Editor's note, November 1, 2026: Rebuilt list: the 2021 list of more than 20 Instagram apps cut to 10 tools a business can use to grow an Instagram account, compared on Instagram features, price and public reviews, checked on 1 November 2026.
How we choose: we research each tool on its own site, check prices at the source and read what users say in public reviews. Our method
Metricool is the best IG tool for most businesses. Its free plan and Starter plan, from $20 per month billed yearly, schedule posts, carousels, Reels and Stories, suggest the best times to post, track up to 100 competitors and report on every post. Choose Later if you plan a visual grid and work with creators, or Meta Business Suite if you post only to Instagram and Facebook and want a free tool.
The other tools suit narrower needs. Iconosquare is the analytics specialist, Sprout Social and Hootsuite suit larger teams, and Buffer is the simplest scheduler. Manychat turns comments into DMs and leads, Canva makes the posts and Stories, and Linktree turns your one bio link into a page of links.
Growing an Instagram audience comes down to posting consistently, at the times your followers are active, and learning from what works. So look at which formats a tool can auto-publish, whether it shows best times and competitor benchmarks on the plan you can afford, and how it handles comments and DMs. Most of these tools need an Instagram business or creator account. For tactics, see our guides to growing an Instagram business organically and Instagram marketing strategies. Prices below were checked on 1 November 2026.
The list at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan | Team |
|---|
| 1 |  Metricool | Small businesses and agencies that want scheduling, analytics and competitor tracking at a low price | $20 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 2 |  Later | Brands that plan a visual Instagram grid and also work with creators | $18.75 USD per month | No | Marketing |
| 3 |  Meta Business Suite | Businesses that post only to Instagram and Facebook and want a free tool | Free | Yes | Marketing |
| 4 |  Iconosquare | Brands that want detailed Instagram analytics at a low price | $10 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 5 |  Sprout Social | Larger marketing teams that need reporting, a shared inbox and competitor insights | $79 per seat per month, billed yearly | No | Marketing |
| 6 |  Buffer | Small businesses that want the simplest scheduler | $5 per channel per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 7 |  Hootsuite | Social teams that manage many accounts and want monitoring included | $99 per user per month | No | Marketing |
| 8 |  Manychat | Accounts that get many comments and DMs and want to turn them into leads | $14 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
| 9 |  Canva | Creating Instagram posts and Stories without a designer | $18 per month for one person | Yes | Marketing |
| 10 |  Linktree | Sending Instagram followers to several pages from one bio link | $7 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
How we chose
We ranked each tool on the five points of our published method, in this order. First, fit: how much it helps a business grow an Instagram account, by planning and publishing content, finding the best times to post, measuring results and turning engagement into followers and leads. Second, the Instagram features that matter for that job, such as auto-publishing for Reels and Stories, best-time suggestions, competitor benchmarks, inbox and DM automation, taken from each vendor's documentation and pricing page. Third, price and how clearly it is stated, including free plans and trials. Fourth, what users report in public reviews on G2, or on Capterra where a tool has no G2 listing. Fifth, whether the product is actively developed.
Every tool was researched on its own website, pricing page and help documentation, and in public reviews. All-round tools that plan, publish and measure rank highest. Specialist tools for DMs, design and bio links rank lower because they cover one part of the job, even when they are strong at it. Apps that like, follow or comment automatically on your behalf were left out. For more schedulers, see our list of Instagram scheduling apps, or browse all social media tools.
Best for small businesses and agencies that want scheduling, analytics and competitor tracking at a low price
1. Metricool
Marketing- Starting price
- $20 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best all-round IG tool for most businesses. It covers planning, best times, analytics, competitors, DMs and a link-in-bio page, with a free plan to start and paid plans from $20 a month.
Why it's on the list
Metricool auto-publishes Instagram posts, carousels, Reels and Stories for business and creator accounts and suggests the best times to post. Its analytics cover profiles, posts, Reels and Stories, with unlimited history on paid plans, and you can follow up to 100 competitor profiles. The free plan covers 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, 5 competitors and 30 days of analytics, and Starter costs from $20 per month billed yearly, or $25 month to month, excluding VAT. Paid plans add Flows, which send a DM when someone comments or replies to a Story, and a link-in-bio page. It holds 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from about 100 reviews, with ease of use, the calendar and value praised most.
Pros
- Free plan with scheduling, analytics and 5 competitors
- Auto-publishes posts, carousels, Reels and Stories
- Up to 100 competitor profiles and unlimited analytics history on paid plans
- Comment-to-DM automations and link in bio on paid plans
Cons
- The free plan allows 20 scheduled posts a month and 30 days of analytics
- First comments can only be scheduled on feed posts
- G2 reviewers mention renewal billing, slow support and account disconnections
Who it's for
Small businesses, freelancers and agencies that want most Instagram growth tools in one place on a small budget.
Who should skip it
Large social teams that need approval chains, listening and enterprise reporting. Sprout Social or Hootsuite fit better.
More about Metricool: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for brands that plan a visual Instagram grid and also work with creators
2. Later
Marketing- Starting price
- $18.75 USD per month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best visual planner. Later started as an Instagram scheduler and still leads with a drag-and-drop calendar and Link in Bio, and it adds influencer marketing for brands that work with creators.
Why it's on the list
Later's calendar holds posts, Reels, Stories and carousels and auto-publishes them to Instagram, or sends a phone notification so you can add music or stickers in the app. Link in Bio turns the profile link into a small landing page where each post points to a product or article, with click tracking. Starter costs $18.75 per month billed yearly for 1 social set, 1 user, 30 posts per profile a month and 3 months of analytics, and every plan has a 14-day free trial. Competitive benchmarking needs the Scale plan at $82.50 per month billed yearly. Later Social holds 4.5 out of 5 on G2 from more than 340 reviews, with ease of use and the visual calendar praised most.
Pros
- Drag-and-drop calendar for posts, Reels, Stories and carousels
- Link in Bio with click tracking
- Influencer marketing software for creator campaigns
- 14-day free trial on every plan
Cons
- No free plan
- Starter allows 30 posts per profile a month and 3 months of analytics
- G2 reviewers find analytics limited on the lower plans
Who it's for
Consumer brands, agencies and marketing teams whose audience is on Instagram and TikTok and who plan content visually.
Who should skip it
Teams on a tight budget that need competitor tracking. Metricool includes it on lower plans.
More about Later: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for businesses that post only to Instagram and Facebook and want a free tool
3. Meta Business Suite
Marketing- Starting price
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best free option. Meta's own tool schedules Instagram and Facebook posts and stories, collects DMs and comments in one inbox and shows insights, at no cost.
Why it's on the list
Meta Business Suite is free and comes from the company that runs Instagram. Its planner schedules posts and stories to Instagram, Facebook or both, its inbox collects Instagram DMs and comments with Facebook and WhatsApp Business messages, and you can set automated responses for common questions. Insights show how content performs and who your audience is, and the same tools work in a mobile app. It does not manage other networks or track competitors, which keeps it below the paid tools. The Facebook Business Suite listing on Capterra holds 4.3 out of 5 from 194 reviews, where having one dashboard and one inbox for free is praised most.
Pros
- Free, with no subscription
- Schedules Instagram posts and stories, alone or with Facebook
- One inbox for Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp Business
- Automated responses for common questions
Cons
- Only covers Meta's own apps
- No competitor tracking and lighter analytics than paid tools
- Capterra reviewers mention slow loading and features that change after updates
Who it's for
Small businesses that are active mainly on Instagram and Facebook and want to schedule and reply without paying.
Who should skip it
Teams that also post to LinkedIn, TikTok or YouTube, or want competitor benchmarks. Use a third-party tool.
More about Meta Business Suite: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for brands that want detailed Instagram analytics at a low price
4. Iconosquare
Marketing- Starting price
- $10 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The analytics specialist. Iconosquare grew out of Instagram analytics and still reports on posts, Reels and Stories in more depth than most schedulers, from $10 per month.
Why it's on the list
Iconosquare reports on posts, Reels and Stories, follower growth and engagement, with custom dashboards and exports. Its best-time-to-post charts show when followers are online, including a Stories view by reach, impressions or completion rate. It also schedules posts, Reels, Stories and carousels with a first comment, and Scale adds competitor, hashtag and trend monitoring. Starter costs from $10 per month billed yearly for 3 profiles, and after a 14-day trial without a card you can stay on a free plan with 2 profiles and 10 posts per profile a month. It holds about 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from around 135 reviews, with the interface and reports praised most.
Pros
- Detailed analytics for posts, Reels and Stories
- Best time to post, including for Stories
- Low entry price and a free plan after the trial
- 14-day trial without a credit card
Cons
- Competitor and hashtag monitoring need Scale, from $79 per month billed yearly
- The inbox starts on Launch, not Starter
- G2 reviewers mention auto-posting limits and occasional glitches
Who it's for
Marketers and agencies who report on Instagram performance and want to know what to post and when.
Who should skip it
Teams that need a full social inbox and approvals on a low plan. Metricool or Sprout Social cover more.
More about Iconosquare: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for larger marketing teams that need reporting, a shared inbox and competitor insights
5. Sprout Social
Marketing- Starting price
- $79 per seat per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The most complete option for teams, with strong reporting, a shared inbox and competitor reports, but priced per seat at a level small businesses will find high.
Why it's on the list
Sprout Social publishes Instagram posts, videos, Reels and carousels of up to 10 images, schedules Stories and a first comment, and recommends posting times based on when your audience is active. Its Smart Inbox gathers messages and comments for a team to answer, tag and assign, from the Standard plan. The Instagram competitor report compares follower growth and engagement with other business profiles, from the Professional plan. Essentials costs $79 per seat per month billed yearly, or $99 month to month, and there is a 30-day free trial without a card. It holds 4.4 out of 5 on G2 from more than 6,900 reviews, with ease of use, scheduling and support praised most.
Pros
- Recommended posting times and a scheduled first comment
- Shared inbox with tagging and assignment from Standard
- Instagram competitor report from Professional
- 30-day free trial without a credit card
Cons
- Priced per seat, from $79 per seat per month billed yearly
- Competitor insights need Professional at $299 per seat per month billed yearly
- Stories with stickers must be finished in the Instagram app
Who it's for
Mid-size and larger marketing teams and agencies that manage Instagram alongside other networks and report to management.
Who should skip it
Small businesses and solo marketers. Metricool or Iconosquare cost far less.
More about Sprout Social: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for small businesses that want the simplest scheduler
6. Buffer
Marketing- Starting price
- $5 per channel per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The simplest way to keep posting on schedule. It is cheap and easy, with a free plan, but has less Instagram analytics depth than the tools above it.
Why it's on the list
Buffer schedules Instagram posts from one queue and calendar alongside Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads and other networks. Essentials adds unlimited scheduled posts, advanced analytics, a hashtag manager and first comment scheduling, and every plan includes a link-in-bio page and a community inbox for comments. The free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, and Essentials costs $5 per channel per month billed yearly, or $6 month to month, with a 14-day free trial. It holds 4.3 out of 5 on G2 from 1,042 reviews, with its simple design and easy scheduling praised most.
Pros
- Free plan and a low price per channel
- Hashtag manager and first comment scheduling on Essentials
- Link-in-bio page and comment inbox on every plan
Cons
- The link-in-bio page counts as a paid channel
- No competitor tracking
- G2 reviewers say larger teams can outgrow its analytics
Who it's for
Small businesses, creators and lean marketing teams that want to post consistently with little setup.
Who should skip it
Teams that grow through data and benchmarks. Metricool or Iconosquare report in more depth.
More about Buffer: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for social teams that manage many accounts and want monitoring included
7. Hootsuite
Marketing- Starting price
- $99 per user per month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A long-standing platform for teams, with best times to post, competitor comparisons and brand monitoring on every plan, but it is the most expensive tool here for one user.
Why it's on the list
Hootsuite schedules posts to Instagram and other networks from one calendar, with best times to post, bulk scheduling and AI content creation. Its inbox collects comments and messages, and its reports compare your performance with competitors. Brand and competitor monitoring is included on every plan. Standard costs $99 per user per month billed annually for up to 10 social accounts, and paid plans have a 14-day free trial with posting limits. It holds 4.3 out of 5 on G2 from more than 7,500 reviews, with scheduling across networks praised most and price the most common complaint.
Pros
- Best times to post and competitor comparisons
- Brand and competitor monitoring on every plan
- One inbox for comments and messages
Cons
- No free plan, and $99 per user per month on the first plan
- G2 reviewers mention failed posts and fewer features on lower plans than before
- The free trial limits how many posts you can schedule
Who it's for
Marketing teams that run several brands or regions and want publishing and monitoring in one tool.
Who should skip it
Small businesses with one Instagram account. Metricool, Later or Buffer do the job for a fraction of the price.
More about Hootsuite: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for accounts that get many comments and DMs and want to turn them into leads
8. Manychat
Marketing- Starting price
- $14 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best tool for Instagram DM automation. It replies to comments and Story mentions with a private message, so engagement turns into conversations, leads and sales.
Why it's on the list
Manychat sends a DM when someone comments on a post or Reel, either on any comment or on a keyword you choose, and it can also react to Story replies, Story mentions and DM keywords. A visual flow builder adds multi-step conversations, tags, sequences and A/B tests, and you can take over a chat by hand. Manychat says it works through Instagram's official API. The free plan covers 25 active contacts a month, and Essential costs $14 per month billed yearly, or $17 month to month, for 250 contacts, with a 14-day free trial. It holds 4.5 out of 5 on G2 from about 165 reviews, with ease of use and automation praised most.
Pros
- Comment-to-DM on any comment or a keyword
- Story reply, Story mention and DM keyword triggers
- Visual flow builder with tags, sequences and A/B tests
- Free plan and a 14-day trial on Essential and Pro
Cons
- Price rises with the number of active contacts
- The free plan covers only 25 active contacts a month
- G2 reviewers mention restrictive features and support
Who it's for
Brands and creators who run giveaways, lead magnets or product drops and get more comments than they can answer.
Who should skip it
Accounts with low comment volume. Metricool's Flows or Linktree's auto-replies may be enough.
More about Manychat: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for creating Instagram posts and Stories without a designer
9. Canva
Marketing- Starting price
- $18 per month for one person
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The easiest way to make on-brand Instagram graphics and Stories. It does not grow an account by itself, but it removes the design bottleneck that stops many teams from posting often.
Why it's on the list
Canva gives you templates and stock photos, videos and graphics for posts and Stories, with Brand Kits that keep logos, colours and fonts consistent. On Pro, Magic Resize turns one design into other formats, for example a LinkedIn post into an Instagram Story, and Pro also adds social content scheduling. The free plan includes 1.6 million templates and 5GB of storage, and Pro costs $18 per month or $144 a year for one person. It holds 4.7 out of 5 on G2 from more than 7,800 reviews, with ease of use and the choice of templates praised most.
Pros
- Large template library for posts and Stories
- Brand Kits keep designs consistent
- Free plan, with resizing and scheduling on Pro
Cons
- Pro is for one person; teams need Business
- G2 reviewers mention limits for advanced design work
Who it's for
Marketers and small teams who create their own Instagram content.
Who should skip it
Teams with a designer and a full design tool. Canva adds little for them.
More about Canva: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for sending Instagram followers to several pages from one bio link
10. Linktree
Marketing- Starting price
- $7 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The best-known link-in-bio tool. It turns the one link Instagram allows in a bio into a page of links, with click analytics and Instagram auto-replies.
Why it's on the list
Linktree puts a customisable page behind one short link, with links to your site, offers, videos and booking pages, plus email and phone sign-ups. It can also send a DM with a link when someone comments on a chosen post or Reel, up to 1,000 DMs a month on the free plan. Paid plans add analytics, from basic on Starter to all-time history and data export on Premium. Starter costs $7 per month billed yearly, or $9 month to month. It holds 4.6 out of 5 on G2 from about 96 reviews, with ease of use praised most.
Pros
- Free plan with unlimited basic links and email sign-ups
- Instagram auto-reply DMs on comments, also on the free plan
- Low price for paid plans
Cons
- Several schedulers on this list include a link-in-bio page already
- G2 reviewers mention features behind paywalls and shallow analytics on lower plans
Who it's for
Brands and small businesses that want to send Instagram traffic to more than one page.
Who should skip it
Users of Later, Metricool, Buffer or Sprout Social, which include a bio link page.
More about Linktree: pricing, features and alternatives
Also considered
- Brand24: A media monitoring tool that tracks mentions and hashtags across social media, news, blogs and forums. It suits PR and brand teams more than account growth, and its plans start at $199 per month billed yearly.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best free IG tools?
Meta Business Suite is free and schedules Instagram posts and stories, with an inbox and insights. Metricool, Buffer and Canva have free plans, and Iconosquare moves you to a free plan after its 14-day trial. Linktree's free plan includes a bio link page and up to 1,000 auto-reply DMs a month.
Can you schedule Instagram Reels and Stories?
Yes. Metricool, Later, Iconosquare and Sprout Social schedule posts, carousels, Reels and Stories, and Meta Business Suite schedules posts and stories. Sprout Social says Stories with stickers must be finished in the Instagram app, and Later can send a phone notification so you add music or stickers yourself.
Which tool shows the best time to post on Instagram?
Metricool, Iconosquare, Sprout Social and Hootsuite all suggest posting times based on when your audience is active. Iconosquare also shows the best time for Stories, measured by reach, impressions or completion rate.
How can I send a DM when someone comments on my post?
Use a comment-to-DM tool. Manychat and Linktree reply with a DM on any comment or on a keyword you set, and Metricool's Flows do the same on paid plans. Manychat adds multi-step conversations and tags if you want to qualify leads.
Do I need a business or creator account?
Yes, for most of these tools. Metricool, for example, auto-publishes for Instagram business and creator accounts, and Linktree's auto-replies work only for public accounts. Check each tool's help pages before you switch.
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