Postiz Cloud vs self-hosting vs Postoni: which should you use?

Postiz is one of the most capable open-source social media schedulers around, and Postoni is built on it. So this comparison is a little unusual: we're comparing three ways to run the same core software. Self-host it yourself, use Postiz Cloud from the Postiz team, or use Postoni, a managed service built on Postiz. Each is a reasonable choice for someone. This guide is about working out which one is right for you, with real numbers.

Key takeaways

• Self-hosting Postiz costs little in server fees, but your time is the real cost: setup, a developer app per network, updates and fixes.
• Postiz Cloud is the official hosted version from the Postiz team, priced per plan.
• Postoni is a separate managed service built on Postiz, with the same plan prices as Postiz Cloud, its own setup guides and a hosted MCP server for AI agents.
• If you value your time at more than a few dollars an hour, a hosted plan is usually cheaper than self-hosting. The calculator below shows where the line is for you.

What Postiz is

Postiz is an open-source social media scheduling tool licensed under the AGPL-3.0. It publishes to 30+ networks, including X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky, Mastodon, Reddit, Discord and Telegram. It has a calendar, team workspaces, an AI assistant, a public API and an MCP server (Model Context Protocol, the open standard that lets AI apps like Claude use outside tools).

Because it's open source, anyone can read the code, run it on their own hardware, or build on it. That's exactly what Postoni does. You can read more on our open source page.

Self-hosting: requirements, real costs, maintenance

Self-hosting Postiz means running several services together, normally with Docker Compose:

• The web frontend and backend API.
• A background worker that publishes posts at the right time. Recent versions use Temporal for these workflows.
• PostgreSQL for data and Redis for caching and queues.
• File storage for uploaded media, either on local disk or an S3-compatible bucket such as Cloudflare R2.
• A domain with HTTPS, because most networks require a secure callback URL to connect accounts.

A small virtual server can run all of this for a personal setup. As a rough guide, 2 vCPUs and 4 GB of RAM is a comfortable starting point, which costs somewhere around $10 to $30 a month at common providers. Add a little for backups and storage.

The part people underestimate: developer apps

Server costs are the easy part. To connect most networks, you need to create your own developer app on each one, copy its keys into your configuration, and set the right redirect URLs. Some networks make this quick. Others need business verification or app review before you can post on behalf of an account, and that can take days or weeks. Meta (for Instagram and Facebook), TikTok, LinkedIn and X all have their own processes and rules, and they change them from time to time.

A few networks are easier. Bluesky uses an app password, Telegram uses a bot, and Mastodon lets you register an app on your instance.

Ongoing maintenance

Once it's running, expect to spend time on:

1. Updates. Postiz ships often. Updating is usually a pull and a restart, but occasionally needs a database migration or config change.
2. Network changes. When a network changes its API or permissions, you may need to update your app's settings or wait for a fix upstream.
3. Backups. Your database holds your posts and connected account tokens. Back it up, and test a restore at least once.
4. Monitoring. If the worker stops, scheduled posts quietly don't go out. Someone needs to notice.

Hosted options

If you'd rather not run servers, there are two main managed options built on the same core.

Postiz Cloud is run by the Postiz team. At the time of writing, its plans start at about $29 a month for 5 channels, with higher tiers at around $39 (10 channels), $49 (30 channels) and $99 (100 channels). Check the Postiz pricing page for current details. Choosing it supports the open-source project directly.

Postoni is an independent managed service built on Postiz, and its plans match Postiz Cloud's sizes and prices: Solo at $29 a month for 5 channels and one user, Team at $39 for 10 channels with unlimited users and approvals, Agency at $49 for 30 channels, and Enterprise at $99 for 100 channels. Every plan includes unlimited posts, and there's a 7-day free trial. See pricing.

Where Postoni fits

Postoni takes the Postiz core and focuses on making it easy to run for people who don't want to touch a server:

• Guided channel setup. Step-by-step instructions for each network, so connecting accounts doesn't mean reading developer docs.
• AI agents built in. A hosted MCP server that works with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other AI agents, so an assistant can draft and schedule posts while approvals keep a person in charge. Our Claude guide shows how it works.
• Team and agency features. Unlimited teammates and approvals on Team and up, and channels you can group by client.
• We run it. Updates, backups, monitoring and network API changes are our problem, not yours.

What Postoni doesn't change is the open-source foundation. If you ever want to leave and self-host Postiz, the core software is the same. See the Postiz comparison page for a feature-by-feature look.

Cost comparison

The honest way to compare is total cost of ownership: server fees plus the value of the time you spend running things. Plug in your own numbers:

Self-hosting cost calculator

Server cost per month

$

Hours of upkeep per month

Your hourly rate

$

Channels

Self-hosting, per month

$264

Postoni plan

$39 · Team

Postiz Cloud plan

$39 · Team

Hosted saves you

$225

Self-hosting cost = server + your time (updates, backups, broken integrations, app reviews). Plan prices are monthly list prices.

A worked example: a $24 server, plus 4 hours a month of updates and fixes at $60 an hour, comes to $264 a month. That's well above any hosted plan for 10 channels. If you only spend an hour a month and value your time at $20, self-hosting comes in around $44, close to the hosted plans. And if running servers is your hobby or your job anyway, self-hosting can be nearly free.

Migration

Moving between the three is easier than moving between unrelated tools, because the core is the same. Still, there's no one-click transfer.

1. List your channels and scheduled posts

   Note every connected channel and export or copy your upcoming posts. The Postiz public API can list posts if you have a lot of them.

2. Connect channels in the new setup

   Connected accounts use tokens tied to a specific developer app, so you need to reconnect each channel. On Postoni, the guided setup walks you through each network.

3. Recreate scheduled posts

   Recreate upcoming posts, or ask an AI assistant connected over MCP to recreate them as drafts from a pasted list.

4. Stop the old instance

   Once the new setup has published a few posts successfully, delete the remaining scheduled posts from the old instance so nothing goes out twice, then shut it down. Keep a final database backup.

If you're moving a large self-hosted setup and get stuck, contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Is Postiz really free?

Yes. Postiz is open source under the AGPL-3.0, and you can self-host it at no software cost. You still pay for a server, storage and your own time. Postiz Cloud is the paid hosted version.

Is Postoni the same as Postiz?

Postoni is built on the open-source Postiz project, but it's a separate managed service with its own plans, guided channel setup, hosted MCP server and support team. It isn't run by the Postiz team.

How much does it cost to self-host Postiz?

Server fees are typically $10 to $30 a month for a small setup. The bigger cost is time: initial setup, creating a developer app for each network, and ongoing updates, backups and fixes.

Can I move from self-hosted Postiz to Postoni later?

Yes. You'll reconnect your channels and recreate scheduled posts, but the way you work stays familiar because the core software is the same.