How Much Does Social Media Automation Cost for a Small Business?
By The Odeist team · · 6 min read
Short answer: a small business can automate its social media for $15 to $100 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 | $15 to $100 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? Three real examples
Odeist does two jobs, and you only pay for the social accounts you use:
- Broadcast (posts for you): $15 per account per month, on X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
- Engage (replies for you): $30 per account per month, on X or LinkedIn. Odeist finds people talking about what you do and joins the conversation.
- Optional extras: a WhatsApp assistant that lets you approve every post and reply before it goes out ($10 a month), and AI videos ($0.50 each).
- Bundle discount: everything above $100 a month is half price.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
| Business | What they use | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Solo consultant | Broadcast on LinkedIn | $15 |
| Local shop | Broadcast on Instagram and LinkedIn, plus the WhatsApp assistant | $40 |
| Startup founder | Engage and Broadcast on X and LinkedIn | $90 |
| Small agency, two brands | Engage and Broadcast on X and LinkedIn for both, plus the WhatsApp assistant | $145 (instead of $190) |
The agency example shows the bundle discount at work: $190 of services, but everything above $100 is half price, so they pay $100 + $45 = $145.
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 your bill at $15 to $30 a month 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 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 account or an extra.
You can also work out your exact price before you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to automate social media for a small business?
Pay only for the accounts that bring you customers. For most small businesses that is one or two accounts. With Odeist, automatic posting starts at $15 a month per account, 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 $15 to $90.
How much does Odeist cost?
Posting for you costs $15 per social account per month on X, LinkedIn or Instagram. Finding conversations and replying for you costs $30 per account per month on X or LinkedIn. A WhatsApp assistant for approving posts is $10 a month, AI videos are $0.50 each, and anything you spend above $100 a month is half price.
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.