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Free social media scheduler for every platform you post on

Write once and get a caption that fits each platform. Check every platform's rules before you post, then drag posts onto a content calendar. Fill a queue of posting times and import a whole folder of videos in one go. A free alternative to paid schedulers.

100% free — no plans, no upgrades, no cardNo channel or post limits from GrabCastDrafts stay in your browser
Instagram Facebook Pages TikTok YouTube & Shorts

Connect Facebook Pages and Instagram professional accounts to publish or schedule — this is in beta while the platforms review GrabCast. YouTube and TikTok publishing follow after their reviews. Without a connected account, drafts stay on your device and GrabCast reminds you when it's time to post.

Open the scheduler app

A full-screen workspace with a dashboard, content calendar, queue, library, analytics and a comments inbox. It works in your browser right away — nothing is posted unless you connect an account and confirm.

Dashboard with what's next and what needs attentionKeyboard shortcuts & command paletteLight and dark mode

Everything you need to plan a month of posts

Many of these cost extra on other schedulers. GrabCast is 100% free — there are no plans to upgrade to.

Drag-and-drop calendar

Month and week views in your time zone. Drag drafts onto a day or hour, or use the keyboard.

Bulk planner & schedule templates

Plan 1 to 90 days at once: many posts, every platform, recommended times, limit checks and a calendar preview. Undo in one click.

Dashboard & bulk actions

See what's next, what failed and how full your queue is. Search, filter and select posts to reschedule, duplicate or delete in bulk.

Queue time slots

Set your regular posting times once. “Add to queue” and auto-spread fill the next free slots.

Platform checks before you post

Caption limits, hashtag counts, aspect ratios, lengths and file sizes, with one-click fixes.

Per-platform captions

One post, a tailored caption for each network. Auto-adapt it or let AI write each version.

AI captions & hashtags

Write from an idea, rewrite, shorten, translate and get hashtag suggestions. You approve every change.

Smart import

Drop a folder of videos with caption files or a schedule.csv. Get ready-to-post drafts in seconds.

Repurpose one video everywhere

See at a glance if a video fits Reels, Shorts and TikTok, with links to crop, trim and compress it.

Approval links

Share a draft with a client. They review it without an account and reply with an approval.

Reminders & calendar export

Browser notifications when a post is due, plus an .ics file with alarms for Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar.

Hashtag groups, templates & UTM

Reusable hashtag sets, caption templates with placeholders and automatic UTM tags on links.

Analytics & best times

Per-post stats and a best-time heatmap for connected accounts. Before you connect, the dashboard shows clearly labeled sample data.

Private by default

Drafts and media stay in your browser until you choose to connect. Export a backup anytime.

How to schedule social media posts for free

Write once

Pick Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube and write your caption. You can also start from a template or ask AI. Tailor the caption for each platform if you like.

Check & preview

Add photos or videos. GrabCast checks each platform's limits in your browser and shows a preview mockup, with fixes such as Convert to JPEG or Crop to 4:5.

Plan it

Drag drafts onto the calendar, add them to your queue or apply a posting pack. Share an approval link if a client needs to sign off.

Publish

With a connected account, confirm and GrabCast publishes on time. Without one, you get a reminder and copy the caption with one tap.

Free Buffer alternative? How GrabCast compares

A factual look at what each service includes without paying, as of September 2026. Pick the tool that fits your workflow.

GrabCast (100% free) compared with the free plans of Buffer, Later and Hootsuite as of September 2026
What you get without payingGrabCastBufferLaterHootsuite
Price100% free: no plans, no upgrades, no credit cardYesNo: 14-day trial (Starter from $18.75/mo, billed yearly)No: 14-day trial (Standard $99/user/mo)
Channels included freeNo GrabCast limit
Connecting accounts is in beta
3No free planNo free plan
Posts included freeNo GrabCast limit
Platform caps apply, e.g. Instagram 100 API posts / 24 h
10 queued per channelNo free planNo free plan
Queue time slotsFreeFreeNo free planNo free plan
Bulk CSV importFree, up to 500 rows, plus folder importFree: 10 posts; paid: 100 per channel (text + 1 image)No free planNo free plan
Hashtag groupsFreePaid plansNo free planNo free plan
First commentFree to plan; posted automatically once the platform permission is approvedPaid plansNo free planNo free plan
Approval / share linkFree (text-only link)Paid plansNo free planNo free plan
Analytics included freePer-post stats for connected accounts (beta)Yes, 30 daysNo free planNo free plan

Competitor details as of September 2026, from buffer.com/pricing, later.com/pricing, hootsuite.com/plans and Buffer's help center (posting schedules, first comment). Plans and prices change often, so check each site for current details. Buffer, Later and Hootsuite are trademarks of their respective owners. GrabCast is not affiliated with them.

How to use the Social Media Scheduler

  1. Pick where the post goes (Instagram, Facebook Page, TikTok, YouTube) and the post type for each: photo, carousel, Reel, Story, video or Short. Or click Post to all platforms.
  2. Write your caption. The counters show each platform's limit and your hashtag count. Open Per-platform captions to tailor each network, and use AI assist, templates or hashtag groups.
  3. Add photos or videos. Their size, dimensions and length are read in your browser and checked against each platform's rules. A single video gets a Repurpose panel with links to the video cropper, trimmer and compressor.
  4. Save and plan. Save a draft, then drag it onto the Calendar, click Add to queue, or use Queue → Auto-spread and posting packs.
  5. Bulk import from the Library: Smart import pairs clip.mp4 with clip.txt (optional settings such as platforms: instagram, tiktok and when: 2026-10-05 19:00 at the top, a blank line, then the title and the caption) and an optional schedule.csv. CSV import takes caption, date, time, platforms, kind, first_comment, link, title columns and shows a dry-run preview first.
  6. Stay on time. Turn on reminders in Settings or export the calendar as an .ics file. Back up everything with Settings → Export.

Connect Bluesky and Mastodon

How do I create a Bluesky app password?

In the Bluesky app or on bsky.app, open Settings → Privacy and security → App passwords → Add app password. Give it a name such as “GrabCast”, leave “Allow access to your direct messages” off, and copy the password (it looks like xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx). In GrabCast, open Accounts → Connect → Bluesky and enter your handle and that app password. GrabCast refuses your main password, never stores the app password (only an encrypted login session) and you can revoke it in the same Bluesky screen at any time. If your account lives on your own server (a custom PDS), open “Your account is on another server?” and enter its address. You can connect several Bluesky accounts.

How do I choose a Mastodon server and connect it?

Mastodon is made of many independent servers. If you already have an account, enter its server (for example mastodon.social or the part after the second @ in @you@server). If you are new, pick a general-purpose server that is open for sign-ups, in your language, with rules you agree with — joinmastodon.org/servers lists them. In GrabCast, open Accounts → Connect → Mastodon, enter the server and approve GrabCast on your server's own sign-in page. GrabCast reads each server's own limits (characters per post, media, file sizes, poll options), so the composer always counts against the right numbers. You can connect accounts on several servers.

Are scheduled and automated posts allowed?

Scheduling your own posts is allowed on Bluesky and on most Mastodon servers, but every Mastodon server sets its own rules: some ask brands and automated accounts to post “unlisted” (Quiet public), to mark the profile as automated, or not to post more than a few times an hour. Check your server's About page before scheduling a lot. GrabCast never follows, likes or replies on its own — likes, boosts and replies in the Inbox happen only when you click them — and it caps actions per account per hour to stay well inside both networks' rate limits.

What can GrabCast do on Bluesky and Mastodon?

Posts with up to 4 images (Bluesky) or your server's media limit, one video, alt text, threads, link cards, quote posts, who-can-reply settings and content labels on Bluesky, and content warnings, visibility, languages and polls on Mastodon. Replies and mentions appear in the Inbox where you can answer, like, repost or boost, hide replies (Bluesky), mute or block. Analytics show likes, reposts, replies and quotes per post plus follower history. Mastodon posts can be edited after publishing; Bluesky posts can't be edited, so GrabCast offers “Delete & repost”. Disconnecting an account deletes its Bluesky session or revokes the Mastodon token.

Frequently asked questions

Is this social media scheduler really free?

Yes. The planner, content calendar, queue, platform checks, previews, imports, approval links and reminders are free, with no credit card and no channel or post limits set by GrabCast. The platforms have their own limits — for example, Instagram allows 100 API-published posts per account in 24 hours.

Does it post to my accounts automatically?

When you connect a Facebook Page or an Instagram professional account, GrabCast publishes or schedules a post only after you tick a confirmation box and click Schedule or Publish now. Connecting accounts is in beta while the platforms review GrabCast; YouTube and TikTok publishing follow after their reviews. Without a connected account, your drafts and planned times stay on your device, and GrabCast reminds you when it's time to post so you can publish in one tap.

What do I need to connect Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or TikTok?

Instagram must be a professional account (Business or Creator, free to switch in the Instagram app) linked to a Facebook Page you manage; you connect it by continuing to Facebook and picking that Page. For Facebook you need to manage the Page with permission to create content. YouTube needs a Google account with a channel, and you choose each video's visibility and answer YouTube's made-for-kids and altered-content questions. For TikTok, GrabCast shows only the privacy and interaction options your account allows. The setup guide on the dashboard (Help, then Setup guide) walks you through it, and the Accounts tab shows each account's status with a one-click Reconnect.

Is GrabCast a free alternative to Buffer, Later or Hootsuite?

It can be, depending on what you need. As of September 2026, Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels and 10 queued posts per channel, while Later and Hootsuite offer free trials instead of free plans. GrabCast's planner has no channel or queue limits of its own and includes queue slots, hashtag groups, caption templates and approval links for free. Direct publishing through GrabCast is still in beta, so check the comparison table for details.

Where are my drafts and media stored?

Without a connected account, drafts, captions, planned times and attached photos and videos are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) on this device and are not uploaded. Use Settings → Export to back them up or move them to another computer. When you save or publish to a connected account, the post and its media are stored in your GrabCast account so they can be published on time.

Which platform rules does it check?

Instagram: JPEG images up to 8 MB with a 4:5 to 1.91:1 aspect ratio, Reels of 3 seconds to 15 minutes, Stories up to 60 seconds, 2,200-character captions and at most 5 hashtags (Instagram lowered the cap from 30 in December 2025). Facebook: Reels of 3 to 90 seconds in vertical 9:16 MP4, photos up to 10 MB, 2 to 10 images for a multi-photo post. TikTok and YouTube get length, format, title and caption checks. Frame rate and codecs can't be checked in the browser.

Can I schedule posts in bulk?

Yes. Smart import reads a folder of videos and photos with optional caption files, subtitles or a schedule.csv, checks every platform's rules and can place everything with a posting pack such as daily at 7 PM. You can also import up to 500 rows from a CSV file after a dry-run preview, and spread unscheduled drafts across your queue time slots in one click.

How do approval links work?

Click Share for approval in the composer to get a link that contains the post text, platforms and time. The post is stored inside the link after the # sign, so it never reaches GrabCast's servers. The reviewer opens it without signing up and copies back an approval or a change request. Photos and videos are not included in the link.

What happens when I use AI assist?

When you click an AI button, such as Write from an idea, Rewrite, Suggest hashtags or Translate, the text you wrote is sent to GrabCast's AI service (or a fallback AI provider if it is busy) to write a suggestion. Photos and videos are never sent. The suggestion is labeled as AI and you choose whether to use it.

Plan your next month of posts — free

No credit card, no trial clock. Your drafts stay in your browser.

Open the scheduler app →

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