The Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2026, Platform by Platform
We compared the largest published posting time studies from Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, and SocialPilot. They agree on less than you'd expect, so start there and let your audience decide.
www.your-business.com
You finally have a post ready, and now there's one small question left. When do you hit publish?
Every big social media company has published a study to answer it, and the honest truth is that their answers don't match. One study's best day can be another study's quietest.
So we've laid the studies side by side for each platform, explained in plain words why they disagree, and shown you how to find the time that works for your own followers.
Jump to: Instagram · TikTok · Facebook · LinkedIn · YouTube · Why the studies disagree · Find your own best time · FAQ
How we chose these studies
We only used studies that name their publisher and state how many posts or engagements they looked at. Each one is named in the copy with its year and sample size, so you can decide how much weight to give it.
Some well-known pages give posting times without saying how much data sits behind them, so we left those out. We also left out any study whose own numbers disagreed with each other, since a page that gives two different answers can't help you pick one.
Keep in mind that each study measures something a little different. Some count total engagements, some use the median engagement rate, and some look at reach, and each one handles time zones in its own way.
Best time to post on Instagram
What the studies found, overall
Sprout Social's 2026 study of nearly 2 billion engagements across about 307,000 profiles found the strongest windows were Mondays 2 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays 1 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays 12 to 9 p.m., and Thursdays 12 to 2 p.m., in local time.
Hootsuite's 2025 analysis of more than 1 million posts with Critical Truth found the best times by day were 3 to 9 p.m. on Mondays, 5 to 8 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays, 4 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12 to 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Buffer's analysis of 9.6 million Instagram posts found the top three slots were Thursday at 9 a.m., Wednesday at 12 p.m., and Wednesday at 6 p.m., with evenings from 6 to 11 p.m. strong on most days.
Later's analysis of more than 6 million Instagram posts from January to October 2024 found 5 a.m. local time performed best overall. It is the oldest data of the four, so it's worth weighing a little more lightly.
Best time to post on Instagram by day
Posting today? Jump to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Monday
For Mondays, Sprout Social's study points to 2 to 4 p.m., while Hootsuite's points to the longer stretch from 3 to 9 p.m. Buffer found 7 p.m. strongest, followed by 6 and 8 p.m., and Later found 5 a.m. best, with 11 p.m. also strong.
Tuesday
On Tuesdays, Sprout Social found a long window from 1 to 7 p.m., and Hootsuite found two, from 5 to 8 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. Buffer's top Tuesday slot was 7 p.m., followed by 3 and 5 p.m., while Later's was 5 a.m.
Wednesday
Wednesday is where Sprout Social saw its widest window, from 12 to 9 p.m., with a late spike at 11 p.m. Buffer found 12 p.m. best, then 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., Hootsuite pointed to 5 p.m., and Later found 3 a.m. best, with engagement staying strong until 5 a.m.
Thursday
For Thursdays, Sprout Social's window narrows to 12 to 2 p.m., and Hootsuite's sits at 4 to 5 p.m. Buffer found Thursday is the one day mornings win, with 9 a.m. first, then 8 and 7 a.m., and Later's best Thursday time was 4 to 5 a.m.
Friday
Sprout Social found no significant peak hours on Fridays and suggests avoiding 3 to 7 a.m. Hootsuite pointed to 4 p.m., and Buffer found 10 p.m. strongest, then 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., while counting Friday among its two weakest days.
Saturday
Sprout Social found Saturday had the lowest engagement of the week, and Later also found it the weakest day overall, with 5 a.m. its best Saturday time. Hootsuite pointed to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Buffer found 9 p.m. strongest, then 10 and 8 p.m.
Sunday
Sprout Social counts Sunday among the weakest days, though Hootsuite still found a good window from 12 to 3 p.m. Buffer found 9 p.m. strongest, then 10 and 8 p.m., and called Sunday evening the best weekend slot, while Later found 12 a.m., 5 a.m., and 11 p.m. best.
Best day to post on Instagram
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesdays and Wednesdays had the highest peak engagement and weekends the lowest. Buffer's study found Wednesday was the best day, followed by Thursday and Tuesday, with Friday and Saturday the weakest.
Hootsuite's 2025 analysis found Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays worked best for reach. Later's study found Monday was the best day and Saturday the weakest.
Here's where they agree. Every study puts a weekday on top, and every study that names a weakest day includes Saturday. Where they part ways is on which weekday wins, so that's the part worth testing with your own posts.
Reels
Buffer's Instagram times combine all post types, so they aren't Reels only, and Buffer notes that its strongest window for Reels matches its evening peak from 6 to 11 p.m., with Wednesday and Thursday strongest.
Later did study Reels on their own, looking at more than 975,000 of them, and found 12 a.m. on Mondays performed best. That's a very different answer, which is one more reason to check how your own Reels do.
Restaurants, beauty, fitness, and other industries
Several studies break their findings down by industry, and a few match the kinds of businesses we work with every day.
For food and drink, Sprout Social's 2026 study points to weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Later's 2024 data points to 12 and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Hootsuite's 2025 analysis points to 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for dining, hospitality, and tourism. You'll find more ideas in our guide to social media for restaurants.
For beauty, Later's 2024 data found 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. worked best for Beauty and Fashion, with Thursday and Saturday the strongest days. Our guide to social media for salons and barbers covers what to post in those slots.
For fitness, Later's Health and Wellness numbers point to 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., with Monday and Wednesday the strongest days. There's more for studios in our guide to social media for gyms and fitness studios.
Best time to post on TikTok
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesdays through Thursdays between 2 and 6 p.m. local time performed best, with Sunday the weakest day.
Buffer's analysis of 7.1 million TikTok posts found the single best slot was Sunday at 9 a.m., followed by Monday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., with Saturday the strongest day and evenings generally peaking.
This is the clearest disagreement on the page. The weekend Sprout Social tells you to skip is where Buffer found its best day and its best single slot, and the afternoons Sprout Social favors are the hours Buffer found weakest.
When two big studies point in opposite directions, your own numbers matter most. Buffer suggests the Followers tab in TikTok Studio, which shows when your followers were most active over the past week.
Best time to post on TikTok by day
Posting today? Jump to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
TikTok on Monday
Sprout Social's study points to 3 to 5 p.m. on Mondays. Buffer found 1 p.m. strongest, followed by 11 a.m. and 8 a.m.
TikTok on Tuesday
On Tuesdays, Sprout Social found 2 to 6 p.m. worked best. Buffer's top Tuesday slot was early, at 6 a.m., followed by 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
TikTok on Wednesday
Wednesday gets Sprout Social's widest window, from 1 to 8 p.m. Buffer found 10 p.m. strongest, then 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
TikTok on Thursday
For Thursdays, Sprout Social points to 1 to 5 p.m., and Buffer agrees on 1 p.m. as its top slot, followed by 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. It's one of the few places the two studies line up.
TikTok on Friday
Sprout Social found 3 to 5 p.m. best on Fridays. Buffer found 6 p.m. strongest, then 10 and 8 p.m.
TikTok on Saturday
Sprout Social rates Saturday low and suggests avoiding it. Buffer found the opposite, naming Saturday its strongest day overall, with 5 p.m. first, then 4 and 3 p.m.
TikTok on Sunday
Sprout Social found Sunday the weakest day of the week. Buffer found Sunday at 9 a.m. the single best slot of the whole week, with 1 p.m. and 12 p.m. also strong.
Best time to post on Facebook
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 8 p.m. performed best, with Monday through Thursday the strongest days and weekends the weakest.
Hootsuite's 2025 analysis found 5 a.m. on Tuesdays was the single best time, with activity peaking between 5 and 8 a.m. across the week.
Buffer's analysis of 14 million Facebook posts found Thursday at 9 a.m. was the best slot and Wednesday the best day, with weekday mornings strongest and Saturday the weakest day.
So two of the three studies point to mornings, while Sprout Social points to the afternoon and evening. Sprout Social and Buffer do agree on one thing, which is that a weekend day comes last.
Best time to post on LinkedIn
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. was the strongest window, with Tuesday through Thursday the best days and weekends the worst.
Buffer's analysis of 4.8 million LinkedIn posts found weekday late afternoons and evenings, from 3 to 8 p.m., now perform best, with Wednesday at 4 p.m. the top slot and Monday and Tuesday the weakest days.
Buffer also found its LinkedIn peak has shifted later in the day compared with its 2025 data, which is a good reminder that these times change, so it's worth rechecking yours every so often.
The two agree that the middle of the week is strong, with Wednesday doing well in both. They differ on Tuesday, which is Sprout Social's strongest window and one of Buffer's weakest days, and on the hour, with Sprout Social pointing to midday and Buffer to late afternoon.
Best time to post on YouTube
Buffer's analysis of 1.8 million videos found long form videos did best on Sunday at 10 a.m., while Shorts did best on Fridays at 4, 6, and 7 p.m.
SocialPilot's analysis of 301,000 videos from more than 27,000 channels found weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. local time worked best overall, with Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the strongest days.
Shorts vs long form
Both studies treat Shorts and long videos separately, because people watch them differently. A long video is something you sit down for, while Shorts fill the small gaps in a day.
SocialPilot found long videos did best when uploaded from 2 to 4 p.m. local time, a few hours before the evening viewing peak, and Shorts did best from 12 to 2 p.m. or 6 to 7 p.m. Buffer's split points the same way, with long videos strongest in the morning and Shorts strongest in the evening.
Why the studies disagree
Each study only sees posts sent through its own tool, so each one reflects its own customers. A study built on big brands can look very different from one built on small businesses and creators.
They also measure different things. Some count total engagements, some use the median engagement rate, and some look at reach, and each of those can crown a different winner.
The time periods differ too. Later's Instagram data is from 2024, Sprout Social's covers late 2025 to early 2026, and Buffer's Instagram data runs from January 2024 to December 2025.
Finally, every study says its times read as local time, but each gets there in its own way. The averages are a fine place to start, but your audience isn't an average.
Find your own best time
The studies themselves recommend checking your own analytics, and the big platforms give you a way to do it.
1. Instagram: open your Professional Dashboard and check your audience insights to see when your followers are active.
2. TikTok: open TikTok Studio, go to Analytics, choose the Followers tab, and scroll to Most active times.
3. YouTube: in YouTube Studio, look for the "When your viewers are on YouTube" chart.
Then post at a few different times for a couple of weeks and compare how each one does. Your best time is simply the one your own followers keep showing up for.
If you'd rather not track it by hand, Munch Studio's Smart Scheduling suggests the best time to publish based on your audience's activity. You can turn it off and pick your own time whenever you like, and once a post is scheduled, Munch publishes it for you.
Munch also writes the posts themselves, so if the bigger challenge is having something ready to publish, our guide to the AI Instagram post generator and our page on Munch as an AI social media manager show how that works.
FAQ
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
Most studies favor the middle of the week, with Buffer's top slots on Thursday at 9 a.m. and Wednesday at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Sprout Social's widest window on Wednesday from 12 to 9 p.m. Your own audience may differ, so test a few times and keep what works.
What is the best day to post on Instagram?
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesday and Wednesday best, and Buffer's study found Wednesday best. Both found the end of the week or the weekend weakest.
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesdays through Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. best. Buffer's study found the opposite pattern, with Sunday at 9 a.m. its single best slot and Saturday its best day.
What is the best time to post on Facebook?
Buffer and Hootsuite both found mornings best, with Buffer pointing to Thursday at 9 a.m. and Hootsuite to Tuesday at 5 a.m. Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 to 8 p.m. best.
What is the best time to post on LinkedIn?
Sprout Social's 2026 study found Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. strongest. Buffer's study found weekday late afternoons and evenings from 3 to 8 p.m. best, with Wednesday at 4 p.m. the top slot.
What is the best time to post on YouTube?
Buffer's study found long form videos did best on Sunday at 10 a.m. and Shorts on Fridays at 4, 6, and 7 p.m. SocialPilot's study found weekdays from 2 to 4 p.m. local time best overall.
Is it bad to post on the weekend?
Sprout Social's 2026 study found weekends weakest on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and Buffer and Later both found Saturday weak on Instagram. TikTok and YouTube are the exceptions in Buffer's data, where Saturday was TikTok's best day and Sunday the best day for long YouTube videos.
Do these times use my time zone?
Yes. Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, and SocialPilot all say their times apply in local time, so 9 a.m. means 9 a.m. where your audience is.
How do I find my own best time to post?
Start with each platform's own analytics, like Instagram's Professional Dashboard, TikTok Studio, and YouTube Studio, then test a few times over a couple of weeks. Munch Studio's Smart Scheduling can also suggest a time based on your audience's activity and publish the post for you.
Let Munch pick the time for you
You don't need to memorize a single chart. Munch drafts your posts, suggests the best time based on your own audience's activity, and publishes them for you. Take a week with it and see how your posts do.