How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Planable is the closest Loomly replacement for approvals, since multi-level client sign-off is its core strength.
- Buffer and Later suit small teams that want simple scheduling without agency complexity or enterprise prices.
- Sprout Social and Hootsuite suit larger teams that need listening, analytics, and engagement alongside publishing.
- SocialPilot, Sendible, and Agorapulse suit agencies balancing client workspaces, inbox management, and mid-range prices.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Buffer | Simple scheduling | $6 per channel per month | Yes |
 Hootsuite | Enterprise scale | $99 per user per month | No |
 Sprout Social | Analytics and listening | $199 per seat per month | No |
 Later | Visual Instagram planning | $25 per month | No |
 SocialPilot | Budget agency scheduling | $30 per month | No |
 Sendible | Agency client workspaces | $35 per month | No |
 Agorapulse | Inbox and community | See website | No |
 Planable | Multi-level approvals | $39 per workspace per month | Yes |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best Loomly alternatives
#1Buffer
Best for: Simple scheduling4.3/5 on
G2 (1,041 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit buffer.com
Starting price$6 per channel per month
Free planYes
Buffer is the calmest tool on this list, and that calm is a feature. Its queue-based scheduling, simple composer, and clean calendar suit solo creators and small teams that want to plan posts without learning a complex platform. The free plan covers 3 channels, and paid plans start at $6 per channel per month in recent comparison guides, so a small setup stays cheap. Buffer also offers analytics and engagement tools on higher tiers without complicating the core workflow.
The gaps are narrow but real. Buffer has no social listening, no DM inbox comparable to Agorapulse, and approvals require the Team plan, which limits it as a Loomly replacement for client work. If your workflow is publish and report, Buffer covers it well. If your workflow is approvals and community management, look at Planable or Agorapulse instead. Buffer suits small teams that value simplicity over depth.
What we like- Clean queue scheduling
- Free plan with 3 channels
- Simple calendar
Watch out for- No social listening
- Approvals need the Team plan
Starting price$99 per user per month
Free planNo
Hootsuite is the enterprise workhorse of social media management, supporting many networks, streams for monitoring, and analytics for large teams. Its Professional plan starts at $99 per user per month in recent comparison guides, with higher tiers adding team workflows, approvals, and advanced reporting. For organizations running many profiles across many regions, Hootsuite scales where smaller tools strain, and its integration library covers most marketing stacks.
The price and weight are the drawbacks. Small teams will find Hootsuite expensive and its interface heavier than Buffer or Later, and approvals feel less refined than Planable's purpose-built workflow. Hootsuite suits enterprises and large agencies that need breadth, monitoring, and reporting in one platform. Smaller teams should trial it before committing, since simpler tools may cover their needs at a fraction of the cost.
What we like- Very wide network support
- Streams and monitoring
- Enterprise analytics
Watch out for- High price
- Interface feels heavy for small teams
Starting price$199 per seat per month
Free planNo
Sprout Social pairs publishing with some of the strongest analytics and social listening in this list, plus a unified inbox and CRM features that connect social activity to customer records. Its Standard plan starts at $199 per seat per month in recent comparison guides, which buys depth that cheaper tools cannot match. Reports are polished enough to share with executives, and listening tools track brand mentions, trends, and competitors across networks.
The price makes Sprout overkill for simple scheduling, and small teams will pay for features they never open. It also lacks the multi-level approval depth of Planable, though basic approvals exist. Sprout suits mid-size and large teams that treat social as a core channel and need analytics, listening, and engagement together. If you only schedule posts, Buffer or Later will save you hundreds per month.
What we like- Strong analytics and listening
- Unified inbox
- CRM features
Watch out for- Highest price on this list
- Overkill for simple scheduling
#4Later
Best for: Visual Instagram planning4.5/5 on
G2 (384 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit later.com
Starting price$25 per month
Free planNo
Later is built for visual-first brands, with a drag-and-drop calendar, visual planner, and link-in-bio tool that suit Instagram and TikTok workflows. Paid plans start at $25 per month in recent comparison guides, with higher tiers adding more social sets, users, and analytics. The visual approach makes planning feel natural for creators and small brands, and the media library keeps assets organized alongside the calendar.
Later is weaker on networks beyond Instagram and TikTok, and its analytics are basic on lower tiers compared with Sprout or Hootsuite. Approvals exist but are less refined than Planable's workflow. Later suits creators and visual brands that plan Instagram and TikTok first and other networks second. Teams with heavy LinkedIn or X publishing should test coverage before switching from Loomly.
What we like- Visual calendar and planner
- Link-in-bio tool
- Strong Instagram and TikTok support
Watch out for- Weaker on other networks
- Analytics are basic on lower tiers
#5SocialPilot
Best for: Budget agency scheduling4.5/5 on
G2 (846 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit socialpilot.co
Starting price$30 per month
Free planNo
SocialPilot is the budget agency pick, with plans starting at $30 per month for 7 accounts in recent comparison guides, plus bulk scheduling and client management features. Agencies can manage many clients without enterprise prices, and the calendar, queues, and approval basics cover daily publishing well. SocialPilot also offers a social inbox and reports, though both are simpler than Sprout or Agorapulse equivalents.
The drawbacks are basic analytics and an interface that feels dated in places, with fewer polish touches than Buffer or Planable. SocialPilot suits agencies and freelancers managing many accounts on a tight budget. If client approvals are your main need, Planable handles them better, but if account volume per dollar matters most, SocialPilot wins. Trial it with your real client load before committing.
What we like- Low agency pricing
- Bulk scheduling
- Client management
Watch out for- Analytics are basic
- Interface feels dated in places
#6Sendible
Best for: Agency client workspaces4.5/5 on
G2 (905 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sendible.com
Starting price$35 per month
Free planNo
Sendible is built for agencies, with client dashboards, white-label options, and bulk scheduling that keep multi-client work organized. Plans start at $35 per month in recent comparison guides, with higher tiers adding more users, profiles, and reports. The dashboard gives each client a clean view of their content, which reduces back-and-forth emails, and approval workflows cover the basics well enough for most agency work.
Sendible's price rises as you add users, and its listening tools are limited compared with Sprout Social. The interface also takes a little longer to learn than Buffer. Sendible suits agencies that want branded client dashboards and white-label reporting without enterprise prices. Solo creators should pick Buffer instead, since Sendible's agency features add cost they will not use.
What we like- Client dashboards
- White-label options
- Bulk scheduling
Watch out for- Price rises with users
- Listening is limited
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Agorapulse centers on the social inbox, bringing comments, messages, and mentions from many networks into one queue for community teams. That inbox focus suits teams that spend more time replying than posting, and its reports cover engagement and team performance well. Scheduling, publishing, and basic listening round out the platform, making Agorapulse a balanced choice for community-driven brands.
Pricing varies across comparison guides, from $79 to $99 per user per month, so check the current pricing page before budgeting. Scheduling is also less visual than Later, which matters for Instagram-first teams. Agorapulse suits community managers and support teams that need inbox order above all. If approvals dominate your workflow, Planable still leads, but for engagement, Agorapulse is the strongest pick here.
What we like- Unified social inbox
- Community management
- Solid reports
Watch out for- Pricing varies across guides
- Scheduling is less visual than Later
#8Planable
Best for: Multi-level approvals4.6/5 on
G2 (1,125 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit planable.io
Starting price$39 per workspace per month
Free planYes
Planable is the closest Loomly replacement for teams whose main need is approvals. It offers four approval levels, from none to multi-level, with unlimited users on paid plans, so clients and teammates can review, comment, and approve posts without seat limits. Plans start at $39 per workspace per month, or $33 billed annually, in recent comparison guides, and a free plan covers the first 50 posts. The visual calendar and feedback threads make revisions fast and clear.
Planable lacks listening tools and its analytics are weaker than Sprout or Hootsuite, so teams that need monitoring should pair it with another tool. It suits agencies and in-house teams where client sign-off is the bottleneck. If approvals caused your Loomly search, start with Planable's free plan and test a real approval round before paying. For most approval-heavy teams, it replaces Loomly directly.
What we like- Four-level approval workflows
- Unlimited users
- Free plan for first posts
Watch out for- Weaker analytics than Sprout
- No listening tools
How we chose
We compared Loomly alternatives on scheduling, approval workflows, inbox and engagement, analytics, network coverage, and price, using vendor pages, pricing pages, and comparison guides from 2026. The reference buyer was a team leaving Loomly, so approval depth and client workflows mattered more than raw scheduling alone. Prices were taken from recent comparison guides, and where guides conflicted, the field shows "See website" or the most recent figure, so verify current pricing before buying. Loomly itself was excluded as the baseline, and tools were judged on how well they replace its approval and calendar strengths.
How to pick a Loomly alternative
Match the tool to your bottleneck
If approvals slow you down, pick Planable, since its multi-level workflow is built for sign-off. If scheduling volume is the bottleneck, pick Buffer or SocialPilot for cheap, fast publishing. If engagement overwhelms your team, pick Agorapulse for its inbox. If reporting drives decisions, pick Sprout Social. Naming the bottleneck first prevents buying a broad platform when a focused tool solves the actual problem.
Count seats and profiles before pricing
Per-seat pricing punishes large teams, while per-channel or per-workspace pricing punishes many profiles. Buffer bills per channel, Hootsuite and Sprout bill per seat, and Planable bills per workspace with unlimited users. Map your real team size and profile count, then calculate the total monthly cost for each shortlisted tool. A cheap headline price often doubles once seats and profiles are counted honestly.
Trial with a real approval round
Run a real week of content through each trial, including a client revision, a rejected post, and a scheduled campaign. Approvals look simple in demos but reveal friction under real feedback, especially with external clients. Test mobile approvals too, since clients often approve from phones. Judge the trial by how fast a post moves from draft to published, not by feature lists or demo polish.
Check network coverage for your channels
Every tool covers the major networks, but depth varies for TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google Business. Later leads on Instagram and TikTok, while Hootsuite and Sprout cover the widest range. List your must-have networks, and verify each one supports scheduling, analytics, and inbox features, not just publishing. A tool that publishes to a network but cannot report on it leaves half the job undone.
Frequently asked questions
Why do teams leave Loomly?
Teams usually leave Loomly for stronger approvals, lower prices, or deeper analytics. Planable beats it on multi-level approvals, Buffer and SocialPilot beat it on price, and Sprout beats it on analytics and listening. Some teams also leave for better inbox tools or wider network support. The right replacement depends on which gap pushed you to search, so name that gap before shortlisting tools.
Which Loomly alternative is cheapest?
Buffer is cheapest for small setups, with a free plan for 3 channels and paid plans from $6 per channel per month. SocialPilot is cheapest for agencies managing many accounts, starting around $30 per month. Planable offers a free plan for the first 50 posts, which suits a trial or a very small team. Calculate total cost with your real channels and seats, since per-seat tools get expensive fast.
Does any alternative match Loomly approvals exactly?
Planable comes closest, with four approval levels and unlimited users, which exceeds Loomly's basic approval workflow. Sendible and Hootsuite offer approvals too, but with less depth for multi-client sign-off. If approvals are your main need, trial Planable with a real client round first. Most approval-heavy teams find it a direct upgrade rather than a compromise.
Can I migrate scheduled posts from Loomly?
Most tools offer import options or CSV uploads, but scheduled posts rarely transfer automatically between platforms. Plan to rebuild your queue in the new tool, and export your Loomly content calendar first as a backup. Migration takes a few hours for a typical team, so schedule it during a quiet week. Keep Loomly active until the new queue is verified and publishing correctly.
Do these tools support TikTok and Instagram Reels?
Yes, with varying depth. Later leads on Instagram and TikTok planning, while Hootsuite, Sprout, and Buffer support both networks for publishing and basic analytics. Check each tool's current support for Reels scheduling, TikTok publishing, and music options, since network rules change often. Trial the exact post types you publish, rather than trusting a feature list.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.