ToolRankBest AI marketing tools with MCP support
Updated 22 Oct 2026 · Prices from vendor pages only · How we rank →
The short answer
Each of these AI marketing tools supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP), so AI agents can connect to it. Buffer comes first: free plan with AI Assistant and API access; paid plans from $5 per channel. The cheapest verified paid plan here is Buffer Essentials ($5/month per channel ($60 billed yearly)). 5 of the 7 have a free plan we could confirm. Every price below is from the vendor’s own page, checked 20–22 Oct 2026.
Ranked shortlist
- Buffer: Free plan with AI Assistant and API access; paid plans from $5 per channel. Plan: Essentials: $5/month per channel ($60 billed yearly)
Unlimited posts, advanced analytics - Surfer: Combines a content editor with AI visibility tracking, with MCP and API on higher plans. Plan: Discovery: $49/month
Content drafting and optimisation - Metricool: A free plan for one brand, low per-brand pricing, plus MCP and API access. Plan: Starter: From $20/month billed annually; from $25/month billed monthly
Up to 10 brands, unlimited publishing, LinkedIn - Hootsuite: A 14-day trial with no card, unlimited scheduling and AI post and image generation. Plan: Standard: $99 per user/month, billed annually
Up to 10 social accounts, AI posts and images - Ahrefs: A free plan for site owners and API and MCP access from the Standard plan. Plan: Starter: $29/month
Keyword and competitor research basics - Semrush: A free plan, a 7-day free trial and MCP access from the Starter plan. Plan: SEO: $117.33/month billed annually; $139/month billed monthly
5 websites, 500 tracked keywords - Publer: A free-forever plan, mobile app and MCP and API access on paid plans. Plan: Not yet verified
Order follows ToolRank’s editorial ranking in Marketing & Sales, filtered to tools that fit this page. Anything we couldn’t confirm on a vendor page says “Not yet verified”.
Side by side
| Rank | Tool | Relevant plan | Starting price | Free plan | Best for | Main limitation | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Buffer | Essentials: $5/month per channel ($60 billed yearly) Unlimited posts, advanced analytics | $5/month per channel (Essentials, billed yearly) | Free plan: $0 forever, 10 scheduled posts per channel, AI Assistant | Creators and small teams scheduling posts on several social networks on a budget | Free plan allows 10 scheduled posts per channel and 1 user | 22 Oct 2026 |
| #2 | Surfer | Discovery: $49/month Content drafting and optimisation | $49/month (Discovery) | ✕ None listed | Content teams who want to rank in Google and get cited in AI answers | No free plan; API access is on the top Peace of Mind plan | 20 Oct 2026 |
| #3 | Metricool | Starter: From $20/month billed annually; from $25/month billed monthly Up to 10 brands, unlimited publishing, LinkedIn | $20/month (Starter, billed annually) | Free: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, AI assistant, MCP | Freelancers and agencies scheduling and reporting on several brands' social accounts | LinkedIn and X need a paid plan; the free plan caps posts at 20 a month | 21 Oct 2026 |
| #4 | Hootsuite | Standard: $99 per user/month, billed annually Up to 10 social accounts, AI posts and images | $99 per user/month (Standard, billed annually) | 14-day free trial, no credit card | Marketing teams who manage many social accounts and messages in one place | No free plan; plans are sold per user and start at $99 | 22 Oct 2026 |
| #5 | Ahrefs | Starter: $29/month Keyword and competitor research basics | $29/month (Starter) | Ahrefs Free: limited Site Explorer and Site Audit for your own site | SEO teams and consultants who want deep search data inside their AI tools | No trials or discounts; API and MCP start on the $249 Standard plan | 22 Oct 2026 |
| #6 | Semrush | SEO: $117.33/month billed annually; $139/month billed monthly 5 websites, 500 tracked keywords | $117.33/month (SEO, billed annually) | Free: $0/month, 10 reports a day, no credit card; 7-day free trial of paid plans | Marketers who want SEO and AI-search tracking in one tool | Paid plans start above $100 a month; API access needs the custom Advanced plan | 22 Oct 2026 |
| #7 | Publer | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Free forever: 1 user, 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account | Solo creators and small teams who want cheap scheduling and AI-agent access | Paid prices depend on account count and were not shown in the fetched text | 22 Oct 2026 |
Prices as listed by each vendor on the last-checked date, USD, before tax. Plans and limits change, so follow the sources below.
Who should pick which
Pick Buffer for creators and small teams scheduling posts on several social networks on a budget (Essentials: $5/month per channel ($60 billed yearly)). Watch out: free plan allows 10 scheduled posts per channel and 1 user. Pick Surfer for content teams who want to rank in Google and get cited in AI answers (Discovery: $49/month). Watch out: no free plan; API access is on the top Peace of Mind plan. Pick Metricool for freelancers and agencies scheduling and reporting on several brands' social accounts (Starter: From $20/month billed annually; from $25/month billed monthly). Watch out: LinkedIn and X need a paid plan; the free plan caps posts at 20 a month. Pick Hootsuite for marketing teams who manage many social accounts and messages in one place (Standard: $99 per user/month, billed annually). Watch out: no free plan; plans are sold per user and start at $99. Pick Ahrefs for SEO teams and consultants who want deep search data inside their AI tools (Starter: $29/month). Watch out: no trials or discounts; API and MCP start on the $249 Standard plan. Pick Semrush for marketers who want SEO and AI-search tracking in one tool (SEO: $117.33/month billed annually; $139/month billed monthly). Watch out: paid plans start above $100 a month; API access needs the custom Advanced plan. Pick Publer for solo creators and small teams who want cheap scheduling and AI-agent access (free plan: Free forever: 1 user, 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account). Watch out: paid prices depend on account count and were not shown in the fetched text.
FAQ
Which of these is cheapest?
Buffer Essentials ($5/month per channel ($60 billed yearly)) is the lowest paid price we verified on this list (https://buffer.com/pricing, checked 22 Oct 2026). Check the vendor page for tax, billing period and usage limits.
Which of these have a free plan?
Buffer: Free plan: $0 forever, 10 scheduled posts per channel, AI Assistant; Metricool: Free: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, AI assistant, MCP; Ahrefs: Ahrefs Free: limited Site Explorer and Site Audit for your own site; Semrush: Free: $0/month, 10 reports a day, no credit card; 7-day free trial of paid plans; Publer: Free forever: 1 user, 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account.
How were these tools chosen?
They are the tools in ToolRank's rankings with MCP support listed by the vendor, confirmed on the vendor's own website on 20–22 Oct 2026. Tools we could not verify are left out rather than guessed, and anything unconfirmed is marked Not yet verified.
Sources
- Buffer: Buffer pricing and FAQ checked 22 Oct 2026
- Buffer: Buffer mobile apps checked 22 Oct 2026
- Surfer: Surfer pricing checked 20 Oct 2026
- Metricool: Metricool pricing checked 21 Oct 2026
- Hootsuite: Hootsuite plans and FAQ checked 22 Oct 2026
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs pricing and FAQ checked 22 Oct 2026
- Semrush: Semrush plans and pricing checked 22 Oct 2026
- Publer: Publer plans checked 22 Oct 2026
Related comparisons
Profiles: Buffer · Surfer · Metricool · Hootsuite · Ahrefs · Semrush · Publer
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