How Much Does Social Media Automation Cost for a Small Business?
By The Odeist AI team · · 6 min read
Short answer: a small business can automate its social media for $29 to $79 a month. The real cost has three parts: the tool, the time you still spend, and the content you feed it. For most small teams the tool is the smallest of the three, and the time it saves is the biggest.
In short
- You pay for three things: a tool, your time and your content.
- Most small businesses only need one or two social accounts to start.
- Count the hours automation saves you, not just the monthly fee.
- Start with the one channel where your customers already are.
What are you actually paying for?
When people ask what social media automation costs, they usually mean the monthly fee. That's only part of it.
| Cost | What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| The tool | Scheduling posts, finding conversations, writing drafts | $29 to $79 a month for a small business |
| Your time | Checking what goes out, answering people who reply | 15 to 30 minutes a day |
| Content | Images, videos, product photos, your own ideas | From free (your phone) to paid design help |
How much does your time cost without automation?
This is the number most people forget. Say you spend 45 minutes a day finding things to post, writing captions and replying to comments. That's about 5 hours a week, or 20 hours a month.
If your time is worth $30 an hour, that's $600 a month of your time. Cut it to 15 minutes a day with automation and you get back roughly 15 hours, or $450 a month, for a tool that costs a fraction of that.
Swap in your own hourly rate. The maths is almost always in favour of automating the repetitive parts.
What does it cost with Odeist AI?
Odeist AI sells plans in credits. Every paid plan has every agent and approvals on WhatsApp; the plans differ only in credits, brands and seats:
- Solo: $29 a month for 3,500 credits, with 1 brand and 1 seat.
- Growth: $79 a month for 10,000 credits, with 3 brands and 3 seats.
- Custom: for agencies and bigger teams, any amount a month at about 160 credits a dollar ($200 a month for about 32,000 credits), with the brands and seats you need. Talk to us.
- Free: 250 credits to start, once, to try the agents on 1 brand.
Paying yearly gives you 2 months free.
Each job has a price in credits, worked out from what it costs to run:
| Job | Credits |
|---|---|
| A post, text only | 5 |
| A post with an AI image | 30 |
| A reply, drafted in your voice | 2 |
| An article with its image | 55 |
| An 8-second video clip with sound | 704 |
The pricing page prices a busy month for one brand line by line and shows which plan it fits.
Which channel should a small business automate first?
Start where your customers already spend time, not where you think you should be:
- Selling to other businesses? Start with LinkedIn.
- Selling to founders, developers or a tech crowd? Start with X.
- Selling something visual, or to local customers? Start with Instagram.
Get one channel working before adding a second. One account run well beats three accounts run badly, and it keeps you on the smallest plan while you learn what works.
What should you never automate?
Automation is great for the repetitive work. Some things still need you:
- Complaints and sensitive messages. Answer these yourself.
- Big announcements. Write and post these by hand.
- Anything you haven't checked. If you're starting out, have every post and reply sent to your WhatsApp to approve before it goes live.
How to start without wasting money
- Pick one channel using the list above.
- Try it free first. Odeist AI has a 7-day free trial, and you don't need a card.
- Check results after the trial: new followers, profile visits and conversations.
- Only then add a second channel or move to a bigger plan.
You can also see what each job costs before you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to automate social media for a small business?
Start with the one or two channels that bring you customers. With Odeist AI, plans start at $29 a month, and there is a 7-day free trial with no card needed.
Is social media automation worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when it replaces hours of your own time each week. If you value your time at $30 an hour and automation saves you three hours a week, that is roughly $360 a month of time saved, compared with a tool that costs $29 to $79.
How much does Odeist AI cost?
Solo is $29 a month for 3,500 credits and Growth is $79 for 10,000; agencies get a Custom plan ($200 a month for about 32,000 credits). Every paid plan has every agent and approvals on WhatsApp. A text post is 5 credits and a post with an AI image 30. There is a 7-day free trial, no card needed.
Do I need a social media manager if I use automation?
Not for day-to-day posting and replying. Many small businesses use automation for the daily work and spend 15 minutes a day checking what goes out and answering people who reply.