The best social media tool for a small business is the cheapest one that posts to the platforms you use, lets you schedule ahead, and shows you whether the posts went out. For most sole traders that is a short list. This page compares nine tools on the things that decide the bill: the entry price, whether there is a free plan, and what the entry plan actually covers.
Every competitor figure here is as published by each company on its own pricing page in October 2026. Nothing below comes from a test we ran, and there are no scores. It is a reading of nine price pages, laid side by side.
A note on who is writing. WyreIt is our own product, so read our view of it with that in mind. Where another tool is the better choice, this page says so.
The short answer
- You need a free plan: Buffer, Metricool or Publer. WyreIt does not have one.
- You post to one or two channels: Buffer, which charges per channel, will usually cost least.
- You want one flat price in pounds for several platforms: WyreIt, at £19 a month for any 3 platforms or £49 for all 7.
- You are built around Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest: Later.
- You look after several clients: Sendible, or WyreIt's Agency plan.
- You are a marketing team with a budget per person: Hootsuite or Sprout Social.
Price table
| Tool | Entry paid price | Free plan or trial | What the entry plan covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| WyreIt (our product) | £19 a month (Standard), £49 (Pro), £79 (Creator) | No free plan. 14-day trial, no card | Any 3 platforms and 3 extra profiles on Standard; all 7 platforms on Pro |
| Buffer | From $5 a month per channel on yearly billing ($60 a year per channel) | Free plan: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel | Priced per channel, so the bill grows with each one you add |
| Hootsuite | $99 per user a month, billed annually (Standard) | No free plan. 14-day trial | 10 social accounts on Standard; unlimited from Professional ($199 per user) |
| Later | $18.75 a month, billed yearly (Starter) | No free plan. 14-day trial | 1 social set, 1 user and 30 posts per profile a month on Starter |
| Metricool | Starter from $20 a month on annual billing ($25 monthly) | Free plan: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, no LinkedIn or X | Up to 5 brands on Starter. X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per account |
| Publer | Paid price depends on how many accounts you add; see Publer's page | Free plan: 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account | Priced by the number of social accounts and team members |
| SocialBee | $29 a month, or $24 on annual billing (Bootstrap) | No free plan. 14-day trial, no card | 5 social profiles and 1 user on Bootstrap; 10 profiles on Accelerate ($49) |
| Sendible | Published in USD, GBP and EUR; see Sendible's page for the current figure | No free plan. 14-day trial | 6 social profiles and 1 workspace on Core; 18 profiles and 3 workspaces on Plus |
| Sprout Social | $79 per seat a month on annual billing, $99 billed monthly (Essentials) | No free plan. 30-day trial, no card | 5 social profiles on Essentials; unlimited from Professional ($299 per seat) |
Competitor prices and plan details are as published by each company on its own pricing page, October 2026: Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, Metricool, Publer, SocialBee, Sendible, Sprout Social. Dollar prices are shown as each company lists them and may exclude VAT. Prices change, so check the page before you buy. WyreIt is our own product, and its prices are on our pricing page.
What a small business actually needs
Most of what the bigger tools sell is built for teams: seats, approval chains, listening across the web. A business run by one or two people needs four things.
- Posting to the platforms your customers use. Check the list before anything else. A tool that cannot post where your customers are is not cheap at any price.
- Scheduling ahead. An hour on Sunday should cover the week.
- One place for comments and messages. Replies are where enquiries come from.
- Proof of what went out. You need to know a post was published, not just that you pressed the button.
The nine tools, one by one
WyreIt (our product)
WyreIt has four plans. Standard is £19 a month for any 3 platforms, with 3 extra profiles, the inbox, analytics, and AI caption and reply drafting. Pro is £49 a month for all 7 platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Bluesky), with 4 extra profiles, WyreIt AI, Autopilot and 1,000 AI credits a month. Creator is £79 a month with 3,000 AI credits and AI images. Agency is priced by conversation. The price is for the account, not per user or per channel. There is a 14-day free trial with no card needed. The trial does not include any AI.
Best for: UK sole traders and small businesses who want a set price in pounds that does not rise with each channel or user. Not for you if: you need a free plan, or you post to Pinterest, Threads or Google Business Profile, which WyreIt does not publish to. See how it compares in detail on WyreIt vs Buffer and WyreIt vs Hootsuite.
Buffer
Buffer has a free plan for up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, and paid plans from $5 a month per channel on yearly billing ($60 a year per channel). Its AI Assistant is on every plan, including the free one. Best for: one to three channels, or anyone who needs to start without paying. Watch for: the price is per channel, so six channels cost six times one.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite's Standard plan is $99 per user a month, billed annually, with 10 social accounts. Professional is $199 per user with unlimited accounts, and plans run up to $399 per user. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Best for: marketing teams. Watch for: the price is per user, so a second person doubles it.
Later
Later's Starter plan is $18.75 a month billed yearly, for 1 social set, 1 user and 30 posts per profile a month. Growth is $37.50 and Scale is $82.50. There is no free plan. Its published platform list is Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat. Best for: visual brands. Watch for: the monthly post limit on Starter, and check the platform list if you post to X or Bluesky.
Metricool
Metricool has a free plan for 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, without LinkedIn or X. Starter is from $20 a month on annual billing, or $25 monthly, for up to 5 brands. X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per connected account. Best for: people who want a free plan and care most about analytics. Watch for: the X add-on if X matters to you.
Publer
Publer's free plan covers 3 social accounts (not X) with 10 scheduled posts per account. Paid plans are priced by the number of accounts and team members, so the figure depends on your setup; Publer's page works it out for you. Its platform list is long and includes Pinterest, Threads, Google Business and Telegram. Best for: a free plan across more networks.
SocialBee
SocialBee's Bootstrap plan is $29 a month, or $24 on annual billing, for 5 social profiles and 1 user. Accelerate is $49 for 10 profiles. There is no free plan, but there is a 14-day trial with no card. AI content generation is unlimited on its standard plans. Best for: a solo operator who wants AI writing included from the first plan.
Sendible
Sendible's Core plan covers 6 social profiles and 1 workspace; Plus covers 18 profiles and 3 workspaces. It publishes prices in pounds as well as dollars and euros, and has a 14-day trial and no free plan. We could not confirm the current figures from the page, so we have left them out; check Sendible's page. Best for: freelancers and small agencies who keep each client separate.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social's Essentials plan is $79 per seat a month on annual billing, or $99 billed monthly, with 5 social profiles. Standard is $199 per seat and Professional is $299 with unlimited profiles. There is a 30-day trial and no free plan. Best for: established teams who need depth. For most sole traders it is more tool than the job needs.
How to choose
- Write down the platforms you post to today. Cross off any tool that does not publish to all of them.
- Count channels and people. Per-channel pricing (Buffer) suits a short list. Per-user pricing (Hootsuite, Sprout Social) suits one person with a big budget. A flat price suits several platforms.
- Decide whether free is a must. If it is, your list is Buffer, Metricool and Publer, and you can stop here.
- Work out a year's cost in pounds. Dollar prices move with the exchange rate and may have VAT added.
- Use the trial properly. Connect your real accounts and schedule a real week. Every tool here has either a free plan or a trial.
If you are still deciding between a few, our guide to scheduling tools in the UK and Buffer vs Later vs WyreIt go further into those three.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest social media tool for a small business?
Free, if a free plan is enough: Buffer, Metricool and Publer each have one, with limits on channels and scheduled posts. Among paid plans, Buffer's per-channel price of $5 a month is lower for one to four channels. From about five channels upwards, compare your total against a flat price such as WyreIt Standard at £19 a month.
Is there a free social media scheduling tool?
Yes. As published in October 2026, Buffer's free plan covers up to 3 channels, Metricool's covers 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, and Publer's covers 3 social accounts. WyreIt has no free plan; it has a 14-day free trial with no card needed.
Which tools charge in pounds?
WyreIt charges in pounds. Sendible publishes prices in pounds as well as dollars and euros. Most of the others publish their prices in dollars, and Metricool also lists euros.
Do I need a paid tool at all?
Not always. If you post to one platform a couple of times a week, the platform's own scheduling is enough. A tool earns its fee when you post to several platforms and are repeating the same work in each app.
Does WyreIt include analytics?
Yes, on every plan and in the trial. WyreIt Analytics shows what was published and what failed for each account, and the figures each platform provides over 7, 30 and 90 days. It does not make recommendations about what to post.
To see WyreIt's plans side by side, go to pricing.
WyreIt is a social media management tool for small business owners and sole traders. Post to Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and more from one dashboard — at a fraction of the price of Hootsuite.