Head to head

Metricool vs GrowSocialelion

GrowSocialelion is an open-source alternative to Metricool: AGPL-3.0, free to self-host, with an AI agent that drafts, schedules and engages behind an approval gate you set per action. Metricool is closed-source SaaS whose free plan excludes X and LinkedIn and caps publishing at 20 posts a month. Its ad analytics and 11-network coverage remain hard to match.

Metricool

Metricool is a paid SaaS analytics and scheduling tool that plans, publishes and measures content across 11 networks, priced per brand with a free single-brand tier.

10 channels · plans: Free, Starter, Advanced, Custom

GrowSocialelion

GrowSocialelion is an open-source AI social media manager: the agent drafts, schedules and engages behind per-action approval gates, free to self-host under the AGPL-3.0.

8 channels · plans: Self-hosted, Hosted


Pricing and plans

What each side charges

Metricool

Free$0/mo
Starter$25/mo
Advanced$67/mo
CustomCustom/mo

GrowSocialelion

Self-hosted$0
HostedLaunching

Channels

Where each one publishes

Metricool

  • Facebook Pages
  • Google My Business
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • Twitch
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Bluesky
  • Dev.to
  • Discord
  • Dribbble
  • Farcaster
  • Hashnode
  • Kick
  • Lemmy
  • Listmonk
  • Mastodon
  • Medium
  • MeWe
  • Moltbook
  • Nostr
  • Reddit
  • Skool
  • Slack
  • Telegram
  • VK
  • Whop
  • WordPress

GrowSocialelion

  • Bluesky
  • Dev.to
  • Lemmy
  • Mastodon
  • Nostr
  • Telegram
  • Tumblr
  • X
  • Discord
  • Dribbble
  • Facebook Pages
  • Farcaster
  • Google My Business
  • Hashnode
  • Instagram
  • Kick
  • LinkedIn
  • Listmonk
  • Medium
  • MeWe
  • Moltbook
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Skool
  • Slack
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • Twitch
  • VK
  • Whop
  • WordPress
  • YouTube

We build GrowSocialelion, so read every table here knowing that. Channel support and plan prices were compiled from public listings and vendor pages on 2026-08-27; a tool's own site always wins over this page. GrowSocialelion's own column is generated from its live platform catalog, so it cannot claim a network the app does not publish to.


The verdict

Pick Metricool if

If your channels live on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitch or Google Business Profile, stay with Metricool for now. Those networks publish there today and are still planned in our catalog.

If you manage paid campaigns, Metricool reports Google Ads, Facebook Ads and TikTok Ads next to organic results. We do not touch ad platforms at all.

If your deliverable is client reporting, the Looker Studio connector, PDF and PPT exports and custom report templates on Starter and Advanced are built for exactly that, and our hosted version has not launched.

Pick GrowSocialelion if

You want the whole product open: an ai agent drafts, schedules and engages, and every action is approval-gated — human approval, semi-auto or autopilot, per action type. The app is AGPL-3.0 with no paid tier hiding features, and 500+ free tools live now: character counters with sourced limits, generators, and more

The switching guide lives at the Metricool alternative page.


Questions

Asked before choosing

How much does Metricool cost compared to GrowSocialelion?

As of 2026-08-27, Metricool's Starter runs $20 a month for 5 brands billed annually ($25 monthly) and Advanced starts at $53 for 15 brands ($67 monthly). GrowSocialelion is free to self-host under the AGPL with no per-brand billing; its hosted version is pre-launch.

Is Metricool open source?

No. Metricool is closed-source SaaS with no self-hosting option. GrowSocialelion's entire app is AGPL-3.0 on GitHub.

Can I post to X with Metricool's free plan?

No. Metricool's own help center lists X and LinkedIn as unavailable on Free, and X requires an add-on on paid plans. In GrowSocialelion, X is one of the 8 networks that publish in the free self-hosted app.

Which networks does each support?

Metricool covers 11 networks, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Pinterest and Google Business Profile. GrowSocialelion publishes to 8 today (X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Tumblr, Nostr, Lemmy, DEV) with 30 more researched in the catalog. If your networks are in their list and not ours yet, that difference decides it.


Keep comparing

Compare alternatives

GrowSocialelion: compare alternatives


Ready to try the open one?

GrowSocialelion is AGPL-3.0, free to self-host, with an approval-gated AI agent and 500+ free tools that need no account at all.