It’s almost impossible to run a successful social media strategy on the fly. You need to plan ahead, gather resources, and partner with others to create content that will catch your audience’s attention.
All this planning, research, and creativity needs a home. That’s where content calendar software comes in.
With the right content calendar tool, preparing for the quarter or month ahead feels easy. Without it, you’re left wondering whether your designs are ready, your collaborations are confirmed, or your product launch series has approval.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the best content calendar software tools available today. We’ll highlight the key features, limitations, and pricing plans on each so you can make the right choice for your needs.
Let’s jump in!
What Should You Look for in Social Media Content Calendar Software?
So you’re ready to ditch the spreadsheets and checklists and find a better way to plan your content for the year ahead. But what makes one content calendar tool better than another?
Before you can evaluate your options, first figure out your goals. Do you need to plan only social media content or a mix of different content types? Do you prefer to plan visually with a drag-and-drop interface, or is a Kanban board more your style? Need a simple workflow or plenty of customization? 🛠️
Figuring out what you want and need saves you time and energy, and helps you narrow your focus.
Your own personal goals aside, great content calendar software tools help you:
- Plan and organize your content
- See your content marketing calendar needs and build an intuitive content calendar that fits seamlessly with how you work as a team.
Jumpstart the process with ClickUp’s Content Calendar Template or Social Media Template , or build your own version from the ground up. Our Calendar view makes it easy to see what’s happening and when, with customizable color-coded categories and deadlines. Swap to another view to see a Kanban board or a timeline with pre-built custom fields that highlight the most important details. 👀
ClickUp offers you so much more than just a content calendar feature without compromising on the experience. Mirror the way you work in other areas with the help of ClickUp’s Project Management Dashboard . If you’re looking to enhance the way you work as a marketing team, ClickUp is a standout option.
Content Calendar Template by ClickUp
Try ClickUp’s Content Calendar Template
ClickUp best features:
- View your content calendar in 15+ different customizable formats including Calendar view
- Streamline repeated processes with the help of automation
- Useful integrations
with tools like Google Drive, Google Calendar, Salesforce, and more - Check on your content calendar whenever with online and offline modes
- Work with freelancers and agencies seamlessly with custom access rights
ClickUp limitations:
Since you can use ClickUp for all your content calendar and project management software
ClickUp pricing:
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
ClickUp ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.5/5 (6,600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,600+ reviews)
2. CoSchedule
Via CoSchedule CoSchedule is a social media scheduling and marketing planning tool , designed to make it easy to manage both editorial and social content from one platform. The platform allows you to assign tasks, share your calendar with higher-ups, and make changes easily when plans change. Use the tool to plan your content, then publish social posts across different social networks without leaving the platform.
CoSchedule best features:
- See what you’re working on across different mediums in one content calendar
- Make changes to your plans in moments with drag-and-drop functionality
- Plan, draft, and publish social media content and integrated social media campaigns
- Share your marketing calendar
and progress with internal stakeholders with one link
CoSchedule limitations:
- Some of the more useful features—like team invites and discussions—are locked behind paid plans
- Some users express a desire for more flexibility and customization options
CoSchedule pricing:
- Marketing Calendar Free : Free
- Marketing Calendar Pro: $39/month per user
- Marketing Suite: Contact for pricing
CoSchedule ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)
Bonus: Check out our list of the top CoSchedule alternatives
3. Buffer
Via Buffer Buffer has been a go-to social media content calendar and content scheduling tool for social media managers thanks to its ease of use. Buffer is designed around helping social media marketing teams publish social media posts to a range of social media platforms in one place. Its addition of an AI assistant also gives teams the opportunity to get help with generating ideas and repurposing content across social media platforms.
Buffer best features:
- Easy-to-use social media publishing dashboard for internal and external collaborators
- Access to integrated posting on most social media platforms
- AI assistant to help with ideas and rewriting content
- Approval workflows to make working together as a team easier
Buffer limitations:
- There’s no access to live support
- Some users report issues with social media accounts becoming disconnected unexpectedly
Buffer pricing:
- Free: Free
- Essentials: $6 per month for 1 channel
- Team: $12 per month for 1 channel
- Agency: $120 per month for 10 channels
Buffer ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.3/5 (900+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (1,400+ reviews)
Bonus: AI Content Generators
4. Sprout Social
Via Sprout Social Sprout Social promotes itself as an all-in-one social media management tool. It’s a platform where you can create a content calendar and schedule social media posts, but also make the most of social listening and engagement. If your content strategy goal is to excel at engagement, a platform like this could be a useful option.
Sprout Social best features:
- See what’s happening and organize posts and newsletters SocialPilot is a social media marketing tool that includes a content calendar feature. Plan content , schedule to the social media platforms, and stay engaged with an all-in-one social inbox. Invite team members, freelancers, and stakeholders to collaborate with you, and manage your social media presence from one place.
SocialPilot best features:
- See the big picture with month, week, and day views
- Ability to filter your view to see specific groups or social media platforms
- Make changes to your content calendar with a drag-and-drop system
- Easy to duplicate content and schedule it for the future
SocialPilot limitations:
- Some users wish there were more features that allowed them to engage with published content
- It’s not always possible to tag other pages or users when scheduling social media content
SocialPilot pricing:
- Professional: $30 per month for 1 user
- Small team: $50 per month for 3 users
- Agency: $100 per month for 6 users
- Agency+: $200 per month for unlimited users
SocialPilot ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.5/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (300+ reviews)
6. HubSpot
Via HubSpot HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing platform used by agencies and large teams to manage not only posting social media and editorial content but entire content marketing campaigns and social media strategies. If you already use HubSpot or are looking to invest in a new system, you’ll be happy to know that social media and content calendar features are available.
HubSpot best features:
- Build campaigns and publish content to social media from one platform
- Link interactions back to your HubSpot CRM
- Get suggestions on the best posting times for your social media channels
- Use analytics and integrations with HubSpot’s CRM to make strategic decisions
HubSpot limitations:
- HubSpot’s platform can feel overwhelming, especially if you also subscribe to other areas like Sales and CRM
- Social media features are only available in the Professional and Enterprise plans
HubSpot pricing:
- Free: Free
- Starter: Starting at $20/month
- Professional: Starting at $890/month
- Enterprise: Starting at $3,600/month
HubSpot ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.4/5 (9,400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (5,500+ reviews)
Check out these content marketing strategy templates !
7. Evernote
Via Evernote Evernote is primarily a note-taking app, designed to help users capture ideas and manage projects and to-do lists . Within Evernote, you can use the features to create your own lightweight content calendar, then work on it with others thanks to their Teams features. While it’s not strictly a social media calendar tool, if your team already uses Evernote it’s handy to know you could use it for your content management too.
Evernote best features:
- Collaborate with team members with shared notes
- Use Evernote’s pre-made templates Sendible is a social media scheduling, monitoring, and reporting tool . It’s a social media tool designed for agencies that manage multiple clients, but you could also use it as your in-house content calendar software. Schedule content in bulk, customize graphics before you post them, and make things easier with approval workflows.
Sendible best features:
- Streamline your process with built-in templates
- Invite stakeholders or content creators to contribute to your calendar
- Use queues to keep your social media feed filled with content
- Get a visual view of your content with a monthly calendar view
Sendible limitations:
- Some users feel the analytics and reporting features are limited compared to other options
- Some users say that using the mobile app can be challenging at times
Sendible pricing:
- Creator: $29 per month for 1 user
- Traction: $89 per month for 4 users
- Scale: $199 per month for 7 users
Sendible ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.5/5 (800+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
9. StoryChief
Via StoryChief StoryChief is an AI-powered content creation and SEO platform. It’s designed to help content teams plan , create, and schedule content across social media and blogging platforms. StoryChief’s content calendar tool helps you get organized with color-coded categories, editorial campaign management, and integrations with popular platforms and tools.
StoryChief best features:
- Work collaboratively with content briefs and approval workflows
- See your content calendar and what’s happening with an easy-to-use month view
- Publish content automatically to social media platforms
- Analyze the success of recent content campaigns
StoryChief limitations:
- When working with a large team, some editors might miss the opportunity to leave suggestions within content pieces
- Some users wish they could assign statuses to better manage their workflow
StoryChief pricing:
- Individuals: Starting from $40 per month
- Marketing Team : Starting from $220 per month for 4 users
- Publisher Team: Starting from $900 per month for 10 users
- Agencies: Starting from $440 per month for 3 workspaces (4 users per workspace)
StoryChief ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (100+ reviews)
Bonus: Content creation apps !
10. ContentStudio
Via ContentStudio ContentStudio is an all-in-one social media tool designed to help agencies and marketing teams plan, manage, and grow. A robust content calendar feature is complemented by an AI writing assistant and social inbox, so teams can save time and streamline the way they work. Plan and publish different types of content to your social profiles, get insights on when to post, and manage publishing queues so your calendar doesn’t run empty.
ContentStudio best features:
- Build your content plans in an interactive, shareable content calendar
- Create content pipelines and queues based on custom topics
- Fast-track content approvals to speed up the process for social media marketers
- Use automation to keep your content calendar filled with relevant social media posts
ContentStudio limitations:
- Functionality on the mobile app can be more limited than the desktop experience
- Some users wish there were more insights available through the analytics
ContentStudio pricing:
- Starter: $25 per month for 1 user
- Pro: $49 per month for 2 users
- Agency: $99 per month for 5 users
ContentStudio ratings and reviews:
- G2: 4.6/5 (300+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (600+ reviews)
Who Benefits From Using Content Calendar Tools?
Marketing Teams: Content calendars are essential for marketing teams to ensure that their content is being released on time and consistently. This document outlines the timeline, topics, keywords & any other necessary information related to a project.
Businesses: Content calendars allow businesses to plan out their content and make sure that all team members are aligned with the project’s goals. This document helps them track progress and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of any changes or updates necessary for the project.
Start Content Planning with Content Calendar Software
Having the right content calendar software can save you time, speed up your workflow, and make collaboration easier. Whether you need an editorial calendar for your publishing empire or a social media calendar for your brand , these tools can help make publishing easier. 🙌
If you’re looking for a tool that not only helps you stay on top of your content strategy goals but project management and collaboration too, then try ClickUp. Get in touch with our team or sign up today to explore a better, more unified way to work together as a team.