Head to head
ContentCal vs Gain
Last updated 4 June 2026
ContentCal was a well-liked UK content calendar built around planning and approvals. Adobe bought it in December 2021, closed the standalone product on 31 March 2023, and rolled its features into Adobe Express, so it's here for the record rather than as a tool you can buy.
- From
- Custom
- Free plan
Gain is a content-approval tool first and a scheduler second. Its whole point is getting client sign-off without friction: clients review and approve posts by email or SMS without logging in, channels are unlimited, and you pay by team size and client count rather than per account.
- From
- $99 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Gain is the pick for agencies whose bottleneck is client review and sign-off, and it's the cheaper start, from $99 a month. ContentCal fits most setups better, and it adds social inbox that Gain leaves out.
Gain publishes a price, from $99 a month; ContentCal is quote-only. ContentCal adds social inbox that Gain leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Gain starts at $99 a month; ContentCal is quote-only.
- ContentCal posts to 7 networks, Gain to 8.
- Only Gain reaches Threads.
- Gain auto-publishes TikTok; ContentCal sends a reminder to post.
- ContentCal has social inbox; Gain doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | ContentCal | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Not assessed | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Not assessed | No |
| Bulk upload | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | Not assessed | No |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Not assessed | No |
Platforms compared
| Network | ContentCal | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Reminder | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| Threads | No | Auto |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
Pricing
Headline prices are for a single unit. Here is the real monthly cost as each tool scales, costed on its own unit so the two stay honest.
No free plan; 14-day trial.
- Cheapest paid plan
- $99/mo
Whole-plan price; it doesn't scale per unit.
ContentCal
- ContentCal was acquired by Adobe in December 2021 and the standalone product closed on 31 March 2023. You can no longer buy it.
- Its content calendar and scheduling features were folded into Adobe Express as the Content Scheduler, which is reviewed separately.
- When it ran, ContentCal sold flat monthly plans (a Pro tier and a larger Company tier); those plans no longer exist, so no current pricing applies.
Gain
Starter
$99/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 3
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $119/mo, $99 on annual
- Up to 3 team members, up to 6 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
- Unlimited approval workflows and client reviewers, content calendar, AI writing assistant
Agency
Popular$199/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $239/mo, $199 on annual
- Up to 6 team members, up to 12 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
- Adds white-label and more capacity
Agency Premium
$399/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 20
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $479/mo, $399 on annual
- Up to 20 team members, up to 30 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
Enterprise
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing, as many team members and workspaces as you need
- Unlimited social accounts, advanced support
- Flat, quota-bundled plans: each tier bundles team members and workspaces (one per client), with unlimited social accounts on every plan, so the price scales by team size and client count rather than per channel.
- Client reviewers are unlimited and don't count against your seats: clients approve or reject posts by email or SMS without needing a Gain account.
- There's no free plan, only a 14-day trial, no card required.
- Annual billing is about 17% cheaper: Starter is $99 a month versus $119, Agency $199 versus $239, Agency Premium $399 versus $479.
- White-label is included from the Agency plan up.
- Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page by toggling monthly and annual.
Pros and cons
ContentCal
- Clean, approachable content calendar and content hub
- Strong, simple approval workflows
- Good team and client collaboration
- Discontinued on 31 March 2023; no longer sold
- Folded into Adobe Express, with a different shape and focus
- Existing comparisons that still list it are out of date
Gain
- Best-in-class client approvals: sign off by email or SMS, no account needed
- Unlimited client reviewers and unlimited social accounts on every plan
- Flat pricing by team and client count, with white-label from Agency up
- Revision tracking through each feedback round
- No social inbox, listening, or evergreen recycling
- Light analytics and reporting
- No YouTube or Bluesky
- Priced for teams, with the entry plan at $99 a month
ContentCal vs Gain: FAQ
- Is ContentCal or Gain cheaper?
- Gain starts at $99 per month, while ContentCal is quoted custom, so Gain is the one with a public entry price.
- Does ContentCal or Gain have a free plan?
- Neither has a free plan. You get a free trial to test things, then you pay.
- Which is better, ContentCal or Gain?
- ContentCal is the stronger pick for most people, while Gain is the better fit for agencies whose bottleneck is client review and sign-off. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.