The short answer: the right AI social media tool depends on what you want help with. Buffer and Metricool have free plans for simple scheduling with an AI assistant. Canva handles AI design. Later is visual and Instagram-led. Ocoya and Predis.ai focus on AI-generated posts. Hootsuite suits larger teams that need an inbox and listening tools. If you'd rather not do it yourself, a done-for-you service is another option. That includes our own product, BizBoost, which we disclose below.
We checked every tool's own pricing page on 29 October 2026. Where we couldn't confirm a price on the day (Canva), we've left the price out and linked to the page instead. Prices change often, so always check the link before you buy.
How we chose these tools
We didn't rank them by "best", because the best tool for a café isn't the best one for a 20-person agency. Instead we included tools that:
- Exist today and publish their prices on their own website
- Include AI features for writing, design or analysis
- Are usable by a UK small business without a sales call
We weren't paid to include any tool, and there are no affiliate links in this post. We've described each one fairly from its own published information.
Quick comparison (prices as published, 29 October 2026)
| Tool | Free option | Starting paid price (as listed) | What the AI helps with | Often suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Yes, free plan | $5/month per channel, billed yearly (Essentials) | Writing and repurposing posts, reply suggestions | Sole traders posting to a few accounts |
| Canva | Yes, Canva Free | Pro and Business plans (see Canva's UK pricing page) | Design, images, resizing, text | Businesses without a designer |
| Hootsuite | 14-day trial, no card needed | From $99/user/month, billed annually (Standard) | Drafting posts and images, recommendations, analysis | Teams needing an inbox and monitoring |
| Later | 14-day trial | Starter $18.75/month, billed yearly | Captions and content ideas (AI credits) | Visual, Instagram-led brands |
| Metricool | Yes, free plan | Starter from €16/month (annual) or €20/month (monthly) | AI social media assistant | Owners who want analytics |
| Ocoya | 7-day trial | Starter $29/month + VAT where applicable | AI content creation with credits | Small brands that want AI-made posts |
| Predis.ai | 3-day trial (card needed) | Core $19/month, billed yearly | AI posts, videos, carousels, captions | Brands wanting AI-generated creatives |
| Publer | Yes, free plan | Priced by number of accounts (see page) | OpenAI integration; unlimited AI prompts on paid plans | Very small businesses testing scheduling |
USD and EUR prices are shown as the providers list them. VAT or local taxes may be added at checkout.
Buffer
What it is: a simple scheduling tool with an AI Assistant built into the post composer.
AI features: Buffer's AI Assistant helps you "refine and repurpose your content", and its AI replies "learn your voice". The free plan includes 5 AI reply suggestions a week, and paid plans have unlimited suggestions.
Price: a Free plan with 10 scheduled posts per channel and a three-channel limit. Essentials is $5/month per channel billed yearly, and Team is $10/month per channel billed yearly. Buffer applies UK VAT for consumer customers, and businesses may be able to exclude it with a VAT number. There's a 14-day free trial on paid plans.
Worth knowing: you pay per channel, so costs rise as you add accounts. Buffer offers 50% off for non-profits.
Source: buffer.com/pricing
Canva
What it is: a design tool with a large template library and AI features, plus social content scheduling on Pro.
AI features: Canva lists an AI allowance on every plan, including the free one. Pro adds "10x more AI than Canva Free", premium tools such as Background Remover and Magic Resize, and social content scheduling.
Price: Canva Free is £0. Canva shows its paid plan prices (Pro and Business) on its UK pricing page. We couldn't confirm the current figure on 29 October 2026, so we haven't quoted one here. Check the link below.
Worth knowing: Canva is strongest for visuals. Many owners pair it with a scheduler, and Buffer, Later and Publer all list Canva integrations.
Source: canva.com/en_gb/pricing
Hootsuite
What it is: a social media management platform for teams, with publishing, an inbox, analytics and listening.
AI features: Hootsuite says every plan runs on Wisdom, its AI assistant, which "drafts, recommends, and analyzes". The Standard plan includes generating posts and images with AI.
Price: paid plans start at $99 for Standard, $199 for Professional and $399 for Advanced (per user per month, based on annual billing, taxes extra). Standard covers up to 10 social accounts. There's a 14-day free trial with no credit card needed.
Worth knowing: it has more features than most sole traders need, but it's useful for growing teams that handle a lot of messages.
Source: hootsuite.com/plans
Later
What it is: a visual planner and scheduler, popular for Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, with Link in Bio.
AI features: AI credits power Later's Caption Writer and Ideas tools. One credit generates 1 caption or 3 ideas. Starter includes 5 AI credits a month, and Growth includes 50.
Price: Starter is $18.75 USD/month and Growth is $37.50 USD/month, both billed yearly, with taxes extra. There's a 14-day free trial.
Worth knowing: Starter allows up to 30 posts per profile per month and 1 user, and extra AI credits aren't available on Starter.
Source: later.com/pricing
Metricool
What it is: a planner and analytics tool that covers many platforms, including Google Business Profile.
AI features: an AI social media assistant is included even on the free plan.
Price: a Free plan (1 brand, up to 20 scheduled posts a month, 30 days of analytics; LinkedIn and X/Twitter aren't included on the free plan). Starter is from €16/month billed annually, or €20/month billed monthly.
Worth knowing: each Metricool "brand" covers one location, so multi-site businesses need more than one brand.
Source: metricool.com/pricing
Ocoya
What it is: an AI-first tool for creating and scheduling social posts.
AI features: content generation runs on monthly credits. Starter includes 300.
Price: Starter is $29/month billed monthly, plus VAT where applicable, for 1 user and 5 social profiles. Team is $79/month. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
Source: ocoya.com/pricing
Predis.ai
What it is: an AI tool that makes social posts, ads, carousels and short videos, then schedules them.
AI features: it generates posts and videos in your brand style, writes captions and hashtags, and analyses competitors.
Price: Core is $19/month billed yearly ($230 a year) with 1,300 credits a month. Rise is $40/month billed yearly. Prices are in USD plus taxes.
Worth knowing: the 3-day free trial takes a card and charges it when day 3 ends, so cancel before then if it isn't for you. Payments after the trial aren't refundable.
Source: predis.ai/pricing
Publer
What it is: a scheduler with a built-in photo editor, a Canva integration and an OpenAI integration for AI prompts (unlimited AI prompts on paid plans).
Price: a Free plan covers 1 user, 3 social accounts (not X/Twitter) and 10 scheduled posts per account. Paid plans are priced by how many accounts you connect, so use the calculator on its pricing page. VAT isn't included, and Publer offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Source: publer.com/pricing
Do it yourself or have it done for you?
All the tools above make posting faster, but you still choose what to post, take the photos, check the captions and reply to people. That suits some owners well.
If you don't have the time, the other route is a done-for-you service: an agency, a freelancer, or an AI-powered service.
BizBoost (our own product)
Disclosure: BizBoost is made by us, the publishers of this blog. We've kept it out of the comparison table so the table stays neutral.
BizBoost AI is a done-for-you AI marketing app for UK local businesses. It's in pre-launch and not on general sale yet. Today it can turn your photos into ready-to-approve social media posts, with a built-in photo editor and deal badges such as "Only £9.99". We're also building AI drafts for blog posts, review replies and a weekly report of what was done. Those are still in development, so we don't describe them as finished. BizBoost can't guarantee more customers, followers or rankings, because nobody honestly can. Prices will be published when it launches. If you'd like to hear when it opens, join early access.
How to choose: four quick questions
- Do you want to do the posting yourself? If yes, a scheduler such as Buffer, Metricool, Later or Publer. If no, a done-for-you service. Our step-by-step campaign guide shows what the work involves either way.
- Is design your weak spot? Add Canva, or pick a tool with AI images such as Predis.ai or Hootsuite.
- How many accounts and people? Per-channel or per-user pricing adds up, so count your accounts before you compare prices.
- Will you use the free trial properly? Book 30 minutes in your diary to test it with your real photos and posts.
A note on AI and your data
Before you connect your business accounts, read each tool's privacy policy and terms. Check where data is stored and whether your content is used to train AI models. Policies change, so check them when you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI tool for social media?
There isn't one best tool for everyone. For simple, low-cost scheduling with AI help, Buffer and Metricool both have free plans. For design, Canva. For larger teams with lots of messages, Hootsuite. Choose based on the job you want done.
Is there a free AI social media tool?
Yes. Buffer, Metricool and Publer all list free plans, and Canva Free includes an AI allowance. Free plans have limits, such as the number of scheduled posts or accounts.
Can AI post to social media for me automatically?
Most schedulers can publish automatically to supported accounts such as Facebook Pages and Instagram business accounts, after you connect them. Some platforms or account types only support reminder notifications. Check each tool's list of supported channels.
Are these prices in pounds?
Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, Ocoya and Predis.ai list prices in US dollars. Metricool lists euros (and US dollars). Canva shows UK prices on its UK pricing page. Your bank may charge a currency fee, and VAT may be added.
Will an AI tool get me more followers or customers?
No tool can guarantee that. AI tools help you post more often and more clearly. Results depend on your content, your offer and your audience.
How often are prices in this article updated?
We checked every price on 29 October 2026 (except Canva's, which we've left out) and plan to re-check them every quarter. Always confirm on the provider's pricing page before you buy.
This post is general information, written to be accurate as of 29 October 2026. Prices, platforms and rules change, so check the official sources linked above. Examples are illustrations, not real businesses or results. BizBoost AI is our own product. Nobody, including BizBoost AI, can guarantee rankings, followers, leads or sales.
Want BizBoost AI to help when it opens?
BizBoost AI is our own product and is in pre-launch. Today it turns your photos into ready-to-approve social posts with a photo editor and deal badges. More features are still being built. Join early access and we'll tell you when sign-ups open. No guarantees, no jargon.
Join early access