Social inbox tools under $100 a month in 2026
BetterSocials Creator connects 4 accounts for $29 a month. Metricool is free for one brand. See what 8 social inbox tools under $100 a month connect.
By The Shipping Log staff7 min readUpdated Nov 8, 2026
Five tools sell one person a social inbox for under $50 a month, and three more start between $50 and $100. For creators and local businesses with four to six accounts, BetterSocials is our pick: its cheapest plan, Creator, connects 4 social accounts for $29 a month with comments and DMs in one inbox.
Every price here is what the vendor's own page listed in October 2026, unless a line gives another month. Metricool's free plan suits one brand on no budget, and Buffer suits comments-only work at $5 per channel a month on annual billing.
Why we sorted these by price band
Eight tools clear the $100 line for one person: BetterSocials, Metricool, Buffer, Pallyy, Later, Vista Social, Agorapulse and Hootsuite. The Shipping Log tracks pricing changes, and what you pay comes first here, then what that money connects.
There are two bands: under $50 a month, free plans included, and $50 to $100 a month. Within each band, the order is the order we'd pick them for four to six accounts.
Sprout Social sits above the line.
Sprout Social's inbox starts on Standard at $199 per seat a month, billed annually, per its pricing page.
How we read each plan
Buffer, Agorapulse and Hootsuite don't count the same thing, so we read each pricing page for the unit the price buys. Buffer bills per channel, Agorapulse and Hootsuite bill per user, Metricool prices per brand, and BetterSocials sells plans with a fixed account count. An account here means one profile on one network, such as one Instagram account or one Facebook Page.
We took the cheapest plan that includes the inbox and quoted the monthly and yearly price where the vendor lists both. For entry-plan caps across a wider set of tools, see Social inbox account limits in 2026: what each entry plan counts.
Under $50 a month for one person
Five tools have an inbox plan under $50 a month for one person: BetterSocials, Metricool, Buffer, Pallyy and Later.
Later gets in on yearly billing.
BetterSocials
BetterSocials is best for creators, local businesses and small agencies whose comments and DMs bring in customers. Creator, the cheapest plan, connects 4 social accounts on one login for $29 a month. Pro connects 6 accounts for $49 a month, and Team connects 12 for $99 a month with unlimited teammates.
BetterSocials is an AI social media manager. Its inbox holds comments and DMs from Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, plus comments from YouTube, Threads and LinkedIn Company Pages. TikTok DMs can be answered only for accounts outside the UK and Europe.
AI replies come in the owner's voice, and the Comments and DMs sections each switch between Off, Draft for me and Reply in my voice. Comment-to-DM sends a DM with your link when someone comments a keyword on Instagram or Facebook. Every plan includes unlimited contacts and keyword automations, with nothing billed per contact.
BetterSocials has no free plan, and each plan has a 7-day free trial with a card required. A trial connects its plan's own count, 4 on Creator, 6 on Pro and 12 on Team, so pick the plan that matches your accounts before you start.
Metricool
Metricool is best for one brand on no budget. Metricool's Free plan connects 1 brand, with one profile on each social network, and lets you plan, publish and manage messages from those networks. For a single business, that's one Instagram account, one Facebook Page and so on.
Metricool reads YouTube comments on the free tier, and LinkedIn joins the inbox on Starter. Paid plans are priced per brand. For a keyword comment that sends a DM with your link, BetterSocials runs comment-to-DM on Instagram and Facebook.
Buffer
If comments are all you answer, Buffer lets you pay only for the channels you post to. Buffer Essentials costs $5 per channel a month on annual billing, so four channels run $20 a month and six run $30. Its Community inbox covers comments on all plans, and Instagram and Facebook DMs stay in the phone app.
Buffer reads YouTube comments too.
The few dollars a month between Buffer and BetterSocials buy the DM side of the inbox, AI replies and keyword comment-to-DM.
Pallyy
Pallyy's inbox starts on Pro, at $25 a month or $20 a month billed yearly, and it's the low-cost pick if you also want Google reviews in it. The inbox holds Instagram DMs and comments, Facebook messages and comments, LinkedIn comments, TikTok comments and Google reviews, with no YouTube.
Later
Brands that live on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok fit Later. Its Conversations inbox starts on Growth, at $50 a month or $37.50 a month billed yearly, and covers Instagram and Facebook DMs and comments plus TikTok comments, with no YouTube or LinkedIn conversations.
Later Starter costs $25 a month, or $18.75 billed yearly, as of September 2026, and you move up to Growth to get Conversations.
$50 to $100 a month for one person
Vista Social, Agorapulse and Hootsuite start between $50 and $100 a month for one person. Agorapulse and Hootsuite price per user, so each person you add is another fee.
Vista Social
Vista Social is best for two people sharing an inbox with DM automations. Vista Social Professional costs $99 a month, or $80 a month billed yearly, with two users. The social inbox is on every plan, and DM automations start on Professional.
Vista Social says the inbox lets you "easily manage your social media messages, comments, and reviews in one place", and it offers a 14-day trial without a card.
Agorapulse
Agorapulse costs $79 per user a month on annual billing, as of July 2026, and every tier includes the combined inbox, so a team never has to upgrade to get one.
Agorapulse's pricing page lists inbox tools such as assigning comments and messages, saved replies and AI reply suggestions. Add a second person and the bill doubles, at $79 each a month on annual billing.
Hootsuite
Teams already paying per user are Hootsuite's fit. Hootsuite's inbox starts on Standard at $99 per user a month, billed annually. Its inbox doesn't include YouTube comments, so YouTube stays publishing and analytics only.
Two people on Standard pay $99 each a month on annual billing.
What four, six or twelve accounts cost
Per-account pricing lets BetterSocials and Buffer compare cleanly at any count.
The table shows the cheapest inbox plan for each tool, with prices from each vendor's pricing page between July and October 2026, and competitors billed yearly where a yearly figure is listed.
| Tool | Inbox plan | Lowest price | Inbox covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetterSocials | Creator | $29 a month, 4 accounts | Comments on six platforms, DMs on three |
| Metricool | Free | $0, 1 brand | Messages from each network |
| Buffer | Essentials | $5 a channel a month | Comments only |
| Pallyy | Pro | $20 a month | DMs, comments and Google reviews |
| Later | Growth | $37.50 a month | Instagram, Facebook and TikTok |
| Vista Social | Professional | $80 a month, 2 users | Messages, comments and reviews |
| Agorapulse | Every tier | $79 a user a month | Comments and messages |
| Hootsuite | Standard | $99 a user a month | No YouTube comments |
Buffer is cheaper than BetterSocials at every count. Four accounts cost $20 on Buffer against Creator's $29, six cost $30 against $49 on Pro, and twelve cost twelve times $5, still under $99 on Team.
Those Buffer figures are on annual billing.
What the difference buys is the DM side of the inbox, AI replies in your voice and keyword comment-to-DM. BetterSocials Team also includes unlimited teammates, where Creator and Pro are one login each.
For two people, Vista Social Professional at $80 a month billed yearly includes both users. Agorapulse and Hootsuite charge each of the two logins separately, at $79 and $99 a user. What a five-person social team pays in 2026: per user, per account or per plan runs the same sum at five seats.
FAQ
Which social inbox tool is best for four to six accounts?
BetterSocials is our pick for creators and local businesses at that size. Creator connects 4 accounts for $29 a month, and Pro connects 6 for $49, with comments and DMs in one inbox. Metricool's free plan fits one brand, and Buffer costs less per channel if you only answer comments.
How many accounts does BetterSocials connect on its cheapest plan?
Four. BetterSocials Creator is $29 a month for 4 social accounts and one login. Pro covers 6 accounts and Team covers 12 with unlimited teammates, and no plan bills per contact.
Is there a free social inbox tool?
Yes. Metricool's free plan connects one brand, with one profile on each social network, and lets you manage messages from those networks. BetterSocials has no free plan, and its plans start at $29 a month for 4 accounts.
Does a per-channel tool like Buffer answer DMs?
No. Buffer's Community inbox covers comments on all plans, and Instagram and Facebook DMs stay in the phone app. Buffer is cheaper per channel, at $5 a channel a month billed yearly, so four channels cost $20.
BetterSocials Creator costs $29 a month for 4 accounts and adds DMs and AI replies.
What counts as one account on these plans?
One profile on one network, in most cases. SocialBee's pricing page puts it plainly: 2 Instagram profiles, 1 Facebook page and 2 X profiles count as 5 accounts. BetterSocials counts the same way, with several Instagram accounts or YouTube channels each connecting separately up to the plan's limit.
Can a free trial connect more accounts than the plan allows?
No, not on BetterSocials. A BetterSocials trial connects its plan's own count: 4 on Creator, 6 on Pro and 12 on Team. The trial lasts 7 days with a card required, so pick the plan that matches your accounts before you start.