Best TikTok Scheduling Tools (2026): 7 Compared

If you post only to TikTok from a computer, TikTok's own scheduler is free and enough. If you also post to other networks, Publer ($4 a month) and Buffer ($5 per channel) have the cheapest paid plans, and Buffer, Publer, Metricool and SociaHive all have a free plan. Prices were checked on each tool's pricing page as of October 2026.

The best TikTok scheduling tools at a glance

Seven options cover almost every case: TikTok's own scheduler and six third-party tools. The main differences are whether a tool publishes the video for you or only reminds you, and what the free plan allows.

Tool	Free plan	Paid from	How it posts to TikTok
TikTok scheduler	Free	n/a	Publishes automatically
Buffer	3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each	$5 a month per channel	Auto-publish or reminder
SociaHive	30 scheduled posts a month	$29 a month	Auto-publish, reminder or TikTok inbox
Later	None, 14-day trial	$18.75 a month, billed yearly	Auto-publish
Publer	3 accounts, 10 scheduled posts each	$4 a month, billed yearly	Scheduled videos and carousels
Metricool	20 posts a month	$20 a month, billed yearly	Auto-publish or reminder
SocialBee	None, 14-day trial	About $24 a month, billed yearly	Video auto-publishes, the rest by reminder

1. TikTok's built-in scheduler

TikTok's scheduler lets you set a post up to 10 days ahead from the desktop website, at no cost. TikTok's help page says to log in on desktop, click Upload, add your video, toggle the schedule button and pick a date and time. The time zone defaults to your computer's setting.

• What it does for TikTok: publishes the video at the time you set and sends you a push notification when it goes live.
• Best for: one account that posts only to TikTok.
• Price: free.
• Limitation: TikTok says scheduled posts can't be edited, only deleted, and the window is a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 10 days.

Buffer's guide gives 30 days for the same tool, so check the date picker in your own upload screen.

2. Buffer

Buffer is the simplest multi-network option, with a free plan that includes TikTok. Buffer's pricing page lists a free plan with up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel, and a mobile notification you can use to finish a post in the app for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

• What it does for TikTok: either publishes automatically or sends a notification so you finish the post in TikTok, according to Buffer's TikTok guide.
• Best for: solo creators who want a clean queue and a free start.
• Price: free, then Essentials at $5 a month per channel ($60 billed yearly).
• Limitation: Buffer's guide says auto-published TikToks can only use original audio, so a video with a trending sound has to go through the notification route.

3. SociaHive

SociaHive schedules TikTok videos and photo posts alongside Instagram, Facebook Pages, YouTube and more, and suggests a TikTok posting time from the account's own data. It also automates Instagram DMs.

• What it does for TikTok: publishes videos and photo posts at the scheduled time, or, if you prefer to finish in the app, sends you a reminder or puts the post in your TikTok inbox.
• Best for: people who post to TikTok and Instagram and want scheduling and DM replies in one tool.
• Price: free plan with 30 scheduled posts a month on every network except X, then paid plans from $29 a month.
• Limitation: sounds from TikTok's library and in-app effects still have to be added in the TikTok app, using the inbox route.

4. Later

Later publishes TikTok videos for you and is built around a visual calendar. Its TikTok scheduler page describes automatic publishing, comment moderation and a link-in-bio page, and its pricing page lists best-time-to-post suggestions for Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

• What it does for TikTok: schedules and auto-publishes videos, with best-time suggestions.
• Best for: brands that plan Instagram and TikTok together on one calendar.
• Price: Starter at $18.75 a month billed yearly, with a 14-day free trial.
• Limitation: no free plan, and Starter allows 30 posts per profile per month.

5. Publer

Publer has the lowest paid price on this list and a free plan. Its TikTok scheduler page says you can schedule TikTok videos and carousels, and its pricing page lists 3 social accounts and 10 scheduled posts per account on the free plan.

• What it does for TikTok: schedules videos and carousels with a drag-and-drop calendar and a media library.
• Best for: creators and small teams on a tight budget.
• Price: free, then Professional at $4 a month billed yearly.
• Limitation: the free plan keeps your published-post history for only 24 hours.

6. Metricool

Metricool lists its TikTok limits in detail. Its TikTok help page says it can schedule and auto-publish videos and photo carousels of up to 35 images, for personal and business accounts, with video from 3 seconds to 10 minutes. If Metricool is not the right fit, see our list of Metricool alternatives.

• What it does for TikTok: auto-publishes, or sends a reminder when you choose manual publishing.
• Best for: people who want analytics and scheduling in one dashboard.
• Price: free for 1 brand with 20 posts a month, then Starter from $20 a month billed annually ($25 monthly).
• Limitation: music outside TikTok's Top 100 trending songs, and effects, need manual publishing.

7. SocialBee

SocialBee is built around content categories and recycling evergreen posts. Its TikTok page says a single MP4 or MOV video under 3 minutes and 50 MB posts directly, while multiple videos and image posts of up to 12 images go through reminders.

• What it does for TikTok: schedules videos, with category rotation and evergreen reposting.
• Best for: accounts that recycle a library of evergreen videos.
• Price: Bootstrap from about $24 a month billed annually, per its pricing page, with a 14-day free trial.
• Limitation: only single videos auto-publish, so carousels need you to finish the post in the app.

How we chose the best TikTok scheduling tools

A tool made the list if its own site says it handles TikTok video, states what it publishes automatically, and shows a public price. We dropped tools that mention TikTok only in a feature list with no detail.

Each tool is judged on four things: how it posts (auto or reminder), what the free plan lets you do, the cheapest paid price on its pricing page, and the one limit most likely to bite.

Auto-publish or reminder: which should you pick?

Pick auto-publish for original-audio videos and a reminder when the post needs a trending sound or an in-app effect. Auto-publish posts through TikTok's API at the time you set, so you can be offline. A reminder sends a notification and leaves the last tap to you.

The API route has gaps. Metricool says music outside TikTok's Top 100 trending songs, and effects need manual publishing, and Buffer says auto-published posts use original audio only. Start with auto-publish and switch a single post to a reminder when you need a sound.

For photo carousels, see TikTok image sizes or run images through the TikTok photo resizer. For the routine around any scheduler, read the social media content scheduling guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see the schedule option on TikTok?

You probably don't meet TikTok's requirements. Its help page says only a Business Account or over, with 10,000 followers or more, can access desktop scheduling, and that it is not available on TikTok Mobile Web. Buffer says personal accounts can't schedule. Switch to a Business Account in your settings, then use the upload page on a computer.

Can I schedule TikToks from my phone?

TikTok's help page describes desktop scheduling only. Buffer's guide says the separate TikTok Studio app has a Schedule post option in its upload flow, though the main TikTok app does not. Third-party tools with mobile apps, such as Buffer, are the other route.

Do I need a business account to use a third-party scheduler?

It depends on the tool. Buffer says you can't schedule TikToks from a personal account and asks you to switch to a creator or business account. Metricool's help page says it can schedule and auto-publish for both personal and business accounts. Check the tool's TikTok help page before you pay.

Can I schedule TikTok photo carousels?

Yes, in a third-party tool. TikTok's making a post page says a photo post can hold up to 35 photos, and Metricool auto-publishes carousels up to 35 images. SocialBee sends image posts of up to 12 images as reminders instead. TikTok's own scheduler page mentions video only.

Sources

1. TikTok Support, Schedule video
2. Buffer, Pricing
3. Buffer, How to Schedule TikTok Posts
4. Later, Pricing
5. Publer, Pricing
6. Metricool, Schedule and Post on TikTok
7. Metricool, Pricing
8. SocialBee, TikTok scheduler