The Best OnlySocial Alternative With an Inbox API
OnlySocial’s REST API and 24-tool MCP server create, schedule and queue posts. Its unified inbox lives in the dashboard. SocialAPI.ai puts comments, DMs and Google reviews behind one API key and a 75+ tool MCP server, free for 2 brands.
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By Erwan Prost, FounderUpdated
At a glance: OnlySocial vs SocialAPI.ai, the differences that matter.
- Comments & DMs via API
- OnlySocial: Dashboard only
- SocialAPI.ai: Yes, one schema
- Reviews via API
- OnlySocial: Dashboard only
- SocialAPI.ai: Yes, Google Business Profile
- MCP server
- OnlySocial: 24 tools, publishing only
- SocialAPI.ai: 75+ tools, inbox included
- Webhooks for new interactions
- OnlySocial: Not documented
- SocialAPI.ai: Yes, signed
- 10 clients, one space each
- OnlySocial: $97/mo (white label)
- SocialAPI.ai: $29/mo
- Networks
- OnlySocial: 15 networks
- SocialAPI.ai: 13 platforms
TL;DR SocialAPI.ai is an OnlySocial alternative for developers who need the inbox in code. OnlySocial’s REST API and MCP server cover posts, media, tags and workspaces, while comments, DMs and reviews stay in its dashboard. We expose all three through one REST API and 75+ MCP tools. For a branded scheduler your team clicks through, OnlySocial is the better buy.
The honest answer, before we get into specifics about OnlySocial.
Positioning: What OnlySocial does, and what we do differently.
What OnlySocial does
OnlySocial is an all-in-one social media manager for creators, freelancers and agencies. It publishes to 15 networks, including Reddit, Mastodon, Tumblr and VK, and bundles a unified inbox with assignments and saved replies, Facebook and Instagram chatbots, comment automation, email and SMS broadcasts, link-in-bio pages and AI captions. Plans run $29/mo (Freelancer, 15 social profiles), $49/mo (Entrepreneur, 40) and $99/mo (Unlimited Pro, unlimited profiles, 10 team members), with a free trial. A white-label edition starts at $97/mo for 10 client workspaces and lists API access on every tier.
What SocialAPI.ai does
SocialAPI.ai is a unified REST API for reading and answering comments, DMs, Google Business Profile reviews and mentions across 13 platforms, plus publishing, signed webhooks and an MCP server with 75+ tools for AI agents. The billing unit is the brand: one client with all of its accounts. Reads are free on every plan, paid plans leave posts and interactions uncapped, and the free Hobby plan covers 2 brands with no card. It is built to sit inside your product, behind your own UI.
The catch: The inbox is in the API, not behind a login
OnlySocial ships a real unified inbox: DMs, comments and reviews from Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, Google Business, LinkedIn, Reddit, Mastodon and Bluesky, with assignments, notes and saved replies. Your code cannot reach it. The REST API documents accounts, media, tags, posts, groups, users, workspaces and subscriptions, and the MCP server’s 24 tools stop at workspaces, accounts, posts, tags and media. If your product or agent has to read a comment and answer it, that is the whole comparison. Here it is POST /v1/accounts/:id/interactions/:iid/reply, the same call for a comment, a review or a mention, and listing interactions never counts against a limit.
Feature matrix: OnlySocial vs SocialAPI.ai, feature by feature.
| Feature | OnlySocial | SocialAPI.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing | ||
| Publish & schedule posts | OnlySocialYes | SocialAPI.aiYes |
| Networks covered | OnlySocial15 networks (incl. Reddit, Mastodon, Tumblr, VK) | SocialAPI.ai13 platforms |
| Engagement | ||
| Read & reply to comments via API | OnlySocialDashboard only | SocialAPI.aiYes |
| Direct messages (read + send) via API | OnlySocialDashboard only | SocialAPI.aiYes |
| Reviews (read + reply) via API | OnlySocialDashboard only | SocialAPI.aiYes, Google Business Profile |
| Comment moderation (hide, delete) via API | OnlySocialDashboard only | SocialAPI.aiYes |
| Webhook events for new interactions | OnlySocialNot documented | SocialAPI.aiYes, signed, 5 retries |
| Developer experience | ||
| Authentication | OnlySocialPersonal access token | SocialAPI.aiAPI keys + OAuth 2.1 with PKCE |
| Connect social accounts through the API | OnlySocialDashboard or client connect link | SocialAPI.aiYes, POST /v1/accounts/connect |
| Pricing | ||
| Billing unit | OnlySocialPer social profile; per workspace on white label | SocialAPI.aiPer brand (one client) |
| 10 clients, one space each | OnlySocial$97/mo (WL 10) | SocialAPI.ai$29/mo |
| Posts & interactions on paid plans | OnlySocialUnlimited scheduling | SocialAPI.aiYes, uncapped |
| Way to start | OnlySocialFree trial, no card | SocialAPI.aiFree Hobby plan, 2 brands, no card |
| AI agents | ||
| MCP server for AI agents | OnlySocialYes, 24 tools | SocialAPI.aiYes, 75+ tools |
| Inbox tools over MCP (comments, DMs, reviews) | OnlySocialNot offered, publishing and workspace tools only | SocialAPI.aiYes |
| Agent can connect accounts itself | OnlySocialNot offered, token pasted from the dashboard | SocialAPI.aiYes, OAuth 2.1 + PKCE |
Show, don't tell: Simple by design.
# OnlySocial's API is publishing-first: create a post in a workspace.
# No documented endpoint lists or answers comments, DMs or reviews.
curl -X POST "https://app.onlysocial.io/os/api/<workspaceUuid>/posts" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"accounts": ["123"], "versions": [{"account_id": 123, "is_original": true, "content": [{"body": "Launch day"}]}]}'# Reply to an Instagram comment. The same call answers
# a Google review or a mention. Reads are always free.
curl -X POST "https://api.social-api.ai/v1/accounts/acc_ig_42/interactions/int_9f3/reply" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sapi_key_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"text": "Thanks! Your order ships Monday."}'Both APIs publish. Only one of them can read the comment that post attracts and answer it, and that is the call your product or agent makes every day.
Pricing: OnlySocial pricing, and what you actually pay at scale.
| Size | OnlySocial | SocialAPI.ai |
|---|---|---|
| 10 clients, a space each | OnlySocial$97/mo(WL 10), 3.3x more | SocialAPI.ai$29/moSide Hustle |
| 25 clients, a space each | OnlySocial$197/mo(WL 25), 1.8x more | SocialAPI.ai$109/moFull Send |
| 100 clients, a space each | OnlySocial$499/mo(WL 100), $1,800/yr more | SocialAPI.ai$349/moEmpire |
Both columns give every client its own space: a brand here, a workspace on OnlySocial’s white-label plans, which are built as one workspace per client and are the tier that lists API access. Run everything from a single workspace instead and Unlimited Pro is $99/mo for unlimited social profiles and 10 team members, less than our Full Send plan and the right buy for publishing alone. No OnlySocial price buys comments, DMs or reviews through the API, and that is the part you pay us for.
Decision guide: Is OnlySocial or SocialAPI.ai right for you?
- Pick SocialAPI.ai
A SaaS product that answers comments and DMs for its users
Your backend lists new interactions, routes them and posts replies without anyone logging into a dashboard. OnlySocial documents no endpoint for comments, DMs or reviews, so the only way to answer one is a person in its inbox. Here it is one REST call, and signed webhooks tell you when to make it.
- Pick SocialAPI.ai
An AI agent that triages a social inbox over MCP
Our MCP server exposes 75+ tools, including reading and replying to comments, DMs and Google reviews. OnlySocial’s 24 tools draft, schedule, queue, tag and trash posts. An agent on their server can announce a launch but cannot see the replies it gets.
- Pick OnlySocial
An agency reselling a branded scheduler to its clients
OnlySocial’s white label gives you your logo, colors and custom domain, a shared content calendar with approvals, a client connect link, and a billing module that charges your clients through Stripe, Paddle or Paystack, from $97/mo for 10 workspaces. We sell an API, not a dashboard to resell.
- Pick OnlySocial
A creator or small team posting to Reddit, Mastodon, Tumblr or VK
OnlySocial publishes to 15 networks, including four we do not connect, and adds AI captions, link-in-bio pages and email and SMS broadcasts from $29/mo. If publishing from a calendar is the job, it covers more of it for the money.
Migration: Moving from OnlySocial, step by step.
- 01
Map each workspace to a brand
One OnlySocial workspace per client becomes one brand here. Ten clients fit Side Hustle at $29/mo, 50 fit Full Send at $109/mo, however many networks each one runs.
- 02
Reconnect accounts through OAuth
Access tokens do not transfer between vendors. Each account reconnects once through official platform OAuth, and POST /v1/accounts/connect lets your own app or agent start that flow.
- 03
Move the inbox first, keep the calendar
Point your code at the comments, DMs and reviews endpoints and register one webhook. Nothing forces a publishing switch on day one: keep scheduling in OnlySocial until POST /v1/posts covers what you need.
FAQ: OnlySocial questions, answered honestly.
What is the best OnlySocial alternative for developers?
If you need comments, DMs or reviews in your own code, SocialAPI.ai: one REST API and a 75+ tool MCP server across 13 platforms, from $0 for 2 brands and $29/mo for 10. If you want a scheduler with a calendar, AI captions and a white-label dashboard, OnlySocial itself is hard to beat at $29 to $99/mo.
Does OnlySocial have an API?
Yes. It is a REST API at app.onlysocial.io/os/api, authenticated with a personal access token created in the dashboard. It covers accounts, media, tags, posts (create, schedule, queue, approve), groups, users, workspaces and workspace subscriptions. As of 30 September 2026 its reference documents no endpoint for comments, DMs or reviews.
Does OnlySocial have an MCP server?
Yes, a built-in server at app.onlysocial.io/os/mcp over streamable HTTP, with 24 tools for workspaces, accounts, posts, tags and media. It respects workspace roles and post approval. It has no inbox tools, so an agent can publish through it but cannot read or answer comments and DMs. Ours exposes 75+ tools, the inbox included.
How much does OnlySocial cost?
Freelancer is $29/mo for 15 social profiles and 2 team members, Entrepreneur is $49/mo for 40 profiles and 4 members, and Unlimited Pro is $99/mo for unlimited profiles and 10 members. Paying yearly costs $290, $490 or $990. The white-label edition runs $97/mo for 10 workspaces, $197/mo for 25 and $499/mo for 100.
Is SocialAPI.ai cheaper than OnlySocial?
It depends on the job. With a workspace per client, the setup where OnlySocial lists API access, we cost less at every size: $29 against $97 for 10 clients, $349 against $499 for 100. For publishing from one workspace, Unlimited Pro at $99/mo undercuts our $109 Full Send plan. Neither of their prices includes inbox access through the API.
Can I use SocialAPI.ai alongside OnlySocial?
Yes, and it is the safest way to switch. Connect the same accounts here, run comments, DMs and reviews through our API and webhooks, and keep scheduling in OnlySocial for as long as you like. The free Hobby plan covers 2 brands for the trial, with no contract on our side.
Keep comparing:
Each one argued the same way: what it does, what it costs at scale, where it wins.
Per-account billing across 16 connectors, so the invoice grows with every page you connect
Per-post publishing API with conversations and a 28-tool MCP, but no review or mention endpoints
Scheduling dashboard with a publishing-only API and MCP server, no inbox API
Enterprise dashboard with per-user pricing and no public API for developers
- All alternatives
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