ComparisonMar 27, 2026

Best Free Social Media Scheduling Tools in 2026

Not every social media scheduler requires a paid plan. Several tools offer free tiers that are genuinely usable. Here's what you actually get, no marketing fluff. For a more detailed feature-by-feature breakdown of paid plans, see our social media scheduling tools compared.

Free plan comparison

Tool	Free Channels	Free Posts/Mo	Analytics	Bluesky	Mastodon
Shaflex	3	30	No	Yes	Yes
Buffer	3	Unlimited	No	Yes	Yes
Metricool	Limited	Limited	Yes	Yes	No
Publer	3	Limited	No	Yes	Yes
Fedica	10	Unlimited	Yes	Yes	No
Later	1 set	5/profile	No	No	No

The best free options

1. Shaflex (Best for Bluesky + Mastodon)

Free plan: 3 channels, 30 posts/month, limited AI (3/day)

Shaflex's free plan covers the basics: connect 3 channels across X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, or LinkedIn, and schedule up to 30 posts per month. AI features are limited to 3 requests per day on the free tier.

Why choose it: Only free scheduler that supports both Bluesky and Mastodon alongside X and Threads. Flat pricing when you upgrade ($15/mo for 8 channels). Learn how to schedule Bluesky posts with Shaflex in under 5 minutes.

What's missing: No analytics or calendar on free plan. 30 posts/month might be tight for daily posting.

2. Buffer (Best for simplicity)

Free plan: 3 channels, unlimited posts

Buffer's free plan is generous: unlimited posts on 3 channels. The interface is clean and simple.

Why choose it: Unlimited posts. Clean UI. Proven reliability. Bluesky support.

What's missing: No analytics on free plan. No Mastodon support. Per-channel pricing ($6/ch) when you upgrade. If you're considering switching from Buffer, see why Shaflex is a strong Buffer alternative.

3. Fedica (Most generous free plan)

Free plan: 10 accounts (1 per platform), unlimited posts, analytics

Fedica has the most generous free plan by far: 10 accounts with analytics included.

Why choose it: 10 free accounts and analytics. Hard to beat on volume.

What's missing: Less polished UI. No Mastodon support.

4. Metricool (Best free analytics)

Free plan: Limited channels, limited posts, analytics included

Metricool stands out for including analytics on its free plan. If data matters to you, this is the free option.

Why choose it: Free analytics and competitor tracking. Bluesky support.

What's missing: No Mastodon support. Limited channels and posts.

5. Publer (Best platform coverage)

Free plan: 3 channels, limited posts

Publer supports the most platforms of any scheduler, including Bluesky, Mastodon, and Telegram.

Why choose it: Broadest platform support. Bluesky + Mastodon + Telegram.

What's missing: Limited posts on free plan. UI can feel cluttered.

Who doesn't have a free plan?

Hootsuite: Starts at $199/mo. No free plan at all.
Sprout Social: Starts at $199/seat/mo. No free plan.

Bottom line

For most people, Buffer (unlimited posts) or Shaflex (Bluesky + Mastodon support) are the best free starting points. If you need analytics for free, Metricool or Fedica are the options.

Shaflex's free plan includes 3 channels, 30 posts/month, and AI features. Sign up free. No credit card required.

Mar 27, 2026

Strategy

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