What kinds of social media tools are there?
Social media tools fall into two groups. Schedulers publish posts you've already written and designed, at the time you choose, across several platforms. All-in-one tools also help you make the posts: they plan a campaign, write the drafts, make or place the pictures, route them for approval and draft replies when people comment.
Which you need depends on where your time goes. If writing and designing come easily and the hard part is posting on time, a scheduler is enough. If the hard part is knowing what to post and making it every week, a scheduler leaves that work with you.
Is Meta Business Suite enough for a small business?
Meta Business Suite is Meta's own free app for a Facebook Page and an Instagram account. It schedules posts and stories, answers messages and comments in one inbox with automated replies, and shows how people engage. It covers only Facebook and Instagram, and Meta's listing doesn't describe help with writing posts.
Source: Meta Platforms, “Meta Business Suite” on the App Store, checked November 2026
How do Buffer, Hootsuite and Later compare?
Buffer, Hootsuite and Later all schedule posts across several platforms and include some AI writing help. Buffer has a free plan for up to three channels with 10 scheduled posts each and its AI Assistant, then paid plans from $5 a month per channel billed yearly, across 12 platforms. Later starts at $18.75 a month billed yearly, with one profile on each of eight platforms and 5 AI credits a month on Starter. Hootsuite starts at $99 per user a month billed yearly, covers nine platforms including WhatsApp, and its AI drafts posts and analyses results.
Each is stronger than Loomis in places. Buffer's free plan is the cheapest way to schedule on several platforms. Hootsuite adds WhatsApp, and AI smart replies and trend forecasts on its Professional plan. Between them they reach platforms Loomis doesn't, such as Substack, WhatsApp and Snapchat. All three show their prices in US dollars.
Source: Buffer, “Pricing”, checked November 2026
What does an all-in-one tool like Loomis Social add?
Loomis Social covers the work before and after posting. It reads your website and interviews you to write a brand brief, plans a month-long campaign around one idea, and drafts every post for each platform you use. Pictures can be your own photos, or AI pictures made to match your brand on the model you choose. You set who drafts and who approves, it posts to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, Bluesky and Google Business Profile, and it drafts replies to the comments you choose.
For agencies and in-house teams, each client keeps its own brief, calendar, accounts and approval rules inside one workspace. Loomis bills in rand. Your first 3 posts are drafted free, and posting needs a plan. On 1 November 2026 plans started at R249 a month at the launch price, normally R499.
Source: Loomis Help, “Connect your social accounts”
Source: Loomis Help, “Plan a month of posts”
Source: Loomis Social plans, priced in rand, checked 1 November 2026
Which social media tool should a South African business choose?
Choose a social media tool by the job you want off your plate. If you make your own posts and only need them out on time, start with Meta Business Suite or Buffer's free plan. If you want the plan, the drafts and the pictures done, and to approve them in one sitting, an all-in-one tool saves the most time. Agencies should look at how each tool keeps clients apart, who can approve what, and what each extra client costs.
Does it matter if a social media tool bills in dollars?
A dollar price moves with the exchange rate, and your bank may add a fee. Investec, for example, adds 2.5% to foreign-currency card purchases paid from a rand account. Fees differ from bank to bank, so check yours before comparing tools on price.
Source: Investec, “International currency conversion and cross-border card fees” FAQ, checked November 2026
