to 3 channels), and paid plans start at $5/month per connected channel on Essentials or $10/month per channel on Team (as of June 2026). At typical multi-platform usage the per-channel model stacks: all 11 major networks list at about $55/month on Essentials — roughly $110/month on Team with approvals.

Hootsuite starts at $99 per user per month, billed annually — about $1,188/year for one seat with up to 10 social accounts (verified June 10, 2026). There is no free plan or monthly-billing option. Unlimited accounts require Advanced at $249 per user/month, and approval workflows are reserved for the custom-quoted Enterprise tier.

Later Social starts at $25/month — $18.75/month billed annually — for one social set of up to 8 profiles, capped at 30 posts per profile per month with 5 AI credits. Outgrow those caps and the next tier is Growth at $50/month, with extra sets, users, and AI credits sold as paid add-ons (as of June 2026).

Sprout Social starts at $79 per seat per month on annual billing ($99/seat/month billed monthly) and runs to $399/seat on Advanced (as of June 2026). Real-world cost climbs fast: every user is a full seat, the two cheapest tiers cap you at 5 profiles, and a three-person Standard team lists at about $597/month.

SocialPilot starts at $20/month (Essentials: 5 social accounts, 1 user) — about $17/month billed annually, verified June 10, 2026. But the agency features it is known for — client approval workflows, white-label reports, advanced analytics — start on Premium at $100/month, and extra accounts ($4/month) and extra users ($5/month) stack on top as you grow.