Which social media scheduling tool should a small business use?
Buffer, for most small businesses: its free plan connects 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, and Essentials is $5 a month per channel billed yearly. If you post only to Facebook and Instagram, start with Meta Business Suite, Meta's own free tool, which schedules posts, stories and ads for both. Zoho Social is the pick for rupee billing: there is a free plan, and Standard is ₹600 a month billed yearly for one brand across 6 channels, including LinkedIn and your Google Business Profile. Metricool adds stronger analytics, with a free plan and Starter from $20 a month for up to 5 brands, which suits a freelancer reporting to clients. Hootsuite is built for teams sharing one inbox, from $99 per user a month, so skip it until you have a team. The rule: Meta Business Suite if it is only Facebook and Instagram, Buffer for a few channels, Zoho Social for rupee invoices, Hootsuite only for a team.
Buffer's plan page: a Free plan connecting up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, Essentials at $5 a month per channel and Team at $10 a month per channel, billed yearly.
Zoho's social media scheduler, priced in rupees from India: a Free plan, Standard at ₹600 a month billed yearly (₹900 monthly) for one brand of 6 channels (X, Instagram, a Facebook Page, a LinkedIn page and profile, Google Business Profile), and Professional at ₹1,725 billed yearly.
Hootsuite's plan page: Standard at $99 per user a month, Professional at $199 and up to $399, billed annually, with a 14-day trial. Built for teams sharing one social inbox.
Zapier's hands-on review of social media schedulers, updated May 2026, naming a tool for each need: scheduling, a full team suite, analytics, small teams.
