Ever felt like getting social media posts approved takes longer than Adele dropping a new album? You’re not alone.
For most marketing teams, creators, and agencies, the struggle is painfully real. You brainstorm, draft, design, upload… and then? Radio silence from the client for three business days. Cue panic, Slack pings, and that dreaded 11:47 p.m. message: “Hey, can we make the caption sound more fun?”
A good social media management platform with collaborative features doesn’t just make life easier. It’s a form of problem solving for marketing chaos. It enables real-time collaboration in the workplace, strengthens employee engagement, and ensures your team works together efficiently from strategy to scheduling.
So, if you love Planable but feel it’s not quite “The One,” this list has your back. Here are 10 of the best Planable alternatives, trusted by marketers and teams worldwide, each designed to help you achieve effective collaboration and a stronger social media presence.
What is Planable & Why Look for Alternatives?
Planable is a social media management tool designed for social media collaboration and post approvals. One of its features is its post previews, allowing teams to visualise exactly how their content will appear once published, a lifesaver for agencies handling multiple social media accounts.
However, no tool is without limitations. As your team’s needs evolve, Planable’s constraints may become more noticeable:
- It may not fit every budget.
- Some teams crave deeper analytics and reporting.
- Agencies managing multiple brands might outgrow it fast.
If that sounds familiar, it might be time to explore more flexible, feature-rich Planable alternatives.
Key Features to Look for in a Collaboration & Approval Tool
Before jumping into the list, here’s your quick checklist of must-haves:
- Multi-platform support: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X or any other platforms you need. Your social media tool should handle all your channels like a pro.
- Visual content calendar: A calendar view helps teams align on content marketing strategy and see the big picture.
- Approval workflows: Built-in processes eliminate confusion around who has approved what and when.
- Team collaboration tools: Roles, permissions, and threaded comments keep communication organised.
- Affordability & scalability: You want something that grows with you, not against your budget.
The 10 Best Planable Alternatives
1. Polareis – The Marketer’s Tool Built by Marketers
Best For: Agencies, SMEs, solo creators, and big brands juggling multi-platform campaigns
Why It’s Great:
Polareis is intuitive enough for solo creators, yet powerful enough for global marketing teams. Built by marketers who know the pain of last-minute changes and approval drama, Polareis brings collaboration, approval workflow, AI-assisted content creation, trend spotting, scheduling under one roof.
The approval process is seamlessly integrated, allowing clients and stakeholders to review, comment, and approve content without endless back-and-forths across WhatsApp.
Watch Out For: It’s newer in the market, but that also means it’s fresher, faster, and not weighed down by unnecessary clutter.
Pricing: Flexible & scalable plans for every team size, starting from $39/month. Try the 30-days free trial to experience what a full-suite marketing hub feels like, plus it comes with a co-pilot dedicated to your marketing.
2. Buffer – The No-Drama Scheduling Friend
Best For: Small teams, freelancers, personal brands
Why It’s Great: Buffer is like that calm, minimalistic friend who color-codes their Google Calendar. It’s clean, affordable, and perfect for creators who just want to post consistently without getting tangled in a dozen dashboards. The approval process is straightforward for small teams. Content can be drafted, reviewed, and queued without fuss.
Watch Out For: Limited advanced features like deep analytics or complex approval flows.
Pricing: Starts around $6/month per channel.
3. Hootsuite – The Seasoned Pro With a Price Tag to Match
Best For: Enterprises, large teams with complex workflows
Why It’s Great: The OG of social media management. Hootsuite handles multiple platforms, deep analytics, and enterprise-level integrations. Its robust permission controls and custom approval workflows make it ideal for teams that need structure and governance.
Watch Out For: High pricing and a steep learning curve if you don’t need all of its advanced features.
Pricing: Starting from $99/month.
4. Sprout Social – The Data-Driven Analyst of the Group
Best For: Medium to large businesses that prioritise analytics and insights
Why It’s Great: Sprout Social doesn’t just manage your posts, it helps you understand your audience on a deeper level. It includes multi-step approval workflows, detailed analytics, and CRM-style engagement tools to track conversations and prove ROI to upper management.
Watch Out For: Overkill for smaller teams and those that have limited budget.
Pricing: Starts from $249/month.
5. Later – The Aesthetic Grid Lover
Best For: Visual-first brands and influencers
Why It’s Great: If your team lives for the perfect grid, Later is your soulmate. You can drag, drop, and preview your posts visually before they go live. Its built-in collaboration and content approval features make reviewing visuals easy for clients and team members alike.
Watch Out For: Weaker support for platforms beyond Instagram and TikTok.
Pricing: Free plan available, paid from $25/month.
6. Zoho Social – The Practical Workhorse
Best For: SMEs and businesses already using the Zoho ecosystem
Why It’s Great: Affordable, reliable, and perfectly integrated with Zoho CRM and Projects. Teams can assign roles, review drafts, and manage approvals directly within the dashboard, ensuring nothing goes live without a second pair of eyes.
Watch Out For: Interface is functional rather than sleek. Higher-tier plans required for deeper automation.
Pricing: Starts from $15/month.
7. Sendible – The Agency Client Whisperer
Best For: Agencies managing multiple client accounts
Why It’s Great: Sendible offers client dashboards, white-label reporting, and streamlined approval workflows, exactly what agencies need to stay organised and professional. Clients can review and approve content within their own branded workspace, cutting down on messy email threads.
Watch Out For: Slightly dated interface and a more complex setup process.
Pricing: Starts from $29/month.
8. SocialPilot – The Bulk Scheduler Extraordinaire
Best For: Agencies and SMEs managing multiple accounts at scale
Why It’s Great:
SocialPilot excels in bulk scheduling and collaborative publishing. It’s affordable, efficient, and built for teams that prioritise speed and client approvals. The platform allows managers to review, approve, and track posts across multiple brands from one dashboard.
Watch Out For: Analytics are functional, but not as detailed as premium tools.
Pricing: Starts from $30/month.
9. Loomly – The Approval Process Therapist
Best For: SMEs and growing teams
Why It’s Great:
Loomly makes content planning straightforward and stress-free. It offers post ideas, optimization tips, and clear approval flows that reduce communication friction between clients and creators. Approvals can even be done directly from email, no logins required.
Watch Out For: Decent analytics, but not suited for enterprise-level reporting.
Pricing: Starts from $26/month.
10. ContentStudio – The AI-Powered Strategist
Best For: Global teams managing multiple brands
Why It’s Great: ContentStudio combines AI-powered insights, automation, and content analytics to simplify large-scale content management. Its approval workflows and content pipelines make collaboration smoother for teams working across markets and clients.
Watch Out For: Takes some time to master all the features.
Pricing: Starts from $25/month.
| Tool | Best For | Unique Strength | Price Range | Platforms Supported |
| Polareis | Agencies, SMEs, solopreneurs, and big brands | All-in-one AI-assisted content generation and built-in approval workflows | From $39/month | Facebook, Instagram, X, WordPress Coming up: YouTube, TikTok & LinkedIn |
| Buffer | Freelancers, small teams, and personal brands | Simple scheduling with basic post review and approval options | From $6/month per channel | All major platforms |
| Hootsuite | Enterprises and large teams | Enterprise-grade analytics and customisable approval workflows | From $99/month | All major platforms |
| Sprout Social | Data-focused medium to large businesses | Advanced analytics and structured multi-step approval processes | From $249/month | All major platforms |
| Later | Visual-first brands and influencers | Visual grid planning and built-in content review and client approval | From $25/month | All major platforms |
| Zoho Social | SMEs and teams in the Zoho ecosystem | Integrated CRM and team-based approval management | From $15/month | All major platforms |
| Sendible | Agencies managing multiple clients | White-label client dashboards and approval workflows | From $29/month | All major platforms |
| SocialPilot | Agencies and SMEs managing multiple accounts | Bulk scheduling and cross-brand approval tracking | From $30/month | All major platforms |
| Loomly | SMEs and growing teams | Streamlined approvals and content optimisation suggestions | From $26/month | All major platforms |
| ContentStudio | Global brands | AI-powered strategy tools and scalable approval pipelines | From $25/month | All major platforms |
Conclusion
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to collaboration tools. It all depends on your team’s size, goals, and sanity levels.
If you want an intuitive, marketer-first tool that simplifies planning and approvals, Polareis deserves the top spot. But if you’re after minimalist simplicity, the others on this list have you covered.
Because honestly, the best tool is the one that saves you from chasing approvals at midnight or accidentally posting “Happy New Year!” in March.
Try out 2–3 of these platforms, see which one clicks, and give your team the gift of smooth collaboration. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the best alternative to Planable for social media collaboration?
A: If you’re looking for a powerful Planable alternative, Polareis tops the list for its all-in-one approach. It combines content creation, approval workflows, scheduling, and trend analysis under one platform, ideal for agencies, SMEs, and creators. Other strong options include Buffer for simplicity and Sendible for agencies managing multiple clients.
Q: Why should I consider switching from Planable?
A: While Planable is great for content previews and basic approvals, teams often outgrow its capabilities. Common reasons to switch include limited analytics, higher pricing for advanced features, and scalability issues for agencies managing multiple brands. Exploring alternatives can give you better automation, reporting, and flexibility.
Q: What features should I look for in a social media approval tool?
A: The must-have features include:
- Multi-platform publishing (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, etc.)
- Visual content calendar for strategic planning
- Approval workflows with clear roles and permissions
- Commenting and collaboration tools
- Scalable pricing that grows with your team
These ensure your team stays organised, compliant, and efficient from draft to publish.
Q: Are there any affordable Planable alternatives for small teams or freelancers?
A: Absolutely. Buffer and Later are great for solo creators or small teams focused on visual content. If you want a more advanced setup with built-in approvals and AI content suggestions at an accessible price, Polareis offers plans starting from $39/month, with a free 30-day trial to test the full experience.
Q: Do any of these tools offer a free trial?
A: Most Planable alternatives offer trials or freemium plans. Polareis, for instance, includes a 30-day free trial with full feature access. Perfect for teams exploring better collaboration workflows.
