Answers that mention Hootsuite

Yes. For an agency managing 15 Instagram accounts, there are a few strong options—but the best fit depends on whether your priority is visual grid planning or agency workflow/analytics.

My shortlist

🥇 I'd look at Later first

Later specifically supports Reels, carousels, Stories and feed posts, with a visual planner where you can drag content around and preview the Instagram feed before publishing. later.com

That's particularly useful when you're managing 15 brands and need to answer:

"What does each client's feed look like two weeks from now?"

You can visually rearrange the upcoming posts instead of just looking at a spreadsheet/calendar.

🥈 Planoly if the grid is your #1 concern

Planoly is particularly Instagram/grid-oriented. It lets you drag-and-drop content directly into the planned Instagram grid and schedule grid posts, carousels, Reels and Stories. www.planoly.com

Its current agency-oriented Pro plan includes 6 social sets, with additional social sets available as add-ons, so you'd need to price out 15 accounts for your setup. later.comwww.planoly.com

🥉 Metricool if you're running the agency by numbers

Metricool is probably the one I'd investigate if your 15 accounts span multiple platforms. It supports scheduling Stories, Reels, videos, carousels, etc., while also giving you substantially more analytics and reporting functionality. metricool.com

So if your workflow is:

client → content calendar → approval → publish → analytics/reporting

rather than primarily:

client → make the Instagram grid beautiful → publish

I'd lean toward Metricool.

One important caveat with Reels/Stories

"Schedule Stories" doesn't always mean identical automation to normal feed posts. Instagram's API has restrictions around certain native features, particularly things like Instagram music/trending audio. For example, Planoly says Reels with original audio can be auto-published, while content requiring Instagram's music library may require a native publishing/reminder workflow. later.comwww.planoly.com

For your specific situation, I'd narrow it to Later vs. Metricool vs. Planoly.

If you tell me how many people are on your agency team and whether you need client approval, I can compare those three specifically for 15 accounts, including estimated monthly cost, approvals, bulk scheduling, Reels, Stories, grid preview, and analytics.

For an Instagram workflow that needs Reels scheduling + Stories + carousel planning + analytics, I’d shortlist these:

My recommendation by scenario:

• Solo creator / small brand: start with Later if visual planning matters, or Metricool if analytics matter more.
• Marketing team managing a brand account: try Metricool first; it gives you a better content-performance loop.
• Agency with clients: look at Metricool, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social depending on how much approval/reporting workflow you need.
• Budget-conscious: test Meta Business Suite first (free, native Instagram/Facebook scheduling), then upgrade when you need deeper analytics or multi-platform workflows. Later

Before committing, I’d test these specific workflows:

1. Upload a week of Reels and check if auto-publishing works smoothly.
2. Build a carousel calendar and see if approvals/comments are easy.
3. Pull a monthly report showing: - reach
4. saves
5. shares
6. follower growth
7. Reel watch time
8. Story completion/drop-off
9. Check whether your team can collaborate without using spreadsheets.

If you tell me your setup (solo creator vs brand team vs agency, number of IG accounts, and whether you need TikTok/LinkedIn too), I can narrow it to 1–2 tools.

For a local restaurant, I’d focus on visual planning + Reels/Stories scheduling + ease of use, rather than buying a giant enterprise social-media suite.

My shortlist

1. later.com — best fit if the feed aesthetic matters most

• Excellent drag-and-drop Instagram grid/feed preview
• Schedule Reels, posts, carousels and Stories
• Lets you rearrange upcoming posts to see how the restaurant's profile will look before publishing. Later Help Center Later
• Particularly good if the owner wants to say, “Show me what our Instagram will look like next week/month.”
• metricool.com — best all-around value

• Schedules and auto-publishes Reels, posts and Stories
• Has a feed preview so you can see the grid before publishing
• Stronger analytics than Later, plus broader social-network management. Metricool Help Center Metricool
• I'd choose this if you expect the restaurant eventually to add Facebook, TikTok, etc.
• buffer.com — simplest option

• Very straightforward scheduling for Reels, Stories and posts
• Good if the owner isn't particularly tech-savvy
• Some Instagram features require notification/manual publishing because of Instagram's API limitations. Buffer Buffer

What I'd recommend

For this exact restaurant use case: start with Later.

The workflow would be:

Shoot food/photos/Reels → upload everything → arrange the Instagram grid → schedule Reels → schedule daily Stories → review the week → let it publish.

The visual feed planner is the differentiator. That's useful for a restaurant because you can intentionally alternate food photography, staff shots, specials, videos, etc., rather than ending up with six nearly identical food photos in a row.

If analytics and managing multiple platforms are more important, choose Metricool instead.

One important caveat: Instagram's API still prevents third-party tools from automatically handling certain Story elements such as interactive stickers and links, so “schedule everything” doesn't necessarily mean every Story can be completely hands-off. Metricool Help Center

If you're setting this up as a service for restaurant owners rather than just choosing software for yourself, I can also compare Later vs Metricool vs Planoly vs Hootsuite vs Meta Business Suite specifically for a restaurant social-media management agency workflow, including client approvals, multiple restaurants, pricing, and white-labeling.

For an enterprise social team, I’d shortlist Planable, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite. Your combination—Reels scheduling + Story approvals + visual grid planning + multi-person governance—narrows the field quite a bit.

1. Planable — my pick for your specific workflow

Planable is particularly compelling if the pain is getting content through internal approvals without endless Slack/email cycles. It supports Instagram Reels, Stories, visual calendar planning, and a dedicated Instagram grid view. planable.io

The enterprise tier adds multi-level approval workflows, granular permissions, unlimited users/workspaces, and enterprise support. For example, you could structure:

Social → Brand → Legal → Executive → Schedule

with each stage required before publication. planable.io

Its grid planner is also unusually relevant to your requirement: you can drag posts around and see the planned grid alongside already-published content. planable.io

I'd choose this if: your biggest problem is coordination, approvals, and maintaining a coherent Instagram presence across lots of contributors/brands.

2. Sprout Social — best all-around enterprise option

Sprout is stronger if you want publishing + approvals + analytics + broader social listening/engagement operations in one platform.

It supports scheduled Instagram Reels and has an Instagram grid planner. sproutsocial.com More importantly, its approval workflows explicitly handle Reels and Stories: Reels can be approved and then automatically published, while Stories can go through approval and then be routed to a designated mobile publisher for publication. support.sproutsocial.com

I'd choose this if: you're building a centralized enterprise social operation rather than primarily a content-review workspace.

3. Hootsuite — best for complex/global organizations

Hootsuite has mature approval workflows where admins can define who creates versus approves content and can configure sequential multiple-approver workflows. www.hootsuite.com

It's also positioning its enterprise offering around scaling content across brands/regions, with content libraries, templates, localized variations, and formal approval processes. blog.hootsuite.com

I'd choose this if: you're managing lots of brands, markets, accounts, and platforms—not just Instagram.

My ranking for your requirements

If Instagram is the center of gravity:

1. 🥇 Planable
2. 🥈 Sprout Social
3. 🥉 Hootsuite

If enterprise analytics/listening and broader social operations matter equally:

1. 🥇 Sprout Social
2. 🥈 Hootsuite
3. 🥉 Planable

One thing I'd specifically test in demos: the exact Story approval/publishing flow. Instagram API constraints can make Stories behave differently from Reels; for example, Sprout's approved Stories require a mobile publisher to complete publication, whereas Reels can publish automatically after approval. support.sproutsocial.com

If you tell me roughly how many Instagram accounts, markets/brands, and people need to approve content, I can narrow this to a Planable vs. Sprout vs. Hootsuite recommendation with the enterprise workflow I'd implement.

For this workflow, you’re really looking for a social media management platform with four capabilities:

1. Instagram Reels scheduling (preferably true auto-publish)
2. Instagram Story scheduling (check this carefully — Stories are often more limited than Reels)
3. Client approval workflows (comments, revisions, approval gates)
4. Multi-client/team management

The best tools to evaluate:

My shortlist by scenario

If you run a social media agency

I’d start trials with:

1. Planable — approval workflow first
2. Sked Social — Instagram-first operations
3. Agorapulse — publishing + client management
4. Sprout Social — if clients require enterprise reporting

If the client approval process is the biggest pain

Prioritize:

• Client sees the actual Reel/story preview
• Client can approve/reject without joining your workspace
• Comments attach to specific posts
• Version history exists
• Publishing is blocked until approval

Planable is probably the first one I’d test for this use case. Post Everywhere

If Instagram Stories are critical

Pay extra attention during trials. Many platforms are strong at Reels/feed scheduling but weaker on Stories, especially Stories with:

• link stickers
• polls/questions
• interactive stickers
• multiple frames
• automatic publishing

Some teams end up using a hybrid stack: an approval/calendar tool plus a Story-specific publishing tool. Storrito

Workflow I would design

A clean agency workflow usually looks like:

Content creation
→ designer/editor uploads Reel + Story assets
→ caption + hashtags added
→ internal review
→ client approval
→ scheduled publishing
→ analytics/reporting

The platform should support statuses like:

• Draft
• Internal review
• Sent to client
• Changes requested
• Approved
• Scheduled
• Published

Before buying, test these exact scenarios

Ask each vendor to demo:

• Upload 10 Reels for one client
• Schedule 30 Stories
• Send approval link to a fake client
• Have client request a caption change
• Replace the asset after approval
• Prevent publishing until approval is complete
• Export monthly reports

For an agency managing multiple brands, I’d avoid choosing purely based on the calendar UI — the approval pipeline is usually where time gets lost. Kontentino

I’d probably narrow the first round to Planable vs Sked Social vs Agorapulse vs Sprout Social.

If the core requirement is Instagram Reels + Stories + client approvals, I’d focus less on generic schedulers and more on agency/client-workflow platforms.

My shortlist

1. planable.io — probably where I'd start

Planable is particularly interesting if client approval is the heart of the system. It provides visual previews, comments/feedback directly alongside content, approval workflows, a calendar, Instagram grid planning, and scheduling for Posts, Stories and Reels. Planable Planable

The workflow can essentially be:

Create → internal review → client review → approval → schedule → publish

That's much closer to an agency operating system than simply a social media scheduler.

2. sproutsocial.com — best if you need a more robust enterprise system

Sprout is the one I'd investigate if you're managing lots of clients/accounts and need sophisticated permissions, reporting and approval rules.

It supports Instagram posts, Reels and Stories in the publishing workflow. Reels can go through approval and then automatically publish at the scheduled time. Stories have a caveat: approved Stories requiring the mobile workflow are handed off to a mobile publisher for manual publishing. Sprout Social Sprout Social Support

It also has external approval workflows, meaning clients/stakeholders can review content without needing to log into Sprout. Sprout Social

That's a major consideration for client services.

3. later.com — strong Instagram-first option

Later is worth looking at if the business is heavily visual and Instagram/TikTok-centric. Its visual calendar and Instagram planning experience are particularly strong. Current comparisons also list approval workflows as a feature. Later

I'd put it behind Planable if client collaboration is more important than visual planning.

4. hootsuite.com

A good choice if you're going to expand beyond Instagram and want a mature multi-network publishing platform. It's more of an all-purpose social management suite than an Instagram/client-approval specialist.

5. buffer.com

I'd consider this if you're trying to keep the system inexpensive and relatively simple. It supports scheduling and approval workflows, but I'd favor Planable or Sprout when multiple clients + structured approvals are central to the business. Buffer

What I'd choose

If you're building this for an agency managing social media for clients, my evaluation order would be:

1. Planable — best balance of client approvals + content workflow.
2. Sprout Social — best for scale, permissions, analytics and sophisticated workflows.
3. Later — best if Instagram/visual planning dominates.
4. Hootsuite — best if you're managing many different social networks.
5. Buffer — best if simplicity and cost are priorities.

One thing I'd specifically test before committing: don't just verify that a platform says "Instagram Stories supported." Test the complete workflow with an actual account:

Client receives approval request → opens without an account → comments → requests revision → creator revises → client approves → Story/Reel publishes automatically at the scheduled time.

Stories are where the platforms can differ substantially; for example, Sprout's current workflow still requires a mobile publisher for certain Instagram Stories rather than fully automatic publishing. Sprout Social Support

If you're actually designing the system rather than just choosing SaaS, I can also map out the ideal architecture—e.g. Airtable/Notion + approval portal + Meta API + scheduler + client notifications—and compare that against buying Planable/Sprout outright.

That's much closer to an agency operating system than simply a social media scheduler.

2. sproutsocial.com — best if you need a more robust enterprise system

Sprout is the one I'd investigate if you're managing lots of clients/accounts and need sophisticated permissions, reporting and approval rules.

It supports Instagram posts, Reels and Stories in the publishing workflow. Reels can go through approval and then automatically publish at the scheduled time. Stories have a caveat: approved Stories requiring the mobile workflow are handed off to a mobile publisher for manual publishing. Sprout Social Sprout Social Support

It also has external approval workflows, meaning clients/stakeholders can review content without needing to log into Sprout. Sprout Social

That's a major consideration for client services.

3. later.com — strong Instagram-first option

Later is worth looking at if the business is heavily visual and Instagram/TikTok-centric. Its visual calendar and Instagram planning experience are particularly strong. Current comparisons also list approval workflows as a feature. Later

I'd put it behind Planable if client collaboration is more important than visual planning.

4. hootsuite.com

A good choice if you're going to expand beyond Instagram and want a mature multi-network publishing platform. It's more of an all-purpose social management suite than an Instagram/client-approval specialist.

5. buffer.com

I'd consider this if you're trying to keep the system inexpensive and relatively simple. It supports scheduling and approval workflows, but I'd favor Planable or Sprout when multiple clients + structured approvals are central to the business. buffer.com

What I'd choose

If you're building this for an agency managing social media for clients, my evaluation order would be:

For a marketing agency managing multiple client Instagram accounts, you’ll usually want more than a basic scheduler. The ideal stack combines:

• Client workspaces (separate brands, assets, permissions)
• Reels scheduling + publishing
• Story planning/scheduling
• Visual 3-column grid mockups
• Client approvals/comments
• Analytics/reporting
• Team collaboration

Here are the strongest options by agency use case:

www.shortsync.appskedsocial.com

If your agency is Instagram-heavy, I’d shortlist:

1. Later — best overall balance

• Client calendars
• Visual Instagram planning
• Reels/carousel scheduling
• Approval workflows
• Good if you manage 5–50 brands

2. Planoly — best for feed aesthetics

• Great when clients care about how the grid looks before anything goes live
• Useful for fashion, beauty, hospitality, lifestyle brands
• Strong drag-and-drop grid planning www.planoly.com

3. Sked Social — best Instagram operations tool

• Built around Instagram workflows
• Good for agencies that need approvals and direct publishing www.shortsync.appskedsocial.com

4. PlanMyGrid — best if grid mockups are a core deliverable

• Built specifically around Instagram grid planning, client approvals, multi-brand workspaces, and agency workflows. www.planmygrid.com

A common agency setup:

• Content creation: Canva / Adobe Express / Figma
• Planning + approvals: Later, Planoly, or PlanMyGrid
• Publishing: Later, Sked, Metricool, or Meta Business Suite
• Reporting: Metricool or Sprout Social

My recommendation by agency size:

• 1–5 clients: Planoly or Later
• 5–25 clients: Later, Sked Social, or PlanMyGrid
• 25+ clients / multiple account managers: Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or a combination of Later + reporting software

A few questions would narrow this down:

1. How many Instagram accounts do you manage now (and expected in 12 months)?
2. Do clients need to approve posts before publishing?
3. Is your priority more beautiful grid mockups or automated publishing/reporting?