The best social media API for most developers is SkedCast's: one versioned REST API that publishes to 11 platforms, with an API key or OAuth 2.1, webhooks for outcomes and an MCP server for AI agents on the same account. Buffer, Hootsuite, Ayrshare, Postiz, Publer and SocialPilot also offer APIs, with different auth models and plan gates.
Which social media APIs can developers use?#
| Tool | API access | Auth | Gating | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkedCast | Versioned /v1 REST API and MCP server | REST: API key or OAuth 2.1. MCP: OAuth 2.1 | REST API from Studio, MCP from Solo | SkedCast scopes and permissions, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Buffer | Public GraphQL API, with MCP connections | API key or OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Code with PKCE) | Available on every plan, including Free (Free: 1 API key, 1,000 requests per 30 days per channel, up to 3,000) | Buffer API limits, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Hootsuite | Publish REST API (does not cover TikTok, YouTube or Bluesky) | OAuth 2.0 only | Needs a Hootsuite user account and an approved developer account. No plan requirement is documented | Hootsuite API overview, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Ayrshare | API-first product | Bearer API key | Paid plans only, from $149/month (Premium, 1 social profile) | Ayrshare pricing, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Postiz (open source) | Public REST API, self-hosted or cloud | API key in the Authorization header, or an OAuth token | Self-hosted: free, on your own infrastructure. The create-post endpoint allows 100 requests per hour on Postiz cloud and 90 by default when self-hosted | Postiz public API, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Publer | REST JSON API | API token, plus a workspace-id header where required | Business and Enterprise plans only | Publer API overview, checked 2026-11-04 |
| SocialPilot | Developer API | Not stated on its pricing page | Listed as an Enterprise plan feature | SocialPilot pricing, checked 2026-11-04 |
SkedCast: one REST API and an MCP server for 11 platforms#
SkedCast's versioned /v1 REST API publishes and schedules to 11 platforms through one contract: one POST /v1/posts call with per-platform variants, bulk creation, media uploads, post-target status and signed webhooks. Authenticate with an API key or OAuth 2.1; the same account also runs a remote MCP server with 79 tools, so an AI assistant can do what your code does. The OpenAPI document generates a client in your language. API keys and the REST API are included from Studio, and MCP access for AI clients from Solo. See the pricing page for the current plans.
- Scheduling, per-account pacing and multi-account fan-out happen on SkedCast, not in your code.
- Idempotency keys make every write safe to retry.
- Webhooks report each post's outcome, from Studio.
Buffer API#
A public GraphQL API with MCP connections, on every plan including Free, which gets one API key and 1,000 requests per 30 days per channel (up to 3,000). It authenticates with an API key or OAuth 2.0 with PKCE. See SkedCast vs Buffer.
Hootsuite API#
A Publish REST API with OAuth 2.0 only, which does not cover TikTok, YouTube or Bluesky. It needs a Hootsuite user account and an approved developer account; no plan requirement is documented. See SkedCast vs Hootsuite.
Ayrshare API#
An API-first product with a bearer API key, on paid plans from $149 a month (Premium, one social profile). See SkedCast vs Ayrshare.
Postiz API#
An open-source scheduler with a public REST API, self-hosted for free on your own infrastructure or on Postiz cloud. Its create-post endpoint allows 100 requests an hour on the cloud and 90 by default when self-hosted. See SkedCast vs Postiz and open-source social media API wrappers.
Publer and SocialPilot APIs#
Publer offers a REST JSON API with an API token (and a workspace-id header where required) on its Business and Enterprise plans. SocialPilot lists a developer API as an Enterprise plan feature, without stating the auth model on its pricing page. See SkedCast vs Publer.
How do you choose a social media API?#
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Platform coverage | Every network you post to, behind one contract rather than one integration per platform |
| Auth model | A plain API key is quickest to start; OAuth suits acting for other users |
| Access | Self-serve on a published plan, or a sales conversation and an approval step |
| Rate limits | Published per-key or per-endpoint limits you can plan around |
| Outcomes | Webhooks or a status endpoint that report each post's result |
| AI agents | An MCP server on the same account, or an integration you build yourself |
FAQ
- What is the best social media API?
- SkedCast's, for teams posting to several networks: one REST API for 11 platforms, an API key or OAuth 2.1, webhooks and an MCP server for AI agents.
- Which social media scheduler has a free API tier?
- Buffer includes API access on its Free plan (1 API key; 1,000 requests per 30 days per channel, up to 3,000). Postiz can be self-hosted for free. Publer's API needs a Business or Enterprise plan, Ayrshare starts at $149/month, and SocialPilot lists API access under Enterprise.
- Does Hootsuite have a public API?
- Yes. Its Publish REST API uses OAuth 2.0 only and does not cover TikTok, YouTube or Bluesky. You need a Hootsuite user account and an approved developer account. Hootsuite's documentation lists no plan requirement.
- Do I need a separate API for each social network?
- Not with a unified API. Each network's own API needs its own app, review and code; a scheduling API such as SkedCast's publishes to all of them through one contract and one key.
- Does SkedCast have an API and an MCP server?
- Yes. SkedCast has a versioned /v1 REST API (API key or OAuth 2.1) and a remote MCP server (OAuth 2.1). API keys and the REST API are included from Studio, and MCP access for AI clients from Solo. See the pricing page for the current plans.