Answers that do not mention Hootsuite

If you're a solo creator on a tight budget and want one tool for Instagram + TikTok + YouTube, I'd start with metricool.com.

My ranking

1. Metricool — my pick 🏆

Metricool's free plan lets you manage 1 brand, schedule 20 posts/month, and supports Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It also gives you 30 days of analytics. Metricool

metricool.com

For a solo creator, I like it because you're getting scheduling + analytics + a content calendar rather than just a basic queue.

2. Buffer — best if you want dead-simple

buffer.com has a genuinely free plan with 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. That's potentially enough for exactly your Instagram + TikTok + YouTube setup. Buffer Help Center

The downside is that you'll hit the 10-post queue pretty quickly if you're posting frequently.

3. Publer — another strong free option

publer.com lets you connect 3 social accounts on its free plan and keep 10 pending posts per account. There's no expiration on the free tier. Publer Publer

What I'd actually do

If I were trying to keep your monthly software bill at $0, I'd use:

Metricool → Instagram + TikTok + YouTube

Then batch-create your content once or twice a week and load the next ~20 posts into Metricool.

If you're posting daily on all three platforms, though, 20 posts/month won't be enough. In that case, Buffer's 10-per-channel queue can be more useful, or you can combine a scheduler with the platforms' native scheduling tools.

Bottom line: Start with Metricool Free. It's probably the best balance of free + all three platforms + analytics for a solo creator right now. Metricool

If you tell me how many posts/videos you make per week (e.g. 3, 7, 15), I can recommend the cheapest exact setup, including whether you should use one tool or combine free tools.

If you’re managing multiple small creator accounts, I’d try Publer first.

• Publer — probably the best budget fit if you have several accounts. Its paid plans start around $5/month for one social account, with additional accounts priced separately; the free tier supports 3 social accounts. It also has workspaces, bulk scheduling, recycling, and analytics. Publer Best Social Media Scheduler
• Metricool — my pick if you care about analytics + a unified planning calendar as much as scheduling. Its free plan is unusually useful, supporting up to 11 channels with limits, while paid plans start around $20/month. Metricool
• Buffer — easiest to learn, but its per-channel pricing gets expensive as your number of accounts grows. Great if you only manage a handful. Social Magnum
• SocialBee — worth considering if you want evergreen content recycling, but the entry price is higher (around $29/month). Schedchie

My recommendation

Start with Metricool if you want the most capability for $0–$20/month.
Start with Publer if keeping the bill as low as possible is the priority.

If you tell me roughly how many creator accounts you manage (e.g. 5, 10, 20) and which platforms (Instagram/TikTok/YouTube/X/etc.), I can narrow it down to the cheapest 2–3 options for your exact setup.

For a small nonprofit, I’d narrow it to Publer, Buffer, and Metricool. The important wrinkle is that you need Facebook + Instagram + Pinterest, so some otherwise-good free tools aren't a fit.

🥇 I'd start with Publer

Publer looks like the strongest choice for a shoestring nonprofit. Its free plan supports 3 social accounts and allows 10 scheduled posts per account at a time; current comparisons specifically identify it as a good fit for Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest. Postory Schedchie

That means you could potentially use:

• Facebook Page
• Instagram
• Pinterest

…and stay at $0, provided your posting volume fits the queue limits.

If you outgrow the free tier, Publer is also relatively inexpensive compared with many mainstream schedulers. BuntingPost

🥈 Buffer — best for simplicity

Buffer's free plan gives you 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. The queue refills as posts publish, so it's more useful than a simple "10 posts per month" limit might sound. Later SkedCast

I'd choose Buffer over Publer if your priority is "I want our volunteer to be able to figure this out quickly."

🥉 Metricool — best for measuring impact

Metricool's free plan is particularly attractive if you want to know whether your nonprofit's social media is actually working. It supports one brand and 20 scheduled posts per month, plus 30 days of analytics. Metricool

The downside is that 20 posts/month across your social strategy can become restrictive pretty quickly.

My recommendation

For your specific situation:

Start with Publer Free. It's the best combination of Facebook + Instagram + Pinterest + $0 cost.

I'd only switch to Buffer if you value simplicity more than features, or Metricool if measuring engagement/analytics is especially important.

One other strategy could save you money: use Meta Business Suite for Facebook + Instagram, which is completely free, and a separate free Pinterest scheduler/tool. Meta's native scheduler doesn't cover Pinterest, but it can eliminate the need to pay for a third-party tool just to handle your Meta accounts. Later

If you tell me roughly how many posts per week you want on each platform (e.g. FB 3, IG 3, Pinterest 5), I can tell you which free plan will actually work without constantly hitting its limits.

Best fit: Buffer

For a busy creator who wants free bulk uploads + basic cross-platform publishing, Buffer is probably the best fit right now.

• 3 social channels on the Free plan.
• 10 scheduled posts per channel in the queue, with slots reopening as posts publish. Buffer
• Bulk CSV uploads are included on Free—up to 10 posts per channel per upload. Help Center Buffer
• Supports cross-platform publishing, including major networks such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and others.
• The big catch: free bulk upload is fairly small-batch, and video/Reels aren't supported through the CSV bulk uploader. Buffer

buffer.com

Bottom line: If by “bulk uploads” you mean dump a spreadsheet of posts into a scheduler and publish them across a few networks, Buffer Free is the strongest straightforward choice. If you need to upload hundreds of posts at once, free plans generally won't meet that requirement; Publer's CSV bulk scheduling, for example, is paid. publer.com

For a small agency onboarding your first client, I’d avoid expensive “agency OS” tools at the start. You mainly need:

1. Scheduling (kickoffs, reviews, recurring calls)
2. Team workspace (tasks, files, communication)
3. Client approvals (proofing, feedback, sign-off)

My picks:

My recommendation for a first client

Option A — lowest cost, good enough

• clickup.com: project board + deadlines + client workspace
• calendly.com: booking calls
• drive.google.com: files
• Email or Slack for communication

You can probably run your first few clients for almost nothing.

Option B — more polished client experience

• tryapprove.com if you want clients to have one place for onboarding, deliverables, approvals, and invoices. TryApprove TryApprove

Option C — creative/content/design agency

• thickethq.com is worth looking at because it is designed around client engagements rather than generic task management. Thicket

For a first client, I’d personally start with ClickUp + Calendly + Drive and only move to an all-in-one client portal once you have 3–5 active clients. It keeps costs low while you learn your workflow.

If you tell me your agency type (marketing, web design, video, branding, dev, consulting, etc.) and team size, I can narrow it down.

If you want entry-level, video scheduling, and basic analytics without spending much, I’d narrow it to Buffer and Metricool.

My pick: Metricool if the stats matter to you. Its free plan includes scheduling and 30 days of analytics, while the Starter plan removes the 20-post limit and adds unlimited publishing plus longer analytics history. It also specifically supports scheduling TikTok and YouTube videos. Metricool Metricool

If you mainly want “upload my videos, schedule them, and see basic views/engagement”, I'd actually start with Buffer Free. It supports 3 channels, and its paid Essentials plan is only about $6 per channel/month if you outgrow the free tier. Buffer

My recommendation

• Cheapest/easiest: buffer.com
• Best cheap all-around choice: metricool.com
• Best if Instagram is your main platform: Later

If you tell me which platforms you need (e.g. Instagram + TikTok + YouTube Shorts) and roughly how many videos/posts per month, I can tell you which one will be cheapest for your exact setup.

If you mainly want “upload my videos, schedule them, and see basic views/engagement”, I'd actually start with Buffer Free. It supports 3 channels, and its paid Essentials plan is only about $6 per channel/month if you outgrow the free tier.

My recommendation

For a college student running campus social pages, I’d pick Buffer as the easiest all-around option.

• buffer.com — Best overall: Very simple composer and queue, good for quick posts, and the free plan supports 3 social channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. Fit Small Business Buffer
• business.facebook.com — Best if you only use Instagram + Facebook: Completely free and native to Meta, with scheduling and basic insights. Later Buffer
• metricool.com — Best if you care about analytics: More powerful reporting, but the interface has a bit more to learn. Fit Small Business
• publer.io — Good alternative: Supports 3 social accounts on its free tier and is useful if you want more scheduling features. Later

My recommendation

Start with Buffer. If you're posting things like “Club meeting tonight,” “Game-day photos,” “Campus event reminder,” or quick announcements, its straightforward workflow is probably the least hassle.

If your campus pages are primarily Instagram + Facebook, I'd actually choose Meta Business Suite instead because there's no third-party scheduler to learn and no free-plan post cap. Buffer

If you tell me which platforms you manage (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best free setup for a student-run campus page.

My pick: metricool.com. It’s especially strong on a shoestring budget because the free tier combines scheduling, a content calendar, analytics, and an AI assistant. Metricool SaaS Radar

• Best all-round value: Metricool
• Simplest alternative: buffer.com — free for up to 3 channels. Later
• Best for Instagram-heavy creators: later.com — excellent visual calendar, but pricier. Later

For your specific combination of scheduling + caption help + content calendar, I’d start with Metricool.

For a 3-person team, I’d shortlist these:

• youcanbook.me — best fit. Its Team plan supports roles/permissions, a shared team booking page, pooled availability, round-robin scheduling, and centralized team management. It’s listed at $16.20/member/month when billed annually, so about $48.60/month for three people. YouCanBookMe YouCanBookMe
• calendly.com — polished alternative. It has team roles, collaborative scheduling and round-robin/managed events, but team members require paid seats, so it tends to be less attractive if low cost is the priority. Calendly.com Calendly.com

One caveat: if by “single shared inbox” you mean a true shared email inbox where all three can see and reply to incoming customer emails, neither scheduler is really an all-in-one shared-inbox product. You’d typically pair the scheduler with a shared inbox/helpdesk.

So my pick for your requirements is YouCanBookMe + a lightweight shared inbox, rather than paying for a more expensive all-in-one platform.

If you’re starting as a freelance social media manager, I’d choose Metricool first.

My ranking

🥇 Metricool — my pick

metricool.com is particularly well suited to the freelance workflow because it treats each client as a “brand.”

The free plan is good for testing it, but it's limited to 1 brand and 20 scheduled posts/month. Once you have several clients, the Starter plan supports up to 10 brands, unlimited publishing, longer analytics history, and PDF/PPT reports. Current pricing starts around $20/month annually for up to 5 brands. Metricool Metricool

That's a pretty good progression:

Start free → get 1–2 clients → upgrade when the revenue justifies it.

The big advantage for you is that you're not just getting a scheduler. You're getting calendar + publishing + analytics + client reporting in one system.

🥈 Buffer — easiest to learn

buffer.com is probably the easiest interface of the three.

Its free plan gives you 3 connected channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, and basic analytics. Paid plans are priced per channel, starting at $6/channel/month for Essentials. Help Center

I'd pick Buffer if your priority is:

“I want something incredibly simple that lets me schedule posts without overwhelming me.”

But once you're managing several clients, the per-channel pricing can become less attractive.

🥉 Publer — good budget alternative

publer.com is worth looking at if you want more scheduling functionality for relatively little money.

Its free plan supports 3 social accounts, with up to 10 scheduled posts queued per account. It also has a calendar view, account groups, previews, Canva integration, and other useful scheduling features. Publer Publer

Its paid tiers add more substantial analytics/reporting capabilities, including PDF analytics reports on higher plans. Publer

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd start with Metricool + Canva + Google Drive.

Your basic client workflow could be:

1. Canva → create graphics/reels covers
2. Metricool → build the monthly content calendar
3. Client approval → get posts approved
4. Metricool → schedule/publish
5. Metricool → pull monthly performance data
6. Google Drive → store client assets, strategy docs, and reports

One caveat: Metricool's genuinely useful client/team access and post-approval features are on the Advanced tier, rather than the inexpensive Free/Starter plans. Metricool

So if you're brand new with 1 client, don't overpay—use the free plan and learn your workflow. Once you have 3–5 clients, Metricool becomes much more compelling.

Bottom line:
Metricool = best overall freelancer choice
Buffer = best for simplicity
Publer = best budget alternative

If you tell me roughly how many clients you expect to have (e.g. 3, 5, or 10) and which platforms they use (Instagram/Facebook/TikTok/LinkedIn), I can recommend the cheapest setup that will actually work for you.

Start free → get 1–2 clients → upgrade when the revenue justifies it.

The big advantage for you is that you're not just getting a scheduler. You're getting calendar + publishing + analytics + client reporting in one system.

🥈 Buffer — easiest to learn

buffer.com is probably the easiest interface of the three.

Its free plan gives you 3 connected channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, and basic analytics. Paid plans are priced per channel, starting at $6/channel/month for Essentials. support.buffer.com

I'd pick Buffer if your priority is:

“I want something incredibly simple that lets me schedule posts without overwhelming me.”

But once you're managing several clients, the per-channel pricing can become less attractive.

🥉 Publer — good budget alternative

publer.com is worth looking at if you want more scheduling functionality for relatively little money.

Its free plan supports 3 social accounts, with up to 10 scheduled posts queued per account. It also has a calendar view, account groups, previews, Canva integration, and other useful scheduling features.

Its paid tiers add more substantial analytics/reporting capabilities, including PDF analytics reports on higher plans.

For a solo video creator, I’d pick Buffer.

• Best overall: buffer.com — supports both TikTok and YouTube Shorts, with video uploads, scheduling, calendar/queue, and cross-posting from one dashboard. Buffer Help Center Help Center
• Cost: Buffer has a free tier with up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. The paid Essentials plan starts at $5/month per channel when billed annually. Buffer
• Easy workflow: upload your vertical video once, customize the caption for each platform, then schedule. TikTok and Shorts can use automatic publishing when the post is eligible; otherwise Buffer can send you a notification to finish posting natively. Help Center Help Center
• Runner-up: metricool.com — stronger if you also want analytics/content planning. Its free plan allows 20 scheduled posts/month for one brand; paid Starter starts at $20/month. Metricool

My recommendation: start with Buffer Free. If you're posting enough that 10 queued TikToks/Shorts per channel becomes restrictive, upgrade to Essentials. For a one-person operation, it hits the sweet spot of cheap + simple + good video scheduling.

If you tell me roughly how many Shorts/TikToks you post per week, I can tell you which plan/tool is cheapest for your exact workflow.