Starts atPaid from $18.75/mo billed yearly
- No free plan
- Free trial14-day free trial (billing info may be required)
Head-to-head
Later vs Sprout Social: which social scheduler is worth it?
At a glance
Starts atEssentials from $79/seat/mo billed yearly ($99 monthly), 30-day trial
- No free plan
- Free trial30 days
Later is the cheaper scheduler for creators and small brands: $18.75 a month billed yearly for one social set of 8 profiles. Sprout Social is a team suite priced per seat: Essentials is $79 per seat a month billed yearly, or $99 monthly, for 5 profiles. Pick Sprout when you need its inbox, reports and team tools.
Quick verdict
- Choose Later for visual planning of Reels and TikToks on a creator budget.
- Choose Sprout Social for a team that answers messages and reports to clients or bosses.
Side-by-side comparison
| Detail | Later | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No. 14-day free trial | No. 30-day free trial, no card |
| Entry plan | Starter: $18.75/month billed yearly | Essentials: $79/seat/month yearly, $99 monthly |
| Profiles on entry plan | 1 social set (8 profiles), 30 posts per profile | 5 profiles |
| Mid plan | Growth: $37.50/month yearly, 2 sets, 180 posts per profile | Standard: $199/seat/month |
| Top listed plan | Scale: $82.50/month yearly, 6 sets, unlimited posts | Advanced: $399/seat/month |
| Users | Starter 1, Growth 2, Scale 4 | Priced per seat |
| Best for | Creators and small brands | Teams and agencies |
For Shorts, TikTok and Reels
Later's Starter allows 30 posts per profile, so about one Reel a day on each network. Daily posters with extra Stories should look at Growth (180 per profile). Sprout Social's per-seat pricing means a two-person team on Essentials pays $158 a month billed yearly. That only makes sense if you use the inbox and reporting.
How to choose
- Solo creator posting about once a day? Later Starter.
- Posting several times a day? Later Growth.
- Team handling DMs and reports? Try Sprout Social for 30 days.
- Count seats before choosing Sprout: the price multiplies.
Questions
Is Later cheaper than Sprout Social?
Yes. Later starts at $18.75/month billed yearly. Sprout Social starts at $79 per seat a month billed yearly.
Does Sprout Social have a free plan?
No. It has a 30-day free trial with no credit card.
How many posts does Later Starter allow?
Up to 30 posts per profile, across 8 profiles in one social set.
Related: Buffer vs Later, Later vs Metricool, Later alternatives.
Sources: later.com/pricing, sproutsocial.com/pricing. Checked on 16 October 2026. Based on published plans and terms, not a hands-on test.