Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms for individuals and businesses to connect with their audience and promote their brand. With over 1 billion monthly active users, having a presence on Instagram is almost a necessity in today‘s digital world.
However, constantly creating and posting high-quality content can be extremely time-consuming. This is where Instagram scheduling tools come in handy. These tools allow you to plan, organize and schedule Instagram posts and stories in advance so you don‘t have to manually post content every day.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the 16 best free Instagram scheduler tools in 2024 based on features, reliability, ease of use and value for money. Whether you‘re an influencer, small business or marketer, these tools will help streamline your Instagram strategy.
1. Flick
Flick is an excellent free Instagram scheduler with powerful analytics features. It provides detailed insights into your followers, engagement levels, best posting times and popular hashtags.
You can easily schedule an unlimited number of posts and stories, preview how your grid will look before publishing and manage multiple Instagram accounts from one dashboard. Flick also offers an intuitive drag and drop calendar so you can plan your content far in advance.
The free plan allows you to connect 1 Instagram account, schedule 100 posts per month and access basic analytics. Flick is perfect for solopreneurs and small businesses looking for an advanced yet user-friendly Instagram scheduler.
2. Circleboom
Circleboom makes Instagram scheduling incredibly simple through their easy-to-use web interface and mobile apps. You can draft, preview and schedule unlimited posts and stories for free.
It also lets you automatically repost old posts, schedule content around specific events and hashtags, and provides analytics on your followers and engagement. The handy content library helps you organize and store posts for reusing later.
For teams, Circleboom enables easy collaboration through shared calendars, assigning tasks and advanced user permissions. The free plan is ideal for individuals and startups who want a fuss-free scheduler.
3. SocialPilot
SocialPilot is loaded with features to optimize your entire Instagram marketing strategy. Along with scheduling posts and stories, it provides in-depth analytics, competitor tracking, automatic reporting and team collaboration tools.
The AI-powered smart calendar lets you schedule content for optimal engagement based on your audience‘s activity patterns. You also get access to a massive library of copyright-free images and videos.
While the free plan only allows 1 connected account, it is still quite generous with 100 scheduled posts per month. SocialPilot is perfect for social media managers who need advanced analytics.
4. Combin
Combin makes Instagram scheduling incredibly easy with their Chrome extension. You can simply drag and drop posts to your Combin calendar and schedule them for the best times.
The free plan provides basic scheduling features for one Instagram account including bulk upload, post preview and editing tools. Combin also lets you easily manage hashtags, tag users and locations and add links in bio.
For solo creators and small business owners who need a simple yet effective scheduling solution, Combin is a great free option.
5. Semrush
Semrush offers a robust social media marketing platform with Instagram scheduling built-in. You can plan and preview content, collaborate with your team, schedule posts and stories and manage multiple accounts.
It also provides powerful analytics on your followers, engagement, competitor activity and popular hashtags and content in your niche. Semrush even lets you create personalized reports to share with clients and stakeholders.
While the free plan only includes 5 scheduled posts per month, it is an excellent option for solopreneurs and startups to get started with. Semrush is ideal for data-driven social media marketers.
6. Tailwind
Tailwind makes Instagram scheduling incredibly easy with its intuitive visual calendar. You can easily plan and preview your Instagram grid, schedule posts and stories, and manage captions, hashtags and filters.
It also provides suggestions for the best posting times based on when your followers are most active. Tailwind‘s built-in image editor allows you to resize images, add text overlays, filters and more.
The free plan allows you to connect 1 Instagram account, schedule 100 posts per month and access basic analytics. Tailwind is perfect for busy entrepreneurs and marketers who need a user-friendly scheduler.
7. Sked Social
Sked Social is a featured-packed Instagram scheduler and marketing platform. Along with easy scheduling and caption management, it provides team workflow features like assigning tasks and managing approvals.
The post calendar allows you to plan your Instagram grid visually for a consistent feed. It also lets you schedule Stories ads and shoppable posts, integrate with other tools like Shopify and Mailchimp, and manage multi-user accounts with ease.
While the free plan only allows you to schedule 10 posts per month, it is still a great option for solopreneurs to try out Sked Social. It is ideal for social media managers handling multiple accounts and workflows.
8. Onlypult
Onlypult makes Instagram scheduling and analytics incredibly easy. Its user-friendly interface allows you to batch upload content, schedule posts and stories, and analyze performance.
It provides detailed analytics on your followers, engagement rates, competitor activity and popular hashtags. Onlypult also lets you manage Instagram messaging and comments right from your desktop.
The free plan works for one Instagram account with 100 scheduled posts per month. Onlypult is ideal for individuals and startups who need easy scheduling and analytics in one platform.
9. Later
Later is one of the most popular free Instagram schedulers with a beautifully designed interface. You can visually plan your Instagram feed, schedule an unlimited number of posts and stories, and manage captions and hashtags easily.
It also provides powerful analytics including audience insights, engagement metrics, best times to post and Instagram trend reports tailored to your niche. Later even lets you collaborate with your team and respond to Instagram comments and DMs.
The free plan works for one Instagram account and includes basic analytics. With its intuitive design and array of features, Later is perfect for visual social media planners.
10. Buffer
Buffer is an easy-to-use Instagram scheduler that lets you collaborate with your team, customize publishing, track performance and more. It provides an analytics dashboard to monitor your growth and engagement.
You can easily schedule posts and stories in advance, edit visual media, manage captions and hashtags, and queue content to be sent regularly. Buffer even lets you respond to comments and DMs from the same dashboard.
The free plan allows 1 connected account, 10 scheduled posts and basic analytics. With its simple social media management options, Buffer is great for solopreneurs.
11. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a hugely popular social media marketing platform supporting Instagram scheduling. It allows bulk uploading of content, auto-scheduling based on previous performance, team member assignments and more.
You get access to an Instagram content library, video creator, and image editor. It also provides detailed analytics on audience demographics, engagement, and competitor benchmarks. Additional features like social listening, ad management, and chat boxes make Hootsuite extremely powerful.
The free plan supports 1 Instagram account with basic scheduling and analytics. Hootsuite is perfect for social media managers handling multiple brand accounts and large volumes of content.
12. Sendible
Sendible stands out for its Post Approval feature that adds an extra layer of security to your scheduled Instagram activity. You can collaborate with your team and approve scheduled posts before they are published.
It also provides comprehensive analytics encompassing audience demographics, engagement metrics, optimal posting times, competitor analysis and an Instagram audit report. The content library and image editor make creating content easier.
While the free plan only allows 5 scheduled posts per month, it provides a great way for startups to test Sendible‘s platform. It is ideal for brand managers who need robust analytics and oversight.
13. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a popular social media management platform with powerful Instagram scheduling and analytics. You can easily schedule and preview Instagram posts and stories, manage captions and hashtags, and collaborate with your team.
It provides detailed analytics on audience demographics and engagement levels. The Smart Inbox feature lets you manage Instagram messages and comments efficiently. With robust reporting and tracking of branded hashtag performance, Sprout Social is ideal for large brands.
The free plan allows 1 user, 2 social profiles, basic analytics and scheduling. Sprout Social offers a highly useful free option for solopreneurs looking to expand their Instagram presence.
14. ViralTag
ViralTag makes Instagram marketing easy through bulk scheduling, process automation and in-depth analytics. You can schedule an unlimited number of posts and stories, automate recurring posts, and manage multiple accounts with ease.
It provides detailed audience insights and metrics on engagement rates, best posting times, competitor performance and more. Additional features like the image editor, content library and collaboration tools make ViralTag highly valuable.
While the free plan only allows 10 scheduled posts per month, it provides a great way for startups and solopreneurs to get started with ViralTag. It is especially useful for data-driven marketers.
15. Iconosquare
Iconosquare provides an intuitive Instagram analytics and scheduling platform for businesses. You can schedule posts and stories in advance, collaborate with your team, manage community engagement and track performance.
It offers detailed analytics on followers, content engagement, optimal posting times, audience demographics and branded hashtag metrics. The free plan supports 1 connected account and provides access to core scheduling and analytics features.
For boutique brand managers who need easy yet powerful Instagram analytics, Iconosquare‘s free version is worth exploring.
16. CoSchedule
CoSchedule is a user-friendly all-in-one tool for scheduling Instagram posts, managing workflows and tracking performance. You can easily plan, schedule and preview visual content, manage captions and collaborate with your team.
It provides detailed analytics on followers, engagements, competitor benchmarking and more. The calendar view makes planning your Instagram grid seamlessly.
While the free plan only supports 1 user and account, it unlocks core scheduling, analytics and calendar features. CoSchedule is great for solopreneurs and startups looking for an integrated solution.
Why Use a Free Instagram Scheduler Tool?
Here are some top benefits of using a free Instagram scheduling tool:
- Save time by planning and scheduling posts in advance
- Maintain a consistent publishing schedule
- Optimize timing by scheduling posts when your audience is most active
- Plan your Instagram grid and content calendar for a cohesive aesthetic
- Monitor performance with analytics and improve engagement
- Manage multiple accounts and collaborate with your team
- Automate recurring posts and streamline workflows
- Access user-friendly scheduling tools without paying anything
Is a Paid Tool Better than A Free One?
Paid Instagram scheduling tools offer some additional benefits over free options:
- More connected accounts and scheduled posts
- Wider range of advanced analytics and reporting
- Premium content libraries and image editing
- More customization options and automations
- Priority customer support
- More seamless team workflows and permissions
However, the free tools on this list provide ample scheduling and analytics features for most small businesses and solopreneurs. Only once you outgrow the limitations of free plans is it worthwhile to upgrade.
What’s the Most Important Thing to Look for In a Tool?
The most important factors to evaluate in an Instagram scheduling tool are:
- Reliability of scheduled posting
- User-friendly interface
- Visual calendar for planning
- Advanced scheduling options (bulk upload, recurring posts etc.)
- Detailed analytics and insights
- Photo editing and content library
- Ability to manage captions, hashtags, tagging
- Collaboration features and permissions
Prioritize tools that align with your primary scheduling needs rather than unnecessary extra features. Test out free trials before committing.
We reviewed over 15 popular free Instagram schedulers for this article based on the following criteria:
- Pricing – Availability of a free forever plan with basic features
- Scheduling abilities – Posting queue, bulk upload, post preview, timing optimization
- Analytics – Audience insights, performance tracking and competitor benchmarking
- User experience – Interface simplicity, mobile apps, visual calendar
- Features – Content libraries, image editing, permissions and collaboration
- Reliability – Consistent scheduled posting and active development
- Value – Generosity of free plans balanced with limitations
We also analyzed user reviews from leading software review platforms to narrow down the top recommended Instagram scheduling tools. The selections cater to varying needs – from solopreneurs to social media managers and marketers.
