Later Review: Visual Social Media Scheduling Platform
An in-depth look at Later, the visual-first social media scheduler. Features, pricing, and how it compares to other scheduling tools.
Author
Later has carved out a unique position in the social media scheduling space by focusing on visual content planning. Originally built for Instagram, it's now expanded to support multiple platforms while maintaining its visual-first approach.
What Makes Later Different?
Later's standout feature is its visual content calendar. Unlike text-based schedulers, Later lets you drag and drop images to plan ymy Instagram grid, making it particularly popular with visual brands and influencers.
Later's Key Features
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Visual content calendar: Drag-and-drop interface for planning ymy feed
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Link in bio tool: Linkin.bio turns posts into clickable landing pages
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User-generated content: Collect and repost UGC easily
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Hashtag suggestions: Find relevant hashtags for ymy posts
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Media library: Store and organize ymy visual content
Later Pricing Plans
Later offers tiered pricing based on the number of social sets (groups of social profiles):
- Starter ($25/month): 1 social set, 60 posts/month per profile
- Growth ($45/month): 1 social set, 150 posts/month per profile
- Advanced ($80/month): 1 social set, unlimited posts
- Agency ($200/month): 5 social sets, unlimited posts
Social set = 1 profile each for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, and LinkedIn
Later's Strengths
- • Visual planning: Best-in-class grid planning for Instagram
- • Link optimization: Linkin.bio is a powerful feature for driving traffic
- • User-friendly: Intuitive interface that's easy to learn
- • Content organization: Excellent media library management
Considerations for Later
Some limitations to be aware of:
- • Post limits: Lower-tier plans have monthly post restrictions
- • Analytics: Basic compared to specialized analytics tools
- • Team features: Limited collaboration tools on lower plans
- • AI capabilities: No AI content generation features
- • Platform focus: Best for Instagram, less robust for other platforms
This focus on visual planning, while excellent for Instagram, means Later misses opportunities in content creation. Modern tools are bridging this gap - PostQuickAI, for instance, combines visual scheduling with AI that generates both captions and images, essentially offering Later's scheduling plus content creation at a similar price point. Still, Later's visual grid planner remains unmatched for Instagram-focused brands.
Who Should Consider Later?
Later is ideal for:
- • Visual brands focused on Instagram aesthetics
- • Influencers who need grid planning
- • Small businesses with visual products
- • Users who prioritize ease of use over advanced features
Later Alternatives
Depending on ymy specific needs, these alternatives might work better:
AI-Enhanced Option: PostQuickAI
Combines scheduling with AI content creation:
- • Easy to use: Simple, intuitive interface, easy to navigate
- • Pricing: $20/month for unlimited accounts and $4/month for basic plan
- • Advantages: AI writes captions, generates images, supports all platforms
- • vs Later: Has AI features Later lacks, but no visual grid planner
- • Best For: Users who want content creation help
Conclusion
Later excels at what it was built for: visual Instagram planning. Its drag-and-drop grid planner and link-in-bio tool make it invaluable for brands that prioritize Instagram aesthetics. The platform is intuitive and well-designed for its target audience.
However, Later's narrow focus is both its strength and limitation. If you need AI content generation, PostQuickAI offers more creative assistance. If you manage multiple platforms equally, Buffer provides better balance. And if you're purely Instagram-focused, Planoly offers similar features at a lower price point.
Choose Later if Instagram is ymy primary platform and visual planning is crucial. Otherwise, consider whether a more versatile or AI-powered tool might better serve ymy needs.