Later vs Metricool
We give Later and Metricool the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. Later grades higher on ease of use. Metricool grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Later
Visual social media planner with link in bio and analytics
Metricool
Social media planner and analytics priced by the number of brands
How we grade them
| 2.4GPALaterFair | 2.4GPAMetricoolFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CA team of two needs Growth, since Starter has one user: $37.50 a month billed yearly for 2 users and up to 16 profiles. That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 dearer quarter. Starter is $18.75 if you're on your own. | CTeam access starts on Advanced, $53 a month billed yearly for up to 15 brands, so that's what two or three people pay for five profiles. That's between this category's $29 middle and $58 dearer quarter. On your own, Starter is $20 for 5 brands. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, just a 14-day trial of the paid plans. That's enough to plan a couple of weeks of posts and see whether the calendar suits you. | CA free plan for 1 brand, with 30 days of analytics and 5 competitors. But it leaves out LinkedIn and X and stops at 20 scheduled posts a month, which a business posting daily will hit. |
| Features | CVisual planner, best times, AI captions, link in bio, an inbox and approvals are all here. The gaps it shows: its eight networks leave out X and Bluesky, the inbox covers only Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, and Starter stops at 30 posts per profile a month. | BA planner for 11 networks, an inbox, comment-to-DM automations, reports with ads and website data, 100 competitors and an API. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job; extras sit in add-ons, like X at $10 an account. |
| Ease of use | BIts iPhone and iPad app averages 4.55 from about 2,500 ratings, solid but just short of an A. | CThere's no App Store rating on record for us to go by, and you'll connect social, ad and website accounts to get the most from it. So it gets the ordinary grade. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with Canva, Mailchimp, Google Analytics and Mavely plugged in. No desktop app, which an A needs, and the integration list is short. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Canva, Google Drive, Adobe Express, Zapier, Make, Data Studio, WordPress and Shopify, plus an API on Advanced. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | planning Instagram and TikTok visually | social, ads and website stats in one place |
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: Later and Metricool. How we grade
Price against what you get
Later starts at $18.75 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Metricool starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Later starts $1.25 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, 3 score higher than Later for less, and 3 score higher than Metricool 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
- Later starts at $18.75 per month for up to 8 social profiles, billed annually. Metricool starts at $20 per month for up to 5 brands, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
- Metricool has a free plan. Later does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Later lists a browser extension.
- Later also covers shared inbox.
At a glance
| Later | Metricool | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18.75 per month for up to 8 social profiles, billed annually | $20 per month for up to 5 brands, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | 1 brand on every network except LinkedIn and X, 20 scheduled posts a month, 5 competitors and 30 days of analytics. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Later | Metricool Software, S.L. |
| Price read from | later.com | metricool.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Later
- Creators and brands built around Instagram and TikTok
- Small teams that want a link-in-bio page and scheduler together
- Agencies grouping each client's profiles into a social set
Metricool
- Freelancers and small agencies paying by brand rather than by user
- People who want ad and website analytics beside social reports
- Anyone starting out on a free plan with one brand
Worth knowing
Later
- There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and the plans page shows annual-billed prices, which Later says are 25% below monthly billing.
- Starter has 1 user, 30 posts per profile a month and 3 months of analytics, with no add-ons; the social inbox and approvals need Growth.
- A social set holds one profile per network, so a second Instagram account needs a second set ($11.25 a month on Growth and Scale, billed annually).
- Competitor benchmarking, brand mentions and custom analytics are limited to Scale.
Metricool
- The Free plan leaves out LinkedIn and X and allows 20 scheduled posts a month with 30 days of analytics.
- X needs an add-on at $10 a month per connected account on every paid plan.
- Team access, approvals, the API and Data Studio connector need Advanced at $53 a month, billed annually.
- Metricool Studio and unlimited campaign dashboards need the Advanced Analytics add-on, from $12 a month on Starter and $36 on Advanced.
Key features
Later
- Visual planner and auto-publishing
- Posts, Reels, Stories, Pins, Shorts and Snapchat Spotlight are dragged onto one calendar and published automatically, or by phone notification for Instagram and TikTok.
- Best time to post
- Suggested posting times for Instagram, TikTok and Facebook show in the calendar; seeing them across several profiles at once needs Growth or Scale.
- AI captions and ideas
- Caption Writer and Ideas run on monthly AI credits: 5 on Starter, 50 on Growth and 100 on Scale, where one credit is one caption or three ideas.
- Link in Bio
- A link-in-bio page with clickable posts, product carousels, email sign-up forms and Mavely affiliate links comes with every plan.
- Social inbox and approvals
- From Growth up, Instagram and Facebook DMs and comments and TikTok comments are answered on the web, and posts go through internal or external approval.
- Analytics and listening
- History runs to 3 months, 1 year or 2 years by plan. Scale adds custom cross-network reports, Meta ads data, competitor benchmarks and brand mentions.
Metricool
- Planner
- A calendar with best-time suggestions auto-publishes to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, Twitch and Google Business Profile.
- Analytics and competitors
- Reports cover social profiles, Facebook, Google and TikTok ads, and a website or blog. Paid plans keep unlimited history and follow up to 100 competitors.
- Reports
- PDF and PPT reports can be downloaded or sent monthly; Advanced adds customizable templates and a Data Studio connector for combined reports.
- Inbox and Flows
- Messages and comments from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile in one inbox, plus automations that turn comments into DMs.
- AI assistant and MCP
- AI credits per brand each month (5 on Free, 20 on Starter, 35 on Advanced) write and adapt posts, and a Metricool MCP server works with AI assistants.
- SmartLinks
- A link-in-bio page with unlimited links, images and buttons, a YouTube feed and click analytics; paid plans allow several pages.
Plans
Later
Starter$18.75
per month for up to 8 social profiles, billed annually
1 social set (one profile per network), 1 user, 30 posts per profile a month, 5 AI credits and 3 months of analytics. No add-ons.
Growth$37.50
per month for up to 16 social profiles, billed annually
2 social sets, 2 users, 180 posts per profile a month, social inbox, approvals, UGC collection and 1 year of analytics.
Scale$82.50
per month for up to 48 social profiles, billed annually
6 social sets, 4 users, unlimited posts, custom and Meta ads analytics, benchmarks against 20 competitors, brand mentions and 2 years of data.
Metricool
Free$0
1 brand, 20 posts a month, 30 days of analytics, 5 competitor profiles and 5 AI credits a month.
Starter$20
per month for up to 5 brands, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
Unlimited publishing, LinkedIn, unlimited analytics history, 100 competitors, PDF and PPT reports. $36 a month for 10 brands, billed annually.
Advanced$53
per month for up to 15 brands, billed annually ($67 billed monthly)
Team and client access, roles, post approvals, report templates, Data Studio connector and API. $85 at 25 brands, $159 at 50, billed annually.
CustomCustom
More than 50 brands, white label, a dedicated account manager and custom AI credits.
Ways to pay less
Later
- Annual discount
25% off with annual billing
Later says annual plans save 25% against monthly billing, which it describes as three months free.
- Nonprofit
50% off the annual Growth plan for nonprofits
Later's pricing FAQ gives qualified nonprofit organizations 50% off the Growth plan when billed annually.
Metricool
- Annual discount
Up to 24% off with annual billing
Annual billing brings Starter to $20 a month from $25 for 5 brands, and Advanced to $53 from $67 for 15 brands.
