Head to head
ContentCal vs Ordinal
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
Ordinal (formerly Assembly) is built for one specific job: running social for a group of executives or employees. It drafts, schedules, routes for approval, and automates engagement across many personal accounts, and it's priced for companies, not individuals, from $95 a month.
- From
- $95 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Ordinal is the pick for companies running executive or founder social programs, and it's the cheaper start, from $95 a month. ContentCal fits most setups better, and it reaches Pinterest and Google Business, which Ordinal doesn't.
Ordinal publishes a price, from $95 a month; ContentCal is quote-only. ContentCal adds social inbox that Ordinal leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Ordinal starts at $95 a month; ContentCal is quote-only.
- ContentCal posts to 7 networks, Ordinal to 6.
- Only ContentCal reaches Pinterest and Google Business.
- Only Ordinal reaches Threads.
- Ordinal auto-publishes TikTok; ContentCal sends a reminder to post.
- ContentCal has social inbox; Ordinal doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | ContentCal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Not assessed | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| Bulk upload | Not assessed | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | Not assessed | No |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Not assessed | Not assessed |
Platforms compared
| Network | ContentCal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Reminder | Auto |
| Auto | No | |
| Threads | No | Auto |
| Google Business | Auto | No |
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
- $95/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.
Ordinal
Starter
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $95/mo
- Drafting, scheduling, content calendar, approval workflows
- For teams managing multiple executive accounts
Pro
Popular- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $215/mo (about $265 with Ordinal MCP)
- Everything in Starter, plus unlimited seats
- Account analytics, automated engagement (likes, comments, reposts), unlimited scheduled posts
Enterprise
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing
- LinkedIn leads data, API access, custom permissions
- SAML/SSO and prioritised support
- Flat plans aimed at executive and team social programs, not individual scheduling, which is why the entry is $95 a month. Pro at $215 includes unlimited seats; a Pro plan with Ordinal MCP runs around $265.
- There's no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- Ordinal (formerly Assembly) is built for running many personal/executive accounts together, used by companies like Zapier, Mercury, Clay, and Beehiiv to power their executive social presence.
- Prices are USD from current listings.
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
Ordinal
- Purpose-built for executive and employee social programs
- Drafting, approvals, and analytics across many personal accounts
- Automated engagement to grow those accounts
- Unlimited seats on Pro; SSO and API on Enterprise
- Expensive, and priced for companies not individuals
- Network focus is LinkedIn and X, not visual platforms
- No free plan, recycling, or full engagement inbox
- Young product, lightly documented company
ContentCal vs Ordinal: FAQ
- Is ContentCal or Ordinal cheaper?
- Ordinal starts at $95 per month, while ContentCal is quoted custom, so Ordinal is the one with a public entry price.
- Does ContentCal or Ordinal 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 Ordinal?
- ContentCal is the stronger pick for most people, while Ordinal is the better fit for companies running executive or founder social programs. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.