Best Metricool alternatives in 2026: 8 tools compared (with pricing)
There’s no single ‘best Metricool alternative’: the right choice depends on what Metricool doesn’t cover for you. Budget, team size, the need to automate DMs and comments, and the networks you use: these four criteria are enough to rule out half the options.
We compared eight alternatives, plus Perroly, on the same criteria, with prices taken from their pricing pages in late September 2026. The table below sums it up; the tool-by-tool detail follows.
Quick comparison: 8 Metricool alternatives
As a baseline: Metricool has a free plan (1 brand, 20 posts per month, no LinkedIn or X), then Starter from €16/month (5 brands, billed annually) and Advanced from €43/month (15 brands). Prices exclude VAT, and X costs extra on every paid plan.
Metricool alternatives in 2026
Why look for a Metricool alternative
Metricool is a solid, full-featured tool, especially for analytics and competitor tracking. Teams looking for an alternative usually do so for one of these reasons: an interface they find dense, the need to automate DMs and comments (which Metricool doesn’t offer natively), the extra cost of X, or a growing team that needs stronger approval workflows.
Simple, affordable scheduling tools
Buffer: the reference for minimalist scheduling. Priced per connected channel: $5/month per channel (Essentials), $10/month with unlimited team members (Team). The free plan covers 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Strength: simplicity. Limit: no DM or comment automation. See Perroly vs Buffer.
Later: visual planning, Instagram grid preview and link in bio, from $18.75 to $82.50/month billed annually. Strength: visuals, ideal for highly aesthetic Instagram and TikTok accounts. Limit: built for publishing rather than conversations. See Perroly vs Later.
Swello: a French tool with local support. Permanent free plan (5 profiles, 40 scheduled posts per month), then €19/month (1 user, 5 profiles), €59 and €99. Strength: it combines scheduling, analytics, an inbox and keyword-based Instagram DM automation at an accessible price. Limit: profile counts are tight on the entry plans.
Full suites for teams and agencies
Hootsuite: one of the most complete platforms on the market, from $99 per user per month (Standard, annual) up to $399 for Advanced. No free plan, a 14-day trial. Hootsuite also offers Instagram comment-to-DM automation. Strength: feature coverage and team management. Limit: the price, hard to justify for a solo user. See Perroly vs Hootsuite.
Sprout Social: from $79 (Essentials, annual) to $399 per user per month, with a 30-day free trial. Strength: reporting and the inbox, among the best on the market. Limit: built for structured marketing teams, oversized for a small account.
Agorapulse: $79 to $149 per user per month (annual), 10 profiles included. Strength: a very capable inbox with moderation and assignment rules, plus social listening. Limit: its automation is mostly about moderation, not DM journeys. See Perroly vs Agorapulse.
Vista Social: from $99/month for 15 profiles and 2 users, with 13+ networks supported. Every plan includes the inbox and DM automations. Strength: a broad all-in-one for agencies. Limit: no free plan, and a high entry price for a single account.
The DM automation specialist
ManyChat doesn’t schedule posts: it’s a messaging automation tool (Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, email). Limited free plan, then Pro from $39/month for 2,500 contacts. Many teams run it alongside Metricool, which means paying for two subscriptions. See Perroly vs ManyChat and how to replace the Metricool + ManyChat combo.
Free Metricool alternatives
If budget is the main criterion, four options are free: Buffer (3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel), Swello (5 profiles, 40 posts per month), ManyChat (automation only, no scheduling) and Perroly, free during its launch phase with both scheduling and DM automation. Always check the limits when you sign up: they change often.
Where Perroly fits
Perroly brings multi-network scheduling and native DM and comment automation for Instagram and Facebook into one tool: welcome message, DM reply to a comment keyword, follow-up after a story mention, away message, all in a visual editor. It’s free during its launch phase.
To be honest: Perroly isn’t the only tool that combines both. Hootsuite, Vista Social and Swello do too. The difference is the audience and the price: Perroly is built for creators, freelancers and small teams who want both features without paying for a suite designed for agencies. In return, it covers fewer networks than Vista Social and offers simpler team workflows than Hootsuite or Sprout Social.
For a feature-by-feature comparison, see Perroly vs Metricool.
How to choose your alternative
Tight budget or new account: Buffer, Swello or Perroly.
Highly visual account (Instagram, TikTok): Later.
Automate DMs and comments without a second tool: Perroly, Swello, Hootsuite or Vista Social, depending on your budget.
Marketing team or agency with approvals and reporting: Hootsuite, Sprout Social or Agorapulse.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best Metricool alternative?
It depends on your priority: Buffer for simple, cheap scheduling, Later for a highly visual account, Hootsuite or Sprout Social for a large team, and Perroly or Swello to schedule and automate your DMs in a single low-cost tool.
Is there a free Metricool alternative?
Yes: Buffer and Swello have permanent free plans with limits, ManyChat has a free plan for automation only, and Perroly is free during its launch phase.
Which Metricool alternative can automate Instagram DMs?
Metricool doesn’t do it natively. Among the alternatives, Perroly, Swello, Hootsuite and Vista Social offer scheduling and DM automation in the same tool; ManyChat does automation only.
How much does Metricool cost in 2026?
Metricool has a free plan (1 brand, 20 posts per month), then Starter from €16/month and Advanced from €43/month billed annually, excluding VAT, with X charged extra.