Posting consistently on social media is a challenge for small businesses. You’re busy running operations, and remembering to post at optimal times is difficult. Scheduling tools help—but which one should you use?

I’ve tested the major options and spoken with regional business owners about their experiences. Here’s my honest comparison.

The Main Options

Buffer

Pricing: Free (3 channels), $6-12/channel/month paid Best for: Simplicity, small businesses, single person operations

Buffer does one thing well: scheduling posts across social platforms. The interface is clean, setup is quick, and most features are intuitive.

Strengths:

• Genuinely easy to use
• Clean, uncluttered interface
• Good free tier for testing
• Works across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest
• Browser extension for quick sharing

Limitations:

• Limited analytics on cheaper plans
• No unified inbox for responses
• Instagram features less robust than competitors

Real feedback: A Ballarat accountant uses Buffer for LinkedIn and Facebook. “I schedule a week of posts on Sunday afternoon. Maybe 30 minutes. Then I don’t think about it until next week.”

Hootsuite

Pricing: $149/month minimum (recently increased) Best for: Larger businesses, team collaboration, comprehensive needs

Hootsuite is more powerful but more complex—and significantly more expensive since their 2023 pricing changes.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive feature set
• Good team collaboration tools
• Unified inbox for social responses
• Solid analytics and reporting
• Integrates with many platforms and tools

Limitations:

• Expensive for small businesses
• More complex than needed for simple use cases
• Interface can feel cluttered
• Overkill for most regional small businesses

Real feedback: A marketing agency in Geelong uses Hootsuite for client management. “For managing multiple clients across multiple platforms, it’s necessary. But I wouldn’t recommend it for a single small business.”

Later

Pricing: Free (limited), $25-80/month paid Best for: Visual businesses, Instagram focus, content planning

Later started as an Instagram tool and it shows—strong visual planning features.

Strengths:

• Excellent visual content calendar
• Strong Instagram features including Stories scheduling
• Good for visual content planning
• User-friendly interface
• Decent free tier

Limitations:

• Best features focused on Instagram
• Less capable for LinkedIn/Twitter compared to competitors
• Some features require higher paid tiers

Real feedback: A regional florist uses Later. “I can see what my Instagram grid will look like before posting. That matters when your business is visual.”

Meta Business Suite

Pricing: Free Best for: Businesses only on Facebook and Instagram

If you’re only on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram), their native tool is free and improving.

Strengths:

• Free
• Direct integration with Facebook and Instagram
• Getting better with each update
• Unified inbox for both platforms
• Basic analytics included

Limitations:

• Only works with Meta platforms
• Interface isn’t as smooth as dedicated tools
• Features still developing

Real feedback: A café in Horsham uses Meta Business Suite exclusively. “It does everything I need for Facebook and Instagram. Why would I pay for something else?”

Others Worth Mentioning

Planoly: Similar to Later, strong Instagram focus. Good for visual planning.

Sprout Social: Powerful but expensive ($249+/month). Enterprise-level tool.

SocialBee: Growing option with good pricing ($29+/month). Worth investigating if others don’t fit.

What to Choose

If You’re Just Starting Out

Start with Meta Business Suite (free) for Facebook/Instagram. Add Buffer free if you need LinkedIn or Twitter. Upgrade only when you hit limitations.

If You’re Visual-Focused (Retail, Hospitality, Creative)

Later handles visual planning well and the Instagram features are strong. Worth the investment if your business depends on visual content.

If You Want Set-and-Forget Simplicity

Buffer is the easiest to use for basic scheduling. Minimal learning curve, does the core job well.

If You Manage Multiple Brands/Clients

Hootsuite or similar comprehensive tools make sense when managing complexity. The cost is justified when efficiency matters at scale.

If Budget is Primary Concern

Free tiers of Buffer, Later, and Meta Business Suite can handle basic needs. You can run a decent social presence without spending anything on tools.

Features That Actually Matter

When evaluating, focus on:

Platforms supported. Does it work with everywhere you post?

Scheduling reliability. Posts need to actually go out when scheduled. (All major tools are reliable here.)

Mobile app quality. You’ll want to create content from your phone sometimes.

Content calendar view. Seeing what’s planned prevents gaps and overlaps.

Analytics (basic). Understanding what performs helps improve over time.

Features that matter less for small businesses:

Team collaboration (if it’s just you) Advanced analytics (basic metrics are usually enough) Social listening (nice but not essential) Influencer tools (not relevant for most regional businesses)

Making It Work

Whatever tool you choose, success depends on:

Batch Creation

Set aside time weekly to create and schedule content. Scheduling tools work best when you plan ahead rather than scrambling daily.

Content Variety

Mix promotional posts with useful, entertaining, and community content. All sales pitches all the time doesn’t work.

Engagement Still Required

Scheduling handles posting, but you still need to respond to comments and messages. Tools with unified inboxes help here.

Regular Review

Check what’s performing monthly. Adjust your approach based on what resonates.

The Bottom Line

For most regional small businesses, I recommend:

1. Start with free tools (Meta Business Suite, Buffer free)
2. Upgrade to Later or Buffer paid if you need more
3. Only consider expensive options if you have complex requirements

Social media scheduling tools are time-savers, not magic solutions. The tool matters less than consistent, quality content. Start simple, upgrade when needed.