7 best social media management tools in 2026

Social media management is an incredibly time-consuming job. Strategizing, creating content, reviewing amends, making edits, replying to comments, tracking performance—it’s a huge amount of work and that’s just for one account. What about brands with three or more to manage?

For them, finding the right tool to make light-work of multi-account management, team collaboration, and performance tracking is essential. It’s the difference between social media calm and chaos. Between a streamlined workflow and data-driven content, and constantly chasing your tail, being more reactive than proactive. 

So we know the benefits of using a social media management tool. But with so many available, how do you choose the right one? 

If you wonder what are the best social media management tools​, let’s take a look at 7 of the best social media management tools in 2026.

What is the best social media management tool?

1. Iconosquare: Ideal for agencies and brands managing multiple accounts, Iconosquare offers advanced analytics, flexible scheduling, competitor benchmarking, and customizable reporting.
2. Hootsuite: Suitable for large teams, Hootsuite provides bulk scheduling, team collaboration features, and ad management tools across various platforms.
3. Buffer: A budget-friendly option for solopreneurs and startups, Buffer offers an easy-to-use scheduling tool with AI-assisted post generation and basic analytics.
4. Later: Focused on visual planning, Later is great for Instagram-first brands, offering a visual planner, automatic scheduling, and a link-in-bio tool.
5. Sendible: Designed for agencies, Sendible provides white-label reports, client collaboration tools, and integrations with Canva and Google Analytics.
6. Sprout Social: Best for customer engagement, Sprout Social features a smart inbox, social listening tools, and CRM integrations for tracking customer interactions.
7. NapoleonCat: Ideal for brands with high customer interaction, NapoleonCat offers automated comment moderation, a social inbox, and performance tracking.

The best social media management tools at a glance

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Best social media management tool for multiple accounts

Iconosquare

Iconosquare is an easy-to-use social media management tool that provides a suite of features for growing brands. These include advanced analytics, flexible social media scheduling, competitor benchmarking, and customizable reporting.

Making light work of social media management, it’s perfect for brands, digital marketing agencies, and businesses that require more than basic scheduling and analytics. Particularly if you’re managing three or more social media accounts.

Iconosquare key features

• Advanced analytics for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X (Twitter), Threads, and YouTube
• Competitor tracking to benchmark against industry leaders
• Custom dashboards to create tailored, presentation-ready reports
• Automated reporting with scheduled PDF exports
• Social listening for hashtag and industry tracking‍
• Post scheduling with a shared calendar for easy collaboration

Iconosquare is best for

Brands and businesses that have 3+ social media accounts to manage and require deeper performance insights all in one place.

Why Iconosquare stands out

Unlike some competitors, Iconosquare takes the headache out of reporting with automated, customized and presentation-ready reports. This makes it easy to track the metrics that matter most.

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Best social media management tool for large teams and ad management

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular choice for businesses handling multiple social accounts. It offers bulk scheduling, team collaboration, and ad management features.

Hootsuite key features

• Manage and schedule posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter)
• Social inbox for monitoring messages and mentions in one place
• Ad management tools for running paid social campaigns
• Team collaboration features with user roles and approvals

Hootsuite is best for

Large teams and enterprises that need an all-in-one tool for managing content, ads, and customer engagement.

Why Hootsuite stands out

Its built-in ad management tools make it a solid choice for brands running paid campaigns alongside organic content.

Best social media management tool for solopreneurs and startups on a budget

Buffer

Buffer is a simple, no-frills social media management platform perfect for brands who need an affordable scheduling solution.

Buffer key features

• Easy-to-use scheduling tool with a clean interface
• AI-assisted post generation to create captions fast
• Analytics to track engagement and performance
• Free plan available for small users

Buffer is best for

Small brands, businesses, and content creators looking for a budget-friendly way to manage their social media.

Why Buffer stands out

Buffer’s simplicity and affordability make it an excellent entry-level tool for brands that don’t need advanced features.

Best social media management tool for customer engagement

Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a powerful tool for customer service and engagement, offering a smart inbox that consolidates messages from all social platforms.

Sprout Social key features

• Smart inbox to manage DMs, mentions, and comments in one place
• Social listening for brand monitoring
• CRM integrations for tracking customer interactions
• Collaboration tools for large teams

Sprout Social is best for

Brands that prioritize customer engagement and reputation management.

Why Sprout Social stands out

Sprout Social’s CRM-like features make it ideal for brands that handle high volumes of customer inquiries.

Best social media management tool for visual planning

Later

Later is an Instagram-focused scheduling tool that makes it easy to plan and preview your feed before posting.

Later key features

• Visual planner to see how posts will look before publishing
• Auto-scheduling for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest
• Link in bio tool for driving traffic from Instagram
• Best time to post suggestions

Later is best for

E-commerce brands, influencers, and businesses that focus heavily on Instagram and TikTok.

Why Later stands out

Later’s drag-and-drop visual planner makes it easy to curate a cohesive Instagram feed.

Best social media management tool for large agencies

Sendible

Sendible is designed with agencies in mind, offering white-label reports and client collaboration tools.

Sendible key features

• Custom-branded reports for agencies
• Client approval workflows
• Content calendar and bulk scheduling
• Integrations with Canva and Google Analytics

Sendible is best for

Social media agencies managing multiple client accounts.

Why Sendible stands out

Unlike most tools, Sendible offers white-label reports, making it easy to present analytics to clients with your own branding.

Best social media management tool for customer service

NapoleonCat

NapoleonCat is a newer player in the social media management space but offers standout automation features for brands that get a high volume of social messages.

NapoleonCat key features

• Automated comment moderation
• Social inbox for managing customer interactions
• Performance tracking and reporting
• Post scheduling and publishing

NapoleonCat is best for

Brands with a high volume of customer inquiries and engagement on social media.

Why NapoleonCat stands out

NapoleonCat’s auto-moderation tools help businesses save time by filtering spam, auto-responding to FAQs, and keeping social interactions efficient.

How to choose the right social media management tool?

With so many options available, how do you pick the right one? Let’s take a look at some factors to consider before choosing your tool for managing social media:

• ‍Your size and needs: Are you a small business or a brand (or agency) with multiple accounts to manage? Choose a tool that matches your workflow.‍
• Breadth of analytics available: If you want detailed insights and competitor tracking, Iconosquare is your best bet. If you just need basic reporting, Buffer or Later might work.‍
• Budget: Some tools (like Hootsuite and Sprout Social) can get expensive. Iconosquare, Buffer, and Later offer more budget-friendly plans.‍
• Channels: Make sure the platform supports the social channels you use the most (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest).‍
• Collaboration and reporting: If you require more collaboration, tools like Iconosquare, Sendible, and Sprout Social offer more team-friendly features.

Choosing the right social media management tool depends on your specific needs. If you’re looking for a solution that offers everything you need in one tool, Iconosquare is the ideal solution. If you’re looking for specific features or a simpler scheduling tool, check out some of the other options above. 

Whatever your goals, investing in the right tool can save time, improve engagement, and help you grow your brand more efficiently.

Ready to take your social media strategy to the next level? Start your 14-day free trial today.