Head to head
HeyOrca vs SocialBu
Last updated 4 June 2026
HeyOrca is an agency tool organised around the client calendar: you get a calendar per client, unlimited users on it, and a sign-off flow where clients approve posts by email without logging in. It charges per calendar, $59 on Basic or $149 on Pro, with a 40% discount once you run five or more.
- From
- $59 per calendar / mo
- Free plan
SocialBu is an affordable, automation-leaning scheduler covering twelve networks. Alongside the usual scheduling it does RSS auto-posting, webhooks, and auto-replies, plus AI content, a social inbox, and listening on the higher plans.
- From
- $16 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
SocialBu is the pick for small businesses and agencies who want scheduling plus automation, and it's the cheaper start, from $16 a month. HeyOrca fits agencies that want a calendar and approval flow per client better.
SocialBu starts cheaper, $16 a month against $59 per calendar / mo for HeyOrca. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- SocialBu starts at $16 a month, HeyOrca at $59 per calendar / mo.
- HeyOrca posts to 9 networks, SocialBu to 12.
- Only SocialBu reaches Bluesky, Mastodon, and Reddit.
Features compared
| Feature | HeyOrca | SocialBu |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Not assessed | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not assessed |
Platforms compared
| Network | HeyOrca | SocialBu |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | No | Auto |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | No | Auto |
| No | 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.
HeyOrca
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 2
- Scheduled posts
- 15
- 1 calendar, 2 social accounts, 1 user
- 15 scheduled posts a month
- Inspo library, Instagram bio link, AI tools, mobile app
Basic
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 10
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $59 per calendar/mo, unlimited users, 10 social accounts per calendar
- Unlimited scheduling, approval workflows, Canva, best time to post, custom branding
- Reporting ($59), social inbox ($39), and listening ($39) are paid add-ons per calendar
Pro
Popular- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 10
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $149 per calendar/mo, unlimited users, 10 social accounts per calendar
- Everything in Basic, with reporting, social inbox, and listening included
- Advanced and custom reports, competitor analysis, sentiment, Instagram demographics
Enterprise
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing for managing many clients
- White-label onboarding, priority support, ongoing training
- Dedicated account management
- Priced per calendar, which is HeyOrca's word for a brand or client: the headline $59 / $149 is for one calendar, and you pay again for each one. Every paid calendar includes unlimited users and 10 social accounts.
- There's a 40% volume discount once you run 5 or more calendars, so the per-calendar rate drops to roughly $35 on Basic and $89 on Pro at agency scale; the cost-at-scale table reflects that. Annual billing is a further 15% off.
- Extra social accounts beyond the 10 per calendar are $10 a month each.
- On Basic, reporting ($59/mo), the social inbox ($39/mo), and social listening ($39/mo) are paid add-ons per calendar; Pro bundles all three in.
- There's a genuine Free plan (1 calendar, 2 social accounts, 1 user, 15 posts a month) plus a 14-day trial of Pro, no card required.
- Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page and cross-checked against current third-party listings.
What it really costs
HeyOrca charges per calendar, so the headline price is for one. Here is the monthly cost as you connect more, with the 5-calendar row marked as a realistic setup.
| calendars | Basic | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $59/mo | $149/mo |
| 3 | $177/mo | $447/mo |
| 5Typical | $271/mo | $685/mo |
| 10 | $446/mo | $1130/mo |
| 25 | $971/mo | $2465/mo |
| 50 | $1846/mo | $4690/mo |
Monthly billing. Volume discounts lower the per-calendar rate at higher counts.
SocialBu
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 social accounts
- 10 lifetime posts
- For trying SocialBu out
Standard
$16/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 4
- Accounts
- 12
- Scheduled posts
- 800
- $19/mo, $16 on annual
- 12 social accounts, up to 4 team members, 800 posts a month
- Automations, bulk import, visual calendar, AI content
Super
Popular$49/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 8
- Accounts
- 30
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $59/mo, $49 on annual
- 30 social accounts, up to 8 team members, unlimited posts
- Adds analytics, approval workflows, social listening, more automations and AI
Supreme
$166/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 20
- Accounts
- 150
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $199/mo, $166 on annual
- 150 social accounts, up to 20 team members
- 400 automations, advanced reporting, more listening and AI credits
- Flat, quota-bundled plans by social accounts and team members, plus a free plan (3 accounts, 10 lifetime posts).
- Annual billing is about 16% cheaper. Every paid plan has a 7-day trial.
- AI content credits, automations, and listening streams are metered and scale with the plan (for example listening starts on Super).
- Custom plans are available for agencies and large teams.
- Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page.
Pros and cons
HeyOrca
- Client approvals without the client needing an account
- Unlimited users on every paid plan
- Per-calendar pricing with a 40% volume discount at scale
- Reporting, inbox, and listening all included on Pro
- On Basic, reporting, inbox, and listening are paid add-ons
- No evergreen recycling
- Per-calendar pricing adds up before the volume discount kicks in
- Paid plans are priced for teams, not solo creators
SocialBu
- Real automation: RSS, webhooks, and auto-replies
- AI content and image generation plus a social inbox with reviews
- Twelve networks, including Reddit, Mastodon, and Bluesky
- Affordable, with a free plan and a clear annual discount
- Listening and richer automations are on the higher plans
- Recycling is automation-based, not a category engine
- Lightly documented company
- Standard caps monthly posts at 800
HeyOrca vs SocialBu: FAQ
- Is HeyOrca or SocialBu cheaper?
- SocialBu is cheaper to start, from $16 against $59 for HeyOrca. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does HeyOrca or SocialBu have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, HeyOrca or SocialBu?
- HeyOrca is the stronger pick for agencies that want a calendar and approval flow per client, while SocialBu is the better fit for small businesses and agencies who want scheduling plus automation. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.