Later Pricing Plans Explained: Free vs Paid Features

If you’ve ever signed up for a social media scheduler thinking it’s affordable only to watch the price rise with every new user, post cap, or “add-on,” you know the frustration. That’s what happens with Later pricing. It looks cheap at first glance, but the Starter plan’s $25/month quickly escalates to $110 once your team grows or you manage multiple clients.

And if you’re serious about scaling, you need more than just an Instagram scheduler: you need automation, cross-platform support, and real value for your money.

This guide breaks down Later subscription plans, highlights the hidden costs, and shows why alternatives like SocialBu give you more AI-powered features for less.

Let’s look at everything in detail.

What’s Behind Later’s Sticker Price?

Later currently offers three tiers: Starter, Growth, and Scale to meet the needs of creators, agencies, and businesses. These Later subscription plans look simple. But in reality, the Later pricing tiers come with restrictions that force you into upgrades and add-ons.

Here’s the hidden reality:

• No free plan anymore. Small creators and freelancers who relied on Later’s free tier now have no choice but to pay.
• Now, Later only offers a 14-day trial on all its paid plans. After that, you must pay for the higher plans if you want to continue.
• The Starter plan may seem affordable, but it restricts you to just 1 social set and 1 user. Outgrow your team and clients, and you will have to upgrade to a higher plan.
• The Growth plan also becomes expensive quickly if you need more than a couple of users or social sets, or require additional publishing capabilities, pushing you to consider add-on fees or the Scale plan.
• Even the Scale plan, designed for growing teams and agencies, still comes with limits on users, social sets, and AI credits. This means that if you want more flexibility and social sets, you are required to pay extra.

Hidden Costs That Add Up

Would you like to add social sets, users, or AI credits as your team grows? With Later, every step forward means another bill.

• Add-ons: Social sets ($15 each) and users ($5 each).
• AI credits: Capped, and you’ll pay extra if you rely heavily on AI-generated captions.
• Upgrades: Growth and Advanced tiers are almost mandatory once you manage more than one brand.
• Policy gaps: No white-labeling, clunky approval workflows, limited automation, and a weak refund policy.

• Platform support: Later still lags on rising platforms compared to competitors.

In short, the Later subscription cost doesn’t stay at $25/month (Billed monthly); it scales up quickly as your needs grow.

That’s concerning for creators, social media managers, or small businesses that manage multiple clients and don’t want to overspend on the features that are must-haves.

Why overpay for hidden add-ons? With SocialBu, you can manage unlimited growth without extra fees. Explore SocialBu pricing plans now.

Later Pricing: What You’re Really Paying For

Here’s the truth: Later’s entry-level plan may feel affordable, but its pricing structure is designed to push you into upgrades fast. Once you outgrow post limits or team caps, your Later subscription cost doubles or triples, which proves more expensive for small teams and social media managers.

It sounds like you’re doubling or tripling your monthly cost.

Below is a detailed cost breakdown for the Starter, Growth, and Scale plans, highlighting the actual costs and features you get in each plan and whether they’re worth subscribing to or not:

What You’re Paying For in Each Later Plan and What You Get

Let’s review the Later paid plans in detail to see if they’re worth sticking with or if they break the moment you grow.

Later Starter Plan: For Solo Creators & Individuals (Until You Grow)

Cost: $25/month (billed monthly)

What You Get

• 1 user, 1 social set (6 profiles from the same brand)
• Basic visual planner for scheduling posts (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)
• Limited analytics (up to 3 months) and scheduling functionality
• 10 AI credits per month

The Catch: Fine for 1 solo creator. The moment you land a second client or want to add another team member, the Starter plan becomes unworkable.

Later Growth Plan: For Growing Teams, but with Expensive Limits

Cost: $50/month (billed monthly)

What You Get

• 2 users, 2 social sets
• Schedule up to 180 posts per profile
• Instagram visual planner
• 1-year analytics and basic reporting
• Social inbox and roles/permissions
• 50 AI credits per month

The Catch: Looks fine for small teams, but hidden add-ons ($15 per brand, $5 per user) and automation make costs escalate fast.

Or you’re suddenly staring at the much more expensive Scale plan.

Later Scale Plan: For Teams, Not Quite for Agencies

Cost: $110/month (billed monthly)

What You Get

• 4 users, 6 social sets
• Analytics + performance comparisons
• Advanced collaboration (roles, approvals)
• Social listening + social inbox
• 100 AI credits per month

The Catch: Although branded as an “agency” plan, it has a 4-user/6-set cap, which many agencies quickly outgrow.

Key Takeaway: Later’s plans aren’t built to scale affordably. Each tier only works until you grow, at which point it forces you into expensive add-ons or upgrades.

What are the Best Alternatives to Later in 2025?

Later’s sticker price might look beginner-friendly, but once you scale, the hidden add-ons stack up like a Later tax: extra team seats, extra AI credits, extra accounts.

Instead of paying more for every new feature, agencies, freelancers, and growing creators need a platform that scales without hidden costs.

That’s exactly where SocialBu steps in as the hero solution with transparent pricing and automation.

1. SocialBu – Best Later Alternative for All-in-One Social Media Management

SocialBu is a smart, budget-friendly Later alternative built with automation and advanced scheduling at its core.

Unlike Later, which is heavily Instagram-focused, SocialBu is an all-in-one scheduler for cross-platform growth across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (X), Reddit, and more.

SocialBu lets you grow without limits and scale as you grow without paying hidden fees for every extra feature or user account.

Key Features of SocialBu

Here’s how SocialBu gives you more for less:

• Automation Built-In: Schedule once, post everywhere, automate from RSS feeds, and free yourself from manual posting.
• AI That Actually Saves Time: Generate content, captions, and full platform-specific posts in your brand’s tone without paying extra per credit.
• Bulk Scheduling + Smart Workflows: Plan campaigns in batches and streamline repetitive tasks.
• Engagement Automation: Automatically reply to comments, messages, and reviews (a feature that Later doesn’t touch).
• Analytics That Scale: Advanced reports and analytics for multiple brands without enterprise-level pricing.
• Collaboration Without Extra Fees: Bring your team or clients on board with cleaner workflows, no add-on costs for “extra seats.”

Bottom line: SocialBu removes the Later tax and gives you all-in-one automation at an affordable price built for scaling.

SocialBu vs. Later: Feature Comparison

Here’s how SocialBu stacks up against Later in 2025:

This comparison table clearly highlights the extra add-ons you pay for and the high-tier pricing plans that offer limited features.

SocialBu’s Standard plan costs 40% less than Later Starter annually.

You also get more users, more accounts, up to 800 posts publishing, bulk import, custom queues, and automation tools that Later doesn’t offer, even in higher tiers.

Have a closer look at SocialBu’s pricing plans:

Compare all the paid plans and the features included in each plan here.

So, when you have a better option, why not try it? You can manage multiple brands, more team members, and enjoy automation.

Want to test-drive these features?

Try SocialBu’s free plan, which lets you manage two social accounts and post up to 40 posts per month, all without a credit card.

Buffer: A Simpler Alternative to Later

If you’re purely budget-conscious and want basic scheduling, Buffer is another alternative to consider. It’s one of the oldest social scheduling tools, built for creators and small businesses who want an easy-to-use interface with reliable publishing and Instagram story scheduling.

Pricing Plans:

• Free Plan: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts.
• Essentials: $5/month per channel (ideal for solo creators).
• Team: $10/month per channel.

Key Takeaway: Buffer is more flexible than Later, with per-channel pricing and a still-available free plan. However, it lacks advanced automation, AI workflows, and analytics.

So, if you prioritize automation, Bulk scheduling, Post recycling, analytics, and AI tool support, SocialBu is the best platform to consider.

Which Plan (or Tool) is Right for You?

• For Solo Creators: Later’s Starter plan often feels restrictive due to its limited posts and features. SocialBu’s free or lower-tier plan offers more flexibility, features, and automation. Buffer’s free plan is also a good option if you just need simple scheduling.
• For Small Businesses: Later’s Growth plan can quickly become costly due to hidden add-ons. SocialBu offers superior value-for-money, providing cross-platform automation, analytics, and team collaboration. Buffer’s per-channel pricing is suitable for managing fewer accounts.
• For Agencies: SocialBu scales affordably with automation-first features like bulk scheduling, intelligent workflows, and advanced comment replies. Buffer’s Team plan is suitable for a multi-channel setup, but may cost more as you scale.

Wrap Up!

Later is a popular choice for visually planning Instagram and TikTok posts. However, its pricing in 2025 feels restrictive, particularly when your needs are growing and you require automation, analytics, or multi-platform support.

Whether you’re a solo creator, social media manager, small business, or agency, Later pricing plans – the actual ones and hidden and extra too- can cross your budget.

That’s why it’s necessary to evaluate the pricing plans of any tool you want to choose for your social media management needs and be aware of the rising prices.

Here’s how you can select the best tool for your needs:

• Define your budget before subscribing.
• List the features you need in a social media tool.
• Match features with your actual workflow (automation, approvals, analytics).
• Consider scalability and extra charges or add-ons if your team or clients grow.
• Test free trials before committing long-term.

If your priority is a budget-friendly, automation-rich, and cross-platform solution, SocialBu is the best alternative you can choose.

With it, you don’t have to pay for additional add-ons, and the platform scales with your needs without draining your budget.

Test yourself by signing up for the free trial of SocialBu now!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Later cost for Instagram scheduling?**

Later’s Instagram scheduler pricing starts at $25/month (Starter plan), billed monthly with 1 user and 1 social set. Higher-tier plans like Growth and Scale cost more but offer increased posts, users, and other features.

What’s included in Later’s free plan?

Later used to offer a free plan with 1 user and 1 social set. However, Later has retired its free plan and as of now offers a 14-day free trial on its paid plans. You must pay for the paid tiers after the trial ends.

Is the Later Starter plan worth the cost?

The Later Starter plan ($25/month) is ideal for individuals with basic Instagram planning needs and other platforms. However, it feels limited for creators who need automation, more users or social sets, AI credits, and team collaboration.

How does Later pricing compare to Planoly?

Later is more expensive than Planoly, especially for small creators. The Later’s Starter plan costs ($25/month), whereas the Planoly Starter plan costs ($16/month).

What are the post limits on Later’s free plan?

Later currently does not offer a free plan. It only provides a 14-day free trial on all the paid plans.

However, here’s the Later’s paid plans post limits:

• Starter: 60 posts per profile
• Growth: 180 posts per profile

This limit can quickly feel restrictive for growing creators or businesses.

How much does Later cost for multiple accounts?

Managing multiple accounts with Later requires upgrading to the Growth plan ($50/month) or Scale plan ($110/month). Above this, you also have to pay extra add-ons if you want to add more users or need additional social sets or AI credits.

Are there any Later pricing discounts?

Yes, Later offers a discount when billed annually. This reduces the monthly cost compared to monthly billing.

What’s the difference between Later plans?

The main differences are in post limits, number of users, and social sets, as well as advanced features like analytics, team collaboration, and social inbox. Higher-tier plans unlock more post limits, social listening, AI credits, and analytics.

Is Later more affordable than Hootsuite?

Later is generally cheaper than Hootsuite, especially for solo creators or small teams. However, Hootsuite offers broader enterprise-level integrations and analytics.

How much does Later cost for businesses?

For businesses, Later’s Growth plan starts at $50/month and the Scale plan at $110/month. These options support 2 and 4 users, respectively, higher post limits, and team workflows.