Craft vs Publer (2026): pricing per account and features compared
Publer costs about $20/mo for 5 Instagram accounts (~$16 annual). Craft Pro is $39 for 5 accounts ($19 annual), with Instagram and Telegram funnels.
Publer is an affordable scheduler priced per account, with a wide list of networks, including Telegram channels. Craft schedules posts to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube and, on the same plan, runs Instagram comment auto-replies and DM and Telegram funnels. For posting only, Publer is cheaper — we say so up front and show where Craft is worth the difference.
Prices checked on September 21, 2026. If a price changed, message us and we'll fix the page.
Short answer#
- Pick Publer if you only need scheduling: 5 Instagram accounts cost about $20 a month vs $39 on Craft, and about $16 vs $19 annually.
- Pick Publer if you post to Telegram channels, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest or Threads.
- Pick Publer's free plan if you need up to 3 accounts for light scheduling.
- Pick Craft if you want comment auto-replies and DM or Telegram funnels: they're included in the $39, where Publer would need a second tool.
- Pick Craft if you sell inside funnels: payment step, subscription checks and unlimited Telegram broadcasts are built in.
What it costs#
| Scenario | Craft, monthly | Craft, annual | Publer, monthly | Publer, annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (A) 5 Instagram accounts | $39 — Pro | $19 | ≈$20 | ≈$16 |
| (B) 2 Instagram + TikTok + YouTube | $39 — Pro | $19 | ≈$17 | ≈$14 |
| (C) 1 Instagram account | $12 — Solo | $6 | $0 Free or ≈$5 | $0 Free or ≈$4 |
| (D) posting to 5 Instagram + funnels on one | $39 — Pro | $19 | ≈$59 — Publer + ManyChat Pro | ≈$45 |
💡 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. Publer charges per account on any network: about $5 for the first and about $4 for each additional one, with every 10th account free; up to 3 accounts are free with limits. Unverified: we didn't run Publer's price calculator — the 5-account figure (≈$20, ≈$16 annually) comes from a third-party review, and the 1- and 4-account figures are derived from the same per-account rates. Check the exact price at publer.com/pricing. 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#
- Publer: every connected account counts, on any network. 5 Instagram accounts = 5 accounts. See Publer pricing.
- 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.
Both count simply; Publer is cheaper per account for scheduling, Craft includes funnels in the price.
Features side by side#
| Feature | Craft | Publer |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram carousels and Reels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instagram Stories | — | not verified |
| TikTok | ✓ video | ✓ |
| YouTube Shorts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Telegram channel posting | — | ✓ |
| Facebook, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X | — | ✓ |
| Scheduler (post now, schedule, reschedule, cancel) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analytics | funnel stats only | ✓ (plan level not verified) |
| Team approvals | — | not verified |
| Public API | — | not verified |
| 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 | ✓ up to 3 accounts |
"Not listed" and "not verified" mean we didn't confirm it on the pages we checked — check with Publer.
Both use official APIs for Instagram, so both need a professional (business or creator) Instagram account.
Where Publer is stronger#
- Cheapest scheduling per account among the tools we compared: about $20 for 5 Instagram accounts.
- Telegram channel posting — Craft doesn't post to Telegram channels.
- More networks, including Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest and Threads.
- Free plan with up to 3 accounts.
- Scales gently: each added account costs a few dollars, with every 10th free.
Where Craft is stronger#
- Funnels included. Instagram comment auto-replies by keyword, DM funnels with buttons and delays, Telegram bot funnels, subscription checks on Instagram and Telegram channels, and unlimited Telegram broadcasts — on the same accounts. Publer plus a funnel tool comes to about $59 a month vs $39.
- Payments inside the funnel through your own Lava account (card, SBP, international cards, PayPal). The money goes straight to you; Craft takes no commission.
- Closed-chat access: the bot lets paying members into a private Telegram chat or channel.
- One inbox for Telegram bots and Instagram DMs.
- MCP connector on every plan.
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. There are no team approvals and no deep reach analytics.
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 ask in plain words: "schedule this Reel to Instagram and TikTok for tomorrow at 10:00", or "build a Telegram funnel that gives the guide to channel subscribers and reminds the rest an hour later". Setup guide: Connect your Claude.
Moving from Publer#
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 Postiz · Craft vs Metricool · Buffer alternatives · Best social media schedulers
Frequently asked questions#
Can I connect 5 Instagram accounts to Publer, and what does it cost?#
Yes. Publer counts each account on any network. By our estimate, 5 accounts cost about $20 a month or about $16 billed annually (not verified in Publer's calculator). On Craft it's $39 a month or $19 annually.
Is Publer cheaper than Craft?#
For scheduling only, yes. If you also need comment auto-replies and funnels, Craft replaces Publer plus a funnel tool: $39 vs about $59.
Can Craft post to Telegram channels like Publer?#
No. Craft runs Telegram bots — funnels, broadcasts, subscription checks, closed-chat access — but doesn't publish posts to channels.
Does Publer auto-reply to Instagram comments?#
We didn't find comment-to-DM funnels on Publer's pricing page. On Craft they're part of every plan.
Which free plan is better?#
For scheduling, Publer's: up to 3 accounts. Craft Free gives 1 account and 3 posts a month, plus funnels on Instagram or Telegram.
Sources#
- Craft pricing — https://craftopen.space/#pricing — checked September 21, 2026
- Publer pricing — https://publer.com/pricing — checked September 21, 2026 (calculator not verified)
- ManyChat pricing — https://manychat.com/pricing — checked September 21, 2026
- ChatPlace pricing — https://help.chatplace.io/en/articles/6763310 — checked September 21, 2026