Is SmarterQueue or SocialBu cheaper?

SocialBu is cheaper to start, from $16 against $21 for SmarterQueue. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.

Does SmarterQueue or SocialBu have a free plan?

SocialBu has a free plan; SmarterQueue does not, though it offers a 14-day trial.

Which is better, SmarterQueue or SocialBu?

SmarterQueue is the stronger pick for creators and small businesses who want evergreen recycling and curation, 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.

Head to head

SmarterQueue vs SocialBu

Last updated 4 June 2026

SmarterQueue

SmarterQueue is built around evergreen recycling and content curation: you sort posts into categories, it re-shares the best ones automatically with small variations, and a curation tool helps you find fresh content to fill the gaps. It runs two flat plans with a profiles slider, no free plan, and a trial that starts after your first queued post.

From: $21 /mo
Free plan

Visit SmarterQueue

SocialBu

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

Visit SocialBu

Bottom line

SmarterQueue and SocialBu both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. SmarterQueue is the stronger pick for Creators and small businesses who want evergreen recycling and curation; choose SocialBu for Small businesses and agencies who want scheduling plus automation.

Features compared

Feature	SmarterQueue	SocialBu
AI captions	Yes	Yes
Basic analytics	Yes	Yes
Advanced reports	Yes	Yes
Bulk upload	Yes	Yes
Evergreen recycling	Yes	Partial
Team roles	Yes	Yes
Approvals	Yes	Yes
Link in bio	No	Not assessed

Platforms compared

Network	SmarterQueue	SocialBu
Instagram	Auto	Auto
Facebook	Auto	Auto
X (Twitter)	Auto	Auto
LinkedIn	Auto	Auto
TikTok	Auto	Auto
Pinterest	Auto	Auto
YouTube	Auto	Auto
Threads	Auto	Auto
Bluesky	No	Auto
Google Business	Auto	Auto
Mastodon	No	Auto
Reddit	No	Auto

Pricing

SmarterQueue

Pro

$25 /mo

$21/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: 5

$25/mo, $21 on annual; base covers 5 social profiles and 1 user
1 workspace, 10 content categories, 1 RSS importer
100 scheduled posts and 100 published posts per profile a month
10,000 AI words a month

Team

Popular

$50 /mo

$42/mo billed annually

Seats: 3
Accounts: 5

$50/mo, $42 on annual; base covers 5 social profiles and 3 users
Unlimited workspaces, 20 content categories, 3 RSS importers, advanced importer
250 scheduled and 200 published posts per profile a month, advanced analytics
25,000 AI words a month

Two plans, Pro and Team, with a slider: the base price covers 5 social profiles and the bundled users, and you add more profiles and users to scale, so the monthly cost grows with the slider. SmarterQueue recently replaced its older Solo / Business / Agency lineup with this Pro / Team-plus-slider structure.
There's no free plan, only a free trial whose timer starts after your first queued post rather than at signup.
Annual billing is 15% cheaper: at the 5-profile base, Pro is $21 a month and Team $42.
Extra social profiles and extra users are add-ons priced through the slider. AI caption writing is metered (10,000 words a month on Pro, 25,000 on Team), and X posting is capped at 5 tweets a week.
Nonprofits, charities, schools, and full-time students get 50% off.
Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page with the currency switched to USD and the billing toggled; the GBP figures (about £17 and £34 a month on annual) cross-check to the same numbers.

SocialBu

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

SmarterQueue

Strong category-based evergreen recycling with text and media variations
Built-in content curation and importer to keep the queue full
Fairly priced, with competitor analysis and a social inbox included
Publishes to nine networks with an AI caption writer
No free plan, and the trial timer starts after your first queued post
AI words are metered and X posting is capped at five a week
No visual feed planner or link-in-bio
Profiles and users scale the price through the slider

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

SmarterQueue vs SocialBu: FAQ

Is SmarterQueue or SocialBu cheaper?: SocialBu is cheaper to start, from $16 against $21 for SmarterQueue. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
Does SmarterQueue or SocialBu have a free plan?: SocialBu has a free plan; SmarterQueue does not, though it offers a 14-day trial.
Which is better, SmarterQueue or SocialBu?: SmarterQueue is the stronger pick for creators and small businesses who want evergreen recycling and curation, 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.