Planoly and Later both come among the top Instagram and other social media scheduling tools. And if you are into business marketing through Instagram, you would surely be aware of these two scheduling tools.
In this article, we are going to compare these tools based on an in-depth analysis of the features they are offering. So, you can decide which tool would be the best option as your Instagram scheduler.
Before we proceed any further, let me introduce you to SocialBu, social media management, and automation tool. You can schedule your Instagram posts and stories with SocialBu as well, like Planoly and Later.
Further, you can analyze the performance of your Instagram posts and stories and automate your responses as well.
That being said, let’s move towards the comparison of the tools mentioned above. We will compare these tools based on the following parameters.
- Features
- Pricing
Comparison Based on Features
1. Later
Being a partner of Instagram Later offers many other features other than scheduling Instagram posts and stories. We are going to discuss here all the features Later is offering for Instagram scheduling.
- Scheduling Instagram posts is easy. You can use the drag and drop feature and your week’s worth of posts are ready to be published. It means you can select any photo or video you like and drag it to the required date on the calendar. The photo/video will be scheduled.
- You can schedule carousels also.
- The grid view allows you to see your Instagram posts from the viewer’s POV. You can also adjust your photos in the grid view to create a satisfactory Instagram aesthetic.
- You can use the hashtag suggestions feature to find suitable hashtags for your posts. Also, you can save these hashtags. These can be posted or scheduled as the first comment to your posts.
- You can get the performance of your posts and stories with the analytics feature.
- The hashtags and mentions tracking feature allow you to post UGC for your followers.
- Later supports the team working by allowing you to create teams and sharing your ideas among them.
2. Planoly
Planoly is the other scheduler for Instagram posts and stories. Let’s take a look at the feature this tool is offering.
- You can schedule Instagram posts and stories with Planoly.
- It also offers the drag and drops feature so you can plan the look of your Instagram grid.
- Auto-posting is also available but the carousels and Instagram stories cannot be auto-posted.
- You can create hashtags groups, so you can use them easily when needed.
- Allows you to reply to the comments from a single place.
- Planoly offers the analytics feature to analyze the performance of your posts.
- The drafts feature allows you to create posts ahead of time and then post later.
- Planoly allows you to create shop links. You can later add them to your Instagram posts as shopping tags.
3. SocialBu
SocialBu is a social media management and automation tool. It can be your best Instagram planner or scheduler with the following features it offers.
- Posting Instagram posts and stories. You can schedule carousels too.
- If you want to plan a post, you can use the drafts feature and then publish or schedule the post later.
- Story scheduling is easy. You can customize your story with hashtags, swipe-up links, emoticons, and location tags.
- SocialBu allows you to schedule the first comment to your post as well.
- When adding the images to be published or scheduled, you can view them. It will show you how the post will look on your feed after publishing.
- It allows you to bulk import the files as well in the .csv format.
- The social calendar shows all your scheduled posts and stories. If you want to change the date, you can simply drag the post from the scheduled date and drop it to the new date.
- You can track and analyze the performance of every post with the Analytics feature.
- SocialBu allows you to track keywords and hashtags also. So you do not have to search the posts individually.
- The history feature allows you to see all the activities you have done from your account.
Winner
Each tool is offering some of the best features one needs to schedule Instagram posts and stories. But they have their limitations too like you cannot auto-post carousels and stories.
Also, for all the tools, you must have a business Instagram account to avail of the auto-post feature.
If you use Planoly, you will have to bear a Planoly watermark and hashtag in every Instagram post.
All in all, each tool is offering the best it can. SocialBu is on edge here because in the free plan, Later and Planoly are offering 30 posts per month. SocialBu is offering 40 posts per month with all the features you require to schedule and plan your Instagram posts smoothly.
Comparison Based on Pricing
Coming towards the Price factor now we will discuss the price plans of each tool with the features they are offering.
1. Later
The price plans for later start from $12.5 to as much as $33.33 if billed annually. Later offers 4 tiers of price plans. Each with the details is mentioned below.
Free Plan
- 1 social set
- No add-ons available
- 30 posts/social profile
- 1 user
- Unlimited media
- 1 access group
Starter Plan
- $12.50/month
- 1 social set
- 60 posts/social profile
- 1 user
- Live chat unavailable
- No shared calendar
- No calendar notes
- Tags, mentions, and contributors are unavailable
- Instagram analytics unavailable
- 1 access group
Growth Plan
- $20.83/month
- 150 posts/social profile
- 1 user
- No live chat
- Share calendar available
- Calendar notes available
- Tags, mentions, and contributors are available
- Instagram analytics available
- Unlimited access groups
Advanced Plan
- $33.33/month
- Unlimited posts
- 6 users
- Live chat available
- Share calendar available
- Calendar notes available
- Tags, mentions, and contributors are available
- Instagram analytics available
- Unlimited access groups
2. Planoly
Planoly pricing starts from $9 to $29 if billed annually. Planoly offers 3 tiers for its paid plans and it lets you create a customized plan as well.
Free Plan
- 2 social profiles (1 Instagram + 1 Pinterest)
- 30 uploads/month per profiles
- 1 user
Solo Plan
- $9/month
- 2 social profiles (1 Instagram + 1 Pinterest)
- Unlimited uploads for 1 profile and 30 uploads/month for other profile
- 1 user
Duo Plan
- $19/month
- 2 social profiles
- Unlimited uploads
- 2 users
Custom Plan
- Starts from $29/month
- Custom social profiles
- Unlimited uploads
- Custom users
3. SocialBu
SocialBu paid plans to start from $8 to as much as $199 according to the plan you choose.
Free Plan
- 2 social accounts
- 40 posts/month
- Drafts available
- Post preview
- Hashtag suggestions
- Post insights
Starter Plan
- $8/month
- 150 posts/month
- 4 social accounts
- 2 custom queues
- No Instagram story stickers
- 4 automation
- 1 feed
Standard Plan
- $19/month
- 800 posts/month
- 12 social accounts
- No phone support
- 16 automation
- 5 feeds
- 5 custom queues
Super Plan
- $59/month
- 30 social accounts
- 60 automation
- 15 feeds
- 15 custom queues
- Unlimited monthly posts
Supreme Plan
- $199/month
- 400 automation
- 150 social accounts
- 50 feeds
- 50 custom queues
- Unlimited monthly posts
You can also create a customized plan if you want.
Winner
Based on the price plans, SocialBu is offering the maximum features at the minimum price for as low as $8. Also, SocialBu price plans are designed better as compared to other tools so you get the best features at a reasonable price.
Also when you go for a free plan, SocialBu does not demands your credit card information. As long as you do not upgrade to a paid plan.
Now we’ll compare these tools on the basis of the following verticals.
1. Instagram Story Scheduling
Story scheduling is the feature where you can create and plan stories ahead of time using a scheduling tool. You can plan and create stories, add stickers and emoticons to them, add the swipe-up links and location tags, etc.
Each tool mentioned above provides the story scheduling feature. Later and SocialBu offers the bulk upload feature for stories but Planoly does not.
Winner
SocialBu and Later have an edge for this part but because Later price plans are more costly than SocialBu, we can conclude SocialBu is the winner here.
2. Social Media Monitoring
Social media monitoring allows you to keep track of the latest trends and the performance of your posts. It is based on your selected keywords and hashtags.
- You can track the posts by hashtags and keywords and see what your competitors are up to.
- You can keep an eye on the latest trends that match your niche by tracking certain hashtags.
- And you can create User Generated Content as well with the help of this feature.
Winner
Planoly does not offer this feature at all. Later offers the hashtag tracking and analytics whereas SocialBu offers the complete monitoring features. You can set up your feed in SocialBu to track all your keywords and hashtags with minimum effort.
We can say that SocialBu is the score the win here as it allows keyword tracking also and at the lowest price too.
3. Analytics
The analytics feature will allow you to keep track of your social media presence. You will be able to track the performance of your posts and stories. You can check your follower growth, keep track of your post engagement rates, and much more. By evaluating the best performing posts and their posting times you can calculate the best time for you to post. Also, you can evaluate what type of posts are best liked by your audience.
Winner
All tools under discussion offer the analytics feature. We can rank the efficiency of analytics features for these tools as:
Later>SocialBu>Planoly
Although SocialBu has a pretty extensive system for analytics Later wins the poll here. It is because Later’s analytics feature is the most efficient one with a lot more to offer.
4. Social Inbox
A collaborative inbox for all your social media platforms can be said as the social inbox. You can respond to all the messages and comments from all your account in a single space.
Planoly allows you to respond to the comments from a single place. Later offers you to respond to comments and messages from the dashboard. SocialBu has the collaborative inbox of all the chats from all your accounts. You can easily select the ones that are more important and respond to them from a single space.
Winner
Planoly does not offer an extensive system for social inboxes. SocialBu has the most efficient social inbox. You can track the most important messages and comments and reply to them without having to find them.
5. Chrome Extension & Mobile App
All of the mentioned above tools offer the chrome extension feature and they have mobile apps as well.
With the Later chrome extension, you can only save photos for your Later gallery. The Planoly chrome extension is only applicable to Pinterest and not Instagram. Whereas, the SocialBu Chrome extension allows you to schedule or publish content on all your social media platforms directly from the browser.
Winner
SocialBu is a clear winner here. The chrome extension is so helpful that you do not even have to log in to the SocialBu app for a quick upload and schedule.
Why is it Best to Use a Scheduling Tool for Your Instagram Account?
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Easy Time Management
When you have a tool to manage and schedule all your posts, then you have the time to focus on better things rather than worrying about the next post.
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Maintain the Instagram Aesthetic
With Instagram scheduling tools, you can create and maintain an Instagram aesthetic for your account. It can attract followers. People will like what they see and they will surely follow you for more.
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Easy Publishing
It is easier to schedule your posts on a weekly or monthly basis than to login into your account multiple times a day.
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Engage Easily with the Audience
When you post constantly, you can easily manage to maintain your audience’s interest in your Instagram profile. Your active presence on your account will allow your audience to interact with your more.
Conclusion
Instagram scheduling tools have made the management of Instagram presence easier and more efficient. We have discussed Later and Planoly on the basis of their features and pricing. While there are some factors where one tool surpasses the other. Like UGC by Later is not offered by Planoly and creating shop links by Planoly is not offered by Later.
On the other hand, SocialBu can be seen as the most user-friendly and cost-effective tool of both. It is offering all the features with a very helpful interface and at the minimum price.
Don’t know how to schedule Instagram posts and stories? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Check our blog to learn how to schedule Instagram posts and stories.
