Later is a visual-first social media scheduler. It is strongest when you already create photos and videos and need a better way to plan, schedule, and analyze them.
The pricing can be confusing because Later uses Social Sets, not simple per-channel pricing. It also has a limited Free plan, while the public pricing page focuses heavily on a 14-day trial for paid plans.
Here is the clean version.
Direct Answer: Later Pricing and Free Plan
As of May 2026, Later's paid social scheduling plans start at:
- Starter: $18.75/month billed yearly
- Growth: $37.50/month billed yearly
- Scale: $82.50/month billed yearly
Later also has a limited Free plan for basic scheduling and Link in Bio use, plus a 14-day free trial for paid plans.
For most small businesses, the important question is not "Can I afford Later?" It is "Do I already create enough visual content to make Later useful?"
If yes, Later can be a strong visual planning tool. If no, a scheduler may just give you a prettier blank calendar.
Later Pricing Table
| Plan | Price billed yearly | Social Sets | Users | Post limit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited | Limited | Limited monthly scheduling | Testing Later or basic creator use |
| Starter | $18.75/month | 1 Social Set (8 profiles total) | 1 user | 30 posts per profile/month | Solo visual creators |
| Growth | $37.50/month | 2 Social Sets (16 profiles total) | 2 users | 180 posts per profile/month | Small teams and heavier schedulers |
| Scale | $82.50/month | 6 Social Sets (48 profiles total) | 4 users | Unlimited posts | Larger teams and multi-brand calendars |
These prices are for yearly billing. If you choose monthly billing, expect a higher monthly price.
What Is a Later Social Set?
A Social Set includes one profile from each platform Later supports:
- Threads
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Snapchat
So Later Starter gives you 1 profile from each supported platform. Growth gives you 2 of each. Scale gives you 6 of each.
This is different from Buffer, where you pay per channel. If you want to compare the two models, read Later vs Buffer or Buffer pricing and free plan limits.
Does Later Have a Free Plan?
Yes, Later's help center describes a limited Free plan. It is designed for basic creator use, introductory scheduling, Link in Bio, and lightweight access to Later.
But Later's public pricing page focuses on the 14-day free trial for paid plans. So for business planning, think of Later like this:
- Free plan: useful for testing and very light scheduling
- 14-day trial: useful for testing paid features
- Starter and above: where most serious business use begins
If you need a generous ongoing free scheduler, Buffer is usually the clearer option because its free plan is explicit: up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel.
Later Plan Details
Starter
Starter is for solo users and casual scheduling.
It includes:
- 1 Social Set
- 1 user
- 30 posts per profile per month
- 5 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics up to 3 months
- Link in Bio
- Basic planning and publishing tools
Choose Starter if you are a solo creator or local business that already has photos and videos ready.
Growth
Growth is for small teams that need collaboration and more publishing room.
It includes:
- 2 Social Sets
- 2 users
- 180 posts per profile per month
- 50 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics up to 1 year
- Collaboration and approval workflows
- Social inbox
- UGC collection
Choose Growth if multiple people help manage your social media or if you need approvals.
Scale
Scale is for bigger content operations.
It includes:
- 6 Social Sets
- 4 users
- Unlimited posts
- 100 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics up to 2 years
- Custom analytics
- Competitive benchmarking
- Priority support
Choose Scale if you manage multiple brands, locations, or content-heavy calendars.
Later vs Buffer Pricing
| Question | Later | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest ongoing option | Limited Free plan | Free for up to 3 channels |
| Paid starting price | $18.75/month billed yearly | $5/channel/month billed yearly |
| Pricing model | Social Sets | Per channel |
| Best feature | Visual planning and Instagram/TikTok workflows | Simple broad-platform scheduling |
| Google Business Profile | Not supported as a Later social platform | Supported |
| Content created for you | No | No |
The short version: Later is better for visual planning. Buffer is better for simple, low-cost scheduling across more platforms.
When Later Is Worth It
Later is worth it if:
- Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest are central to your marketing
- You create visual content regularly
- You want to preview your Instagram grid
- You need Link in Bio
- You manage UGC, Reels, or visual campaigns
- You have enough content to fill a calendar
Later is especially useful for photographers, boutiques, restaurants with strong food photography, salons, med spas, creators, and visual brands.
When Later Is Not Worth It
Later is not worth it if:
- You do not already create visual content
- Your social pages are empty because you lack time, not tools
- You need Google Business Profile posting
- You want posts written and designed for you
- You are a local service business that just needs consistent presence
For many small businesses, the hard part is not scheduling. It is creating something worth scheduling.
The Hidden Cost of Later
Later's Starter plan may cost under $20/month on annual billing, but your time still matters.
A realistic monthly workflow includes:
- Taking or sourcing photos
- Recording short videos
- Writing captions
- Choosing hashtags
- Building the visual calendar
- Editing for each platform
- Reviewing analytics
If that takes 5 hours per month and your time is worth $25/hour, the true cost of Later Starter is closer to:
$18.75 + $125 in owner time = $143.75/month
That may still be worth it if you enjoy content creation. It is not worth it if you keep avoiding the calendar.
Where Glow Social Fits
If you came here because you want a free visual scheduler, Later's Free plan or 14-day trial is the cleaner place to start. Glow Social is not a free Later plan, and it should not be evaluated like one.
Glow Social fits when the real problem is not the calendar. It is the ongoing work of deciding what to post, writing the captions, creating the graphics, and keeping the business visible month after month.
The clean comparison is:
| If you need... | Use... |
|---|---|
| A visual scheduler for content you already have | Later |
| A simple free scheduler for a few channels | Buffer |
| 12 custom posts created and published for you every month | Glow Social |
Glow Social costs $99/month. Before paying, you can look at the kind of content it creates for local businesses and decide whether done-for-you social media is the actual thing you were looking for.
For the full decision framework, read free social media scheduler vs. done-for-you social media.
Sources Checked
Pricing and plan limits can change. For the current official details, check Later's pricing page and Later's help article on choosing a Later Social plan.
Related guides: Free scheduler vs. done-for-you social media · Buffer pricing and free plan limits · Later vs Buffer · Glow Social vs Later · Best tools under $50/month · Affordable social media management
About Glow Social: AI-powered software that automatically creates and publishes 12 custom social media posts per month for local businesses. $99/month, 5-minute setup, no contracts. glowsocial.com
