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Most buyers should pick Publer.
Choose Publer if you want low-cost scheduling: its Professional plan starts at $4/month with annual billing, versus Metricool’s $20/month Starter entry price. Publer also includes unlimited scheduling on Professional. Choose Metricool if you need a broader workspace for analytics, reports, inbox and ad management, but check add-on costs for features such as Flows and Advanced Analytics. Both offer free plans, though their limits differ. Publer has a slight overall edge for budget-conscious scheduling; Metricool fits broader management needs.
01Side by side
| Metricool | Publer | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $20/month annually; $25 monthly | $4/month annually; $5 monthly |
| Free plan | 1 brand, 20 posts/month, 30 days of analytics | 3 accounts, 10 posts/account, 24-hour post history |
| Best for | Teams wanting planning, analytics and management together | Creators and teams focused on affordable scheduling |
| Core strength | Analytics, reporting, inbox and ad management | Bulk scheduling, calendar and approval workflows |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use score: 7/10 | Ease-of-use score: 8/10 |
| Integrations and data | Data Studio, Zapier, Make and ad management | Canva, API/MCP access and built-in analytics |
| Team and seat costs | Advanced adds team roles; plans cap brands | Extra seats cost more; exact price not published |
| Support | Review score: 6/10 | Review score: 5.5/10 |
Metricool Choose Metricool if
- Choose Metricool if you want analytics, reporting and publishing in one dashboard.
- Choose Metricool if you need team roles and client approvals.
- Choose Metricool if Data Studio, Zapier or Make connections matter.
Publer Choose Publer if
- Choose Publer if low-cost scheduling is your priority.
- Choose Publer if you want unlimited scheduling on Professional.
- Choose Publer if bulk scheduling and a visual calendar fit your workflow.
02Pricing compared
Publer is the cheaper option for paid scheduling: Professional costs $4 per month with annual billing or $5 month to month. Metricool Starter starts at $20 per month annually or $25 monthly; that entry tier covers five brands, while higher Starter tiers can cover more. Metricool says annual billing saves up to 24% compared with monthly billing.
Both have free plans, but the caps differ. Metricool Free includes one brand, 20 scheduled posts per month, five competitor profiles and 30 days of analytics history. Publer Free includes one user, one workspace, three social accounts (excluding X), 10 scheduled posts per account and 25 drafts. Publer also charges for extra accounts and team members beyond plan allotments. Metricool’s Flows and Advanced Analytics cost extra, so compare the full setup—not just the starting price.
03Features and depth
Publer focuses on getting posts planned and published. Its feature list includes bulk scheduling by CSV, a drag-and-drop calendar and best-time scheduling. Professional adds unlimited scheduling and drafts; Business adds in-depth analytics, competitor analysis, hashtag suggestions, recycling and API and MCP access. Client approval workflows and Canva integration are also noted by a reviewer.
Metricool covers more of the social workflow in one dashboard: scheduling, analytics, automated reports, a unified inbox, ad campaign management, Smartlinks and Flows for DM automation. Its Starter plan includes unlimited analytics history and PDF and PPT reports. Advanced adds team, client and role management, post approvals, API access and a Data Studio connector. Some capabilities cost extra: Flows is $12 per month for 2,500 executions, with additional executions at $0.01 each; Advanced Analytics starts at $12 per month on Starter. Metricool’s Twitter/X add-on is $10 monthly per connected account.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Both tools organize social posting around a calendar, so the basic planning task should feel familiar. Publer’s listed workflow is more focused: schedule posts, manage drafts and use bulk publishing. Metricool puts more functions in the same workspace, including reporting, inbox management and ads; that breadth may reduce tool switching, but it also means more features and plan details to sort through.
The published reviews score ease of use at 8 for Publer and 7 for Metricool. Those scores suggest a small advantage for Publer, not proof that every team will find it simpler. If you only need scheduling, Publer’s narrower scope is likely easier to evaluate. If you need reporting and inbox features alongside publishing, Metricool may better match the workflow.
Questions people ask
Is Publer cheaper than Metricool?
Yes, at the entry paid tier. Publer Professional starts at $4 per month with annual billing, compared with Metricool Starter at $20 per month annually. Publer’s price is for its Professional plan; Metricool’s entry Starter tier covers five brands, so compare the limits and features you need.
Which tool has a better free plan?
It depends on your limits. Metricool Free includes one brand, 20 scheduled posts per month, five competitor profiles and 30 days of analytics history. Publer Free allows three social accounts but caps scheduling at 10 posts per account and excludes X. It also includes one user and one workspace.
Which is better for analytics and reporting?
Metricool lists analytics, automated reports, unlimited analytics history on Starter, and PDF and PPT reports. Publer Business includes in-depth analytics and competitor analysis. Metricool may suit teams that want reporting features in the same workspace, but Advanced Analytics is a paid add-on on Starter.
Which tool is better for agencies?
Metricool Advanced includes team, client and role management, post approvals and a Data Studio connector. Publer Business lists client approvals, competitor analysis and API and MCP access; Enterprise adds onboarding and priority support. Compare account and seat costs too: Publer charges for additions beyond plan allotments.