Fanbeam vs Later: Which Instagram Scheduler Should You Choose?

Later built its reputation as an Instagram-first scheduler with visual planning features and a mobile app. Over time, they've expanded to TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and other platforms.

Fanbeam takes a multi-platform-first approach, treating all supported networks as equals with robust publishing features. If your strategy goes beyond Instagram, Fanbeam offers better platform coverage and pricing.

Later supports 7 platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X (Twitter), and YouTube.

Fanbeam supports all major platforms, adding:

• Bluesky: The growing decentralized social network
• Threads: Meta's Twitter alternative with 100M+ users

If you're expanding to emerging platforms, Fanbeam has you covered from day one.

Later's pricing has grown increasingly expensive with social set restrictions and user limits. Let's compare apples to apples:

• Free: Fanbeam Free plan (2 channels) vs Later $25/mo - save $25/month
• Creator: Fanbeam $15/mo (5 channels) vs Later $25/mo - save $10/month (40% less)
• Professional: Fanbeam $39/mo (15 channels) vs Later $45/mo - save $21/month (47% less)
• Business: Fanbeam $79/mo (40 channels) vs Later $80/mo - save $31/month (39% less)

For most teams, Fanbeam costs 39-47% less while delivering unlimited posts and broader platform coverage.

Unlike Later's rigid plan tiers with social set limits, Fanbeam lets you customize your plan with add-ons:

• Extra Channels ($10/mo per 5-pack): Need more than your plan's limit? Add channels without upgrading.
• Extra Storage ($15/mo per 50GB): Expand your media library as needed.
• AI Assistant ($19/mo): Unlimited AI captions, hashtags, and content optimization.
• Advanced Analytics ($29/mo): Custom dashboards, exports, and forecasting.
• API Access ($49/mo): Programmatic access for integrations and automation.

Mix and match add-ons to build the perfect plan for your workflow—no need to jump to expensive premium tiers.

Later excels at Instagram with features like:

• Visual grid preview showing how your feed will look
• Best time to post recommendations
• Link in bio tool with custom landing pages

Fanbeam's Instagram features include:

• Scheduling posts, carousels, and Reels
• Hashtag suggestions (Professional+ plans)
• Instagram grid preview (Business+ plans)
• Multiple account management

Later's Link in Bio tool is unique and not replicated in Fanbeam. If Instagram is 80%+ of your strategy and you rely heavily on Link in Bio, Later might be the better choice for that specific feature.

For teams managing TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other platforms alongside Instagram, Fanbeam provides:

• Consistent experience: Same composer, calendar, and status tracking across all platforms
• LinkedIn personal profiles: Publish to your profile, not just company pages
• TikTok video scheduling: Native uploads with captions and hashtags
• YouTube publishing: Upload videos, set visibility, manage descriptions

Later's multi-platform features are newer and still maturing. Teams with diverse platform strategies often find Fanbeam more robust.

All the essential features without social set restrictions or hidden costs:

• Publishing: Schedule posts across all major platforms with drag-and-drop calendar
• Media library: Organize and reuse your images and videos
• Status tracking: Monitor scheduling, publishing, and retry states in real time
• Reliable publishing: Never miss a post—automatic re-attempts when platforms hiccup
• Unlimited posts: No artificial caps on your publishing volume
• Team collaboration (Professional+): Approvals, reviews, assignments, roles
• Hashtag suggestions (Professional+): AI-powered hashtag recommendations
• Instagram grid preview (Business+): Visualize your feed before publishing
• Board view (Professional+): Kanban-style content organization
• Analytics (All plans): Basic performance tracking with extended retention on higher tiers
• API access (Business+): Build custom integrations and automations

Be honest about the trade-offs:

• Link in Bio tool: Custom landing pages for Instagram bio links
• Native mobile app: iOS and Android apps with full feature parity
• More mature Instagram analytics: Deeper insights specifically for Instagram

If Link in Bio is critical to your Instagram strategy or you prefer native mobile apps over responsive web design, Later may be worth the premium.

Switching from Later to Fanbeam is straightforward:

1. 1
   Choose your plan: Start with Free or Creator to test, upgrade to Professional for teams
2. 2
   Connect channels: Use Fanbeam's OAuth flows to reconnect your accounts
3. 3
   Add features: Purchase add-ons for extra channels, storage, or AI capabilities as needed
4. 4
   Export scheduled posts: Download and re-import your queue from Later
5. 5
   Re-upload media: Import your media library to Fanbeam's media manager
6. 6
   Train your team: Fanbeam's interface is intuitive for multi-platform workflows

Our support team can help with migration—just reach out during your 14-day trial.

Choose Fanbeam if you:

• Manage 3+ platforms beyond Instagram
• Want to save $200-400+ per year on social media tools
• Need support for emerging platforms like Bluesky and Threads
• Prefer flexible pricing with add-ons instead of rigid social set limits
• Value unlimited posts across all plans
• Need LinkedIn personal profile scheduling alongside company pages
• Want team collaboration without per-user seat fees (Professional+ plans)

Stick with Later if you:

• Focus primarily on Instagram (80%+ of your content)
• Rely heavily on the Link in Bio tool for Instagram bio links
• Prefer a native mobile app over responsive web design
• Need Later's specific Instagram-first features and analytics

Start your 14-day trial with any paid plan and see how much simpler (and cheaper) multi-platform management can be.