Best time to post in 2026: by platform and day
There is no universal best time of day: the big studies clearly contradict each other. For Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn they come closest on Tuesday through Thursday, and the weekend is mostly considered weaker there. Four weeks of testing will show you your own times.
As of October 13, 2026
According to the providers, all times are the audience’s local time (normalized); Metricool gives no time zone. We review this page quarterly. Changes: October 13, 2026 – first version. Next review: January 2027.
What do the big studies say?
Five providers have analyzed posting times. Instagram comes first because all five studies give values for it.
| Study | Best times | Data basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sprout Social, March 31, 2026 | Mon 2–4 p.m., Tue 1–7 p.m., Wed noon–9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Thu noon–2 p.m. | Data from November 27, 2025 to February 27, 2026, about 2 billion engagements, about 307,000 profiles |
| Buffer, September 23, 2026 | Thu 9 a.m., Wed noon, Wed 6 p.m.; best day Wednesday; weak: Fri, Sat and 1–5 a.m. | 9.6 million posts, January 2024 to December 2025 |
| Hootsuite, November 19, 2025 | Mon 3–9 p.m., Tue 5–8 a.m. and 3–7 p.m., Thu 5–7 p.m. | Over 1 million posts, normalized across 118 countries; period not stated |
| Later, April 21, 2026 | 5 a.m. (3–6 a.m. above average) | Over 6 million posts from January to October 2024, so older data |
| Metricool, July 3, 2026 | 7–9 p.m. in the global average; the day of the week matters little | 24.4 million posts from 375,118 accounts; period not stated |
| Platform | Sprout Social (March 31, 2026) | Buffer (March 25, 2026) | Hootsuite (November 19, 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon noon–1 p.m., Tue and Wed noon–8 p.m., Thu noon–2 p.m. and 8 p.m. | Thu 9 a.m.; best day Wednesday, weakest Saturday | Tue 9 a.m. | |
| Mon 1–2 p.m., Tue 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Wed 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Thu 11 a.m. and 1–5 p.m., Fri 11 a.m. and 1–2 p.m. | Wed 4 p.m., Fri 4 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.; posts between 6 and 11 a.m. weaker | Tue and Wed 4–6 a.m. | |
| TikTok | Mon 3–5 p.m., Tue 2–6 p.m., Wed 1–8 p.m., Thu 1–5 p.m., Fri 3–5 p.m. | Sun 9 a.m., Mon 1 p.m., Sun 1 p.m.; best day Saturday, weakest Wednesday | Thu 7–11 a.m. |
| YouTube Shorts | no data | Fri 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday strongest, Tuesday weakest | no data |
For Instagram alone, the peaks range from 5 a.m. (Later) through Thursday 9 a.m. (Buffer) to 7–9 p.m. (Metricool). That shows that no number in these tables applies to every business.
Why do the studies contradict each other?
- Different data. Sprout analyzes data from November 27, 2025 to February 27, 2026, Buffer posts from January 2024 to December 2025, Later posts from January to October 2024. Metricool gives no period.
- Different methods. Some providers count total engagements, others a rate per reach or per follower.
- Different countries. Hootsuite normalizes the times across 118 countries, Metricool uses a global average. We found no reliable study for Germany alone from 2025 or 2026.
Which day of the week is best?
Treat the values as a starting hypothesis for your own tests, not as a rule. For each day, here is what the studies say.
Monday
Instagram: Sprout 2–4 p.m., Hootsuite 3–9 p.m.; Reels at midnight according to Later. Facebook: Sprout noon–1 p.m. LinkedIn: Sprout 1–2 p.m. TikTok: Sprout 3–5 p.m., Buffer 1 p.m.
Tuesday
Instagram: Sprout 1–7 p.m., Hootsuite 5–8 a.m. and 3–7 p.m.; carousels at 5 a.m. according to Later. Facebook: Sprout noon–8 p.m., Hootsuite 9 a.m. LinkedIn: Sprout 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Hootsuite 4–6 a.m. TikTok: Sprout 2–6 p.m. YouTube Shorts: Buffer names Tuesday as the weakest day.
Wednesday
Instagram: Sprout noon–9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Buffer noon and 6 p.m.; for Buffer, Wednesday is the best day. Facebook: Sprout noon–8 p.m.; also the best day for Buffer. LinkedIn: Sprout 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Buffer 4 p.m., Hootsuite 4–6 a.m. TikTok: Sprout 1–8 p.m.; Buffer, by contrast, names Wednesday as the weakest day.
Thursday
Instagram: Sprout noon–2 p.m., Buffer 9 a.m. (top time), Hootsuite 5–7 p.m. Facebook: Sprout noon–2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Buffer 9 a.m. LinkedIn: Sprout 11 a.m. and 1–5 p.m. TikTok: Sprout 1–5 p.m., Hootsuite 7–11 a.m.
Friday
Instagram: Buffer counts Friday among the weak days, Sprout gives no Friday times. LinkedIn: Sprout 11 a.m. and 1–2 p.m., Buffer 3 and 4 p.m. TikTok: Sprout 3–5 p.m. YouTube Shorts: Buffer 4 p.m.; Friday and Saturday are the strongest days there.
Saturday
Sprout counts the weekend among the weak times for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok. Buffer sees Saturday as weak for Instagram and as the weakest day for Facebook, but as the best day for TikTok and one of the strongest for YouTube Shorts. For Instagram on Saturday: Sprout and Buffer see it as rather weak, Metricool considers the day of the week of little relevance. At most, test it with one format.
Sunday
Sprout names Sunday as the weakest day overall. For TikTok, Buffer sees it differently: Sunday 9 a.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. are among the top times there.
What does this mean for hospitality, cleaning, trades and hair salons?
These are assumptions based on your customers’ everyday lives, not study results. Check them with the test further below.
| Business | Time window to test | Assumption behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitality | 11 a.m.–noon and 5–6 p.m. | Guests decide shortly before lunch and before dinner where to go. |
| Building cleaning (B2B) | Tuesday to Thursday during office hours | Business customers look at LinkedIn while at work. |
| Trades for private customers | Evenings and weekends | Private customers plan renovations after work and on their day off. |
| Hair salon | Shortly before your booking peaks | You know from your appointment book when customers book appointments. |
How do you find your own best times?
- Look at your most active times. Open the Insights of your Instagram account and check under “Most active times” when your followers are online.
- Pick two or three time windows. For example Wednesday noon, Wednesday 6 p.m. and Thursday 9 a.m., Buffer’s top times for Instagram.
- Alternate for four weeks. Post the same formats at the chosen times, image against image and Reel against Reel. Change nothing else about your rhythm during these four weeks.
- Compare and decide. In Insights, look at watch time, likes per reach and sends per reach. The best time window stays, and you replace the weakest with a new one.
Does the time of day matter at all?
Less than the content. The three signals that Adam Mosseri named in January 2025 as the most important for Instagram ranking are watch time, likes and sends. The time of day is not among them (Social Media Today, January 22, 2025). More in Instagram algorithm 2026.
With companycore
In the Calendar you set the date and time of each publication yourself, in German time, and companycore publishes at the scheduled time, usually no more than a minute or two later. With TikTok and YouTube, processing by the platform can take longer. There is no automatic choice of the best time of day; the Calendar only suggests free days. The 10 a.m. that is preset for new publications is a starting value, not a recommendation.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for Instagram?
There is no single answer: Sprout names Tuesday 1–7 p.m., Buffer Thursday 9 a.m. and Wednesday noon and 6 p.m., Metricool 7–9 p.m., Later 5 a.m. Test two to three time windows for four weeks.
Does the time of day matter at all?
Less than the content. Mosseri names watch time, likes and sends as the most important signals; the time of day is not among them.
Do the times apply to Germany too?
The providers state the audience’s local time, but their data is mostly international. We found no reliable study for Germany alone from 2025 or 2026.
Can companycore post automatically at the best time?
No. You set the date and time yourself. The Calendar only suggests days for empty slots, not times.
Sources
- Sprout Social: Best times to post on social media, March 31, 2026 (study)
- Buffer: Best time to post on social media in 2026, March 25, 2026 (study)
- Buffer: Best time to post on Instagram, September 23, 2026 (study, 9.6 million posts)
- Hootsuite: Best time to post on social media, November 19, 2025 (study)
- Later: Best time to post on Instagram, April 21, 2026 (study, data from 2024)
- Metricool: Best time to post on Instagram (in German), July 3, 2026 (study)
- Social Media Today: Instagram shares algorithm insights 2025, January 22, 2025 (trade press, quoting Mosseri)
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