Planable is great at one thing: getting posts approved. Teams usually look elsewhere when the per-workspace bill grows, or when they also need to answer comments and DMs without paying for add-ons. We compared 7 alternatives on what you get for the price.
By the SocialDesk team · Prices checked on official pricing pages on November 10, 2026
Best if you also answer comments and DMs: SocialDesk: scheduling plus a team inbox with AI auto-replies, from $19/month. The $39 Team plan includes unlimited members.
Best for a content calendar with approvals: Loomly: approval workflows and an engagement inbox on every plan, from $49/month billed yearly.
Best for agencies with client approvals: Vista Social or SocialPilot: client approval workflows plus white-label reports.
Best for client approvals in many markets: Kontentino: internal and client approvals from its Starter plan.
Stay on Planable if…: multi-level sign-off (team lead, client, legal) is the core of your process. Few tools do it as well.
Disclosure: SocialDesk is our product, so we list it first. Every other tool is described from its own official pricing pages, including the things SocialDesk does not do, such as approval workflows.
Planable alternatives at a glance
For reference, Planable costs $33 per workspace per month (Basic), and its inbox and analytics are paid add-ons.
Tool
Paid from
Approval workflow
Comments & DMs inbox
Users on entry plan
SocialDesk
$19/mo
All plans
1 (unlimited from $39/mo)
Loomly
$49/mo (billed yearly)
All plans
3
Vista Social
$79/mo (billed yearly)
Yes; clients from $199/mo
Yes
2
SocialPilot
$30/mo
From $50/mo; clients $100/mo
From $50/mo
1
Kontentino
$59/mo (billed yearly)
Not listed
Not stated
Buffer
$5/channel/mo
Team plan ($10/channel)
Comments only
1
Metricool
$20/mo (billed yearly)
Advanced ($53/mo)
Yes
Not stated
Prices in USD as shown on each vendor’s pricing page on November 10, 2026. "Billed yearly" prices need an annual payment.
How we compared them
Real price for a team: the cheapest paid plan, and what it costs per workspace, per channel or per user.
Approvals: whether posts can be sent for internal or client sign-off, and on which plan.
Inbox: whether comments and DMs land in the same tool, or need an add-on like on Planable.
Team seats: how many people can work in the tool on the entry plan.
Sources: each vendor’s own pricing page, checked on November 10, 2026.
1. SocialDesk
Best for teams that also need to answer comments and DMs
SocialDesk combines a scheduler, a team inbox and an AI agent. You publish to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X and Threads from one calendar. Comments from Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Threads and Instagram and Facebook DMs arrive in one inbox that updates live. Teammates can assign conversations, star them, close them and see what is unread. AI answers routine comments and DMs automatically, or drafts replies you approve. It does not have a post approval workflow like Planable.
Strengths
Inbox included on every plan: assign, star, close and unread shared by the team
AI auto-replies and approval drafts for comments and DMs
Team plan ($39/month) includes 20 accounts, unlimited members and unlimited workspaces
Per-person permissions: read, post, reply or admin
Limits
No post approval workflow for teammates or clients
DMs only from Instagram and Facebook for now
No Pinterest or Google Business publishing
Pricing: Starter $19/month (5 accounts, 1 user), Team $39/month (20 accounts, unlimited members), Pro $59, Max $99. Yearly billing = 2 months free. 7-day free trial, no card.
Loomly is the closest match to Planable’s way of working: a content calendar where posts go through approval, plus post ideas, an engagement inbox with saved replies and conversation assignment.
Strengths
Approval workflows on every plan
Replies to interactions, saved replies and assignment included
Calendar, post ideas and analytics in one place
Limits
Entry plan limited to 3 users and 12 social accounts
SocialPilot is an agency-focused scheduler. Its Standard plan adds a social inbox and manager approval; client approval workflows, client management and white-label reports start on Premium.
Strengths
Manager approval from Standard, client approval from Premium
White-label reports and unlimited client seats on Premium
Extra accounts ($4) and users ($5) are cheap
Limits
No inbox and no approvals on the $30 Essentials plan
Kontentino is a planning and approval tool built for agencies, with internal and client approvals from its first plan and an add-on for approval flows per market.
Buffer is a simple scheduler priced per channel. Its Team plan adds unlimited members and approval flows, and its community inbox handles comments on many networks.
Strengths
Free plan for 3 channels
Approvals and unlimited members on the Team plan
Comment replies with AI suggestions on all plans
Limits
Price grows with every channel you add
No approvals on Free or Essentials
DMs are not listed on its pricing page
Pricing: Free: 3 channels, 1 user. Essentials: $5 per channel/month (1 user). Team: $10 per channel/month (unlimited users, approvals).
Start with why you are leaving. If the per-workspace price is the problem, compare the real bill for all your brands: SocialDesk includes unlimited workspaces from the $39 Team plan, while Planable charges $33 to $49 for each one.
If approvals are the heart of your process, stay close to Planable’s model: Loomly and Kontentino include approvals on their first plan, and Vista Social and SocialPilot add client approvals on higher plans. SocialDesk does not have post approvals.
If your team spends its day answering customers, put the inbox first. Planable sells it as an add-on per workspace. SocialDesk, Loomly, Vista Social and Metricool include it, and SocialDesk adds AI replies and conversation assignment on every plan.
Planable alternatives: FAQ
What is the best alternative to Planable?
It depends on why you are switching. For a team inbox with AI replies at a flat price, SocialDesk (from $19/month). For a calendar with approvals, Loomly. For agencies with client approvals and white-label reports, Vista Social or SocialPilot. For client approvals across markets, Kontentino.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Planable?
Yes. Planable costs $33 per workspace per month, plus add-ons for the inbox and analytics. SocialDesk starts at $19/month with the inbox included, Buffer at $5 per channel, Metricool at $20/month billed yearly and SocialPilot at $30/month.
Which Planable alternatives have approval workflows?
Loomly and Kontentino include approvals on their entry plans. Vista Social has approval stages from Professional, SocialPilot from Standard (client approvals on Premium), Buffer on its Team plan and Metricool on Advanced. SocialDesk does not offer post approvals.
Which Planable alternative includes a social inbox?
SocialDesk, Loomly, Vista Social and Metricool include an inbox, SocialPilot from its Standard plan and Buffer for comments. In SocialDesk, teammates can assign, star and close conversations, and AI can answer comments and DMs automatically.
Plan, publish and answer customers in one place
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