Instagram has evolved into a gigantic platform for creators and brands. Its rich features like reels, stories, product tags, shoppable feeds, AR filters, and whatnot hook a billion users for hours at a stretch.
Whether managing your business account or a client’s profile, you have to dedicate some time to building an impactful Instagram marketing strategy. And one way to ensure success on this visual-first platform is to use Instagram schedulers.
To make things convenient for you, we have curated a list of the best Instagram scheduling tools that can do the job for you.
How we analyze and select these tools:
We have meticulously curated this list of premier Instagram scheduling apps through detailed research and hands-on testing. We considered various factors such as user satisfaction, G2 ratings and reviews, pricing structure, and scalability. We also actively analyzed the abilities of these tools in automation, developing content, visualization, analytics, and collaborative workflows. We have assembled this list to provide marketers with essential insights, enabling them to make well-informed decisions on the best tools to expand their businesses.
These tools will not just enable you to schedule your posts automatically but also assist with analytics, insights, and get maximum engagement.
To help you decide which Instagram scheduling platform would suit your needs the best, we’ve curated a list of top options, categorized by user segment, with details on minimum pricing and overall ratings.
Tools |
Suitable For |
Minimum Pricing |
Overall Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Influencers, Small Business | $25/Month | 4.5/5 | |
Freelancers, Agency, Enterprise | $59/Month | 4.4/5 | |
SMBs, Agencies, Multi-Location Brands | $30/Month | 4.5/5 Try for Free | |
Freelancer, Small Business, Agency | $60/Month | 4.3/5 | |
Freelancers, Startup Agencies, Growing Agencies | $29/Month | 4.3/5 | |
Small Business, Enterprise, Agencies | $249/Month | 4.3/5 | |
Freelancers, Agency, Small Business | $30/Month | 4.2/5 | |
Professional Teams, Small business, Enterprises | $149/Month | 4.1/5 |
Hootsuite, a versatile social media tool, offers a comprehensive solution for all aspects of automated Instagram scheduling. You can create and manage Instagram content for multiple accounts in one space.
With its content planner, users can view their upcoming scheduled posts at a single glance. This enables them to gauge whether they are on track with maintaining a consistent posting frequency on the platform or not.
This Instagram scheduling software solves the challenge of maintaining a consistent presence not only on Instagram but across multiple platforms. By using this planner, you can automate the publishing of posts, carousels, Reels, and Stories. Hootsuite not only streamlines operations but also saves valuable time, enabling users to unlock the full potential of social media
This overview highlights the primary capabilities of Hootsuite and SocialPilot for comparison.
Hootsuite |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $149/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 35 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 5 | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Email, Chat, Tweet for Support | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
The innumerable integrations in the app make it more of a marketing hub than an Instagram scheduling tool. However, the complex design and feature-heavy dashboard can be difficult for inexperienced marketers to learn.
Pros
- You can monitor all activities and view all the results from the dashboard. It gives you swift and effortless reporting to review your successful campaigns.
- You can connect with over 150 apps for a more efficient scheduling process.
Virgina
As a Hootsuite user for 7 years now, it is my favorite social media management software. Creating, optimizing, and posting social media for different platforms, etc
Cons
- It is difficult to use for beginners, and the vast options it offers could become overwhelming to new and small business owners. It’s a more enterprise-focused tool.
- The customer service team isn’t responsive. If you want to upgrade the support available to you, you need to pay an extra sum each month.
Brie
The user interface is weak. It’s not user-friendly, nor is it practical or modern looking. It tends to leg, it also isn’t mobile-friendly, they do have an app, but again it’s not easy to navigate.
Buffer is considered to be one of the more user-friendly scheduling tools for Instagram that accommodates the diverse needs of today’s digital landscape for all types of business requirements.
What makes Buffer one of the preferred apps for scheduling Instagram posts is that it shows you the best time to post for your individual account. This boosts the effectiveness of your posts giving them maximum exposure and reach.
The platform allows users to create effective landing pages and you can add these links to their Instagram bios, which helps to drive traffic and boost sales.
Gain a bird’s eye view of the primary capabilities of Buffer alongside SocialPilot for a better understanding.
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $60/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 10 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 1 | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | 2000 | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English & Spanish | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | FAQs, How-To-Guides, Video Tutorials, Social Media Support & Email Support | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
The tool offers a free plan, which allows users to manage three social profiles. This is a good way to test out whether the tool is a fit for their business or not. However, for higher plans and added features, you need to pay Buffer based on the number of accounts connected, which can be a costly affair.
A centralized platform to create and schedule and manage all your Instagram content eliminates the clutter of going to multiple apps. Buffer can assist you right from strategizing and execution to monitoring the results.
Despite being a highly capable, Buffer’s absence of chat support can impact the user experience.
Pros
- It gives you the ability to schedule and publish Instagram posts on the intended time and date.
- It offers AI help in content creation.
- It comes with a basic free version for those wanting to test their services.
Marcos
Over many projects and jobs, I’ve used Buffer as my go-to social media management tool. Link your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts (others, if you wish), and you are ready to rock and roll.
Cons
- You need a third-party app called BulkBuffer for bulk uploads.
- You have to upgrade to a whole different plan to analyze your social media accounts.
- It costs extra to access hashtag manager, publish Instagram stories, and create a shop grid.
Duane
They raised their price for individual accounts from 10 to 15 a month. Go for the free plan, and then you lose posting abilities. The software has always had issues with it, as each “upgrade” can result in a loss of features. I hesitate to upgrade because of this.
Tailwind is another free Instagram scheduling tool that’s aimed at small businesses. It is also used for posting and scheduling Pinterest boards. Easy to use and simple to navigate for even the less tech-oriented people, Tailwind comes .
This planner has the ability to bulk upload Instagram posts with drag and drop functionality. You can also track your profile metrics, trend reporting, and engagement benchmarks.
Pros
- The ability to bulk upload Instagram and Pinterest posts.
- It offers the ability to schedule the date and time of your posts.
- Simple and clear design.
Joanna
This software is mostly beneficial for planning, tracking, and evaluating progress for posts on Instagram and pins on Pinterest. This software addresses the issue of posting scheduled pins to Pinterest, which for a long time was not an option with other scheduling sites.
Cons
- It is only available for Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Tailwind for Pinterest and Instagram are two separate products and will need to be purchased separately. You can’t manage both social media accounts from one dashboard.
- It can’t be used to schedule posts for other social media accounts like LinkedIn and Twitter. Quite a lot of limitations when using this as a complete social media tool.
Kate
The main menu could be a little more basic, than offering options to navigate away from the main screen. I feel the main screen jumps right into the product, which can be a bit overwhelming.
Another Instagram posting app that allows users to schedule both images and videos as social media posts directly is Sendible. It enables users to choose and select specific time slots before adding them to a queue to be posted automatically.
Here’s a comprehensive comparison of the primary capabilities of Sendible along with SocialPilot as a reference point.
Sendible |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $29/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 6 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 1 | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | 100 | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English, Dutch, Spanish and few others | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Email, Chat (9am - 10pm GMT) | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Sendible even offers users the ability to recycle their old content and reshare them which is a desired feature among Instagram scheduling apps. An all-in-one tool that allows users to schedule, design, create and promote posts across multiple Instagram profiles.
Pros
- It comes with a built-in inbox that allows users to manage and respond to comments and mentions across various social media platforms.
- Sendible also features a built-in CRM with a team management system.
- You can review keywords and hashtags searched by your target audience.
Nikki
Sendible provides the features most important to me at a price that doesn’t break my budget. I feel their support team has been responsive, and I look forward to continued improvements with this product.
Cons
- Users have highlighted that adding and setting up new users and teammates to the tool can be confusing and time-consuming.
- The mobile app has been reported to be prone to glitches and crashes. Editing Instagram posts can be challenging too.
- It has also been found that sometimes posts are shared without images and need additional monitoring.
Caitlin
This software is so glitchy. I often have to log out and back in to make features work. Sometimes they disappear altogether, or when I click them, they don’t fire.
Later is the official partner of Instagram and serves as an excellent Instagram posting app. This app is used by over 1 million users worldwide and comes with loads of handy features.
Compare the primary capabilities of Later and SocialPilot providing an you an overview of both these tools.
Later |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $25/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 7 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 1 | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Email & Live Chat | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Whether you are an agency, an influencer, or a small business, this tool can prove to be quite valuable. Some of the main features include planning and preparing content through a calendar view and previewing them on Laters’ Instagram Scheduling app.
Pros
- Users can bulk upload posts at one time and sync images from Dropbox, Drive, or even their desktop.
- It offers users the ability to track and review performance with its in-built analytics.
- There is an added option for eCommerce users to sell products by including Linkin.bio integration.
Laura G
Later has legitimately changed the way I do business and how I think about social media as a whole. Social media is not a burden anymore, but something that I am very intentional with.
Cons
- Later is definitely a good tool but lacks the ability to help you with your overall social media strategy.
- Some scheduled Instagram posts are not always processed before being posted. However, this appears to be a fault within the app.
- The analytics option available is fairly limited and is nowhere as in-depth as other Instagram scheduling tools offer.
Laura P.
The analytics part would improve if it could give more details about the overall engagement of our profile. This means it would be great if we could have graphics that sum up all the reactions for our stories, posts, and clicks on our link altogether.
Hopper HQ is a simple scheduling tool for Instagram for businesses of all sizes. It is an effective Instagram tool that allows you to schedule and prepare posts in advance by editing and uploading posts in bulk. Hopper enables users to post, track and review the analytics of their Instagram activity. With this Instagram scheduler and planner, users can also collaborate with other team members and auto-publish on Instagram.
Pros
- It allows teams to collaborate, create, schedule, and bulk post on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
- Hopper enables users to post and schedule videos onto carousels on Instagram automatically.
Anne
I find Hopper to have functionality and ease of use that I’ve not had before. When we have had issues with the software, customer service has always been top-notch!
Cons
- Some users have found that the software disconnects from the login details. Regular connectivity check is recommended.
- Hopper does not allow the option to tag people within the posts at present.
- It can be expensive for influencers and those on a budget to manage multiple accounts on multiple social media.
Cara
It’s constantly disconnecting. There is no point in scheduling posts if you have to go back and check that your scheduling tool is working every day.
Sked Social is viewed by many as an Instagram planner that allows users to schedule, auto-post, and track the performance of every post, along with measuring the ROI of social media efforts.
We present an overview of the primary capabilities, comparing Sked Social with SocialPilot which is considered the best tool for scheduling Instagram posts.
Sked Social |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $30/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 25 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | Unlimited | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Email, FAQs, Live Chat | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Like many other Instagram posting apps, Sked Social offers bulk uploading of content. It also comes with an in-app photo editor allowing users to edit both text and filters while adding stickers. Besides this, Sked Social can also help you post on other platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Pros
- You can create a Sked link which, on clicking, will show multiple destinations a user can go to.
- They offer a free 7-day trial to gauge the platform’s functionality better.
- It has good in-app photo editing features for adding stickers and overlaid texts.
Alexa
The interface is very fast and is very user-friendly software. It has all the features that you need to post on Instagram. The calendar view allows you to plan ahead of time. I just put the information there, and Sked does all the work for me!
Cons
- Some users have found that it would be useful if this scheduling tool offered them the option to edit and update posts before scheduling them.
- The monthly cost of Sked Social can rapidly add up if you add more users and social accounts.
Amen
Even though it has IG story options, it doesn’t have all the options to add the polls links, which we all know are very powerful. Also, customer support isn’t the greatest. I was a loyal customer on an ‘old’ plan paying £32/month where on their website it’s advertised from £19.
Iconosquare is an excellent Instagram scheduling tool that is also known for its advanced Instagram content automation features. You can use it for scheduling posts, monitoring your competitors, and working earnestly towards community building for your brand.
Within this tool, you can keep track of analytics like post impressions, reach, and trends related to engagement. You can even use its hashtag tracking feature to get better visibility.
Pros
- You can use this tool for getting Instagram story analytics.
- The interface is quite intuitive and can be used by anyone.
- It also lists demographic details of your content.
Eirik V J
I love the simplicity and the impressive underlying data set and all the great analytics that they share. I also enjoy the fact that I can dig into the data as deeply as I want.
Cons
- You need to resize images if you are using Iconosquare for scheduling and posting.
- Multiple breakups of categories and content can be overwhelming.
Devyn D
Some of the categorizations of features are a little confusing. The names of the categories are not necessarily user-friendly, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fine.
Sprout Social, used by agencies and enterprises, lets you use a social media calendar to publish on Instagram. This Instagram scheduling software offers a content library where you can store your content assets like images and videos for later use.
After publishing fresh content, you can go ahead and repost the best-performing posts from this advanced scheduling platform.
Explore the primary capabilities of Sprout Social and using SocialPilot as a benchmark.
SproutSocial |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | ||
Minimum Pricing | $249/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 5 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 1 | 2 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | ||
Scheduling & Publishing | ||
Analytics | ||
Inbox | ||
Collaboration | ||
Competitor Tracking | ||
Whitelabel | ||
Localization | English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Priority Email & Chat Support | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
The platform has a mobile app which allows users to schedule Instagram content on the go, making sure your publishing flow does not break.
Each Instagram post scheduled from Sprout Social can be optimized by adding a first comment to it. You can add saved hashtags to this content to give it more reach and engagement.
Pros
- Schedule your Instagram posts and use the content calendar to publish them.
- Through its analytics dashboard, you can track your engagement.
- The interface is clean and easy to use.
Daniella L
The platform is easy to use and took us very little time to get comfortable with. It offers our social team a lot of value, from scheduling our posts to tracking engagement and social listening for campaigns.
Cons
- The tool is highly expensive.
- The tool needs to be manually set up and takes a lot of time.
- Lacks in customer support.
Verified user
Sprout requires a lot of manual set up, and you don’t ever receive updates on support tickets even when promised.
Agorapulse is considered to be an all-rounder when it comes to social media management. This Instagram planner lets users create and schedule all types of Instagram posts inside he platform including Posts, Stories, Carousels, and Reels.
One of the most useful features of Agorapulse is that it tells its users the best time for them to post on their Instagram account to gain maximum reach and engagement from their audience. Using the advanced scheduling options, you can select multiple publishing dates for your posts from Agorapulse.
Integration with Canva lets you edit and add filters to boost the aesthetic appeal of your visual post. Other than this, you can also customize your post in other ways, like tagging other Instagram accounts, changing user names, adding hashtags, first comments, and showing links in the bio.
Pros
- People found the tool’s bulk scheduling capabilities effective and time-saving.
- Visual content calendar of Agorapulse has proved to be useful for planning and visualization of what content goes live on what date.
Adrianna F.
I like that I can rely on the content to post, as well as its ability to be able to mass schedule Contant, while still being able to customize particular posts for particular platforms. An example of this would be posting a real to Instagram versus posting that same video, just size differently to LinkedIn. I also love the ROI feature and being able to connect ur google business account.
Cons
- Users have found the learning curve for the advanced features of the tool to be challenging.
- Posts sometimes fail to get published and users are not notified about this in time.
- Users have faced problems while publishing multi-image Instagram posts through the platform.
Verified User
It crashes regularly and the solutions provided by the customer support team are not feasible. Content does not always post and messages don’t get sent. Delays work and honestly would be best not to use if the problem persists.
Social Champ is a reasonably priced Instagram scheduling tool that offers direct publishing for business accounts without the need of any mobile reminders. For publishing on personal accounts, the platform provides notifications that help you to schedule multi-image as well.
The platform has incorporated AI content generators within its workflow, which allows users to create effective captions and images with just a few words of prompts.
Social Champ provides users with industry-relevant and keyword-based content suggestions, which helps maintain consistency in their posts on Instagram. Also, the content recycling capabilities allow for the reuse of evergreen content, by setting up post repetitions while scheduling them.
Pros
- AI Imaginator is productive for creating visual content faster to schedule.
- The tool is very user-friendly.
Ann L.
Love how easy it is to use and how clients can approve proofs without a lot of extra expense of confusion. AI tools are nice. Reliable friendly support and most importantly, whenever we have made requests or suggestions the tech team has taken our requests seriously and integrated some great solutions.
Cons
- The Free plan does not give access to all social media platforms.
- Some functionalities in the mobile versions are not as developed as the desktop version.
Thomas S.
Base pricing doesn’t include access to X accounts. Set up of your accounts requires the use of your laptop and website and cannot be done efficiently via your Android App.
Adobe is a well-known name among graphic designers, photographers, and artists. Adobe Express is an umbrella platform for different tools and Adobe products. It also boasts the functionalities of Instagram scheduling software.
Adobe Express brings highly sophisticated media editing capabilities and scheduling features into the same integrated dashboard. This allows creators to be able to readily share their visually dynamic content on Instagram, which is the best platform for it.
Users can directly schedule Instagram posts (Reels and Stories) to the platform on business accounts. For scheduling content to a personal account, you would have to use the desktop version and finally publish the post through mobile remider.
Other than images, you can get tons of templates and ready-to-use designs which you can utilize to create top-notch Instagram posts. The calendar view allows you to plan your posts effortlessly, managing and moving around content to be scheduled on a particular day.
Pros
- Fluid templates and many stock assets.
- Powerful and useful image and video editing features.
- Supports direct publishing for Instagram business accounts.
Shelly Putnam Tupper
Geared for non-designers, Adobe Express is a capable and welcoming template-based tool for creating attractive online content quickly.
Cons
- Not intuitive at first if you’re used to Creative Cloud desktop apps.
- Unexpected menus show up after certain actions.
Verified User
Takes a little time to understand and locate the tools/features. It feels a bit overwhelming at starting. Crashes frequently happen when a file is heavy and has to create multiple multiple backups.
Conclusion
With the functions of Instagram constantly changing and our priorities switching, using an Instagram scheduler and planner is a must for upscaling. They help you stay relevant with the latest advances.
Along with ensuring that your chosen Instagram tools can complete the essential tasks, finding a tool on an appropriate budget is crucial too. They keep your marketing efforts in line with your company’s requirements and support your ever-growing needs at all times.
Whether you are looking for a free, straightforward, or multi-functional tool that can review the trending hashtags, and inform you of your audience’s activities while recommending the best time and date to post, the tools listed above will surely come to your rescue.
If you want a tool that gives you master control of every major social media platform, then SocialPilot is the ultimate choice. Take its free trial and let us know your first-hand experience of using it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Instagram scheduling app?
The best Instagram scheduling apps for 2024 are:
- SocialPilot
- Later
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
- Sendible
Does SocialPilot allow direct Instagram scheduling?
Yes, you can now directly publish to your Instagram business account with SocialPilot.
You can automatically schedule image, reels, stories, and video posts without using a reminder or third-party tool.
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
The best time to post on Instagram largely depends on your business niche and target audience. However, the general best time frames to post on Instagram are 6 am-9 am, 12 pm-2 pm, and 5 pm-7 pm.
What day is best to post on Instagram?
Tuesday is the best day to post on Instagram. Since Mondays are the busiest for most people and weekends reserved for leisure, your audience is less likely to respond to business posts.
Should I post every day on Instagram?
Yes, you should post at least once a day on Instagram and share multiple stories throughout the day. This will increase your chances of more profile visits and followers. It also keeps you active on your followers’ feeds.
SocialPilot
$30
per month
SocialPilot is one of the best tools to schedule posts on Instagram. It offers an affordable and reliable solution for marketing agencies, combining all branding elements with direct Instagram scheduling
Straightforward and simple to use, SocialPilot allows you to schedule Instagram posts, carousels, Reels, and Stories, all from the same dashboard.
With its in-app integrations, you can create and import visual content directly into the post-scheduling dashboard without having to download everything to your device.
Best for:
Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals
SocialPilot Instagram Scheduling Features
There are many capabilities that make SocialPilot one of the best schedulers for Instagram.
Advanced Scheduling
Schedule IG posts for multiple accounts in advance
Multiple Content Formats
Publish Reels, Stories, images, & Carousels from one space
AI Assistant
Craft effective Instagram captions and hashtags swiftly using AI
Direct Publishing
Publish your scheduled posts without any reminders
Schedule on Personal Profiles
Post on personal accounts with push notifications
Add First Comment
Add the first comment to your pre-scheduled IG posts
Profile Mentions
Effortlessly tag public Instagram profiles to your posts
Hashtag Suggestions
Optimize your posts with relevant hashtags for boosted reach
Canva Integration
Easily import creatives from Canva into SocialPilot
Geo-Tagging
Enhance your content reach with location information
Schedule in Bulk
Schedule up to 500 posts for various accounts in one go
Custom Reel Cover
Enhance Reach Through Location Integration
These core capabilities make SocialPilot an ideal app to schedule Instagram posts and managing multiple profiles.
However, the tool has diverse functionalities which make it a complete social media management solution. Here’s a peek at the other key features of the platform.
Other Key Features:
SocialPilot Pricing
SocialPilot offers a 14-day free trial and access to all premium features (no credit card required & cancel any time). Choose a plan that fits your needs.
$170.00/mo
$85.00/mo
$42.50/mo
$25.50/mo
What People Say About SocialPilot
Dan Fuoco
SocialPilot’s ability to bulk schedule content is a giant time-saver. Having that feature plus an intuitive dashboard that was friendly to the new and intermediate user is a recipe for success. Lastly, SP is at the forefront of advancements and new technology.