Hopper HQ vs Preview App (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Preview App grades higher than Hopper HQ: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Preview App grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hopper HQ
Social media scheduler priced per connected account
Preview App
Instagram and TikTok feed planner with scheduling
Which one is for you
Pick Hopper HQ if
- Fits if you manage one to three accounts yourself and want the cost to follow the count
- Works for creators who plan an Instagram grid in advance
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there's only a 14-day trial
- Pricey if you have many accounts: ten on Scale are $100 a month
- Too light for teams on Grow, which is one user
- Watch out: approvals and team permissions need Scale at double the price
Pick Preview App if
- Fits if you plan your Instagram grid before posting and want a free tier
- Works for one person on one device
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want automatic posting for free, since it's on Premium, $12.50 a month
- Too light for teams on the free plan, which is 1 user and 1 device
- Skip it if you use Android, as only iOS and web are listed
- Watch out: monthly prices aren't shown on the page, only yearly ones
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAHopper HQFair | 2.6GPAPreview AppGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$5 per connected account a month on yearly billing, so three accounts are $15, near the edge of the $14 cheaper quarter. Scale is $10 per account, and the bill grows with every account. | B$6.67 a month on yearly billing for Pro, but auto-posting needs Premium at $12.50, which is inside the $14 cheaper quarter. Monthly prices aren't shown. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. A 14-day trial on every plan; the listing doesn't say a card is asked for. | BFree for one user on one device, with unlimited planned posts, a Reels and TikTok planner and a video editor. One person could live on that, but not post automatically. |
| Features | CCalendar, bulk upload, Instagram grid planner, AI captions, analytics and link in bio. Grow is one user only, with team permissions and approvals left to Scale. | CFeed grid planner, editing, hashtags and captions, plus auto-posting on Premium. Per the listing, it's centred on Instagram and TikTok, and auto-posting, story planner and full analytics are Premium only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Each account needs connecting, and the grid planner and calendar need setting up. | CNo store rating on record. You connect accounts and learn the grid planner. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with the networks it posts to the only connections listed. | BiPhone app and web, with a desktop planner on Premium. It lists only Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, and no Android app is shown. |
| Best for | scheduling priced per connected account | planning an Instagram and TikTok feed grid |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hopper HQ and Preview App. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hopper HQ starts at $5 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Preview App starts at $6.67 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Hopper HQ starts $1.67 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, 1 scores higher than Hopper HQ for less, and 2 score higher than Preview App for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Preview App also covers video editing.
At a glance
| Hopper HQ | Preview App | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per connected account / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $6.67 per month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | None | 1 user and 1 device, unlimited posts, Reels and TikTok planner, 2 filter packs, basic analytics and a video editor. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial on every plan | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Hopper HQ Ltd | Preview App Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | hopperhq.com | thepreviewapp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hopper HQ
- Price scales with each connected social account: three accounts on Grow cost $15 a month billed annually.
- Grow allows one user; team permissions and approvals need Scale.
- There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
Preview App
- Auto-posting, the story planner and full analytics need the Premium plan.
- Listed prices are the yearly-billed monthly equivalents; the page says monthly plans exist but shows no monthly price.
- The free plan is limited to 1 user and 1 device.
- It centers on Instagram and TikTok, with Facebook posting on Premium; other networks are not listed.
Key features
Hopper HQ
- Visual calendar and auto-publishing
- Plan posts, stories, reels and carousels on one calendar; the page says they publish on schedule without phone reminders.
- Bulk upload
- Schedule hundreds of posts in one go, including through a CSV importer.
- Instagram grid planner
- Drag upcoming posts around a grid preview until the Instagram layout looks the way you want.
- AI caption and hashtag tools
- Generates captions and hashtag suggestions per post, and can add a first comment when a post goes live.
- Analytics and reports
- Shows which posts performed and when the audience is active, so later posts can be timed around it.
- Link in bio pages
- Builds a link-in-bio page that points followers to what you sell; it is included on both plans.
Preview App
- Feed grid planner
- Drag and drop photos, videos and carousels to see how the Instagram grid will look before anything is posted.
- Auto-posting
- On Premium, posts to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are published for you; the app says Instagram has approved it for auto-posting.
- Built-in editing
- Includes filters, a photo editor, a video editor with music and voiceover, and an image splitter for multi-post layouts.
- Hashtag and caption tools
- Hashtag group manager, hashtag SEO keyword collections and a caption finder with over 3,000 ideas.
- Analytics and competitor insights
- Basic analytics are free; full analytics and competitor insights need Premium.
- Team access
- Premium allows unlimited team members under one subscription, with per-person permissions and no shared Instagram password.
Plans
Hopper HQ
Grow$5
per connected account / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
One user. Post planner, calendar, unlimited posts and AI assistant, analytics, link in bio and mobile apps.
Scale$10
per connected account / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Everything in Grow, plus unlimited users, team permissions and content approvals.
Preview App
Free$0
1 user, 1 device, unlimited planned posts, 2 filter packs and basic analytics.
Pro$6.67
per month, billed yearly (monthly plans exist, price not shown)
Adds all filter packs, repost, all caption fonts and an image splitter.
Premium$12.50
per month, billed yearly (monthly plans exist, price not shown)
Adds auto-posting, story planner, full analytics, competitor insights, desktop planner and unlimited team members.
Ways to pay less
Hopper HQ
- Annual discount
Annual billing lowers the per-account price
Grow is $5 per account per month billed annually against $6 billed monthly; Scale is $10 against $12.
Preview App
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hopper HQ or Preview App?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hopper HQ is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $6.67 a month for Preview App. Hopper HQ starts at $5 per connected account / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Preview App starts at $6.67 per month, billed yearly.
Which has a free plan, Hopper HQ or Preview App?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Preview App has a free plan. Hopper HQ does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Hopper HQ and Preview App run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hopper HQ lists an Android app. Both list a web app and an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.