Comparisons
What outstand offers that other services don't?
Some people confuse Outstand with other services that offer a similar API, but they are not the same. Most importantly, Outstand is not a social media scheduling service, even though it can be used to schedule posts.
Outstand vs. Ayrshare
Ayrshare provides a unified API for developers to manage social media presence across multiple platforms through a single integration. Like Outstand, Ayrshare offers programmatic posting, scheduling, and analytics retrieval through an API-first approach.
The critical difference is in pricing structure and philosophy. Ayrshare uses fixed pricing plans with set tiers and limits—you're locked into paying a monthly subscription regardless of your actual usage. Outstand operates on pure usage-based pricing: $0.50 per month per connected account plus $0.01 per post published. No fixed plans, no minimums, no paying for capacity you don't use. If you publish 10 posts this month, you pay for 10 posts. If you publish 10,000 next month, you only pay for what you actually use.
Beyond pricing, Outstand is purpose-built for the agentic web with AI-powered automations and workflows baked into the API. You're not just getting an API to post content—you're getting infrastructure designed for building intelligent, autonomous social media systems. This makes Outstand ideal for businesses with variable posting volumes, seasonal campaigns, AI-driven content strategies, or those just starting out who don't want to commit to fixed monthly costs before knowing their usage patterns.
Outstand vs. PostBridge
PostBridge is a social media scheduling service with its main focus on ease of use and a simple interface to schedule posts, featuring an integrated video editor and templates. PostBridge also offers an API to extend its platform capabilities.
The key difference is that PostBridge's API is tied to their platform—it's an extension of their scheduling service, requiring you to subscribe to their platform and work within their ecosystem. Outstand is API-first and API-only. There's no platform to subscribe to, no dashboard you're forced to use. You get a pure API that you integrate directly into your own applications. This means complete control over the user experience, your own workflows, and the ability to build AI-driven automations. With Outstand's usage-based pricing, you're not paying for a platform subscription—just $0.50/month per account + $0.01 per post. PostBridge's API helps you automate their platform; Outstand's API helps you build your own.
Outstand vs. Buffer
Buffer is one of the most established social media scheduling tools, known for its clean interface and straightforward scheduling capabilities. Buffer historically offered an API, but as of October 2019, they stopped accepting new developer applications. They're working on a new API, but access remains limited and tied to their platform subscription.
Even when Buffer's API becomes widely available, the fundamental difference remains: Buffer's API is an extension of their platform, requiring an active subscription to their service with fixed pricing tiers. Outstand is API-only and purpose-built for developers. You're not automating a scheduling platform—you're integrating social media capabilities directly into your application. Outstand's usage-based pricing ($0.50/month per account + $0.01 per post) means no platform subscription, no paying for unused capacity, and complete freedom to build custom workflows and AI-driven automations. Buffer's API lets you control their platform programmatically; Outstand's API lets you build your own platform designed for the agentic web.
Outstand vs. Publer
Publer offers scheduling, analytics, and collaboration tools with plans starting at $12 per month. Publer does provide an API, but it's only available to Business and Enterprise plan subscribers, and it requires an active subscription to their platform.
The critical difference is that Publer's API is an add-on to their platform—you're paying for their scheduling service first, then getting API access as a feature of higher-tier plans. Outstand is API-only with no platform dependency. You're not subscribing to a dashboard or collaboration tools you might not need. You get a standalone API designed specifically for developers building social media functionality into their own applications. With Outstand's usage-based pricing, there are no tiers to navigate—just $0.50/month per account + $0.01 per post. Publer's API automates workflows within their platform; Outstand's API enables you to build AI-powered automations and custom workflows purpose-built for the agentic web, with complete control over the user experience and no constraints from someone else's platform.