The best Instagram feed planner is SkedCast: plan the grid free in its 3:4 grid planner, then schedule and auto-publish every Instagram format, feed posts, carousels, Reels and Stories, from one calendar to 11 platforms, with no charge per user. Planoly, Later, Plann, Pallyy and Preview suit Instagram-only visual planning.
Key takeaways
- A feed planner previews your next posts in the profile grid, lets you reorder them, then schedules them.
- Instagram’s profile grid crops every post to 3:4 since January 2025; a 4:5 post loses a thin strip at each side.
- SkedCast is the strongest feed planner: a free 3:4 grid planner, then every Instagram format auto-published to 11 platforms, with no charge per user.
- Planoly, Later, Plann, Pallyy and Preview are Instagram-first visual planners; Iconosquare leads on analytics.
- Check what the free plan really includes: post caps, one device, or a mobile-only app.
On this page
What is the best Instagram feed planner?
An Instagram feed planner is an app that previews your upcoming posts in the profile grid, so you can arrange them before they publish. SkedCast is the best of them for most creators, brands and agencies. The table compares the seven planners in this guide, from each vendor’s own pricing page (checked October 2026):
| Planner | Free plan | Paid plans from | Extra users | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkedCast | Free — 2 accounts | Free, then $15/mo | No | 11 |
| Planoly | Yes — 10 uploads/mo | $14/mo | +$5/mo/user | 8 |
| Later | No | $25/mo | +$5/user ($3.75 annual) | 8 |
| Plann | Yes — Instagram only, 30 posts/mo | $15/mo | Users capped by plan (1, 2, 4) | 7 |
| Pallyy | Yes — 15 posts/mo, image only | $25/mo | $10/mo/extra user (Agency+) | Not stated (11 accounts per set) |
| Preview | Yes — 1 user, 1 device | $6.67/mo (Pro) | Not published | 3 |
| Iconosquare | Yes — 2 profiles, 10 posts/mo | $10/mo (Starter, annual) | Not published | 8 |
What should an Instagram feed planner do?
Five things, in order of how often they decide whether a feed looks planned:
- Show the profile grid as Instagram does now: three columns of 3:4 tiles, newest first.
- Let you drag posts into a new order before anything is scheduled.
- Schedule what you planned and publish it automatically, carousels, Reels and Stories included, rather than sending you a reminder.
- Let you set a Reel’s cover, so the Reel shows a chosen frame in the grid instead of a random one.
- Keep the plan beside your other networks, so the same campaign goes out everywhere on one calendar.
How does Instagram’s profile grid crop your posts?
To 3:4. In January 2025 Instagram replaced the square profile grid with taller rectangles, and every post now shows there as a 3:4 thumbnail, whatever its own shape. A 4:5 portrait post (1080 × 1350) loses a thin strip from each side, a square post loses a quarter of its width, and a landscape post loses more than half. Posting at 3:4 (1080 × 1440) in the Instagram app shows the whole image in the grid; scheduled posts publish at up to 4:5, so keep the subject in the middle. Every size is on the Instagram image sizes page.
SkedCast — the best Instagram feed planner
Start in the free Instagram grid planner: paste the image links, see them in a three-column grid of 3:4 tiles, and drag them into order, with nothing uploaded and no account needed. Then schedule the plan in SkedCast, which auto-publishes every Instagram format: feed posts, carousels of up to 10 items, Reels with a chosen cover, and Stories, with user tags, collaborators and a first comment. Each post shows a live preview of how Instagram will display it, and the same calendar covers 11 platforms.
Seats are included in every plan, so a teammate never adds a fee: a permanent Free plan (2 connected accounts, 3 posts a day), then Solo $15 a month up to Agency+ $299. A month of posts loads in one bulk import, and agencies get a workspace and approvals for every client.
Planoly — for a visual Instagram planner
Planoly is built around planning an Instagram feed visually, with a grid you rearrange. Plans start at $14/mo, extra users and social sets cost more on its Growth and Pro plans, and its free plan works in the mobile app only, with 10 uploads a month. See Planoly alternatives.
Later — for visual planning on Instagram and TikTok
Later grew up as a visual Instagram planner and keeps a drag-and-drop calendar and a grid preview. Plans start at $25/mo, extra users are charged, and it has no free plan.
Plann — for an Instagram-first plan on a budget
Plann is an Instagram-first planner with a free plan of 30 Instagram posts a month and paid plans from $15/mo. It covers fewer networks than most tools here.
Pallyy — for a visual planner with client review
Pallyy pairs a visual planner with client review, and its free plan allows 15 image posts a month. Paid plans start at $25/mo, with extra users charged on its agency tier.
Preview — for a phone-first grid planner
Preview is a mobile app for laying out an Instagram grid, with a free plan for one user on one device and a low-cost Pro tier from $6.67/mo (Pro). It covers only a few networks.
Iconosquare — for Instagram analytics with scheduling
Iconosquare centres on analytics, with scheduling alongside. Its free plan covers 2 profiles and 10 posts a month, and paid plans start at $10/mo (Starter, annual).
How do you plan your Instagram feed?
Six steps, about 30 minutes for a month of posts:
Gather the next posts
Collect the images and covers for the next three to four weeks, ideally exported at 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1440.
Check the 3:4 crop
Look at each one in a 3:4 frame and move anything important away from the side edges.
Arrange the grid
Paste the links into the grid planner and drag them until colours and subjects alternate the way you want.
Write the captions
Write each caption and first comment, with the hashtags and tags it needs.
Schedule in order
Schedule the posts in the order you planned, oldest first, so the grid fills exactly as designed.
Review after a week
Check which posts did best and adjust the next plan.
How do you choose an Instagram feed planner?
Match the planner to how you work:
- Instagram plus other networks: pick one calendar for all of them; SkedCast publishes to 11.
- A team or clients: check the cost per user; SkedCast includes seats in every plan.
- Reels and Stories: make sure they auto-publish rather than send a reminder.
- A month at once: look for bulk import; see the best Instagram scheduler roundup.
- Phone-only planning for one account: Preview or Plann.
Sources
Prices and free plans were read from each vendor’s own pricing page and are kept in SkedCast’s comparison table; vendors change plans without notice, so check before you rely on a limit.
FAQ
- What is the best Instagram feed planner?
- SkedCast: a free 3:4 grid planner, then every Instagram format auto-published, 11 platforms on one calendar and no charge per user.
- Is there a free Instagram grid planner?
- Yes. SkedCast’s grid planner is free with no account: paste image links, see them in a 3:4 grid and drag them into order. SkedCast has a permanent Free plan as well — 2 connected accounts and up to 3 posts a day, no card and no time limit — and each workspace can additionally take one 7-day Studio trial.
- What size is the Instagram grid now?
- Each post shows as a 3:4 thumbnail in the profile grid since January 2025. A 1080 × 1440 post fills it exactly; a 1080 × 1350 post loses a thin strip at each side.
- Can a feed planner post to Instagram automatically?
- Yes, if it publishes through Instagram’s API. SkedCast auto-publishes feed posts, carousels, Reels and Stories.
- What is the best Instagram feed planner app for a phone?
- For planning one account on a phone, Preview and Plann are built for it. To plan and publish across Instagram and other networks, use SkedCast.
- Do I need to upload images to plan my grid?
- Not with SkedCast’s grid planner: it previews from image links you already have.