Publer and SocialBee both target creators and small businesses, but they approach social media scheduling from very different angles. Publer leads with budget-friendly per-account pricing and broad platform support, while SocialBee emphasizes structured content workflows with category-based queues and evergreen recycling.
Budget-friendly scheduling tools that punch above their weight — but in different ways. Publer leads on platform coverage and bulk uploads; SocialBee leads on content recycling and category workflows. We compare them head-to-head so you can pick the right one. See all your options at social media scheduling alternatives.
Publer vs SocialBee at a Glance
Here's a quick side-by-side overview before we dive deeper:
| Category | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $12/mo (3 accounts) | $29/mo (5 profiles) |
| Free Plan | Yes (3 accounts, no X/Twitter) | No (14-day free trial) |
| Platforms Supported | 13+ | 10 |
| Unlimited Scheduling | Yes (paid plans) | Yes (all plans) |
| AI Tools | GPT-4 captions + DALL-E 3 images (Business) | AI Copilot + DALL-E 3 images (all plans) |
| AI Image Generation | Yes (Business plan) | Yes (all plans) |
| Bulk Scheduling | Up to 500 posts (CSV) | CSV import |
| Team Collaboration | Add members at $2/mo each | Pro plan ($99/mo, 3 users) |
| Approval Workflows | No | Yes (Pro plan) |
| Content Recycling | Spintax recycling (Business) | Evergreen category queues (all plans) |
| Analytics | Business plan only | All plans (history varies) |
| G2 Rating | 4.7/5 (486 reviews) | 4.8/5 (472 reviews) |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.8/5 (863 reviews) | 4.0/5 (43 reviews) |
| Best For | Budget-conscious creators, wide platform reach | Structured workflows, content recycling |
Publer Overview
Publer is a social media scheduling platform built around affordability and wide platform coverage. It supports 13+ platforms — one of the broadest selections in the market — and uses a per-account pricing model that starts very low but scales with each account you add.
Publer supports: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Google Business, WordPress, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Telegram.
Key features:
- Post scheduling with auto-schedule and queue management
- AI-powered captions (GPT-4) and AI image generation (DALL-E 3) on the Business plan
- Bulk scheduling up to 500 posts via CSV
- Content recycling with Spintax variation
- RSS feed automations
- Link in Bio for Instagram
- Hashtag suggestions and analytics (Business plan)
Publer is popular among solo creators and small businesses who want maximum platform reach at minimum cost. For a deeper look, see what users say about Publer on G2 and Trustpilot.
SocialBee Overview
SocialBee is a social media management tool focused on structured content workflows. Its standout feature is category-based scheduling — you organize posts into content categories (e.g., "Tips," "Promotions," "Blog Posts"), and SocialBee automatically cycles through them on a schedule.
SocialBee supports 10 platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business, Threads, and Bluesky.
Key features:
- Category-based scheduling with queue management
- Evergreen content recycling (posts automatically re-queue)
- AI Copilot for caption generation
- AI image generation (DALL-E 3)
- Canva integration for in-app design
- RSS feed imports and bulk CSV import
- Approval workflows (Pro plan)
- Best time to post suggestions
SocialBee is built for users who want a disciplined, automated content strategy where posts recycle and categories stay balanced without manual effort. Read real user reviews of SocialBee from G2 and Trustpilot.
Pricing Comparison
Pricing is where Publer and SocialBee differ most fundamentally. Publer uses per-account pricing that starts extremely low; SocialBee uses flat-rate plans with profile caps.
Publer Pricing
Publer charges based on the number of social accounts you connect. The base price includes 3 accounts, and each additional account adds to the cost. We break this down further in our Publer pricing guide.
| Plan | Price | Accounts | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 3 (no X/Twitter) | 10 posts/account, 24h history |
| Professional | $12/mo (3 accounts) | ~$4/account | Unlimited posts, RSS, bulk scheduling |
| Business | $21/mo (3 accounts) | ~$7/account | AI captions (GPT-4), AI images (DALL-E 3), analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom (annual) | Custom | Volume discounts, priority support |
Example costs:
- 5 accounts on Professional = $20/month
- 10 accounts on Business = $63/month
- 25 accounts on Business = $161/month
SocialBee Pricing
SocialBee uses flat monthly pricing with profile caps per plan. See the full SocialBee pricing breakdown for details.
| Plan | Price | Profiles | Users | Workspaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap | $29/mo | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Accelerate | $49/mo | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Pro | $99/mo | 25 | 3 | 5 |
Add-on costs:
- Extra 5 profiles: $15/month
- Extra user: $10/month
- Extra workspace: $10/month
Price Verdict
Publer is cheaper at small scale. Managing 5 accounts on Publer's Professional plan costs $20/month vs $29/month on SocialBee's Bootstrap. For 3 accounts with AI features, Publer Business costs $21/month vs SocialBee Bootstrap at $29/month.
However, the gap narrows at scale. At 10 accounts, Publer Business costs $63/month vs SocialBee Accelerate at $49/month — making SocialBee the better deal for users who need 10+ profiles. At 25 accounts, Publer Business runs $161/month vs SocialBee Pro at $99/month, where SocialBee is significantly cheaper and also includes 3 users and 5 workspaces.
The key trade-off: Publer's per-account model rewards small setups, but SocialBee's flat tiers reward growth.
Feature Comparison
Scheduling & Publishing
Both tools support unlimited post scheduling on paid plans, but their philosophies differ. Publer focuses on flexible scheduling with auto-schedule and queue management. SocialBee centers on category-based queues where content types rotate automatically.
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited scheduling | Yes (paid plans) | Yes (all plans) |
| Category-based scheduling | No | Yes |
| Evergreen content recycling | Spintax recycling (Business) | Yes (all plans) |
| Auto-schedule | Yes | Yes |
| Best time to post | Yes (Business plan) | Yes |
| First comment scheduling | Yes (Professional+) | No |
| Content calendar | Yes | Yes (no drag-and-drop) |
| Draft saving | Yes | Yes |
Winner: SocialBee — for users who want structured, automated content workflows. SocialBee's category queues and evergreen recycling are built into every plan, while Publer's recycling requires the Business plan and Spintax syntax. However, Publer wins on flexibility with first comment scheduling and a more visual calendar.
AI Tools
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| AI caption generation | Yes (GPT-4, Business plan) | Yes (AI Copilot, all plans) |
| AI image generation | Yes (DALL-E 3, Business plan) | Yes (DALL-E 3, all plans) |
| AI post ideas | Business plan | Yes |
| AI content rewriting | Business plan | Yes |
| Canva integration | No | Yes |
Winner: SocialBee. SocialBee includes AI tools on every plan, while Publer locks AI captions and image generation behind the Business plan ($21+/month). SocialBee also adds Canva integration for in-app design, which Publer lacks.
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic analytics | Business plan | All plans |
| Analytics history | Business plan | 3 months (Bootstrap) to 2 years (Accelerate+) |
| Competitor analysis | Business plan | No |
| Hashtag analytics | Business plan | No |
| Best time to post | Business plan | Yes |
| Export reports | Business plan | Yes |
Winner: Publer — if you need competitor analysis and hashtag analytics, which SocialBee does not offer. But SocialBee includes analytics on every plan with up to 2 years of history on Accelerate and Pro, while Publer restricts all analytics to the Business tier. For most users, SocialBee provides better analytics value out of the box.
Content Management & Automation
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| Content categories | No | Yes (core feature) |
| Evergreen recycling | Spintax (Business) | Yes (all plans) |
| RSS feed automation | Yes (Professional+) | Yes |
| Approval workflows | No | Yes (Pro plan) |
| Watermarks/signatures | Yes (Professional+) | No |
| Link in Bio | Yes | No |
| Workspaces | Unlimited (paid plans) | 1-5 (plan dependent) |
Winner: SocialBee for content automation and structured workflows. Category-based scheduling and evergreen recycling are SocialBee's core strengths, available on every plan. Publer counters with features like watermarks, Link in Bio, and unlimited workspaces, but lacks the structured automation that makes SocialBee distinctive.
Bulk Scheduling
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| CSV bulk import | Yes (up to 500 posts) | Yes |
| Bulk scheduling limit | 500 posts | No stated limit |
| RSS auto-posting | Yes (unlimited, Professional+) | Yes |
| Google Drive import | No | No |
Winner: Publer. Publer explicitly supports up to 500 posts per bulk import, which is one of the highest limits in the industry. Both tools support CSV and RSS, but Publer's bulk capabilities are more clearly documented and generous.
Platform Support
| Platform | Publer | SocialBee |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| X/Twitter | Yes (paid plans) | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| TikTok | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | No |
| WordPress | Yes | No |
| Telegram | Yes | No |
Winner: Publer — supports 13+ platforms vs SocialBee's 10. Publer includes Mastodon, WordPress, and Telegram, which SocialBee does not. This wider reach matters for brands publishing across niche or emerging platforms.
What Real Users Say
Publer Reviews
G2: 4.7/5 (486 reviews) — Users praise Publer's ease of use, post scheduling, and social media integration. The most common compliments mention scheduling simplicity (52 mentions) and time savings (28 mentions). Common complaints include pricing at scale (16 mentions), limited analytics (13 mentions), and feature restrictions on lower plans (10 mentions).
Trustpilot: 4.8/5 (863 reviews) — Publer's highest rating on any platform. Users consistently praise the user-friendly interface, bulk scheduling, auto-scheduling, and content recycling. Publer responds to 100% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours.
SocialBee Reviews
G2: 4.8/5 (472 reviews) — SocialBee scores slightly higher on G2 than Publer. Users highlight excellent customer service (33 mentions), ease of use (25 mentions), and time-saving scheduling (20 mentions). Complaints center on layout issues (6 mentions), scheduling bugs (5 mentions), and a learning curve with the category system (5 mentions).
Trustpilot: 4.0/5 (43 reviews) — A solid but smaller review base. Users praise helpful customer support, easy setup, and intuitive workflows. Some mention occasional technical issues and limited analytics compared to larger tools.
Review Verdict
Both tools are well-reviewed, but the picture differs by platform. On G2, SocialBee edges ahead (4.8 vs 4.7) with particularly strong customer service praise. On Trustpilot, Publer dominates (4.8 vs 4.0) with a much larger review base (863 vs 43). Overall, both maintain strong reputations — Publer for scheduling simplicity and value, SocialBee for customer support and structured workflows.
Who Should Use Publer?
If Publer sounds right for you but you want to explore other options first, check out our best alternatives to Publer. You can also see how Publer stacks up against Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, and Metricool.
Publer is the better choice if you:
- Are a solo creator or freelancer who wants the lowest possible starting price
- Need to publish across 13+ platforms including WordPress, Mastodon, and Telegram
- Want bulk scheduling up to 500 posts via CSV for high-volume content
- Prefer per-account pricing that starts at just $12/month for 3 accounts
- Need RSS feed automation for auto-posting from blogs or news sources
- Don't need structured content categories or built-in approval workflows
Who Should Use SocialBee?
If SocialBee is on your shortlist, you may also want to see our top alternatives to SocialBee before committing. Also compare SocialBee with Buffer, Hootsuite, Later, and Metricool.
SocialBee is the better choice if you:
- Want category-based scheduling to keep your content mix balanced automatically
- Need evergreen content recycling so your best posts re-publish on a loop
- Prefer AI tools included on every plan rather than locked behind a premium tier
- Manage 10-25 social profiles where SocialBee's flat pricing is more cost-effective than Publer's per-account model
- Need approval workflows for team-based content review (Pro plan)
- Want Canva integration for designing visuals directly within your scheduler
Affordable Scheduling That Grows With You
Publer and SocialBee both offer great value, but each has gaps. Publer lacks approval workflows entirely. SocialBee caps profiles at 25 on its highest plan. PostPlanify fills both gaps: unlimited accounts, team approvals, AI content generation, and Canva integration — all at a flat price that doesn't scale with your success.
| Feature | Publer | SocialBee | PostPlanify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $12/mo (3 accounts) | $29/mo (5 profiles) | $19/mo flat |
| Unlimited Accounts | ~$161/mo (25 accounts) | $99/mo (25 profiles) | $99/mo (Premium) |
| AI Caption Generation | Business plan only | All plans | All paid plans |
| AI Image Generation | Business plan only | All plans | All paid plans |
| Canva Integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive Import | No | No | Yes |
| Approval Workflows | No | Pro plan ($99/mo) | $99/mo (Premium) |
| First Comment Scheduling | Yes (Professional+) | No | Yes (Growth+) |
| Content Recycling | Spintax (Business) | Evergreen queues | Yes |
| Platforms Supported | 13+ | 10 | 9 |
| Unlimited Scheduling | Paid plans | All plans | All paid plans |
PostPlanify starts at $19/month for 3 accounts with unlimited scheduling and AI tools included — no need to pay for a Business or Pro plan to unlock essential features. The Premium plan at $99/month includes unlimited accounts, unlimited team members, approval workflows, and analytics — features that cost $161+/month on Publer or require SocialBee's top tier with stricter limits.
Grow without limits — try PostPlanify free
FAQ
Is Publer cheaper than SocialBee?
At small scale, yes. Publer's Professional plan starts at $12/month for 3 accounts vs SocialBee's Bootstrap at $29/month for 5 profiles. However, SocialBee becomes cheaper at 10+ accounts — SocialBee Accelerate costs $49/month for 10 profiles, while Publer Business costs $63/month for 10 accounts.
Does Publer have a free plan?
Yes. Publer offers a Free plan with 3 social accounts (excluding X/Twitter), 10 scheduled posts per account, and 24-hour post history. SocialBee does not have a free plan — only a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Which has better AI tools — Publer or SocialBee?
SocialBee makes AI tools available on every plan, including AI Copilot for captions and DALL-E 3 for image generation. Publer restricts AI captions (GPT-4) and AI image generation (DALL-E 3) to the Business plan starting at $21/month. If AI access matters and you want it from day one, SocialBee has the advantage.
Does SocialBee support content recycling?
Yes, and it is one of SocialBee's strongest features. Every plan includes evergreen content recycling through category-based queues — posts automatically re-enter the queue after publishing. Publer also offers recycling, but only on the Business plan using Spintax syntax for text variation.
Which supports more social media platforms?
Publer supports 13+ platforms including WordPress, Mastodon, and Telegram. SocialBee supports 10 platforms. If you need to publish to niche or emerging platforms, Publer has broader coverage.
Can I use Publer or SocialBee for team collaboration?
Both support teams, but differently. Publer lets you add team members at $2/month each on any paid plan, but offers no approval workflows. SocialBee limits collaboration — only 1 user on Bootstrap and Accelerate, with 3 users and approval workflows on the Pro plan ($99/month). For teams needing structured approvals, SocialBee Pro is the better option.
Which is easier to use — Publer or SocialBee?
Both are well-regarded for usability, but Publer's interface is more straightforward and visual. SocialBee's category-based system is powerful once learned, but several users mention a learning curve with setting up categories and understanding how queues rotate. If you want simplicity out of the box, Publer is quicker to get started with.
Is there a better alternative to both Publer and SocialBee?
If you want AI tools on every plan, unlimited scheduling, Canva and Google Drive integration, approval workflows, and flat pricing without per-account or per-profile caps, PostPlanify offers all of this starting at $19/month. The Premium plan at $99/month includes unlimited accounts and team members — something neither Publer nor SocialBee match at that price point.
