Instagram Grid Planner Apps
PostQuickAI vs Preview vs Planoly vs Later: Which Instagram Grid Planner App Is Right for You?
The best Instagram grid planner app depends on how you work. Some people only need a drag-and-drop preview, some want scheduling and analytics too, and some plan everything on their phone. This guide compares PostQuickAI, Preview, Planoly and Later using their public product pages and reviews.
Before picking a grid planner, answer three questions about how you plan:
- Is a drag-and-drop grid preview enough?
- Do you also want posts to publish on their own, with analytics and other networks included?
- Do you plan on your phone, your computer, or both?
Everything below about Preview, Planoly and Later comes from their own product and pricing pages, plus complaints and praise that come up often in reviews.
Short Answer
- Pick Preview if you plan your Instagram (and TikTok) feed on your phone, want filters and photo editing built in, and don’t mind paying per account.
- Pick Planoly if you want a visual planner that also auto-posts, and you’d use its other creator and shop features.
- Pick Later if you want a bigger scheduling platform with a good visual planner and tools for teams and brands.
- Pick PostQuickAI if you want a free grid preview that needs no account, plus AI writing help and scheduling for less than many full social suites charge.
Free, and no account needed.
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) | ⚠️ Plan dependent | ✅ Yes (web) | ✅ Yes (web) |
| Auto-post scheduling | ✅ Yes (scheduler product) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AI captions/assist | ✅ Yes (AI caption tool + AI features) | ⚠️ Some caption/hashtag tooling | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Analytics | ⚠️ Not grid-tool focused | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Starting price | $15/mo (Basic) | Free (1 account), then paid | $16/mo (Starter) | ~$25/mo (Starter) |
Want posts to publish on their own once the grid looks right? PostQuickAI plans start at $15/month and include AI writing.
Compare plans*Later’s monthly rates can vary by billing term and region. Its pricing page lists Starter, Growth and Scale plans.
PostQuickAI Overview
PostQuickAI is a web app for scheduling social posts, with a content calendar and AI writing help. It also has a free, separate Instagram Feed Planner.
In the Feed Planner you upload images, drag them around a 3-column grid of 3 to 12 rows, and try layouts without logging in.
Key Strengths
- The grid preview is free and needs no login, so you can test a layout before you schedule anything.
- The paid app goes further than grid-only apps, with scheduling, a calendar and AI that writes captions and other content.
Limitations
- It isn’t a phone app for editing photos. If filters and presets matter most to you, Preview is the closer fit.
- The grid tool only arranges the images you upload. It’s quick for deciding on a layout, but it has no media library of its own.
Competitor Overviews
Preview (Preview App) Overview
Preview is an Instagram feed planner built around how your feed looks. Its site talks about planning, scheduling, photo editing, hashtags and analytics.
Preview’s pricing page lists drag and drop, unlimited posts, filters and a photo editor, and a hashtag groups manager, among other things. It also says you can schedule as many posts as you want.
Pricing model note: Preview’s FAQ states you can manage one Instagram account for free, and you need a Pro or Premium plan for each additional account.
Preview Key Strengths
- Planning and photo editing sit in the same app.
- It includes hashtag groups, caption ideas and analytics.
Planoly Overview
Planoly calls itself a visual social planner. Its Instagram page highlights a visual grid planner, drag-and-drop planning and automatic posting.
Planoly Key Strengths
- It combines a visual planner with scheduling, which suits creators who plan posts in batches.
- Grid planning is the main thing Planoly sells, where general schedulers treat it as an extra.
Later Overview
Later is a larger social media scheduling platform known for its Visual Instagram Planner. Brands, agencies and teams often use it to keep planning, scheduling and analytics in one tool.
Later Key Strengths
- Its scheduling, analytics and team features usually go further than grid-only tools.
- Later advertises drag-and-drop rearranging and a feed preview in its Visual Planner.
Plan your grid for free
PostQuickAI's Instagram feed planner is free and works without an account. Upload your images and drag them into place.
Open free grid plannerFrequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on how you plan. Preview suits people who edit and plan on their phone. Planoly is built for creators. Later adds analytics and team tools. PostQuickAI gives you a free grid preview and paid AI-assisted scheduling.
PostQuickAI’s grid preview tool is free and requires no login; its scheduling plans are paid and start at $15/month, with a 7-day free trial on your first plan (card required). Preview can be free for one Instagram account, while Planoly and Later also offer paid plans.
Yes. PostQuickAI, Preview, Planoly and Later all let you drag posts around a grid preview.
Preview’s FAQ notes that you can manage one Instagram account for free, but adding more accounts typically requires a paid plan per account.
Later can get expensive as you add users, social sets, and AI credits. If you only need grid planning, it may be more suite than you need.
You connect each social account once by signing in to it from PostQuickAI, and make one content group per brand. Posts already queued in Later don’t move across, so let them go out there or recreate them before you cancel Later.
Yes. Your first plan starts with a 7-day free trial. You add a card at checkout and are charged when the trial ends, so cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.