Head to head

ContentCal vs Iconosquare

vs

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

Iconosquare started as an Instagram analytics tool and still leads with reporting: deep performance and audience analytics across eight networks, with scheduling, listening, and competitor tracking layered on. Plans run from a free tier up to $116 a month on annual billing, with a profiles slider and per-user pricing on the team plans.

From
$33 /mo
Free plan

Bottom line

ContentCal and Iconosquare both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post.

Features compared

FeatureContentCalIconosquare
AI captionsNot assessedYes
Basic analyticsYesYes
Advanced reportsNot assessedYes
Bulk uploadNot assessedNot assessed
Evergreen recyclingNot assessedNo
Team rolesYesYes
ApprovalsYesNot assessed
Link in bioNot assessedNo

Platforms compared

NetworkContentCalIconosquare
InstagramAutoAuto
FacebookAutoAuto
X (Twitter)AutoAuto
LinkedInAutoAuto
TikTokReminderAuto
PinterestAutoAuto
YouTubeNoAuto
ThreadsNoAuto
Google BusinessAutoNo

Pricing

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.

Iconosquare

Free

Free
Seats
1
Accounts
2
Scheduled posts
10
  • 2 social profiles, 1 user
  • 10 scheduled posts per profile a month
  • Basic analytics and limited reporting

Launch

$39 /mo

$33/mo billed annually

Seats
1
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
100
  • $39/mo, $33 on annual
  • 5 social profiles (sliderable), 1 user, 100 posts a month
  • Standard analytics and reports, best time to post, AI caption writing

Scale

Popular
$83 /mo

$69/mo billed annually

Seats
3
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $83/mo, $69 on annual
  • 5 social profiles (sliderable), 3 users (extra users $16/mo)
  • Adds campaign analytics, social listening, competitor tracking, DM management, collaboration

Excel

$139 /mo

$116/mo billed annually

Seats
6
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $139/mo, $116 on annual
  • 5 social profiles (sliderable), 6 users (extra users $16/mo)
  • Adds white-label reporting, unlimited data retention, API access, unlimited competitor benchmarking

Custom

Custom
Seats
Unlimited
Accounts
Unlimited
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • Contact sales, for 20 or more social profiles
  • Dedicated customer success manager and personalised onboarding
  • Flat plans that differ mainly by users and feature depth, all starting from a base of 5 social profiles, with a slider to add more profiles (which scales the price) and Custom for 20 or more. Extra users are $16 a month each on Scale and Excel.
  • There's a genuine free plan (2 profiles, 1 user, 10 posts a month per profile) plus a 14-day trial of the top features, no card required.
  • Annual billing is up to 17% cheaper (two months free): Launch works out to $33 a month, Scale $69, Excel $116.
  • Iconosquare is analytics-first: listening and competitor tracking arrive on Scale, and white-label reporting and API access on Excel.
  • Prices are USD. The live pricing page geo-located to Australia and showed AUD, so the USD figures were taken from Iconosquare's USD listings and cross-checked by converting the AUD (for example AU$53 times about 0.74 lands near the $39 Launch monthly rate).

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

Iconosquare

  • Deep, analytics-first reporting and audience insights
  • Competitor tracking and social listening on Scale and up
  • White-label reporting and API on Excel
  • Genuine free plan and a clear annual discount
  • No evergreen recycling or link-in-bio
  • No Google Business; network list stops at eight
  • Listening and competitor tracking are Scale-only
  • Team plans add per-user fees on top

ContentCal vs Iconosquare: FAQ

Is ContentCal or Iconosquare cheaper?
Iconosquare starts at $33 per month, while ContentCal is quoted custom, so Iconosquare is the one with a public entry price.
Does ContentCal or Iconosquare have a free plan?
Iconosquare has a free plan; ContentCal does not.
Which is better, ContentCal or Iconosquare?
ContentCal is the stronger pick for most people, while Iconosquare is the better fit for social media managers and agencies who lead with analytics. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.