SocialBu vs SocialPilot (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SocialBu and SocialPilot share a 2.4 GPA, and only SocialBu has a free plan.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SocialBu
Social media scheduler with inbox, listening and automation
SocialPilot
Social media scheduler for agencies and small teams, priced by plan
Which one is for you
Pick SocialBu if
- Fits if you want bulk scheduling and RSS automation
- Works for small agencies on the 20-account plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as 10 lifetime posts run out fast
- Not for you if you need X on the free plan, as it is paid only
- Skip it if you need an inbox on the cheaper plan, as Starter has none
- Watch out: team seats are 4 on Growth and 8 on Agency, and no desktop or phone apps are named
Pick SocialPilot if
- Fits if a team of three wants an inbox and analytics for $42.50 a month billed yearly
- Works for agencies that need client approvals and white-label reports, from Premium at $85
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for anyone on Essentials: one user, and no inbox, analytics or approvals until Standard
- Skip it if you want the API, since it's Enterprise only, with no published price
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there's only a 14-day trial
- Pricey if you bulk schedule or need client approvals, which need Premium at $85 a month
- Watch out: extra social accounts cost $4 a month each and extra users $5 each
How we grade them
| 2.4GPASocialBuFair | 2.4GPASocialPilotFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $22 a month on yearly billing for 8 accounts, between the $14 cheaper-quarter line and the $24.99 middle. | CEssentials is one user, so a team of two or three buys Standard: $42.50 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts and 3 users. That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 dearer quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 3 accounts, but only 10 lifetime posts and no X. There is also a 7-day trial on paid plans. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day trial with no card needed. |
| Features | BScheduling, bulk posting, inbox, listening, AI writing, RSS automation and approvals. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though the inbox starts on Growth. | BQueues and a calendar for 10 networks, RSS, AI credits, an inbox, analytics, approvals and white-label reports for agencies. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job; the API is held back for Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | CA web app with accounts, queues and automations to set up. No store rating on record. | CThere's no App Store rating on record for us to go by, and you'll connect accounts and set up queues first. So it gets the ordinary grade. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox and ChatGPT. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with Canva, Slack, Zapier, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Unsplash. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | scheduling with an inbox and automation | small teams that want an inbox at a flat price |
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: SocialBu and SocialPilot. How we grade
Price against what you get
SocialBu starts at $22 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SocialPilot starts at $25.50 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and SocialBu starts $3.50 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, 3 score higher than SocialBu for less, and 3 score higher than SocialPilot 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
- SocialBu also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| SocialBu | SocialPilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $22 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly) | $25.50 per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 3 social accounts and 10 lifetime posts; X (Twitter) is available on paid plans only. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on every paid plan | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | SocialBu | SocialPilot Technologies Inc. |
| Price read from | socialbu.com | socialpilot.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SocialBu
- The free plan allows only 10 lifetime posts and excludes X (Twitter).
- Starter has no social inbox and no teams; those start at Growth.
- Team member counts are small: 4 on Growth and 8 on Agency.
- The pricing page lists a web app only; no desktop or mobile apps are named.
SocialPilot
- There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- Essentials has 1 user and no inbox, analytics or approvals; those start on Standard.
- Extra social accounts cost $4 a month each and extra users $5 a month each.
- Bulk scheduling, client approvals and white-label reports need Premium; API access is limited to Enterprise.
Key features
SocialBu
- Scheduling and bulk posting
- Plan posts on a shared calendar, preview them per network, recycle evergreen posts and bulk import campaigns.
- Social inbox
- Messages, comments, mentions and reviews land in one inbox. The inbox is not included on Starter.
- AI writing
- An AI writer drafts captions and posts for each network, paid for with monthly credits that rise from 500 to 10,000 across the paid plans.
- Listening streams
- Track keywords and mentions with listening streams, each plan capping the streams and matched items per month.
- Automation and RSS
- Auto-post from RSS feeds, trigger webhooks and set up auto replies, with run limits that rise by plan.
- Team approvals
- Teams, roles and content approvals keep client work separate; Growth allows 4 team members and Agency 8.
SocialPilot
- Queues and calendar
- Posts for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Google Business Profile and Bluesky go into smart queues or onto a calendar view.
- Bulk and RSS scheduling
- CSV uploads and bulk scheduling start on Premium, and every plan can pull posts from RSS feeds (5 on Essentials up to 20 on Ultimate).
- AI Pilot credits
- An AI writer drafts and adapts posts on monthly credits: 500 on Essentials, 1,000 on Standard, 5,000 on Premium and unlimited on Ultimate.
- Social inbox
- From Standard, comments, messages and story replies are answered in one inbox, with inbox automation.
- Analytics and white-label reports
- Standard adds analytics and emailed PDF reports; Premium adds custom and competitor reports and reports carrying the agency's own branding.
- Client management and approvals
- Premium gives clients their own seats to review and approve posts, and Ultimate adds an advanced white-label dashboard.
Plans
SocialBu
Free$0
3 social accounts and 10 lifetime posts; no X (Twitter).
Starter$22
per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
8 accounts, up to 750 posts a month, 1 queue, basic analytics, no teams or social inbox.
Growth$59
per month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
20 accounts, up to 3,000 posts a month, 5 teams, social inbox and advanced analytics.
Agency$149
per month, billed yearly ($199 billed monthly)
50 accounts, up to 100,000 posts a month, 20 teams, 30 queues and the highest AI credit allowance.
SocialPilot
Essentials$25.50
per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
7 social accounts, 1 user, 500 AI credits, smart queues, a calendar, a content library and 5 RSS feeds.
Standard$42.50
per month for up to 15 accounts, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
15 accounts, 3 users, 1,000 AI credits, the social inbox, analytics, PDF reports and manager approvals.
Premium$85
per month for up to 25 accounts, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
25 accounts, 6 users, unlimited client seats, bulk scheduling, custom and competitor reports, client approvals and white-label reports.
Ultimate$170
per month for up to 50 accounts, billed annually ($200 billed monthly)
50 accounts, unlimited users and AI credits, advanced white label, enforced 2FA, migration help and an account manager.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom account limits, unlimited users and clients, single sign-on and API access.
Ways to pay less
SocialBu
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
SocialBu's pricing page lists a 25% saving on paid plans when billed yearly instead of monthly.
SocialPilot
- Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
Annual billing brings Essentials to $25.50 a month from $30, Standard to $42.50 from $50, Premium to $85 from $100 and Ultimate to $170 from $200.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SocialBu or SocialPilot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SocialBu is cheaper to start with: $22 a month, against $25.50 a month for SocialPilot. SocialBu starts at $22 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly), and SocialPilot starts at $25.50 per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, SocialBu or SocialPilot?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SocialBu has a free plan. SocialPilot does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do SocialBu and SocialPilot run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SocialPilot lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web 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.