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I spent one entire week testing 12 Social Media Scheduling Tools – so that you don’t have to. Here’s a summary of what I learned: new AI features, price increases, and more!

Why I Tested 12 Social Media Scheduling Platforms

Finding the right social media scheduling tools can be overwhelming. Last week, I spent most of my time researching and testing the best 12 social media platforms – so you don’t have to. If you’d like to see a detailed review of these platforms you can read my informative blog post on Pallyy. Here I’m going to share the key lessons I learned from this process.

Source: Pallyy.com/blog

Lesson 1: Price Increases Across the Board

From 2023 to 2024, every tool I tested increased their pricing. Some even doubled their rates. For example, Sprout Social‘s Standard Plan went from $249/month to $299/month, while Hootsuite‘s Professional Plan increased from $49/month to $99/month.

This trend shows the growing value and demand for these types of marketing tools, but it’s crucial to plan your budget accordingly.

If a few years ago you could manage your social presence with a free plan, in 2025 best you can hope for is a free 15-day or 30-day trial with no credit card.

Lesson 2: AI Writing Assistants Are Becoming Standard

Writing assistants are not a new thing for marketers. I’m sure many of you are familiar with tools like Grammarly that proofread and improve your grammar. But I’ve been surprised to see that the majority of social media planner now come with an in-built AI writing assistant.

Buffer recently introduced an AI assistant to help generate captions and proofread posts. Similarly, AgoraPulse added an AI writing assistant to streamline content creation. I’m also familiar with Pallyy’s free caption generator tool which writes captions to match different tones and moods.

Lesson 3: Customization Comes at a Cost

Higher-priced tools often offer advanced features like customizable analytics reports and white-label options. SocialPilot, for example, offers white-label solutions that allow you to brand reports with your own logos, colours and website but these features are only available on their higher-priced plans starting at $100/month.

White-label features can help align your social media management with your brand, but they come with a higher price tag.

Bonus Insight: Meta Business Suite Remains Free but Complicated

Meta Business Suite is the only 100% free tool I found. However, its complexity has increased over the years, making it less user-friendly compared to other social media scheduling platforms.

I like that it integrates content and ad management across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, but navigating through the extensive features and settings can be frustrating without prior training.

Conclusion – Lessons from Testing 12 Social Media Scheduling Tools

Choosing the right social media scheduling tool is not so simple. I am often asked “What tools is the BEST?” but my recommendation depends on your specific needs (eg: do you need a simple calendar? are you looking for complex reports? do you work in a team?) and monthly budget.

These tools can evolve quickly, and I expect prices to continue to rise in the future with more new AI features being introduced.

I hope this post helps you stay informed, and remember to make the most of trial periods to find the best fit for your business.