Later.com Review 2023: The Best Instagram Scheduling Tool? (Or Not?)

This post is a review of Later.com – one of the most popular Instagram scheduling tools. But is it worth your money in 2023?

Is Later.com the best Instagram scheduling tool?

We’re going to find out!

If you’re a social media manager like me, I’m sure you’re probably heard about Later. I’ve found out about this social media scheduling tool after seeing popular Instagram influencers recommending it. I also started to receive a lot of questions about Later scheduling and analytics features on a weekly basis.

(Good job Later for #influencermarketing done right!)

But having heard so much about this tool, I was curious to find out:

Can Later.com make my life as a full-time social media manager easier?
Do they have all the necessary tools (analytics, scheduling, etc.) for complete social media management?
How does Later compare to other social media scheduling tools,
After trying it, would I recommend Later to anyone?

Let’s dive into the review to find out!

LATER.COM REVIEW (2023): #1: Social media scheduling features

This section will give you information about the following:

How much does the subscription plan cost in 2023
The most popular features on Later.com
Who is it for? and who it’s NOT for?
Do I recommend it?
My overall rating

Is Later.com the best Instagram scheduling tool for marketers?

#1: Price: How much does a subscription to Later cost in 2023?

Has free trial? Yes (14-day free trial)
Price: $25/month for 1 complete set of socials, and up to 3 users
Additional account: $20+/ month per account
Additional user: $5/month each

#2: Top Later Scheduling Features:

Scheduling content on Instagram, TikTok (doesn’t really schedule, just sends reminders), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Digital content calendar
Instagram grid preview
Media library
Conversations management
Collect media (hashtags, mentions, images)
Instagram Analytics
Link in Bio tool for Instagram

#3: The Dashboard Look

Below are some screenshots to give you an idea how the Instagram scheduling dashboard looks like:

Instagram grid preview – shows you how your content will appear on Instagram

Media Library – allows you to upload images from Google Drive and categorize them

Analytics – shows you an overview of the post-performance, helps you track your profile growth, and linkin.bio stats

Linkin.bio feature – allows you to create a custom URL and paste it in your Instagram bio

#4: Pros and cons of scheduling content with Later.com

Pros of using Later.com:

Supports cross posting on different social media channels
Comes with a feed preview feature for Instagram
Schedule FREE up to 30 posts each months
Schedule videos & crop them into different sizes
Choose a cover photo for your Instagram videos so your feed looks neat
Easy to use for beginners

Cons of using Later.com:

Claims that it schedules Instagram Stories & TikTok videos BUT that’s not true. The app doesn’t auto post for you and allows you to set phone reminders for these posts

Beware not to make this mistake!
Later doesn’t schedule Stories.

Comes with limited analytics: on the free plan you can only see analytics of the last 30 posts
You can only see analytics for posts that are scheduled using Later

Looking for a complete tool for social media management? Read this post to find out the 7 Best Social Media Analytics tools that I highly recommend!

My thoughts & final review after using Later.com for Instagram scheduling (on and off for 1 year)

Overall, the tool does what it claims: it helps you schedule Instagram posts and allows you to preview your feed. They have a free plan and offer free trials for their paid plans where you can test their analytics features.

That’s where the good things stop.

I am honestly not impressed by the features this tool offers, especially having tried almost every other social media tool out there (including Pallyy, Planoly, Hootsuite, Creator Studio, Buffer)

Sorry, I don’t get the hype. I also feel that at Later’s price of $25/mo. per single Instagram profile, it’s quite high, especially if compared to Pallyy’s $15/mo for 1 set of socials.

My honest opinion is that they charge higher than average fees because they pay marketing gurus and influencers commissions for recommending the app.

Later Review 2023: Is Later.com the best Instagram scheduling tool?

My overall rating for Later is 3/5. An average Instagram scheduling tool, that does the job, but – it’s waaaay overhyped!

You can quote me on that.

Who is Later.com Instagram scheduling tool for?

New business owners who want a tool that schedules content across multiple channels
Someone who’s not really particular about tracking analytics
Photographers who want to categorize their images with tags before posting
Bloggers who run their own social media channel and want a simple to use tool

Who is Later.com not for?

Social media agencies and freelancers who manage more than 3 accounts
Anyone who expects to schedule Instagram stories with Later will end up disappointed

(Note: No social media platform is able to schedule Instagram Stories currently. Anyone who claims they do – well, isn’t telling you the truth)

Alle Ceambur