5 Free Social Media Software Options to Boost Your Company's Digital Presence

Samantha Bonanno profile picture
By Samantha Bonanno

Published
7 min read

Need software to fuel your social media marketing strategy? Check out these solutions that don't require you to pull out your wallet.

With the explosive and sustained popularity of social media, social media marketing has emerged as a core component of small-business marketing strategies. In fact, 61% of U.S. small businesses use social media as part of their overall marketing strategy.

To stay competitive, small-business marketers need to invest in social media management tools to:

  • Publish content on multiple social media platforms

  • Monitor social media activity (e.g. users, followers, interactions)

  • Track the ROI of social media marketing efforts

Many small-business marketers jump the gun and purchase a full suite of social media management software out of the gate, only to end up using a handful of the included features.

Don't fall victim to this trap. Trying a free version of a social media management tool instead of diving into paid software not only helps you assess the utility of the product but also lets you move on to another vendor, at no cost, if you realize a product doesn't suit your needs.

To help you choose the best free solution for your business with the least amount of effort, we've rounded up the top five free social media management tools you can check out right now.

This article looks at five highly rated free social media management options. See the full list of free social media management solutions here.

Products are presented in alphabetical order. For the full methodology, click here.

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5 free social media software solutions

1. Buffer

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of date of publication

Buffer is known in the industry for its ability to schedule recurring posts. The free version lets users manage up to three profiles on one or more platforms and also offers extensive features:

  • Integration with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.

  • A browser extension that lets you schedule content directly from whatever webpage you're viewing.

  • A video/GIF uploader.

  • An optimal timing tool that posts when your audience is most likely to see your content.

Pros

Cons

Buffer's standout feature is its built-in image creator—Pablo—which allows users to create and post content within the app.

Buffer's free version limits scheduling to up to 10 posts per social account at once.

Capterra reviewers find Buffer easy to use and learn and particularly appreciate the product's easy scheduling functionality.

Free users are limited to three social media platforms (chosen from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+).

Cost to Upgrade: Users can upgrade to Pro for $15 per month. This plan includes one user and up to eight social media accounts.

Who Should Use Buffer? Buffer is most suitable for small-business managers who need a feature-rich social media software solution and are looking to manage only one social media profile.

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Content publishing in Buffer (Source)

2. Crowdfire

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of date of publication

Crowdfire includes all the basic features a marketing manager needs in its free version, which supports one social media profile and up to 10 scheduled posts.

The product focuses on "content curation" functionality, enabling users to collect images and other content from various online sources and repost them on their social media profiles. The software's freemium version includes:

  • A Google Chrome browser extension to share articles directly from webpages.

  • Article and image curation.

  • Daily reports that include analytics on account performance.

Pros

Cons

Capterra reviewers like that Crowdfire doesn't limit the number of curated articles and images for social campaigns.

Capterra reviewers note that the configuration of the dashboard is confusing in how features are organized.

The software is known for its content recommendations and lets users schedule social media posts right from its recommendations page.

The free reports provide analytics for the past day; users who need monthly and quarterly reports will need to upgrade to the paid version.

Cost to Upgrade: Users can upgrade to Plus for $7.48 per month. This plan includes two social media profiles and a queue size of 100 scheduled posts.

Who Should Use Crowdfire? Crowdfire is best suited to small-business marketing managers looking for social media management software with content curation functionality who need to manage one account. Marketers who need to manage more than one account can use the freemium version in combination with other solutions, such as Tweetdeck.

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Social analytics in Crowdfire (Source)

3. SMhack

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of date of publication

SMhack is a basic social account management tool, with a free version that connects up to three social media profiles and allows unlimited users.

It features a simple, unified dashboard equipped with tracking, task management, third-party integrations, and a content library, though most of the advanced features are offered exclusively to paid customers.

Pros

Cons

SMhack lets you schedule an unlimited number of posts per day, something that no other product on this list offers.

The free version includes fairly basic features (scheduling and publishing) but lacks other features such as reporting and workflow management.

Capterra reviewers find SMhack's interface easy to use and the product's learning curve relatively low.

Capterra reviewers find that working with multiple client accounts, while possible, can be difficult to set up.

Cost to Upgrade: Users can upgrade to the Basic package for $3 per profile, per month. This package includes basic reports.

Who Should use SMhack? SMhack is most suitable for small-business marketers and social media agencies seeking a scalable social media management solution.

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Conversations in SMhack (Source)

4. SocialOomph

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of date of publication

SocialOomph is a holistic tool that works with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, RSS feeds, blogs, Plurk, and App.net.

Its free version lets users schedule tweets and track keywords on up to five Twitter accounts. Its scheduling and posting tool includes a URL-shortening feature and also allows users to track clicks.

Pros

Cons

Capterra reviewers love the product's scheduling functionality and find the interface easy to learn and use.

The paid version of SocialOomph supports multiple social platforms, but the free version supports only Twitter.

Users also like the ability to customize RSS feeds based on keywords, noting that it lets them manage relevant topics and themes.

The product also lacks a content calendar function.

Cost to Upgrade: Users can upgrade to the Advanced Suite for $15 a month. This plan unlocks access to all posting features and enables one scheduling queue.

Who Is SocialOomph Most Suitable For? SocialOomph is best suited to small-business marketers looking to improve engagement on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Posting options in SocialOomph (Source)

5. TweetDeck

Trial/Free Version

  • Free Trial
  • Free Version

Device compatibility

* Analysis accurate as of date of publication

TweetDeck is a popular tool for both businesses and individuals seeking in-depth Twitter account management. The tool lets users post and schedule tweets, and monitor multiple feeds (e.g., timeline, mentions, hashtags, categories, notifications, etc.) at once.

TweetDeck also integrates with Buffer, enabling marketers to track campaigns across their Twitter and other social media accounts in one place.

Pros

Cons

Because TweetDeck is totally free, there's no limit on features or number of accounts.

While TweetDeck is a complete Twitter management solution, some reviewers say its lack of integrated reporting and analytics functionality are limiting.

Capterra reviewers describe TweetDeck as the most intuitive Twitter management dashboard available.

The product supports only Twitter and can't be used for other social media channels.

Cost to Upgrade: TweetDeck is entirely free.

Who Is TweetDeck Most Suitable For? TweetDeck is best suited to small-business marketers who need an exclusive Twitter management solution.

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Timelines and mentions in TweetDeck (Source)

Next steps

Still unsure of which free software option best fits your business needs? Here are a few tips to help move your selection process along:

  1. Shortlist products based on your required features. Make a list of the features you need, and only shortlist products that offer most or all of those features.

  2. Account for your required number of accounts and posts. Determine your content and scheduling needs and narrow your shortlist accordingly.

  3. Evaluate customer support offerings for each product. Before making a final decision, assess the quality and amount of customer support. You can find customer support reviews and ratings in our social media management software directory.

If you're ready for more help with your social media marketing, check out these Capterra resources:


Methodology

Our assessment of products for this list was completed in three stages:

In the first stage, we looked at products in Capterra's software directory to identify complete social media management solutions. To be included:

  • The product must work with at least one of the top social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

  • The product must include post scheduling and publishing functionality.

  • The product must have a minimum of 10 user reviews on Capterra's site.

In the second stage, we assessed whether a free version of the product is available. For the purposes of this article, we classified a product as free if:

  • It offers a free, standalone version of the software.

  • It is not a trial version of the product that requires users to purchase a different version after a specified time period elapses.

The resulting scores were used to create a list of the top five solutions, and products were organized alphabetically.

Note: The content in this piece that provides opinions and points of view expressed by users does not represent the views of Capterra.


Looking for Social Media Monitoring software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Social Media Monitoring software solutions.

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About the Author

Samantha Bonanno profile picture

Senior Specialist Analyst @ Capterra, sharing insights about marketing technology and business trends. BA in English, SUNY Geneseo. Published in MarTech, Protocol, Marketing Profs. DC transplant, Upstate NY native. I love lively debates, strong coffee, and backpacking with my rescue dogs.

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