Craft vs Later (2026): social sets, pricing and features compared
5 Instagram accounts on Later need 5 social sets: about $95/mo ($71.25 annual). Craft Pro covers 5 accounts for $39 ($19 annual), funnels included.
Later is a visual social media planner built around the "social set". Craft schedules posts to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube and, on the same plan, runs Instagram comment auto-replies and DM and Telegram funnels. The biggest difference is how accounts are counted: that alone makes 5 Instagram accounts cost more than twice as much on Later.
Prices checked on September 21, 2026. If a price changed, message us and we'll fix the page.
Short answer#
- Pick Craft if you manage several Instagram accounts: 5 accounts cost $39 a month vs about $95 on Later.
- Pick Craft if you run one account: $12 vs $25, or $6 vs $18.75 annually, plus a free plan.
- Pick Craft if you want comment auto-replies and DM or Telegram funnels in the same subscription.
- Pick Later if you post to Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads or Snapchat, or want Stories and deeper analytics.
- Pick Later if you run one brand across many networks: one social set on Starter ($25) holds one profile of each network, where Craft would need Pro ($39) for more than one account.
What it costs#
| Scenario | Craft, monthly | Craft, annual | Later, monthly | Later, annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A) 5 Instagram accounts | $39 — Pro | $19 | $95 — Growth + 3 extra sets | $71.25 |
| (B) 2 Instagram + TikTok + YouTube | $39 — Pro | $19 | $50 — Growth (2 sets) | $37.50 |
| (C) 1 Instagram account | $12 — Solo | $6 | $25 — Starter | $18.75 |
| (D) posting to 5 Instagram + funnels on one | $39 — Pro | $19 | $134 — Later + ManyChat Pro | $100.25 |
💡 How we counted. Annual prices are per month, billed yearly. Craft: Solo $12 (1 account), Pro $39 (5 accounts, ~$7.80 each; ~$3.80 on annual billing), Agency $249 (unlimited); annual prices are half: $6 / $19 / $125. Later: Starter $25 (1 social set, 30 posts per profile, no extra sets), Growth $50 (2 sets, 180 posts per profile), Scale $110 (6 sets); annual $18.75 / $37.50 / $82.50. Extra set: $15 a month ($11.25 annually). Scenario A: 5 Instagram accounts need 5 sets, so Growth + 3 extra sets = $95 — cheaper than Scale at $110. Scenario B: the first set holds Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, the second holds the other Instagram. Scenario D adds ManyChat Pro at $39 a month ($29 annually) for one Instagram account with up to 2,500 active contacts; ChatPlace would be $40 for Instagram + a Telegram bot ($32 annually). On Craft the funnel runs on one of the same 5 accounts.
See the Craft pricing.
How accounts are counted#
- Later: a social set holds one profile of each network — one Instagram, one Facebook, one TikTok, one Pinterest, one LinkedIn, one YouTube, one Threads, one Snapchat. Later's help center says that for two Instagram accounts you need a plan with two social sets. So 5 Instagram accounts = 5 sets. Source: Later Help Center.
- Craft: one shared account limit per plan, any networks. Pro holds 5 Instagram accounts, or 5 different networks — for example 2 Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and a Telegram bot. The same accounts serve posting and funnels.
Later's model is great for one brand on many networks and expensive for many accounts on one network. Craft's model doesn't care which networks you mix.
Features side by side#
| Feature | Craft | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram carousels and Reels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instagram Stories | — | ✓ |
| TikTok | ✓ video | ✓ |
| YouTube Shorts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Telegram channel posting | — | — |
| Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest | — | ✓ |
| Scheduler (post now, schedule, reschedule, cancel) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Post limit | unlimited on paid plans; 3/month free | 30 per profile (Starter), 180 (Growth) |
| Analytics | funnel stats only | ✓ |
| Team approvals | — | not verified |
| Public API | — | not listed |
| MCP (Claude, ChatGPT) | ✓ any plan | not listed |
| Instagram comment auto-reply | ✓ | not listed |
| Instagram DM + Telegram funnels | ✓ | — |
| Payments inside the funnel | ✓ via your Lava account | — |
| Free plan | ✓ 1 account, 3 posts a month | not listed |
"Not listed" and "not verified" mean we didn't confirm it on the pages we checked — check with Later.
Where Later is stronger#
- More networks. Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads and Snapchat on top of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
- Instagram Stories and a visual grid planner.
- Analytics for posts and profiles.
- One brand, many networks fits neatly in one set.
- Established product with a large community of creators and brands.
Where Craft is stronger#
- Multiple Instagram accounts. 5 accounts for $39 vs about $95; annually $19 vs $71.25.
- Even for posting alone, Craft is cheaper in every scenario above.
- No post quotas on paid plans. Later's Starter allows 30 posts per profile.
- Funnels included. Instagram comment auto-replies by keyword, DM funnels, Telegram bot funnels, subscription checks and unlimited Telegram broadcasts, on the same accounts.
- Payments inside the funnel through your own Lava account; Craft takes no commission.
- Free plan forever: 1 account, 3 posts a month.
Honest limits of Craft posting#
Craft publishes to Instagram (carousels of 2–10 photos, Reels and videos, single photos), TikTok (videos) and YouTube (Shorts and videos). It doesn't post to Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X or Telegram channels, and it doesn't post Stories. There are no team approvals and no deep reach analytics — only funnel statistics.
Schedule posts and build funnels by chatting with Claude or ChatGPT#
Craft has an MCP connector on every plan. Connect Craft to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or Claude Code and say "schedule this Reel to Instagram and TikTok for tomorrow at 10:00", or "build a funnel that sends the guide to everyone who comments GUIDE". Setup guide: Connect your Claude.
Moving from Later#
Message us on Telegram and we'll help you connect your accounts and set up funnels. Or start free at app.craftopen.space.
Also compare: Craft vs Buffer · Craft vs Metricool · Craft vs Hootsuite · Best social media schedulers
Frequently asked questions#
Can I connect 5 Instagram accounts to Later, and what does it cost?#
Yes, but each Instagram account needs its own social set. The cheapest path is Growth ($50, 2 sets) plus 3 extra sets at $15: about $95 a month, or $71.25 billed annually. On Craft, 5 Instagram accounts are $39 a month or $19 annually.
What is a social set on Later?#
One profile of each supported network. One set can hold one Instagram, one TikTok, one YouTube and so on — but not two Instagram accounts.
Is Craft cheaper than Later for posting only?#
Yes, in every scenario we checked: 1 account ($12 vs $25), a mixed setup ($39 vs $50) and 5 Instagram accounts ($39 vs $95).
Does Later auto-reply to comments or run DM funnels?#
We didn't find it on Later's pricing page. On Craft, comment auto-replies and funnels are part of the plan.
Can Craft post Stories or to Pinterest?#
No. Craft posts carousels, Reels, videos and photos to Instagram, plus TikTok and YouTube.
Sources#
- Craft pricing — https://craftopen.space/#pricing — checked September 21, 2026
- Later pricing — https://later.com/pricing — checked September 21, 2026
- Later social sets — https://help.later.com/hc/en-us/articles/360059362253 — checked September 21, 2026
- ManyChat pricing — https://manychat.com/pricing — checked September 21, 2026
- ChatPlace pricing — https://help.chatplace.io/en/articles/6763310 — checked September 21, 2026