# The 7 best Metricool alternatives in 2026

> Metricool's free tier skips LinkedIn and X, and X stays a paid add-on. Seven honest alternatives compared with real pricing, including cheaper flat-rate tools.

Alternatives guide · updated August 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. 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. 2. [Buffer](https://unbusied.com/compare/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. 3. [Vista Social](https://unbusied.com/compare/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. 4. [SocialPilot](https://unbusied.com/compare/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. 5. [Publer](https://unbusied.com/compare/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. 6. [SocialBee](https://unbusied.com/compare/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. 7. [Pallyy](https://unbusied.com/compare/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.

## Switching from Metricool?

There's nothing to migrate with any of these tools. Your social accounts stay exactly where they are: connect them to the new tool, rebuild your upcoming queue, and cancel Metricool when it feels safe. Most people are fully moved in one sitting.

[Get Started](https://app.unbusied.com/signup) · $33 a month per Social Set. Cancel anytime.

## 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.

Source: https://unbusied.com/compare/metricool-alternatives