Subastian / Tool stacks / Social Media Agency
Niche stack · Social Media Agency
Social Media Agency Tool Stack: What It Costs in 2026 (and What to Cut)
A social media agency pays for scheduling and analytics, design, video editing and caption help. Scheduling is where agencies most often pay twice, because each client arrives with a favorite tool.
Prices checked October 19, 2026 on each vendor's own page- Lean stack
- ≈ $116.67/mo
- Paying for the overlaps too
- + $217.50/mo
Metricool Starter, Canva Business for 2 people, Descript Creator (monthly) and ChatGPT Plus. Yearly prices divided by 12.
What the tools marked “Overlaps” add on top, for jobs the lean stack already covers.
The stack, tool by tool
Prices are in USD before tax, exactly as each vendor listed them. Some only show yearly billing; the per-month column divides those by 12.
| Tool and job | Price as listed | ≈ per month | Free plan or trial | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metricool StarterScheduling and analytics | $20/mo for up to 5 brands, billed annually | $20 | Free plan (1 brand) | In lean stack |
| Later GrowthScheduling and analytics | $37.50/mo billed yearly (2 social sets, 2 users) | — | 14-day free trial | Overlaps Metricool, Buffer |
| Buffer TeamScheduling | $12 per channel per month billed monthly ($10 billed yearly) | — | Free for up to 3 channels. 14-day trial. | Overlaps Metricool, Later |
| Canva BusinessPost and story design | $250/yr per person | $41.67 (2 people) | Free plan | In lean stack |
| Descript CreatorShort-form video edits and captions | $35/mo billed monthly, or $24/mo billed annually | $35 | Free plan | In lean stack |
| ChatGPT PlusCaption drafts | $20/mo, billed monthly | $20 | Free plan | In lean stack |
What to cut
- Pick one scheduler for every client.Metricool, Later and Buffer all schedule posts. Buffer Team for 5 brands on 3 channels each is 15 channels, or $180 a month billed monthly. Metricool Starter covers 5 brands for $20 a month billed annually.
- Price per brand, not per tool.Metricool prices by brand count and Buffer by channel. Count both before you choose, because the cheaper tool flips as you add clients.
- Remove offboarded clients the same week.Seats and brand slots for clients who have left keep billing until someone removes them.
Track this stack automatically
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Sources
Every price above was read on the vendor's own website on October 19, 2026. Plans and prices change, so check before you buy. This page has no affiliate links, and Subastian isn't paid by any tool listed.