Prices 2026
How much does a social media manager cost?
In 2026, a freelance social media manager typically costs €400–900 per month for a basic small-business package (around 3 posts a week plus stories), while agencies charge €800–2,500+ per month. An AI service like Laspi produces a comparable weekly content package for €19–69 per month. Below: what each option includes, where the money actually goes, and a calculator for your posting volume.
Your options, compared
Typical monthly prices for a small business that wants a steady, professional presence — not a big-brand campaign.
| Option | Typical price / month | What's included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance SMM | €400–900 | Content plan, ~12 posts with visuals, stories, basic community management. Video and ads usually cost extra. | Businesses with some budget that want a person to hand things to — and time to manage that person. |
| Agency | €800–2,500+ | Strategy, content production, design, reporting, sometimes ads management. Contracts often run 3–6 months minimum. | Established businesses that treat social as a serious acquisition channel with a real budget. |
| In-house (part-time) | €600–1,200 | A junior marketer a few days a week: content, publishing, replies. Quality depends heavily on the hire. | Businesses with enough marketing work beyond social to keep the person busy. |
| Do it yourself | €0 + 5–8 h/week | Your evenings: thinking up ideas, writing captions, making visuals, remembering to post. | The very start — until the time cost exceeds what you'd pay for help. |
| Laspi (AI) | €19–69 | A week of ready posts from one voice note: captions per network, images, short videos. You review and publish in one tap. | Small businesses that need consistent, good posts without hiring or spending evenings on it. |
Ranges are estimates from open freelance and agency pricing in 2026; local markets vary. The point isn't the exact number — it's the gap between the options.
What you're actually paying for
A monthly SMM fee isn't just "posting" — it splits into work you can see and work you can't.
Deciding what to say this week so the profile doesn't become random. Usually 1–2 hours a week of a freelancer's fee.
Captions written for each network — the biggest visible chunk. Per-post freelance rates run €15–40 per caption with a visual.
Images and short videos. Reels are the expensive part: €40–100 each when made by hand.
Actually posting, at the right time, every week — the unglamorous discipline most owners lose first.
Answering comments and DMs. Often billed separately or capped in cheaper packages.
What worked, what didn't. In small packages this is a screenshot; in agencies, a deck.
Calculate it for your volume
Set how much content you actually want per week — see what a freelancer would typically charge versus the Laspi plan that covers it.
Estimate: per-post €15–40, per-video €40–100, plus €200–450/mo management — open 2026 freelance rates.
You save at least €516/mo
Estimates based on open 2026 freelance pricing for small-business packages; your local market may differ. Laspi prices are the current early-user rates, VAT included.
The honest cost of doing it yourself
DIY is free on paper and expensive in practice: 5–8 hours a week of ideas, captions, visuals and publishing — usually taken from evenings. Most owner-run profiles don't fail from bad content; they fail from silence, because the owner is busy running the business. If your hour is worth anything, DIY is rarely the cheap option after month one.
Or skip the hiring question entirely
Tell Laspi what's new in your business — two minutes, by voice. It plans the week, writes every network's post, makes the images and short videos. You look it over and hit publish. That's the whole job, for less than a single freelance post costs.
Try it freeTwo free gifts to get you started
A free marketing strategy — your channels, your audience and exactly what to post, mapped out for you.
Your first two posts generated free — see the quality, in your own voice, before you pay a cent.
No card needed to start.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a social media manager cost per hour?
Freelance rates in 2026 typically run €25–75 per hour depending on market and experience. Most small-business work is sold as monthly packages instead, because planning, writing and publishing repeat every week.
Why do agencies cost so much more than freelancers?
You're paying for a team (strategist, copywriter, designer), process and accountability — plus their overhead. For a small business posting a few times a week, that machinery is usually more than the job needs.
Can AI really replace a social media manager?
For strategy workshops and ad campaigns — no. For the weekly grind that most small businesses actually need — planning, writing, visuals, staying consistent — yes: Laspi produces the week's content from one voice note, and you stay in control of what gets published.
What does Laspi's price include?
Every plan includes a weekly content package: an AI-built plan from your voice note, captions written per network, photoreal images, and short videos on Start and up — from €19/month, VAT included, cancel anytime. The first week is free, no card.
What's the cheapest way to keep my social media alive?
If you have time: batch a week of posts yourself in one sitting. If you don't: an AI package like Laspi's €19 Start plan is cheaper than a single freelance post per week — 12 posts and 4 short videos a month, done from one voice note.
A week of posts — for less than one freelance caption
First week free: a real plan and ready posts about your business. No card needed.
Try it free