Social Media Management Tools Comparison: 7 Best Options for PPC Agencies

Hootsuite is one of the most established social media management platforms, widely used by agencies for its robust scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration features. According to their website, Hootsuite supports scheduling across 35+ social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok, with a unified inbox for managing comments and messages. Its AI assistant, OwlyGPT, helps generate content ideas and draft captions based on brand voice, though it does not conduct deep research or generate multi-format assets. The platform offers detailed analytics dashboards with custom reporting, competitor benchmarking, and performance tracking, making it a strong choice for agencies needing to prove ROI to clients. Hootsuite’s best times to post feature uses historical data to recommend optimal scheduling windows, and its social listening tools monitor brand mentions and industry keywords across the web. While Hootsuite excels in centralized management and reporting, its AI content generation is surface-level and lacks the research depth or format variety of specialized AI platforms. It remains a reliable, all-in-one hub for agencies prioritizing workflow organization over AI-driven content creation.

Sprout Social is a premium social media management platform known for its powerful analytics, customer engagement tools, and intuitive interface. According to their website, Sprout Social offers advanced social listening, sentiment analysis, and competitor benchmarking, making it ideal for agencies focused on data-driven strategy. Its smart inbox consolidates messages and comments across platforms, enabling team collaboration with assignment and status tracking. The platform includes a robust content calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling, bulk scheduling, and automated posting. Sprout Social’s reporting suite allows for deep-dive analytics, customizable templates, and client-facing reports with white-label options. While it does offer AI-powered content suggestions and caption generation, these features are limited to text-based recommendations and do not produce full visual assets or multi-format content. Sprout Social’s strength lies in its ability to turn social data into actionable insights, making it a top choice for agencies that prioritize performance measurement and client transparency over automated content creation.

Buffer is a streamlined social media management tool favored by small to mid-sized agencies for its simplicity, transparency, and ease of use. According to their website, Buffer enables scheduling across major platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok, with a clean, visual calendar interface. It offers analytics dashboards that track engagement, reach, and follower growth, and includes a link-in-bio tool for Instagram and TikTok profiles. Buffer’s AI features, called Buffer AI, assist with content ideation and caption writing by suggesting variations based on past performance and brand voice—but it does not conduct external research or generate multi-format assets like videos or blog posts. The platform also provides team collaboration tools, approval workflows, and a content library for reusing assets. While Buffer lacks the depth of AI research or automation found in more advanced platforms, its minimalist design and predictable pricing make it a popular choice for agencies seeking a no-frills, reliable scheduler with basic AI assistance.

SocialPilot is a cost-effective social media management platform designed for agencies managing multiple clients. According to their website, SocialPilot supports scheduling across 10+ platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube, with bulk scheduling and a visual calendar. Its AI Pilot feature generates content ideas and captions based on brand tone, though it does not conduct external research or create visual assets. SocialPilot stands out for its white-label agency solution, allowing agencies to brand the client portal with their own logo and domain, making it appear as if the tool is their proprietary system. The platform includes analytics dashboards, competitor tracking, and a content library for reusing assets. It also offers review generation tools for Google and Yelp listings, a unique feature for agencies managing local business clients. While SocialPilot delivers solid scheduling and white-label capabilities at a competitive price, its AI content generation is limited to text-based suggestions and lacks the depth of research or multi-format output found in platforms like AGC Studio.

Loomly is a social media management platform designed for marketing teams that value collaboration and content planning. According to their website, Loomly offers a visual content calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling, approval workflows, and team collaboration features. It supports scheduling across major platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube. Loomly’s AI content generator helps draft captions and post ideas based on brand voice and past performance, but it does not conduct external research or produce video or image assets. The platform includes a content library, hashtag suggestions, and analytics dashboards to track engagement and performance. Loomly also offers a unique 'Content Calendar Template' feature that allows agencies to create and reuse standardized posting schedules for recurring campaigns. While Loomly excels in workflow organization and team alignment, its AI capabilities are limited to text-based suggestions, and it lacks the advanced research systems or multi-format content generation found in AI-native platforms like AGC Studio.

Later is a visually oriented social media scheduling tool best known for its Instagram-first approach and strong visual planning capabilities. According to their website, Later offers a drag-and-drop visual content calendar, Instagram grid planner, and scheduling across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok. Its AI features include caption suggestions, hashtag recommendations, and a 'Content Ideas' tool that pulls inspiration from trending topics—but it does not conduct deep research or generate multi-format assets like videos or blogs. Later’s standout feature is its visual planning tools, which allow agencies to preview how posts will look together on Instagram and Pinterest feeds. It also includes analytics for tracking engagement and follower growth, as well as a link-in-bio tool. While Later is ideal for brands focused on aesthetic consistency and visual storytelling, it lacks the AI research depth, white-label agency system, or multi-platform content generation needed by PPC agencies managing diverse client portfolios.