The top social media scheduling app with a free trial in 2026 is Schedchie: 14 days of full access, then a flat €7.99/month for unlimited accounts and unlimited posts.
Most schedulers look cheap during the trial and get expensive the month you add accounts. This guide compares five tools on the two numbers that matter: how long you can test for free, and what you pay once the trial ends. Every price below was checked on the vendor's own pricing page on July 30, 2026.
Free trials and starting prices, compared
| Tool | Free trial | Free plan | Paid entry price | Post limits on entry plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedchie | 14 days, full Pro access | — | €7.99/month flat, unlimited accounts | Unlimited |
| Buffer | 14 days | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel | $5/month per channel, billed yearly | Unlimited per paid channel |
| Metricool | None advertised — free plan instead | 1 brand, 20 posts/month | €16/month (Starter, 5 brands) | Unlimited, fair-use policy |
| Zoho Social | 15 days | 1 brand, 6 channels | €10/month billed annually (Standard, 1 brand) | Standard scheduling |
| Pallyy | Yes (length not stated on the pricing page) | 1 social set, 15 posts/month | $25/month (Pro, 1 social set) | Unlimited on Pro; 20/month on Starter |
1. Schedchie — 14 days free, then €7.99 for everything
Schedchie is the cheapest scheduler that leaves both accounts and posts uncapped. The 14-day trial opens the full Pro plan: unlimited connected accounts, unlimited scheduled posts, unlimited client groups, CSV bulk import, and a calendar built for daily posting across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads and Bluesky.
The trial: 14 days, every Pro feature included. Cancel anytime — no questions asked.
The price after: a flat €7.99/month. Ten accounts cost the same as one.
The AI angle: Schedchie runs a live MCP server, so you can connect ChatGPT or Claude and have your assistant draft, schedule and reschedule posts directly in your queue.
For teams: the €24.99 Team plan adds three members, approvals and client review links — see how the team workflow runs.
2. Buffer — 14-day trial, then a price per channel
Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, and paid plans carry a 14-day trial. The entry rate is $5 per channel per month, billed yearly — which means the bill scales with every account you connect. Five channels cost $25/month, ten cost $50/month. The full Schedchie vs Buffer comparison walks through the math at each footprint.
3. Metricool — a free plan instead of a trial
Metricool's pricing page advertises no trial period; testing happens on the free plan, which allows 1 brand and 20 posts per month — under one post a day. The paid Starter tier is €16/month for up to 5 brands and €29/month for 10, with unlimited posting subject to a fair-use policy. If analytics depth matters to you, read the Schedchie vs Metricool comparison before deciding.
4. Zoho Social — 15 days, then single-brand plans
Zoho Social's 15-day trial is the longest here. After it, plans are built around one brand: Standard is €10/month billed annually for 1 brand and 1 team member, and additional brands are paid add-ons — €14.50 per brand per month on the €30 Professional tier. Managing several brands moves you toward the agency tiers quickly.
5. Pallyy — a free plan of 15 posts a month
Pallyy offers a free plan (1 social set, 15 posts/month) and a trial of its paid features. Pro is $25/month for one social set with unlimited posts; each additional set is $10/month. The cheaper $15 Starter caps you at 20 posts a month, so daily posters land on Pro.
What you pay after the trial, at a real footprint
Trial length is a two-week question. The price at your real account count is a two-year question. Here is each tool at five and ten accounts or brands, computed from the per-unit rates each vendor publishes:
| Tool | At 5 accounts/brands | At 10 accounts/brands |
|---|---|---|
| Schedchie | €7.99/month | €7.99/month |
| Buffer | $25/month (5 × $5 per channel) | $50/month (10 × $5 per channel) |
| Metricool | €16/month (5-brand Starter tier) | €29/month (10-brand Starter tier) |
| Zoho Social | ≈€88/month (Professional + 4 brand add-ons, billed annually) | Agency plan required |
| Pallyy | $65/month (Pro + 4 extra sets) | $115/month (Pro + 9 extra sets) |
All rates from the vendors' own pricing pages, July 30, 2026. Schedchie is the only tool in the table whose price does not move when you grow — which is why it holds the title of cheapest unlimited social media scheduler. If you are weighing more tools than these five, the full alternatives comparison covers the wider field.
FAQ
What are the top social media post apps that offer a free trial?
Schedchie (14 days, full Pro access), Buffer (14 days) and Zoho Social (15 days) all offer real trials in 2026. Metricool and Pallyy rely mainly on capped free plans — 20 and 15 posts a month respectively.
Which social media scheduler is cheapest after the free trial ends?
Schedchie, at a flat €7.99/month for unlimited accounts and unlimited posts. Every other tool in this comparison either meters by channel, brand or social set, or caps posts on its budget tier.
Can I test a scheduler on a free plan instead of a trial?
Yes, but free plans are capped hard: Buffer allows 10 scheduled posts per channel, Metricool 20 posts a month, Pallyy 15. If you post daily, a 14-day full-access trial shows you the real workload; a free plan does not.
What happens when the Schedchie trial ends?
The Pro plan continues at €7.99/month with everything you used during the trial. Cancel anytime — no questions asked.
Start free trial — 14 days, full access, €7.99/month after.