Alternatives guide · updated August 2026
The 7 best Metricool alternatives in 2026
Metricool earns its fans with analytics: reports, competitor tracking, and ad dashboards in one place, plus a free tier that's genuinely usable. If reporting is the center of your week, you may not find a better deal, and we'll say so plainly below.
The friction shows up on the publishing side. The free tier leaves out LinkedIn and X entirely, X stays a paid add-on even on paid plans, and team seats wait until the $67+ Advanced tier. If you came to Metricool to publish and the add-ons keep stacking, here are seven honest alternatives.
Why people look for a Metricool alternative
- X is a paid add-on at every level, and the free tier has no X or LinkedIn at all.
- Team seats start on the Advanced tier at $67+/month.
- The advertised price rides a brand-count slider, so the bill grows as you add brands.
- You use the scheduler daily and the deep analytics rarely, which is paying for the wrong half.
The alternatives, honestly compared.
1. Unbusied
$33/month per Social Set, flat
Best for: Business owners and agencies who post everywhere (Instagram, Facebook, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and X) and want one number per brand or client on the bill, team and client included.
The catch: No free plan, no Pinterest or Google Business, no approval workflows, and no AI features. It schedules and publishes, on purpose.
Verdict: The calm pick if you want every platform including X, unlimited posts (except X posts with links, 30 a month), and up to 5 team seats in one flat price.
2. Buffer
Free (3 channels); paid from $5/channel/month
Best for: Clean publishing with a real free plan and X supported. The closest thing to Metricool's free tier without the platform gaps.
The catch: Per-channel pricing: seven channels is about $35/month solo, about $70 with a team. Analytics is lighter than Metricool's.
Verdict: The publishing-first free start.
3. Vista Social
$79/month (15 profiles, 2 users)
Best for: Stepping up to a full suite: listening, review management, and advocacy on top of publishing and reports.
The catch: X is a $29/month add-on here too, and the deeper modules are their own line items.
Verdict: More suite, same add-on instinct.
4. SocialPilot
$20/month (5 accounts, 1 user)
Best for: Value-priced publishing with client approvals and white-label reports for agencies.
The catch: Seven platforms needs the $40 tier, and the deeper analytics waits at the $100 tier.
Verdict: The agency-flavored value pick.
5. Publer
Free (3 accounts, no X); Professional from $5/month + $4 per extra account
Best for: Power-tool scheduling on a budget: bulk CSV, recycling, RSS automation across 13 networks.
The catch: Analytics lives on the pricier Business tier, and the per-account sliders take math.
Verdict: Most features per dollar, sliders included.
6. SocialBee
$29/month (5 profiles, 1 user)
Best for: Category-based evergreen recycling with well-reviewed, hands-on support.
The catch: The full seven-platform spread needs the $49 tier; teammates are $10/month each.
Verdict: The recycling system.
7. Pallyy
Free (1 set, 15 posts/mo); Pro $25/month per set
Best for: Solo users who want the lowest serious price, a visual grid planner, and a social inbox.
The catch: The free plan is images only, 15 posts a month, and analytics is simpler than Metricool's.
Verdict: The budget solo pick.
Fair questions, straight answers.
What is the best Metricool alternative?
For publishing-first users: Unbusied ($33/month flat, X and LinkedIn included, team included). For a free start: Buffer. For a fuller suite: Vista Social. Honest caveat: if Metricool's deep analytics is the part you actually use, none of the cheaper schedulers fully replace it.
Does Metricool charge extra for X (Twitter)?
Yes. As of our last check, X is a paid add-on on Metricool's paid plans, and the free tier doesn't include X or LinkedIn at all. Unbusied includes X and LinkedIn in its flat $33/month.
Is there a free Metricool alternative?
Buffer's free plan (3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each) is the strongest, and it includes X. Publer also has a free tier for 3 accounts, without X.
When should you keep Metricool?
When reporting is the job: client-grade reports, competitor tracking, and organic plus paid in one dashboard. At its price, nothing matches that analytics depth. The alternatives above win when publishing is the job.