PostQuickAI vs Preview vs Planoly vs Later: Which Instagram Grid Planner App is Right for You?

If you’re trying to keep a cohesive Instagram aesthetic, the “right” grid planner depends on how you plan content:

• Do you only need a simple drag-and-drop grid preview?
• Do you also want auto-publishing, analytics, and multi-platform scheduling?
• Are you planning on mobile, desktop, or both?

This guide compares PostQuickAI, Preview, Planoly, and Later fairly—based on publicly available product pages, pricing pages, and common review themes.

Quick Verdict:
- Choose Preview if you want a mobile-first Instagram (and TikTok) feed planner with strong aesthetic tools (filters/editing) and you’re okay with per-account subscriptions.
- Choose Planoly if you want a creator-friendly visual planner + auto-posting, and you like the Planoly ecosystem (e.g., creator/shop-focused features).
- Choose Later if you want a more robust social scheduling platform with a strong visual planner and team/brand workflows.
- Choose PostQuickAI if you want a free, no-login grid preview tool plus AI-assisted content + scheduling workflows at a lower starting price than many full social suites.

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TL;DR Comparison

Feature	PostQuickAI	Preview	Planoly	Later
Grid preview (visual planner)	✅ Yes (free tool)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Drag-and-drop rearrange	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Works on desktop	✅ Yes (web)	✅ (Preview offers desktop access via Preview.app; features vary by plan)	✅ Yes (web)	✅ Yes (web)
Auto-post scheduling	✅ Yes (scheduler product)	✅ Yes (Preview promotes auto-post scheduling)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
AI captions/assist	✅ Yes (AI caption tool + AI features)	⚠️ Some caption/hashtag tooling (positioned heavily around hashtags/captions)	✅ Yes (AI caption generation mentioned in app listings/marketing)	✅ Yes (offers AI add-ons/credits per pricing page)
Analytics	⚠️ Not grid-tool focused	✅ Yes (promotes analytics)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (strong analytics tiers)
Best for	Fast, free grid preview + AI + scheduling	Aesthetic-first planners & creators	Creators planning consistently across channels	Brands/teams needing a fuller suite
Starting price	$8/mo (Basic)	Free (1 account), then paid per account	$16/mo (Starter)	Commonly listed from $25/mo (Starter)*
Free plan	✅ Free grid tool (no login) + 7-day trial for paid plans	✅ Yes (1 IG account free per FAQ)	✅ Trial (14 days)	✅ Trial (14 days)

*Later pricing and exact monthly rates can vary by billing term/region; Later’s pricing page emphasizes Starter/Growth/Scale plans and a 14‑day free trial.

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PostQuickAI Overview

PostQuickAI is positioned as a web-based social media workflow tool: scheduling + content calendar + AI assistance, with a free standalone Instagram Feed Planner tool.

Notably, the Instagram Feed Planner is designed for quick grid iteration: upload images, drag to rearrange a 3x3 preview, and refine your layout without logging in.

Key Strengths

• Free Instagram grid preview tool (no login): Useful when you just want to test a layout quickly before committing to a posting schedule.
• Broader workflow than “grid-only” apps: PostQuickAI also positions itself around scheduling, a visual calendar, and AI content generation (captions and more).

Limitations (Honest)

• Not a mobile-first “aesthetic editor”: If your priority is in-app filters/presets and feed styling tools, Preview is usually the more direct fit.
• Grid tool is a focused utility: It’s a 3x3 planner—great for fast decisions, less ideal if you want deep library management inside the grid tool itself.

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Competitor Overviews (Verified)

Preview (Preview App) Overview

Preview is a popular Instagram feed planner focused on visual layout, aesthetics, and creator-friendly planning. Its site emphasizes planning, scheduling, editing tools, hashtag tools, and analytics.

From Preview’s pricing page, Preview states plans include capabilities like drag and drop, unlimited posts, filters/photo editor, hashtag groups manager, and more. Preview also states you can schedule as many posts as you want (no monthly scheduling cap mentioned on their pricing page).

Pricing model note (important): Preview’s FAQ states you can manage one Instagram account for free, and you need a Pro or Premium plan for each Instagram account you want to manage.

Preview Key Strengths

• Aesthetic-first workflow: Strong emphasis on visual planning + editing tools.
• Creator-friendly planning features: Hashtag groups, captions/ideas, scheduling, analytics (as marketed).

Preview Limitations (From research + common feedback themes)

• Paid per account: Managing multiple accounts can become expensive because plans apply per Instagram account.
• Mixed customer sentiment online: Some review sources show low ratings and complaints (often around billing/support expectations). Always worth trialing with one account before committing.

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Planoly Overview

Planoly positions itself as a visual social planner with an Instagram grid planner and automation. Its Instagram solution page explicitly highlights a visual grid planner and drag-and-drop planning, plus automation.

Planoly pricing (from Planoly’s official pricing/help pages via search snippets) includes tiers such as: - Starter: $16/month - Growth: $28/month - Pro: $43/month - Pro Plus: $54/month …and a 14-day free trial.

Planoly Key Strengths

• Strong “visual planner” + scheduling combo: Built for creators who plan content in batches and want it to publish reliably.
• Instagram-specific planning is core: Unlike generic schedulers, Planoly’s Instagram grid planning is a central value proposition.

Planoly Limitations (From reviews research)

• Reliability concerns show up in reviews: On review platforms and community discussions, users sometimes cite auto-post/scheduling reliability issues.
• Support expectations vary: Some reviewers report frustration with customer support or problem resolution speed.

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Later Overview

Later is a broader social media scheduling platform with a well-known Visual Instagram Planner. Later’s ecosystem is often used by brands, agencies, and teams who want planning + scheduling + analytics in one place.

Later’s pricing page emphasizes: - Plans: Starter, Growth, Scale - 14-day free trial - Add-ons for extra social sets, extra users, and extra AI credits (explicitly mentioned on the pricing page).

Many third-party summaries commonly list Later pricing around $25/month for Starter, with higher tiers above that, but exact pricing can vary by billing and region.

Later Key Strengths

• Robust platform beyond grid planning: Scheduling + analytics + team workflows are typically stronger than grid-only tools.
• Visual Planner is a core feature: Later promotes drag-and-drop rearranging and feed preview (including alongside published posts, per their help/marketing materials accessible via search).

Later Limitations (From reviews research)

• Cost can climb: Add-ons (users/social sets/AI credits) can increase total cost.
• Support & billing complaints appear in reviews: Trustpilot/Reddit-style feedback commonly mentions customer support responsiveness and refund/cancellation friction.

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Feature-by-Feature Comparison

1) Grid Planning & Drag-and-Drop Workflow

PostQuickAI:
- Fast, web-based 3x3 grid preview tool. - Designed for quick layout decisions (upload → rearrange → finalize).

Preview:
- Built specifically for visual feed planning, with drag-and-drop rearranging and aesthetic tools.

Planoly:
- Strong grid planning experience—Planoly explicitly markets an Instagram grid planner with drag-and-drop.

Later:
- Strong visual planner; Later promotes the ability to drag-and-drop to rearrange your planned feed.

Winner:
- For pure aesthetic planning: Preview
- For grid planning + publishing workflow: Planoly or Later
- For “I just need a free grid preview right now”: PostQuickAI

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2) Scheduling & Auto-Publishing

PostQuickAI:
- Built around scheduling and a content calendar (product positioning).
- Best if you want grid planning to connect to an overall publishing workflow (not just aesthetics).

Preview:
- Preview promotes auto-posting and scheduling on their site.

Planoly:
- Planoly strongly emphasizes automation/auto-post scheduling in its marketing.

Later:
- Later is a scheduling-first platform; auto-publishing and workflows are core.

Winner: Later (most mature suite), with Planoly close behind for creator-focused publishing.

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3) Editing, Filters, and “Aesthetic” Tooling

PostQuickAI:
- The grid preview tool is primarily about layout planning; it’s not positioned as a full photo editor/presets platform.

Preview:
- Preview highlights filters, photo editor tools, and creator-focused feed styling.

Planoly:
- More planning/scheduling oriented; less known as an editing/presets-first tool than Preview.

Later:
- More scheduling/marketing oriented than aesthetic editing.

Winner: Preview

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4) Captions, Hashtags & AI Assistance

PostQuickAI:
- Offers a dedicated AI caption generator (with tones, hashtag suggestions, etc., per tool description in search results).
- Strong option if you want help overcoming caption writer’s block.

Preview:
- Strong hashtag/caption tooling is part of Preview’s brand positioning (e.g., hashtag groups manager mentioned in pricing page inclusions).

Planoly:
- Planoly marketing/app store descriptions mention AI caption generation and content inspiration.

Later:
- Later includes AI as a paid/credit-based component (explicitly referenced as “extra AI credits” on pricing).

Winner:
- If your priority is simple, fast caption generation: PostQuickAI
- If your priority is hashtag system + aesthetic planning: Preview
- For integrated AI inside a broader suite: Later/Planoly (depending on your workflow and budget)

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5) Analytics

PostQuickAI:
- Not positioned as “analytics-first” in the grid planner tool itself.

Preview:
- Promotes analytics as part of the platform.

Planoly:
- Offers analytics features as part of being a social planner/management tool.

Later:
- Known for deeper analytics across plans—often one of the reasons teams pick Later.

Winner: Later

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Pricing Comparison (Verified via web_search + competitor pages)

Pricing changes often. The numbers below reflect what was publicly visible in searches and/or official pricing pages when verified (2026-01-08). For mobile apps, App Store pricing can differ by region.

Plan / Pricing Angle	PostQuickAI	Preview	Planoly	Later
Free option	✅ Free Instagram Feed Planner tool (no login)	✅ 1 IG account free (per FAQ)	⚠️ Trial (14 days)	⚠️ Trial (14 days)
Entry paid tier	$8/mo (Basic, monthly)	$7.99/mo (App Store lists “Account 1 Pro” monthly)*	$16/mo (Starter)	Commonly cited ~$25/mo Starter**
Higher tier example	$40/mo (Pro, monthly)	$14.99/mo (App Store lists “Account 1 Premium” monthly)*	$54/mo (Pro Plus)	Growth/Scale tiers vary; add-ons available
Notes	7-day free trial mentioned in pricing snippets	Paid plans per IG account (per FAQ)	14-day free trial	Add-ons: extra social sets/users/AI credits

*Preview pricing values were verified via Apple App Store listing search snippets that show monthly in-app purchase pricing for Pro/Premium per account.
**Later’s official pricing page confirms plan names + trial + add-ons; commonly reported monthly prices vary by source and region.

Value Analysis (Who gets the best value?): - Lowest cost for a “real” grid preview: PostQuickAI (free, no login). - Best value for aesthetic-first creators (especially single account): Preview (free for one account; strong aesthetic tooling). - Best value for creators needing planning + publishing cadence: Planoly (creator-first, clear plan tiers). - Best value for teams/brands needing analytics + workflows: Later (but budget for add-ons).

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Who Should Choose PostQuickAI?

You’ll prefer PostQuickAI if you: - Want a free, no-login Instagram grid preview to quickly test a 3x3 layout. - Also want AI help for captions and a broader content workflow beyond just IG aesthetics. - Prefer a web-based tool you can use from a laptop (fast drag/drop, quick iteration). - Want a lower paid entry point for scheduling than many all-in-one suites.

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Who Should Choose Preview?

You’ll prefer Preview if you: - Care most about Instagram feed aesthetics (filters/editing + visual planning). - Want a creator-centric app where grid planning is the product, not just a feature. - Mostly manage one account (since one is free, and paid can be per-account).

Where Preview often wins: aesthetic tools + creator-focused planning experience.

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Who Should Choose Planoly?

You’ll prefer Planoly if you: - Want a visual planner + scheduling automation designed with creators in mind. - Like the idea of planning and publishing with a consistent workflow (not only grid preview). - Want clear tiered pricing (Starter/Growth/Pro/Pro Plus) and a trial to validate fit.

Where Planoly often wins: creator planning workflow + Instagram grid focus + automation.

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Who Should Choose Later?

You’ll prefer Later if you: - Need a more complete social media suite (planning + scheduling + analytics + team processes). - Manage multiple brands or need stronger reporting. - Don’t mind paying more (and potentially paying for add-ons) for a mature platform.

Where Later often wins: analytics depth + broader suite capabilities.

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Switching to PostQuickAI (from Preview / Planoly / Later)

If you’re switching because you want something lighter, cheaper, or faster for grid layout + AI, here’s the practical view:

• Data migration:
• Most grid planners don’t offer clean “export your grid plan” portability between tools. Expect to re-upload your media to PostQuickAI (especially if you’re moving from a mobile-first app library).
• Learning curve:
• Low for the grid preview tool (upload + drag/drop).
• Moderate if you adopt broader scheduling/AI workflows.
• Support & workflow:
• Best approach: start by using PostQuickAI as a grid preview companion first, then migrate scheduling if it fits your needs.

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FAQ

Is PostQuickAI “better” than Preview, Planoly, or Later?

It depends on what “better” means for you.

• If you want aesthetic editing + creator feed styling, Preview is often the better fit.
• If you want a creator-focused visual planner + automation, Planoly is a strong pick.
• If you want a full suite with deeper analytics, Later is often the most complete.
• If you want a free grid preview tool with no login plus AI caption help and scheduling options, PostQuickAI is compelling—especially as a lightweight alternative or companion.

Which one is the cheapest Instagram grid planner?

• For a quick grid preview: PostQuickAI (free tool, no login).
• For a mobile app with one account: Preview can be free for one Instagram account (per their FAQ).
• For full planning/scheduling platforms: Planoly starts lower than many suites at $16/month, while Later typically starts higher (commonly cited around $25/month, depending on billing/region).

Can I plan and rearrange my grid in all four tools?

Yes—drag-and-drop grid planning is a core feature across these tools. The bigger differences are editing/aesthetic features, auto-posting, analytics depth, and pricing structure (especially per-account vs per-workspace).

What’s the biggest “gotcha” with Preview?

Preview’s FAQ indicates that while you can manage one account for free, adding more accounts typically requires Pro or Premium per account—which can change the economics if you manage multiple brands.

What’s the biggest “gotcha” with Later?

Later is powerful, but costs can rise via plan tiers and add-ons (extra users, social sets, and AI credits are explicitly mentioned on their pricing page). If you’re a solo creator who just needs grid planning, it may be more than you need.

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