Comparison
Approved vs Later
Choose Later if you already have photos and videos and like planning your feed yourself. Choose Approved if you want the posts made for you, and posted once you approve them.
See your first posts free. Only pay if you want to keep them.
Later prices and plans checked on 20 August 2026.
At a glance
- Approved$79/mo
- Makes 10 posts a week to choose from, and posts the ones you approve.
- LaterFrom $18.75/mo
- Plans and schedules the photos and videos you supply. Starter has one user.
The short answer
Two tools, two different jobs
Approved
Approved makes your posts from your website: 10 new posts to choose from every week, with pictures, a carousel and captions, plus short videos when you ask. We post the ones you approve on any of 7 platforms.
Later
Later is a tool for planning and scheduling visual posts. You supply the photos and videos, arrange them on its calendar, and use its Instagram grid planner and Linkin.bio page before they go out.
Features and limits
Approved and Later, line by line
| What you get | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| Makes finished pictures and videos | Yes | No |
| Writes captions in your voice | Yes | Includes caption help. You plan the posts. |
| Learns your business from your website | Yes | No |
| No photos or videos needed to start | Yes | No |
| Instagram grid planner | No | Yes |
| Link-in-bio page | No | Yes |
| Publishes your posts on schedule | Yes | Yes |
| Posts included | 10 new posts to choose from every week, made for you | 30 for each profile on Starter, and 180 on Growth |
| Price | $79 a month per brand | From $18.75 a month, billed yearly, for one social set and one user |
| Free option | Free preview of your first posts. No free plan. | 14-day trial |
Later prices and plans checked on later.com/pricing in August 2026.
Price
What each one costs, side by side
Approved
$79 per month, per brand
Includes 10 new posts to choose from every week, with pictures and captions, plus scheduling and posting on all 7 platforms.
$708 per year
See what the plan includesLater
From $18.75 per month, paid yearly
Starter is $18.75 a month, billed yearly, for one social set and one user. You supply the photos and videos it schedules.
Which one
Which one is right for you
If the Later list sounds more like your business, choose Later.
Choose Approved if
- You don't have a steady supply of photos and videos.
- Making the posts is harder for you than planning the calendar.
- You want each post to arrive finished, with its picture and caption.
- You want one price for each brand, with every platform included.
Choose Later if
- You already make enough photos and videos and mostly need scheduling.
- You want to arrange and preview your Instagram grid yourself.
- Instagram and a Linkin.bio page are central to how you work.
- Several people need to plan together on a shared calendar.
Switching
Try Approved without leaving Later
- 1
Paste your website address
You don't need to bring anything over from Later. We read your website and make your first posts from it.
- 2
See your first posts
Real pictures and captions for your business, ready in about 3 minutes. You don't pay anything to see them.
- 3
Connect your accounts
Connect the accounts you use. Anything you already have running in Later can keep going while you try Approved.
Questions
Before you choose between Approved and Later
What's the difference between Approved and Later?
Later plans and schedules posts you provide. Approved makes the posts for you from your website, then schedules and publishes the ones you approve.
Does Later have a free plan?
No. Later offers a 14-day free trial, but no free plan. Its Starter plan is $18.75 a month on annual billing and covers one social set, one user and 30 posts per account.
Can Approved plan my Instagram grid?
No. You can move posts around in Calendar, but we don't show a preview of your Instagram grid. Later does.
Can I use my own photos?
Yes. Add photos to your Library and we'll build posts around them. Any other pictures we make match the colors and style of your website.
Keep comparing
See the other comparisons
- vs
Approved vs Buffer
Buffer schedules posts you create. Approved creates, schedules and publishes them.
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- vs
Approved vs Predis.ai
Predis.ai makes posts from the prompts you write. Approved decides what to post, makes it and publishes it.
Read more
- vs
Approved vs Zeely
Zeely makes and runs paid ads. Approved makes and publishes posts on your own accounts.
Read more
The best comparison is your own posts
Paste your website address. In about 3 minutes, you'll see real posts for your business, in your colors and voice.
See your first posts free. Only pay if you want to keep them.