loomly

My Honest Take on Loomly: Is This Social Media Tool Worth Your Money in 2024?

So I’ve been on this quest to find a social media tool that doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out. You know the drill – you try one, it’s missing something crucial. Try another, the interface looks like it was designed in 2005. Loomly kept coming up in Facebook groups and Reddit threads, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

After diving deep into this platform for weeks, I’m sharing my complete breakdown of what works, what doesn’t, and whether it’s actually worth the investment. Spoiler alert: the recent pricing changes have me questioning some things, and I’ll be brutally honest about why.

This review covers my deep dive into Loomly’s social media management platform, examining everything from the interface design to those collaboration features that can make or break your daily workflow. I’ll walk you through my experience with the good, the bad, and the downright frustrating.

Table of Contents

  • TL;DR: The Quick Verdict

  • Criteria Table: How Loomly Measures Up

  • What is Loomly?

  • Top 4 Alternatives to Consider

  • Frequently Asked Questions

  • Final Thoughts

TL;DR: The Quick Verdict

Loomly genuinely excels at team collaboration and has an interface that doesn’t make me want to throw my laptop out the window. The platform feels natural to navigate, which matters when you’re juggling multiple social accounts and deadlines daily.

But here’s where things get messy: they basically nuked their middle pricing tier, creating this massive jump from $65 to $332 monthly. That’s not a gradual increase – it’s a pricing canyon that leaves growing businesses stranded on the wrong side.

Supports 9 major platforms but struggles with Instagram direct publishing and lacks AI content generation. You know that feeling when you schedule 20 Instagram posts only to get notifications that half of them need manual publishing? Yeah, that’s Loomly’s Instagram problem in a nutshell.

Strong scheduling and workflow features make it solid for teams, but analytics feel pretty basic compared to competitors. Loomly delivers on organization and collaboration while falling short on data insights that actually help you prove ROI.

Customer support is hit or miss, and mobile apps need serious improvement. Best suited for established teams willing to pay premium prices for collaboration features – everyone else should probably look elsewhere.

Criteria Table: How Loomly Measures Up

Criteria

Rating

Comments

Ease of Use

4.5/5

Minimal learning curve, intuitive interface, but some process complexity

Platform Coverage

4/5

9 major platforms covered, missing newer networks

Scheduling & Publishing

4/5

Strong calendar functionality, but reliability issues with automation

Collaboration Features

4.5/5

Excellent workflows and approval processes

Analytics & Reporting

3.5/5

Functional but lacks advanced insights

Content Creation Tools

4/5

Good integrations, missing AI capabilities

Customer Support

3.5/5

Inconsistent response times and expertise levels

Pricing Value

3/5

Recent changes reduced accessibility significantly

Integration Capabilities

4/5

Strong connections with major tools

Mobile Experience

3.5/5

Apps exist but with reported UI limitations

What is Loomly?

What Loomly is Best Known For

So Loomly is basically the brainchild of this French husband-and-wife duo, Thibaud and Noémie Clément, who got fed up with how clunky other social media tools were. They’re marketers themselves, so they actually understand the daily grind of managing multiple accounts without losing your sanity.

What hooked me initially was how they obsess over the visual calendar and team stuff. It’s like they actually sat down and asked “What makes marketers want to scream at their computers?” and then built the opposite of that.

The whole pitch is pretty straightforward – they want to be the social media tool that doesn’t make you hate your job. And honestly? They’re onto something there.

Loomly social media management platform dashboard

Core Features That Stand Out

Okay, so they cover the usual suspects – Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, all that jazz. Nine platforms total, which is pretty solid for most businesses.

But here’s what actually caught my attention: their drag-and-drop Loomly calendar doesn’t suck. I know that sounds like a low bar, but you’d be amazed how many tools mess this up. I can actually move posts around without the interface having a meltdown.

The post previews are clutch too. You know how you’ll schedule something and then it looks completely wrong when it actually posts? Yeah, Loomly shows you exactly what your post will look like on each platform before you hit publish. Saved my butt more times than I care to admit.

And if you’re working with a team (especially if you’re managing clients), the approval workflow stuff is actually useful. You can set it up so nothing goes live without the right people signing off. No more “Who posted that disaster at 3 AM?” conversations.

Loomly’s standout features include that intuitive drag-and-drop scheduling, realistic post previews, comprehensive team collaboration tools, and multi-calendar organization for agencies juggling multiple clients. These aren’t just checkbox features – they actually work smoothly when you’re in the weeds of daily social media management.

Pros

Interface Design Actually Makes Sense

Look, I’ve wrestled with tools that feel like they were designed by engineers who’ve never actually used social media. Loomly’s dashboard doesn’t make me want to throw things. Everything’s where you’d expect it to be, the colors make sense, and I’m not hunting through seventeen menus to find basic functions.

When I’m juggling multiple clients and deadlines, the last thing I need is a tool that fights me every step of the way. This one actually helps instead of creating more work.

Team Workflows Are Genuinely Helpful

Setting up approval processes usually makes me want to hide under my desk. Not here. You can actually customize workflows without needing a computer science degree, and the role-based permissions mean your intern can’t accidentally nuke your biggest client’s campaign.

The approval system speeds things up instead of creating those awful bottlenecks where content sits in limbo for days. Everyone knows what needs their attention, and you can see exactly where things stand in the pipeline.

Integration Ecosystem Works Well

When I need stock photos from Unsplash or want to pull in a design from Canva, everything just… works. No broken connections, no “please reconnect your account” messages every other day. The integrations feel like they’re actually part of the platform instead of awkward add-ons.

This matters more than you’d think. When you’re in flow state creating content, the last thing you want is to get derailed by technical hiccups.

Post Optimization Suggestions

The real-time suggestions for posting times and content tweaks actually help boost engagement – if you pay attention to them. They’re not just generic advice either; they’re based on your actual audience data and what’s working for your specific accounts.

I’ve seen engagement improvements when I actually follow their recommendations, which is more than I can say for some other platforms that just throw random “best practices” at you.

Cons

Pricing Structure Became Problematic

Okay, this is where I get genuinely annoyed. They basically took a sledgehammer to their pricing structure and eliminated everything in the middle. You’re either paying $65 for basic stuff or jumping straight to $332. That’s not a price increase – that’s a canyon.

I know growing businesses that were happily paying for mid-tier plans and suddenly found themselves completely priced out. It feels like they forgot about everyone who isn’t already established or rolling in cash. This pricing restructure honestly felt like a slap in the face to existing users who were stuck in the middle.

Instagram Publishing Issues Persist

Here’s the thing that drives me absolutely crazy: Instagram publishing is still a mess. You’ll schedule your posts, feel all organized and productive, then get hit with notifications that you need to manually publish half of them.

For a platform that’s supposed to save you time, having to babysit your Instagram posts defeats the entire purpose. And we’re not talking about occasional glitches – this is a consistent problem that Loomly just hasn’t figured out. When Instagram drives significant traffic for most businesses, this limitation becomes a daily frustration.

Analytics Feel Basic

The reporting covers the basics, but if you need to dive deep into audience insights or do any serious data analysis, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s like they focused so much on making scheduling pretty that they forgot marketers actually need to prove ROI.

You’ll probably end up using other tools for the real analytics work, which kind of defeats the point of having an “all-in-one” platform. The reports are fine for showing basic metrics to stakeholders, but don’t expect strategic insights that help optimize your social media strategy.

AI Features Are Missing

While everyone else is adding AI helpers for captions and content ideas, Loomly is still stuck in 2022. When other tools are helping me write better captions and suggesting hashtags, this feels like a pretty big gap.

It’s not just about trendy features – AI tools genuinely save time and help improve performance. Loomly feels behind the curve here, and in 2024, that’s becoming harder to ignore.

Criteria Evaluation: How Loomly Actually Performs

Ease of Use: 4.5/5

New team members can jump in and start being productive pretty quickly. The learning curve isn’t brutal, which is refreshing after dealing with some enterprise tools that require a PhD to figure out.

That said, some of the post creation steps feel unnecessarily complicated, and not every icon is crystal clear about what it does. But overall, most people can get up to speed within their first day.

Platform Coverage: 4/5

Nine major platforms hit most businesses’ needs. They focus on doing the big ones well instead of trying to support every tiny emerging network. Smart approach, but the Instagram publishing problems drag this down.

You’ll cover the essential networks where your audience actually spends time, which is more important than having 50+ platforms that nobody uses.

Scheduling & Publishing: 4/5

The calendar interface is solid, and bulk scheduling saves tons of time when you’re planning content in advance. But those reliability issues with automated posting (especially Instagram) keep this from being perfect.

When automation fails, you’re back to manual work, which is exactly what you’re paying to avoid. The scheduling features work great when they work, but the inconsistency is frustrating.

Collaboration Features: 4.5/5

This is honestly where Loomly shines brightest. The approval workflows actually work smoothly, team roles make sense, and everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing. If you’re managing a team or agency clients, this stuff is gold.

Teams can establish clear content approval processes that people actually follow. The role-based permissions ensure everyone has appropriate access without creating security headaches.

Analytics & Reporting: 3.5/5

Gets the job done for basic reporting, but don’t expect mind-blowing insights. You’ll cover the essential metrics and can customize reports for different stakeholders, but the deep strategic analysis happens elsewhere.

If you need to prove ROI or understand audience behavior patterns, you’ll probably need supplementary analytics tools. The reports are clean and presentable, just not particularly insightful.

Content Creation Tools: 4/5

Good integrations with the tools you’re probably already using, plus some basic editing within the platform. Missing AI capabilities hurt, and there’s no watermarking option for agencies.

The content creation workflow integrates well with external tools while providing basic editing capabilities within Loomly. You can handle most content preparation without constantly switching between platforms.

Customer Support: 3.5/5

This is where things get inconsistent. Sometimes you’ll get amazing help, other times you’re stuck waiting or dealing with someone who clearly doesn’t understand your problem. Seems to depend on which rep you get and what plan you’re on.

Higher-tier plans get dedicated account managers, which is nice. But if you’re on the Starter plan, you’re dealing with live chat that can be hit or miss.

Pricing Value: 3/5

The features are solid, but the pricing restructure really hurt the value proposition. If you can afford the higher-tier plans and use all the collaboration features, it’s worth it. Everyone else is probably better off looking elsewhere.

The elimination of mid-tier options makes it difficult for growing businesses to scale into the platform gradually, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Integration Capabilities: 4/5

Connects well with most of the tools marketing teams actually use. The integrations feel stable and don’t require constant babysitting, which is more than I can say for some competitors.

Loomly plays nicely with the productivity and content tools you’re probably already using, making it easier to fit into existing workflows.

Mobile Experience: 3.5/5

The mobile apps exist and work for basic stuff like approvals and emergency posting, but you’ll want to do your real work on desktop. The UI limitations on mobile are pretty noticeable.

You can handle quick tasks and approvals on the go, but comprehensive social media management really requires the desktop experience.

Community Reviews and Expert Recommendations

Loomly gets solid ratings across review sites, but dig into the comments and you’ll see the real story. People love the interface and collaboration stuff, but everyone’s complaining about the same things – pricing changes and Instagram issues.

On G2, you’ll see tons of praise for the clean dashboard and reliable scheduling, but scroll down and there are agencies talking about needing backup tools just for Instagram. That’s not a great look for a premium platform.

Capterra reviews

Capterra reviews reveal this clear pattern: established teams with bigger budgets are happy, but smaller businesses feel left behind. One nonprofit reviewer mentioned they’d have to switch without their 50% discount, which says everything about the pricing situation.

The consensus seems to be that while Loomly works well for its intended audience, the recent pricing structure has significantly narrowed that audience. Community reviews consistently show strong satisfaction with collaboration features but growing frustration with cost barriers and Instagram reliability issues.

Pricing Breakdown

Here’s where things get painful. The free plan is basically useless – 5 posts per month is more like a demo than anything you can actually work with. The free plan gives you just 5 posts per month. Five. That’s like offering someone a sample spoon of ice cream and calling it dessert.

The Starter plan at $65/month covers 3 users and 12 social accounts. That might work for tiny teams, but you’ll outgrow it fast. Then there’s this massive jump to $332/month for the Beyond plan with unlimited users and 60 social accounts.

That pricing gap killed the sweet spot where most growing businesses would naturally land. You’re either stuck with basic features or forced into enterprise pricing without any middle ground. It’s honestly pretty frustrating and feels tone-deaf to the needs of businesses trying to scale their social media efforts.

Where to Find Loomly

You can grab a 15-day free trial straight from Loomly’s website. I’d definitely recommend getting your whole team involved in testing it out, especially the approval workflows, since that’s where the real value is.

The trial gives you full access, so you can really put it through its paces before committing to what’s become a pretty significant financial investment. Make sure to test the Instagram publishing specifically if that’s a crucial platform for your business.

Top 4 Alternatives to Consider

SocialPilot: The Budget-Friendly Choice

Starting at just $30/month, SocialPilot gives you way more bang for your buck. They’ve added AI content generation and support even more platforms than Loomly. If budget is tight (and whose isn’t these days?), this deserves a serious look.

The interface isn’t as polished as Loomly’s, but the core functionality works well. Sometimes you don’t need the Ferrari when a reliable Honda gets you where you need to go.

Check out SocialPilot for their current pricing and feature set.

Hootsuite: The Enterprise Standard

Yeah, it starts at $99/month, but you get enterprise-grade features with 35+ social networks and serious analytics. If you’re a larger organization that needs comprehensive management, it’s still the industry leader.

The learning curve is steeper than Loomly’s, but the feature depth justifies the complexity if you’re running sophisticated social media strategies across multiple teams and departments.

Explore Hootsuite’s platform to see their full feature set.

Buffer: The Simplicity Champion

At just $6/month to start, Buffer focuses on doing the basics exceptionally well. Their mobile apps actually work properly (looking at you, Loomly), and the pricing won’t break the bank.

Sometimes simple is better. If you want reliable social media management without all the bells and whistles that you’ll never use anyway, Buffer nails the fundamentals.

Try Buffer’s approach to social media management.

Sprout Social: The Analytics Powerhouse

Starting at $249/month, it’s pricey, but the analytics and social listening capabilities blow Loomly out of the water. If data-driven insights are crucial to your strategy, this investment might actually pay for itself.

The reporting capabilities are in a completely different league. If you need to prove ROI and dive deep into audience insights, this is where you want to be.

Discover Sprout Social’s capabilities for data-driven social media management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Loomly worth the price increase?

Honestly? It depends on whether you’re actually using those collaboration features. If you’re a solo marketer or small team, the pricing jump makes alternatives way more attractive. But if you’re an established team that lives and dies by approval workflows, you might bite the bullet.

Ask yourself: are the collaboration features actually saving you time and preventing mistakes? If yes, maybe it’s worth it. If you’re just using it for basic scheduling, your money’s better spent elsewhere.

Consider whether the workflow management genuinely reduces errors in your current process. If your team struggles with content approval bottlenecks or publishing mistakes, Loomly’s collaboration tools might justify the cost despite the pricing changes.

Can Loomly replace all my other social media tools?

Probably not. While it handles scheduling and team collaboration well, you’ll likely need other tools for serious analytics, social listening, or AI content help. Plus, those Instagram publishing issues mean you might need backup solutions anyway.

When evaluating comprehensive content management and optimization tools, it’s important to understand how different platforms integrate with your overall marketing strategy. Loomly works best as part of a larger toolkit rather than trying to be your only social media solution.

Think of Loomly as part of your toolkit, not the whole toolkit. The collaboration features are strong enough to anchor your workflow, but you’ll probably supplement with specialized tools for analytics and content creation.

How does Loomly’s customer support actually work?

It’s a mixed bag. Higher-tier plans get dedicated account managers, which is nice. But if you’re on the Starter plan, you’re dealing with live chat that can be hit or miss. Sometimes you’ll get great help, other times you’ll be frustrated by slow responses or reps who don’t really get your problem.

The biggest frustration users report is unclear support hours and varying expertise levels among support staff. If you’re considering the higher-tier plans, the dedicated support might be worth the investment, but Starter plan users should expect to rely more on self-service resources.

What happens if I need more than 60 social accounts?

You’ll have to go through their sales team for custom Enterprise pricing. No public pricing means you’re stuck in sales conversations, which some people love and others hate. For big agencies, this might work in your favor for negotiating, but it adds complexity to budgeting.

The Enterprise tier typically includes additional features and white-label options that aren’t available in standard plans. However, the lack of transparent pricing makes it difficult to budget accurately without going through their sales process, which can be time-consuming.

Does loomly post to instagram reliably?

This is the million-dollar question, and honestly, the answer is frustrating. Does loomly post to instagram automatically? Not consistently. Many users report needing to manually publish Instagram posts, which defeats the automation purpose for one of the most important platforms.

Loomly’s Instagram publishing problems stem from platform API restrictions, but other tools have found workarounds that Loomly hasn’t implemented effectively. You’ll find yourself opening the Instagram app more often than you’d expect from a premium scheduling tool, which makes it less effective as a comprehensive social media scheduler for Instagram-heavy strategies.

Does Loomly work well for agencies managing multiple clients?

The multi-calendar system and role permissions make client management possible, but you’ll probably need that $332/month Beyond plan to do it effectively. That’s a tough pill to swallow for smaller agencies.

Understanding market sizing and business opportunity assessment can help agencies determine if the investment aligns with their growth potential. Loomly works well for agencies with established client bases who can absorb the higher costs, but newer agencies might struggle with the financial commitment upfront.

If you’ve got an established client base and can absorb the costs, the client separation features work smoothly. Team members can be assigned to specific clients without accessing others’ content or calendars, which maintains proper boundaries and security.

Final Thoughts

After spending way too much time with Loomly, I’m honestly torn. When it works well, it really works well. The collaboration features are genuinely helpful, and the interface doesn’t make me want to scream. If you’re part of an established team with the budget for the Beyond plan, you’ll probably love it.

But here’s the thing – those pricing changes fundamentally changed who this tool is for. The small businesses and growing teams that would benefit most from better collaboration are now priced out of the solutions they need most. That feels backwards to me.

And let’s be real about the Instagram issues. In 2024, if your social media tool can’t reliably publish to Instagram, that’s a pretty big problem. You shouldn’t have to work around basic functionality in a premium tool, especially when Instagram drives substantial engagement for most businesses.

Loomly does specific things really well – team workflows, user-friendly design, and keeping everyone organized. These strengths make it valuable for the right audience. The question is whether you’re willing to pay premium prices for those specific benefits while accepting the limitations in other areas.

For teams that prioritize collaboration over cutting-edge features and can absorb the higher costs, Loomly delivers solid value. But don’t feel bad about looking at alternatives that might give you better value for your money. Sometimes the best tool is the one that fits your budget and actually works consistently.

Bottom line? If you’re running a tight team that actually needs those collaboration features and you’ve got the budget, Loomly won’t disappoint. But if you’re a solo entrepreneur or small business owner looking at that $332 price tag, your money’s probably better spent elsewhere. Trust me, I’ve been there – trying to justify expensive tools when there are perfectly good alternatives that won’t break the bank.

Our Promise

Every decision is driven by data, creativity, and strategy — never assumptions. We will take the time to understand your business, your audience, and your goal. Our mission is to make your marketing work harder, smarter, and faster.

Founder – Moe Kaloub