How to schedule posts on Instagram using third-party tools

Dylan Horetski
schedule posts on instagram

Scheduling posts on Instagram is not built natively into the app, but if you want to maximize engagement, you might want to post at a certain time. We’re here to help you figure out the needed tools to schedule your next upload. 

Making sure your Instagram audience sees your content increases engagement across the board. You don’t want to have to hover over your phone to make sure you upload your latest picture at the right time, but if you look for an option to schedule it inside the app, you won’t find one.

However, the platform’s API has allowed businesses to create Instagram scheduling software that lets creators pick a time they want to upload their image automatically. We’re here to help you familiarize yourself with them.

How to schedule posts on Instagram

Price: Free (Base)/$45 per month (Starter)/$800 (Professional)/$3,200 (Enterprise)

hubspot home page
Hubspot allows you to schedule posts almost anywhere.

A part of Hubspot’s Marketing Hub, the social media software allows you to edit, schedule, and tag other accounts and users. Hubspot isn’t just limited to Instagram as it also allows you to post to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Price: Free (Base)/$12.50 per month (starter)/$20.80 (Growth)/$33.33 (Advanced)

later home page
Later offers quick drag and drop uploading for Instagram users.

If you’re looking for a simple way to schedule posts specifically on Instagram, Later has quite a few features available to you. It has a full content calendar, drag and drop planning, business profile support, and even allows you to link certain posts to specific product pages with their Linkin.Bio feature.

Price: Free (Base)/$9.99 per month (Pro)/ $19.99 (Advanced)/$39.99 (Max)

tailwind home page
Tailwind is the only website in this list that allows uploading to Pinterest.

Tailwind stands out from the list with its built-in bulk image uploading and hashtag finder. However, it’s limited to Instagram and Pinterest uploads.

Price: Free (Base)/$15 per month (Pro)/ $65 (Premium)/ $99 (Business)

buffer website
Buffer allows you to upload straight from your phone with their native apps for Android and iOS.

Buffer allows you to schedule posts between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Offering a mobile app as well as the ability to make your hashtags appear in your comments instead of the caption, it’s one of the more versatile options on this list.

Price: $34 per month(Base)/$76 (Standard)/ $159 (Advanced)/$332 (Premium)

Loomly home page
Loomly may charge for their base plan, but they have plenty of options to consider.

While Loomly is the only service listed that does not offer a free package, it’s full of features that are missing from other options. They offer automatic publishing to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as well as Facebook and Instagram Ad placement.

Loomly also separates itself from the competition by offering integrated notification support for all of your favorite work applications — including email, Slack, and more.

Now that you have familiarized yourself with the third-party tools needed to schedule an Instagram post, choose the one that fits your needs and have fun! Check out more how-to’s for social media and games in Dexerto’s guide section.