A real free plan, not a trial
Flow's free plan is free to keep — connect Facebook and Instagram and start scheduling with no card required and no expiry clock.
Best for starting free
The best free social media scheduler to start with
Flow is a strong free social media scheduler: its free plan lets you connect Facebook and Instagram, schedule posts, and generate AI captions at no cost — a real free plan, not a 14-day trial. Later and Hootsuite are trial-only, and Buffer's free plan caps you at 10 posts per channel.
AI captions included free
Generate on-brand captions with built-in AI on the free plan, so you spend less time staring at a blank caption box.
A proper content calendar
Plan and queue your posts visually, pick exact publish times, and let Flow post automatically.
Upgrade only when you grow
Add X, LinkedIn, more channels, and team seats any time — starting at $19/month, with lifetime options available.
The honest verdict
If you are starting out and want to schedule Facebook and Instagram for free with AI captions, Flow's free plan is one of the more generous options available — most competitors only offer a time-limited trial. Upgrade when you need more networks or seats.
A real free plan, not a 14-day trial
Many tools marketed as "free social media schedulers" are really free trials that expire — Later and Hootsuite both make you pick a paid plan once the trial ends, and Buffer's free tier caps you at ten scheduled posts per channel. Flow's free plan is different: it stays free, lets you connect a Facebook Page and an Instagram account, schedule posts on a visual calendar, and generate AI captions without entering a card. You only move to a paid plan when you genuinely outgrow it — when you want X and LinkedIn, more connected channels, AI image generation, or team seats. That means you can run a real posting routine for a small brand indefinitely at no cost, and treat upgrading as a growth decision rather than a deadline.
What the free plan includes
On the free plan you can schedule and auto-publish to Facebook and Instagram, plan posts on the content calendar, and use AI to draft captions. Instagram publishing has two platform requirements worth knowing up front: the Instagram account must be connected through a Facebook Page, and images must be JPEG — Instagram rejects PNG uploads. Those are limitations of Instagram's own publishing API, not Flow, and every scheduler faces them. Bulk uploading, RSS auto-posting, AI image generation, extra networks and additional seats live on the paid tiers, which start at $19/month and include one-time lifetime options if you would rather pay once.
Free social media schedulers compared
Most "free" schedulers are either time-limited trials or heavily capped. Here is how the common options actually compare on their free tier — with Flow positioned where it genuinely leads: a free plan that does not expire.
| Tool | Free tier | Networks on free | AI captions free | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flow | Free forever | Facebook + Instagram | Yes | Upgrade for X, LinkedIn, AI images and more channels |
| Buffer | Free (limited) | Up to 3 channels | Basic | Capped at 10 scheduled posts per channel |
| Later | 14-day trial only | None after trial | No | No lasting free plan — converts to paid |
| Hootsuite | No (trial only) | None after trial | No | Trial, then paid from about $99/user per month |
| Meta Business Suite | Free | Facebook + Instagram only | No | Meta-only; no X or LinkedIn, basic scheduling |
Frequently asked questions
Is Flow's free plan really free forever?
Yes. Flow's free plan has no expiry and no card requirement. You can connect Facebook and Instagram, schedule posts, and generate AI captions for as long as you like. You only pay if you choose to upgrade for more networks, AI images, or team seats.
Which networks does the free plan support?
The free plan supports Facebook Pages and Instagram. X (Twitter) and LinkedIn are available on paid plans. Instagram scheduling requires the account to be connected through a Facebook Page and images to be JPEG, which is an Instagram API rule.
What are the limits on the free plan?
The free plan is designed for one brand getting started: Facebook and Instagram scheduling with AI captions. Higher posting volume, bulk upload, RSS auto-posting, AI image generation, more channels and team seats are reserved for the paid tiers from $19/month.
When should I upgrade from the free plan?
Upgrade when you need to post to X or LinkedIn, connect more channels, generate AI images, bulk-schedule, auto-post from an RSS feed, or add teammates. Paid plans start at $19/month, and lifetime one-time plans are available if you prefer not to subscribe.
Try Flow free — no card required.
Start on the free plan with Facebook and Instagram, then upgrade any time. Every paid plan includes a 7-day money-back guarantee, and lifetime pricing is available if you’d rather pay once.