The short answer
Later is a visual social media planner known for Instagram and TikTok scheduling and its link-in-bio tool. Metricool is a social media and ads analytics tool with scheduling, known for its free plan and reporting.
At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. Metricool lists more networks (11 against 8). On the 15 features we track, Later has nothing Metricool lacks, and Metricool alone has public API, MCP server, RSS auto post, bulk upload (CSV) and white label.
Choose Later if you post to Snapchat. Choose Metricool if you post to X, Bluesky, Twitch and Google Business Profile, you need public API, you need MCP server, you need RSS auto post, you need bulk upload (CSV), you need white label (Custom plan only) and you want a free plan.
Pricing
Later charges a flat price per plan, while Metricool charges by the number of brands. Compare them on the exact number of channels and people you have, not on the entry price.
Later: Flat price per plan, sized in social sets (1 profile per supported network). Yearly billing is 25% off: $25, $50 and $110 a month become $18.75, $37.50 and $82.50. Metricool: Tiered by number of brands. A brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. X is a paid add-on at $10/mo per connected account.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Later Starter | $25 | $18.75 |
| Later Growth | $50 | $37.50 |
| Later Scale | $110 | $82.50 |
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Metricool Free | Free | Free |
| Metricool Starter (5 brands) | $25 | $20 |
| Metricool Advanced (15 brands) | $67 | $53 |
| Metricool Custom | Not listed | Not listed |
Cost at 5 and 10 channels
The cheapest listed plan that covers the number of channels. Where a price depends on seats, brands or workspaces, the table says so.
| Later | Metricool | Postozo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 channels | Starter plan: $25 a month ($18.75 billed yearly), if each channel is on a different network (1 social set) | Depends on brands, not channels. 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Up to 5 brands cost $25 a month ($20 yearly); X is $10 a month extra per account. | Standard plan: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| 10 channels | Growth plan: $50 a month ($37.50 billed yearly), if no network has more than 2 of your profiles (2 social sets) | Depends on brands, not channels. 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Up to 5 brands cost $25 a month ($20 yearly); X is $10 a month extra per account. | Team plan: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) |
At 5 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel.
Cost for a solo user, a small team and an agency
Seats, brands and workspaces change the bill as much as channels do. This table picks the cheapest listed plan of each tool for 3 setups.
| Setup | Later | Metricool | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Starter: $25 a month ($18.75 billed yearly). 1 social set, 1 user; each set holds 1 profile per network | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Standard: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| Small team | Growth: $53.75 a month ($41.25 billed yearly). 2 social sets, 2 users plus 1 extra at $3.75 each; each set holds 1 profile per network | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Team: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
| Agency | No listed plan fits | Priced by brands, not channels or people | Pro: $39 a month ($31 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
Trials and free plans
Later: 14-day free trial. Card terms are not stated on the pricing page. No free plan listed.
Metricool: No trial stated on the pricing page; there is a free-forever plan. Free plan: Yes: 1 brand, 20 posts per month, 30 days of analytics, 5 competitor profiles. LinkedIn and X not included.
Features
| Feature | Later | Metricool | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client approval | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social inbox | Yes | Yes | No |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI writing help | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public API | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| RSS auto post | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload (CSV) | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| White label | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio page | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canva integration | Yes | Yes | No |
| Client connect link | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Yes |
Plan limits on key features
- White label. Later: not confirmed. Metricool: Custom plan only.
- Client reports. Later: Share an Instagram analytics report through a link. Metricool: PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending on paid plans; custom templates on Advanced and up.
- Link in bio page. Later: Link in Bio on every plan. Metricool: SmartLinks, on paid plans.
- Canva integration. Later: Every plan, including Free, through Canva's app directory. Metricool: Paid plans, plus Google Drive.
Both list client approval, social inbox, analytics, AI writing help, mobile app, client reports, link in bio page, browser extension and canva integration.
Neither confirms client connect link.
Area by area
How Later and Metricool handle each part of the job, in the words of their own pages.
Publishing and scheduling
Later: Later posts to 8 networks, including Snapchat, and is built around visual planning for Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Posts are capped per profile per month: 30 on Starter, 180 on Growth, unlimited on Scale.
Metricool: Metricool posts to 11 networks, including Twitch. X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per account, and the free plan has no LinkedIn or X. Posts can be scheduled in batches from a CSV file.
Team and client approval
Later: Starter has 1 user, Growth 2 and Scale 4; extra users on Growth are $3.75 a month each. Content approval and external comments are on Growth and Scale.
Metricool: Pricing is by number of brands, and 1 brand is 1 business with 1 profile per network. Approvals, roles and the API start on Advanced.
Inbox and replies
Later: Growth and Scale include an inbox for Instagram DMs, comments and mentions, and for Facebook and TikTok conversations.
Metricool: An inbox covers Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile.
Analytics and reports
Later: You can share a detailed Instagram analytics report through a unique link.
Metricool: PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending are on paid plans, and custom report templates are on Advanced and up.
AI help
Later: AI credits come with each plan: 5 on Starter, 50 on Growth and 100 on Scale.
Metricool: AI help is included.
Integrations and apps
Later: Link in Bio, a browser extension that saves pictures from any web page to the media library, and Canva are on every plan. We found no public scheduling API.
Metricool: SmartLinks (a link in bio page), Canva and Google Drive are on paid plans, there is a free Chrome extension, and Metricool lists an MCP server. It also connects Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads accounts for ads reporting.
Networks
Later lists 8 networks and Metricool lists 11. They share 7 networks: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn.
| Networks | |
|---|---|
| Only on Later | Snapchat |
| Only on Metricool | X, Bluesky, Twitch, Google Business Profile |
| On Postozo but on neither | Reddit, Mastodon, Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, DEV, Hashnode, Lemmy, Listmonk, Nostr, VK, Farcaster, Dribbble, Kick |
Strengths from each side
Later
- Visual feed planning and a link-in-bio tool built for Instagram-first brands.
- Inbox for Instagram DMs, comments and mentions, plus Facebook and TikTok, on Growth and up.
- iOS and Android apps in the app stores.
Metricool
- Free plan, plus ads analytics for Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads and competitor tracking.
- Inbox for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google Business Profile, plus ads reporting for Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads.
- iOS and Android apps in the app stores.
Postozo as a 3rd option
Postozo is a social media scheduler with 30 channel types, client review links, team roles, AI writing help, a public API and an MCP server. Plans are flat: $19, $29, $39, $79 a month for 5, 10, 30, 100 channels, with unlimited posts.
- Postozo costs $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) for 10 channels with team members. At 10 channels Postozo costs $23 a month against $37.50 for Later, so Postozo is $14.50 a month cheaper (39% less). At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel.
- Postozo supports Reddit, Mastodon, Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress and 11 more, which neither Later nor Metricool lists.
- Postozo has client connect link, which neither confirms.
What you would give up: social inbox (Later and Metricool have it) and canva integration (Later and Metricool have it).
See Postozo vs Later and Postozo vs Metricool for the full head to head pages.
More about each tool
Later review, Later alternatives, Metricool review, Metricool alternatives, Postozo pricing.
Sources
Is Later or Metricool cheaper?
At 5 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. At 10 channels an exact price gap cannot be worked out, because Metricool prices by brand, not by channel. Prices are the lowest listed per month, with yearly billing where offered, checked on 29 September 2026.
Which has more networks, Later or Metricool?
Later lists 8 and Metricool lists 11. Only Later: Snapchat. Only Metricool: X, Bluesky, Twitch, Google Business Profile.
Do Later and Metricool have an API and MCP server?
Later: API not confirmed, MCP not confirmed. Metricool: API yes, MCP yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Is there a cheaper option than Later and Metricool?
Postozo is $19 a month for 5 channels and $29 for 10 with a team. It has no social inbox and canva integration, so check those first.
Which is cheaper for a team of 3 with 10 channels, Later or Metricool?
It cannot be worked out exactly from the listed prices. See the cost table on this page.
Do Later and Metricool have client reports and a link in bio page?
Client reports: Later yes (Share an Instagram analytics report through a link), Metricool yes (PDF and PPT reports with monthly automatic sending on paid plans; custom templates on Advanced and up). Link in bio: Later yes, Metricool yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Can clients connect their own accounts in Later or Metricool?
Later: not confirmed. Metricool: not confirmed. Postozo has a client connect link on every plan.
Did you test Later and Metricool?
No. This page compares facts from their official pricing and feature pages, checked on 29 September 2026.
Not sure about Later or Metricool?
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