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Planable is the best client-facing social media tool we've ever used and we've used a lot.
Socialbee is a pretty capable social media management tool with dozens of features to speed up social media scheduling, planning, and content creation. Still, I tested the platform and I found that its ample feature set comes with a learning curve, which can lead to...
Nov 26, 2025
I’ve spent years managing social campaigns for both agencies and in-house teams. Along the way, I’ve tested nearly every major approval and collaboration tool out there. And while mLabs handles content management well, it still falls short where it matters most: fast, structured feedback.
If you’re looking for a platform that lets you collaborate with your team in real time, keep reading. I’ll walk you through five mLabs alternatives I’ve worked with, what each one is best for, and their pros and cons.
Best for: Team and client collaboration & custom approval processes
Rating: 5/5 (a social media management tool specifically designed to make collaboration easy)
I picked Planable because it’s a social media management platform that makes content collaboration and approval workflows its centerpiece. And as someone who’s been working in content for years, Planable really has some of the most well-thought-through feedback systems I’ve ever worked with.
Coordinate scheduling and approvals in Planable with clear team feedback and seamless communication.
Planable’s collaboration tools are similar to Google Docs, but better. You work on posts in real-time through comments, annotations, and clear-text suggestions. The platform’s activity history and version control also let you see whether feedback was implemented correctly.
Planable’s collaboration panel enables real-time feedback and suggestions directly on post content.
Unlike mLabs, Planable’s collaboration features are readily available across the platform. You can leave comments directly in the calendar, with no need to wait for approval requests. Plus, the platform includes customizable approval processes. You can pick between four workflow types: none, optional, required, and multi-level.
Planable lets you build multi-level approval workflows to ensure content gets reviewed by the right people.
Most notably, there’s the Universal Content feature, where you can collaborate and work on any written content format outside social media. That includes emails, blog posts, video scripts, you name it.
Add in Planable’s mobile app, internal comments, custom user roles and permissions, and the ability to leave comments on visual assets, and you’ve got a platform that makes social media content collaboration smooth and natural.
I’m using Planable for two projects right now, and the biggest advantage is how easy it is to organize and approve content. The calendar view gives a clear picture of all posts, the previews look accurate across platforms, and the collaboration with clients is smooth — comments, approvals, and edits happen in one place without confusion.
Nick K., CEO
Standout features:
Integrations: Instagram (including direct publishing to Stories and Reels), Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Google My Business, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Threads.
Pricing: Free plan for up to 50 scheduled posts. Paid plans start at $33/workspace/month (billed annually).
Best for: Multi-format content collaboration and direct CMS publishing
Rating: 4.5/5 (great cross-network collaboration features for large content marketing teams)
Storychief stood out to me through its direct integrations with WordPress, Drupal, and Webflow, on top of the platform’s native social media network integrations.
This makes Storychief a solid alternative for content marketers and agencies building online presence across multiple channels. Plus, you’ve got access to advanced features like SEO suggestions, multi-level approvals, and annotations.
But that comes at a price. Collaboration tools are only unlocked on upper-tier plans, starting at $34/user/month. The platform might be out of reach for smaller businesses.
Pricing is fair for the features you get when using StoryChief. For new startups with limited funds, it could be a slight hurdle.
Verified User, from G2.
Standout features
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, X, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile.
Pricing: Free plan included. Paid packages start at $22/month (billed annually) for one user, social media calendar access only.
Best for: Social media team and client workflow management
Rating: 4.5/5 (solid for working with multiple brands, but has workflow-disrupting performance issues).
I really liked Kontentino’s team workflow organization tools. The social management platform lets you assign posts to team members via tasks, and you can leave checklists to minimize future back-and-forths in the feedback loop.
Similar to Planable’s workspaces, Kontentino lets you centralize accounts belonging to the same brand under dedicated folders. You can set up multi-level approvals and collaborate via comments (internal and public) from there.
Still, the software’s performance does tend to slow down under heavier loads. This can be quite disruptive, especially if you regularly manage many clients under tight deadlines.
Loading multiple profiles at once can be a bit slow, especially with many accounts.
Mike S., Account Manager.
Standout features
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google My Business.
Pricing: Starts at $59/month (billed annually) for 3 seats, 10 social profiles, and up to 100 posts.
Best for: AI-assisted content repurposing and collaboration
Rating: 4/5 (capable multi-platform content creation tool, but usability is dragged down by a steep learning curve).
Simplified is an AI-powered content marketing platform with built-in social media management software. The platform lets you create content across formats, including SEO-optimized blog posts, social media, emails, and visual assets.
Simplified also includes a solid social media scheduler with analytics and engagement tools. Plus, you can collaborate through comments and approvals.
But the platform’s complexity does give a steep learning curve.
Initially, I found using Simplified difficult, as I struggled to find where to schedule posts. This was challenging at first until I learned the platform. Additionally, while there is an agent in Simplified meant to assist with social media tasks, I found it confusing to use and didn’t manage to integrate it effectively into my workflow.
MHD Anas D., verified G2 review.
Standout features
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile.
Pricing: Free plan avaialbe. Entry-level package costs $19/month (billed annually) for 1 user and 7 social accounts.
Best for: Creating and collaborating on social visual assets
Rating: 4/5 (A very capable design tool with built-in social media schedulers, but otherwise basic social media features)
Canva Pro includes a super solid set of graphics design and visual asset editing tools, and a built-in social media scheduler. Add in its real-time collaboration tools, and you can use Canva as a capable social media management platform, especially on visual-centric platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok posts.
Of course, the platform is not social media-first, so it doesn’t have many advanced social media management tools, like detailed analytics or publishing automation features. That’s why I gave it the 5th place here.
No Carousel Scheduling: One major bummer is that you can’t schedule carousel posts directly from Canva. If you love using carousels to tell a story or showcase products, you must post those manually.
Verified User, from G2.
But it does serve as a very capable mLabs alternative for social content collaboration, nonetheless.
Standout features
Integrations: Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Tumblr.
Pricing: Social media scheduler unlocked in the Pro plan, which costs $12.99/user/month (billed monthly).
Here’s a brief rundown of the factors I looked at before including each tool in the list:
Here’s a quick overview of the core features you should look for when picking a social media management solution like mLabs:
Picking the appropriate mLabs alternative involves your particular content requirements and team size. With that in mind, here’s my final take of what each tool in this list is best used for:
Still, I definitely recommend Planable as your go-to. Its custom approval workflows, real-time feedback tools, and workspaces make it a top-notch social media management platform for content collaboration.
And if you’re stuck between Planable and Canva, these two platforms actually integrate natively. That means you can perform professional-grade visuals in Canva and schedule them through Planable, all in a few clicks.
It’s definitely worth a shot. Schedule your first 50 posts completely for free!
Digital marketing enthusiast, language nerd, and content writer. Horea loves writing about SaaS and anything that involves boosting online presence – from SEO to social media, web design, and more. His content is allergic to fluff and eats research for breakfast.
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