If you’ve been looking for an affordable way to manage Pinterest alongside other networks, you’ve probably run into Metricool — a Spanish-born scheduling and analytics platform that earned its reputation with a surprisingly generous free tier and strong reporting.
LinkFlows is built for a different kind of user: the WordPress publisher whose entire business depends on Pinterest driving traffic back to their blog. It’s not cheaper than Metricool at entry level. It’s a different product category altogether.
This article puts the two side by side so you can see where each one wins — and which one fits your 2026 plans.
Quick verdict
| Your situation | Pick |
|---|---|
| You want a free or cheap scheduler with decent analytics | Metricool |
| You’re a WordPress blogger chasing Pinterest traffic | LinkFlows |
| You post across 5+ networks and need reports for clients | Metricool |
| You want AI pin generation from blog posts | LinkFlows |
| You want the deepest Pinterest-specific intelligence | LinkFlows |
| You’re looking for the lowest possible entry cost | Metricool (free tier) |
What is Metricool?
Metricool is a social-media analytics and scheduling platform that supports Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, YouTube, Threads, and Google Business Profile. Its strengths:
- Free tier — up to 50 posts/month, one user, basic analytics.
- Auto-publishing on supported networks.
- AutoLists — evergreen content recycling.
- Canva / Adobe / Giphy integrations.
- UTM tracking — built-in.
- Competitor tracking on paid plans.
Paid tiers: Starter ~$22/month, Advanced ~$54/month, Agency ~$139/month.
What Metricool is not: a Pinterest-first tool or an AI content-generation platform. Its Pinterest features are scheduling and reporting; it doesn’t generate pins from blog posts and it has no WordPress integration.
What is LinkFlows?
LinkFlows is an AI-native platform built for WordPress publishers on Pinterest. It’s narrower than Metricool on network coverage, much deeper where it counts for bloggers:
- Native WordPress integration. Connect once; LinkFlows reads every article.
- AI pin generation. 10 on-brand pins per article, one click.
- Pinterest Autopilot campaigns.
- Pinterest Spy + Trends for niche intelligence.
- WordPress AI article writer with SEO audit.
- Facebook + email list included.
Pricing: Creator $39.99/mo · Growth $49.99/mo · Elite $79.99/mo. 14-day trial, no CC, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Head-to-head comparison
Pinterest depth
| Feature | Metricool Starter | LinkFlows Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Pinterest scheduling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Auto-publishing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Board manager | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Advanced |
| Pin generation from blog post | ❌ | ✅ |
| Pinterest Spy / Trends | ❌ | ✅ |
| Autopilot campaigns | ⚠️ AutoLists (generic) | ✅ Pinterest-specific |
Takeaway. Metricool schedules pins. LinkFlows generates, schedules, and intelligence-tracks them end-to-end.
Content creation
| Feature | Metricool | LinkFlows |
|---|---|---|
| AI caption generation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Canva integration | ✅ | ⚠️ Export/import |
| AI pin design | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI full-article writing | ❌ | ✅ |
| Recipe / roundup post templates | ❌ | ✅ |
Takeaway. Metricool has design integrations (Canva, Adobe). LinkFlows generates the pins and the blog posts they’re based on.
Network coverage
| Network | Metricool | LinkFlows |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ | ✅ | |
| ✅ | ✅ | |
| ✅ | ❌ | |
| TikTok | ✅ | ❌ |
| ✅ | ❌ | |
| Twitter/X | ✅ | ❌ |
| YouTube | ✅ | ❌ |
| Google Business Profile | ✅ | ❌ |
Takeaway. Metricool wins on breadth. LinkFlows is intentionally narrower.
Analytics
| Feature | Metricool | LinkFlows |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-network reports | ✅ | ⚠️ Pinterest + FB focus |
| Best-time-to-post recommendations | ✅ | ✅ |
| Competitor tracking | ✅ Higher tiers | ✅ Pinterest Spy built-in |
| Email list growth tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
| SEO integration (articles → pins) | ❌ | ✅ |
Pricing: the real stack cost
Metricool’s free tier is strong, but for serious use most publishers move to Advanced ($54/mo) or compose a stack. A realistic WordPress-blogger setup:
| Tool | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Metricool Advanced | $54 |
| + Jasper / Frase (AI writer) | +$45 |
| + ConvertKit (email) | +$15 |
| + BlogToPin (pin generation) | +$25 |
| Total Metricool stack | ≈ $139/mo |
| LinkFlows Creator (everything in) | $39.99/mo |
| Monthly savings | ≈ $99 (−71%) |
Metricool alone on its free tier can be cheaper than LinkFlows — as long as you’re willing to cap at 50 posts/month and do without pin generation, AI writing, and email.
Who should choose Metricool?
- You’re on a genuinely zero or near-zero budget. The free tier can carry you.
- You need multi-network reporting for clients — Metricool’s analytics are stronger than most all-in-one tools at this price.
- You post across 5+ networks and none of them dominates your traffic.
- You have content production already handled elsewhere. You just need a publishing and analytics layer.
Who should choose LinkFlows?
- WordPress is your content engine and Pinterest is your traffic engine.
- You want AI to write blog posts, design pins, and draft descriptions — all connected.
- You’re paying for Jasper + Tailwind + ConvertKit separately and the combined bill is painful.
- You run one or more blogs commercially (ad revenue, affiliate, products) where Pinterest traffic directly funds your business.
The verdict
Metricool is an excellent, affordable scheduler with strong analytics. If you’re a social-media manager juggling five platforms for different clients, it’s likely the right tool.
LinkFlows is in a different category. It’s not trying to be a scheduler — it’s trying to be the operating system for a WordPress publisher whose business runs on Pinterest. The AI, the Pinterest Spy, the WordPress integration, and the bundled email list are designed for a specific kind of user with a specific kind of business.
If you fit that description, the 14-day free trial is the fastest way to see the difference. Connect your WordPress, let it generate a week of pins from your existing articles, and compare the Pinterest impressions to what you’re doing manually today.
Start your LinkFlows free trial → 14 days, no credit card, 30-day money-back guarantee.
More Pinterest tool comparisons
Still weighing options? These related comparisons help round out the picture:
- LinkFlows vs Buffer: Is the Cheapest Scheduler Still Worth It for Pinterest in 2026?
- LinkFlows vs Later: The Honest 2026 Comparison for Pinterest-Focused Publishers
- LinkFlows vs Pinclicks: Pinterest Research or Pinterest Execution — Which Do You Actually Need?
Or browse all LinkFlows comparisons to find the exact tool you are thinking of replacing.
FAQ
Does LinkFlows have a free plan?
No. LinkFlows offers a 14-day free trial (no credit card required) and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all paid plans. The team deliberately removed the free tier to invest in support quality, product features, and roadmap pace for paying users.
Can I use Metricool and LinkFlows together?
Yes. Some publishers run LinkFlows for Pinterest + WordPress + Facebook + email, and keep Metricool for reporting across additional networks or client deliverables.
Is Metricool’s competitor tracking deeper than LinkFlows’s Pinterest Spy?
They solve different problems. Metricool compares your overall presence against competitors across networks. LinkFlows’s Pinterest Spy surfaces individual pins and pin patterns inside your niche — more tactical, faster to act on.
Which has better Pinterest analytics?
LinkFlows. It was built as a Pinterest-first tool. Metricool’s Pinterest analytics exist but aren’t the product’s center of gravity.