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Instagram schedulers come with all kinds of features, tools, and integrations. You know you need one. But which one is right for you?
One of the biggest challenges for any social media manager is how to streamline the posting process. That’s particularly true on Instagram, where posting regularly and at the right times can make or break your Instagram strategy.
Whether you’re managing multiple accounts or looking to streamline your social media efforts, the right Instagram scheduler will make a world of difference. But with so many options available, which one is the best fit for you?.
In this article, we’ll break down the best Instagram scheduling tools for 2024 and show you how to find the right scheduler for your needs.
When selecting an Instagram scheduler, prioritize tools that offer user-friendly interfaces, efficient post scheduling, and flexible content planning.
Look for features like auto-publishing, which automatically posts content based on your schedule, and visual planners that help you organize your feed.
Multiple account management is essential for businesses or agencies handling various clients.
Analytics integration is also crucial for tracking engagement and refining your strategy. Finally, make sure the tool is mobile-optimized for on-the-go use and offers cross-platform functionality to streamline your social media workflow.
Why settle for a lackluster social media management tool when you could be using Sked Social? With unlimited collaborator access, streamlined approvals and advanced auto-post technology that lets you schedule to all major platforms, Sked Social offers everything you need.
Get Started for FREEAs one of the only Instagram-first social media schedulers, Sked Social stands out as one of the best Instagram schedulers for brands and agencies.
It supports scheduling and publishing all Instagram post types—single images, carousels, Stories, and Reels. Sked allows users to batch upload content, auto-publish posts without needing push notifications, and schedule months in advance.
With a drag-and-drop calendar, it simplifies planning and makes content organization seamless. Paired with advanced analytics and AI-powered caption suggestions, Sked Social is really an all-in-one powerhouse for optimizing both content creation and engagement.
Sked Social is ideal for larger brands, franchises, and social media agencies that need a versatile and reliable Instagram scheduling tool. It's especially useful for businesses that require batch scheduling, team collaboration, and data-driven posting strategies.
“I've seen HUGE gains in our Insta this year and we're finally earning income off of our Insta and I know Sked Social is a huge part of that.” - Source
“You can auto-publish gallery posts on Instagram, as well as stories and reels. Great for saving time! The Sked Link feature is also hugely useful for our Instagram profile.” - Source
“I use this software primarily for Instagram management, it is very easy to use and has all the features I could need for a small-mid size business.” - Source
Plans start at $59/month for Essentials, $199/month Professional for enhanced collaboration and approval workflows.
Buffer is one of the top post schedulers for Instagram and other social channels.
As one of the OG social media schedulers, Buffer has a range of advanced features. is one of the leading post schedulers for Instagram and other social channels. Its user-friendly interface, robust scheduling, and one of the best queueing systems make it a top choice for those managing multiple social accounts. With built-in analytics and post optimization tools, it’s ideal for improving Instagram strategies.
While Buffer excels at post scheduling and simplicity, Sked Social offers more advanced multi-platform scheduling, deeper Instagram analytics, and features like auto-publishing for Stories and Reels. Sked’s detailed performance tracking also makes it a stronger option for brands managing complex campaigns.
Buffer is best for small businesses, social media managers, and creators who want a straightforward, reliable tool for managing posts across multiple channels, with a focus on Instagram scheduling and analytics.
“Buffer is easy to use, many social media such as Facebook and Instagram can be integrated with it, and it really makes life easier. You could once a month schedule all the posts and leave Buffer do the job.” Source
“I really like the capabilities of being able to publish to three platforms, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. [But] I had a heck of a time connecting Instagram and Facebook to Buffer.” Source
Buffer offers a free plan with basic features, while paid plans start at $5/month for one channel, up to the $100/month Agency plan for 10 channels.
Later supports a wide range of platforms, including Facebook, TikTok ,and Pinterest. But more than any other platform, Later focuses on planning, managing, and scheduling content for Instagram. That focus makes it one of the best Instagram scheduling apps available in 2024.
In terms of functionality for that platform, Later doesn’t disappoint. It has all the features you’d expect—like easy-to-use scheduling and analytics. It also includes advanced tools and features perfect for Instagram, including a visual feed planner, UGC tools, and a link in bio tool.
While Later is a powerful tool for Instagram scheduling, Sked Social offers more advanced features like auto-publishing for Stories and Reels, along with more robust analytics. Sked's multi-platform scheduling and better Instagram performance tracking give it the edge for larger social media campaigns.
Later is best for influencers, small businesses, and social media managers focused mainly on Instagram. It’s ideal for users who want to visually plan their feed and easily manage their Instagram content with basic analytics and scheduling tools.
“It was extremely easy to schedule posts on several different accounts and manage media assets. Instagram analytics were also helpful in growing the company's following.” Source
“I ran into many hurdles when trying to automate/schedule Instagram stories and tag people on LinkedIn, which is ultimately what made me decide to leave. “ Source
Free for 1 set including 1 Instagram account and 5 posts/month; paid plans start at $25/month
See how Later stacks up against Sked Social in our Later vs. Sked Social comparison.
Tailwind stands out from other social media schedulers for its focus on visual content. Unlike other schedulers on this list, Tailwind only supports two platforms: Pinterest and Instagram. But that focus on visual content makes it one of the top apps for planning, scheduling, and publishing Instagram posts.
Tailwind excels in simplifying Instagram scheduling with its visual planning tools and hashtag finder. It’s particularly strong in content organization, making it easy to streamline workflows for posts and stories. With features like smart scheduling, users can optimize their posting times for better engagement.
While Tailwind is excellent for content organization and scheduling, you might look elsewhere for more in depth Instagram-specific features, such as deeper analytics and auto-publishing for all post types, including Stories and carousels.
Tailwind is best suited for small businesses, influencers, and bloggers who need a simple and visual Instagram scheduler with strong content planning features
“Overall very good. When I had a double account for Instagram and Pinterest… I recommend it to people all the time.” Source
“Yes, it does what it says… but it's too expensive for small businesses, even if you pay annually.” Source
Free plans are available, with the Pro plan starting at $15/month up to $50/month for the Max plan for unlimited access.
When we say Sprout Social is comprehensive, we really mean it. Sprout is much more than a social media scheduler—it’s software for nearly every aspect of your social media management. That alone makes it one of the best Instagram post scheduling apps on the market.
From scheduling to analytics, listening to collaboration, and (almost) everything in between, Sprout Social is a leading solution for social media managers. And thanks to its features, Sprout is near the top of the list when it comes to Instagram scheduling and auto-posting.
Sprout’s core strength is its social listening tool, which helps you uncover and get in depth on what’s trending, and Sprout uses artificial intelligence (AI) to comb through social networks.
If you’re managing multiple accounts or require in-depth reporting to refine your Instagram strategy, Sprout is a great fit. However, if you primarily need Instagram Stories auto-publishing or a more budget-friendly option, other platforms might suit smaller teams or businesses better.
Brands, agencies, and larger teams that need a comprehensive tool for Instagram scheduling and management with a focus on social listening.
“By using Sprout Social, we are able to gather valuable intelligence about our customers and utilize them to improve our overall social media strategy.” Source
”This is more of an API functionality, but Instagram posting is not the easiest because it doesn't schedule it out. It only sends a push notification with the post and then the user still has to manually” Source
Prices start at $199/month (when billed annually) for a Standard plan, up to $399/month for Advanced.
See how Sprout Social stacks up against Sked Social in our Sprout Social vs. Sked Social comparison.
Hootsuite is another household name in the world of Instagram scheduling tools. And like Sprout Social, it has all sorts of features you didn’t even know you needed.
As you’d expect, Hootsuite allows you to bulk upload and schedule hundreds of social media Instagram posts all at once. Hootsuite ’s browser extension and mobile app also make it easy to schedule posts from anywhere.
Another cool feature of Hootsuite is that it empowers you to find relevant content that you can share or repost. You can search by hashtag, location, or keyword to find existing posts that you can curate and share to your own account.
While Hootsuite excels in bulk scheduling and content discovery, Sked stands out with more Instagram-specific features, such as auto-publishing Stories and carousels, which Hootsuite lacks.
Hootsuite is ideal for businesses, agencies, and large social media teams that need to manage multiple accounts across various platforms. It’s especially useful for those looking for bulk scheduling.
“I have used Hootsuite for doing social media management (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for our company's social media handles. The process is very efficient and simple.” Source
“Most of my dislikes I assume are the social media applications restraints, such as not being able to tag accounts for Instagram.” Source
Professional account starts at $99/month for 1 user and 10 accounts.
See how Hootsuite stacks up against Sked Social in our Hootsuite vs. Sked Social comparison.
Iconosquare positions itself as a comprehensive social media management suite at a cost-effective rate, ideal for teams who desire functionality without straining their budgets.
Iconosquare allows users to schedule Instagram posts, carousels, and videos with detailed analytics on post performance. The platform also provides a visual content calendar, making it easy to plan and organize content ahead of time.
While Iconosquare handles Instagram post scheduling, Sked offers more Instagram-specific features like auto-publishing for Stories and carousels without needing push notifications. Sked also supports batch uploads for quicker content management.
Best for those needing a strong combination of post scheduling and in-depth Instagram analytics to guide their future content strategies.
“Iconosquare makes it easy for my team to schedule content across multiple social channels, tag content, and analyze metrics.” Source
“Adding new accounts was a consistent issue for me. Despite having "full admin access" on many accounts, I would run into limitations on which Facebook and Instagram pages could be filtered into the program..” Source
Offers 3 main packages, including: Single- $49/month Teams– $79/month and Custom tailored pricing for bigger agencies.
SocialBee is a social media management platform known for its category-based scheduling and content recycling features. It's designed to help businesses efficiently manage social accounts like Instagram.
SocialBee allows users to schedule Instagram posts in bulk and organize them into categories, making content management simple. Its emphasis on content recycling helps ensure that evergreen posts are reshared regularly, optimizing audience engagement over time.
While SocialBee excels in content recycling and category-based scheduling, other platforms like Sked offer more advanced Instagram-specific features, such as direct auto-publishing for Stories and deeper Instagram analytics.
SocialBee is perfect for small businesses, solopreneurs, and marketers looking for bulk scheduling and content recycling, across Instagram and other platforms.
“The bootstrap plan has a perfect pricing, I have 3 Instagram accounts so manage it with SocialBee makes my day way more productive” Source
“The only complaint I have is that there sometimes is a glitch when setting up the automatic posts that grabs content from previous posts.” Source
A wide range of price tiers starting at $24/month for the Bootstrap Plan, up to $374/month for a large agency.
PromoRepublic is a versatile social media management platform designed to streamline content scheduling, automation, and collaboration across multiple channels, including Instagram. It’s perfect for businesses seeking consistent brand visibility.
PromoRepublic offers easy Instagram scheduling with an emphasis on templates, post automation, and content recommendations. It also includes a visual content calendar to plan and manage posts for consistent Instagram engagement.
While PromoRepublic offers solid scheduling and automation, it lacks more Instagram-specific features like auto-publishing for Stories and carousels and deeper analytics to optimize Instagram strategy.
An excellent choice for mid-sized businesses looking to maintain consistent brand visibility across multiple social channels.
“What I like best about PromoRepublic is its comprehensive suite of features and its user-friendly interface. The availability of customizable templates and designs is impressive, allowing us to create visually appealing and engaging content easily.” Source
“Good for simple posts, but not reels and optimized posts” Source
Starts at $49/month for small businesses, and $79/month for agencies.
Instagram scheduling tools offer a variety of features tailored to different needs.
Sked Social stands out for brands and agencies with its advanced scheduling and analytics capabilities. Buffer is perfect for those seeking simple, user-friendly scheduling, while Later excels at visual content planning. Tailwind is a great option for small businesses and Pinterest users.
The best choice ultimately depends on your content strategy, business size, and feature requirements to ensure efficient Instagram management.
To schedule posts within Instagram, you can use Instagram’s built-in Creator Studio or Professional Dashboard, but these are limited to basic features like single-image posts. For more robust scheduling, third-party tools like Sked Social allow you to auto-publish all post types (stories, reels, and carousels), offering greater flexibility and advanced analytics.
Instagram schedulers, like Sked Social, come with smart scheduling features that suggest the best times to post for maximum engagement. These recommendations are based on an analysis of your audience’s behavior. Learn more about Sked’s best time to post feature.
Many Instagram scheduling tools, like Sked Social and Later, feature visual Instagram feed planner that allow you to drag and drop posts to design your grid and ensure cohesive branding. This helps maintain a cohesive aesthetic while scheduling posts at the optimal times.
Some of the best free Instagram schedulers include Buffer, Later, and Hootsuite. Buffer provides an easy-to-use interface for scheduling posts, Later offers strong visual content planning tools, and Hootsuite supports multi-platform management with a free tier that works well for beginners.
For small businesses, Later, Buffer, and Tailwind are popular Instagram scheduling tools. Later provides a strong visual planner, Buffer is ideal for simple scheduling, and Tailwind is great for those managing both Instagram and Pinterest, offering a streamlined way to manage multiple accounts.
Sked Social is a top choice for enterprise and franchise brands, offering advanced scheduling, analytics, and auto-publishing features. Platforms like Iconosquare and Hootsuite are also excellent options, with robust multi-location management and performance tracking. Sked’s batch scheduling and detailed Instagram analytics make it particularly suited for large-scale teams.
Sked Social, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social are excellent Instagram scheduling apps for agencies. Sked offers advanced auto-publishing, Instagram Stories scheduling, and collaboration tools tailored for agencies managing multiple accounts. For more details, check out Sked’s agencies page and the best social media management tools for agencies blog post.
Our content is always evolving, just like the world of social media. This post was recently updated to ensure it aligns with today's social media landscape.
This article has been reviewed and updated to ensure the information provided is accurate and up to date.