Head to head
Metricool vs SocialBu
Last updated 4 June 2026
vs
Metricool started as an analytics tool and it still leads with reporting, pulling paid ads in next to organic and going deeper than the price suggests. Pricing is set by how many brands you connect, the free plan is one of the most generous around, and a few networks sit behind a paywall.
- From
- $20 per month
- 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
Metricool and SocialBu both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Metricool is the stronger pick for Analytics-led marketers who want organic and paid in one report; choose SocialBu for Small businesses and agencies who want scheduling plus automation.
Features compared
| Feature | Metricool | SocialBu |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | Partial | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not assessed |
Platforms compared
| Network | Metricool | SocialBu |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | Auto | Auto |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | No | Auto |
| No | Auto | |
| Twitch | Analytics | No |
| WordPress | Auto | No |
Pricing
Metricool
Free
Free
- Scheduled posts
- 20
- 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month
- All networks except LinkedIn and X
- 5 competitor profiles, 30 days of analytics, AI assistant
Starter
Popular$25 per month
$20/mo billed annually
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- From $25/mo ($20 annual) for up to 5 brands
- Up to 10 brands for $45/mo ($36 annual)
- Unlimited publishing, LinkedIn, 100 competitor analyses
- Reporting tools, PDF and PPT exports, SmartLinks, Canva and Drive
- X is a +$5 per-account add-on
Advanced
$67 per month
$53/mo billed annually
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- From $67/mo ($53 annual) for up to 15 brands
- 25 brands $107/mo ($85 annual); 50 brands $210/mo ($159 annual)
- Team and client management, role management, post approvals
- Full X analytics, custom report templates, Looker Studio connector, API
Custom
Custom
- Quote-only for more than 50 brands
- White label, dedicated account manager, custom AI credits
- Business integration
- Plans are chosen by how many 'brands' you connect rather than multiplied per brand: you land in a brand-count band and pay that band's price. A brand is a group of profiles, roughly one account per network.
- Starter covers up to 10 brands ($25 a month for 5, $45 for 10; $20 / $36 on annual). Advanced covers up to 50 ($67 / $107 / $210 a month for 15 / 25 / 50 brands; $53 / $85 / $159 on annual). Past 50 brands it's the quote-only Custom plan.
- Annual billing saves up to 24% depending on the band.
- X (Twitter) is a paid add-on at $5 per connected account on every plan. LinkedIn is included from Starter up but not on the Free plan.
- Listed prices exclude VAT, which is added before checkout.
- The Free plan is genuine: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, 5 competitor profiles, and 30 days of analytics, but no LinkedIn or X.
- Prices are USD read off the live pricing page, which has a EUR/USD switch and a brand slider and renders client-side. Figures were read with the USD toggle selected, across both billing periods and the brand bands, and cross-checked against current third-party 2026 listings.
SocialBu
Free
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 social accounts
- 10 lifetime posts
- For trying SocialBu out
Standard
$19 /mo
$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$59 /mo
$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
$199 /mo
$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
Metricool
- Deepest analytics for the price, with paid ads alongside organic
- Unusually generous free plan
- Wide network list, including Twitch analytics and Google Business
- Strong agency value with brand-band pricing and white-label reports
- Brand-band pricing takes a minute to work out
- X is a paid add-on and LinkedIn is paid-only
- Listed prices exclude VAT
- No category-based evergreen recycling and no broad listening
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
Metricool vs SocialBu: FAQ
- Is Metricool or SocialBu cheaper?
- SocialBu is cheaper to start, from $16 against $20 for Metricool. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Metricool or SocialBu have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Metricool or SocialBu?
- Metricool is the stronger pick for analytics-led marketers who want organic and paid in one report, 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.