Cheaper Than Lately 2026: Best Budget AI Social Media Tools
TL;DR - Quick Answer
11 min readQuick tool comparison. Features, pricing, and what works best for your needs.
Quick answer: Lately starts at $119/month. SocialRails offers unlimited AI content for $29/month. Buffer is free. Here are all your budget options.
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialLately's Price Problem
Plus: 20-40 hour setup time and 60-70% AI accuracy requiring editing.
Cheaper Alternatives at a Glance
Lately costs $119/month. How much can you save with SocialRails?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Top 5 Budget Alternatives
1. Buffer — Free Option
Price: Free - $6/channel
Annual savings: $1,428+ vs Lately Starter
Best for: Solo creators on tight budgets.
Buffer vs Lately →2. SocialRails — Best AI Value
Price: $29-99/month
Annual savings: $1,080 vs Lately Starter
Best for: Teams wanting AI without the price tag.
Try SocialRails free →3. SocialBee — Best for Automation
Price: $29-99/month
Annual savings: $1,080 vs Lately Starter
Best for: Evergreen content strategies.
SocialBee Pricing →You want AI content like Lately but cheaper. Which tool saves the most while keeping AI?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
4. Metricool — Free Analytics
Price: Free-$199/month
Annual savings: $1,428+ with free plan
Best for: Teams prioritizing analytics over AI.
Metricool Pricing →5. Pallyy — Best Budget Visual
Price: $25-199/month
Annual savings: $1,128 vs Lately Starter
Best for: Instagram-focused visual planning.
Pallyy Pricing →Cost Comparison: Annual View
Your team spends $119/month on Lately but rarely uses Voice Model. What's the smart move?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
What You Lose vs Lately
Being fair—Lately has unique features:
If you need these: Lately may be worth it.
If you don't: Save $90+/month.
What You Gain
Decision Guide
Stay with Lately if you:
- Need Voice Model technology
- Repurpose lots of video/audio content
- Run employee advocacy programs
- Have budget for $119+/month
- Already invested 20-40 hours setup
Switch to cheaper tools if you:
- Mainly need AI text content
- Want quick setup
- Budget under $100/month
- Don't use Lately's unique features
- Prefer simplicity
Final decision: Solo creator, $100/month budget, need AI content, want easy setup. Best choice?
💡 Tip: Think carefully before selecting your answer!
Best Overall Value: SocialRails
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialQuick Answers
What's the cheapest Lately alternative? Buffer is free. SocialRails and SocialBee are $29/month.
Can I get AI content for less than $119/month? Yes. SocialRails offers unlimited AI for $29/month.
Is Lately worth $119/month? Only if you need Voice Model technology and content repurposing from video/audio. Most users don't.
How much can I save switching from Lately? $840-1,188/year depending on which alternative you choose.
Summary
Lately costs: $119-199/month
Cheaper alternatives:
- Buffer — Free (save $1,428/year)
- SocialRails — $29/month (save $1,080/year)
- SocialBee — $29/month (save $1,080/year)
- Metricool — Free tier (save $1,428/year)
- Pallyy — $25/month (save $1,128/year)
Best value with AI: SocialRails at $29/month.
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialRelated
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- Cheaper Than Buffer
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- Cheaper Than SocialBee
Pricing Guides:
Best-Of Guides:
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