Social media quotes range from a few hundred dollars a month to several thousand, and the cheapest and the most expensive can both be fair. The difference is what's actually being done each month: how many platforms, how much content and video, whether someone answers comments and messages, and whether ads are part of it. Here's what agencies charge in 2026, what a package usually includes, and how to compare quotes like for like.
- Most agencies charge $1,000-$2,499 a month for social media management: 49% in HeyOrca's 2026 survey of almost 100 agencies.
- Another 31% charge under $1,000 a month, 9% charge $2,500-$4,999, and 3% charge over $5,000.
- Clutch's 2026 guide puts US agency hourly rates at $100-$149 and UK rates at $50-$99.
- Ad spend is never included, and paid social is in only 18% of typical packages.
- We charge $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, with content and community management included.
What agencies charge a month
| Monthly package price | Share of agencies |
|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 31% |
| $1,000-$2,499 | 49% |
| $2,500-$4,999 | 9% |
| More than $5,000 | 3% |
Source: HeyOrca's 2026 survey of almost 100 social media agencies, published 20 Oct 2026. Shares as published; they don't add up to 100%.
Clutch's social media marketing pricing guide, built from client reviews on its site, puts the average monthly cost at about $5,100. Most projects there cost under $10,000 in total, so a smaller number of big-brand accounts pull that average up. For a small business, the survey bands above are the more useful guide.
What a package usually includes
The same survey asked agencies what goes into a typical package:
| Service | In a typical package |
|---|---|
| Content creation | 97% |
| Scheduling | 96% |
| Strategy | 93% |
| Reporting | 81% |
| Community management (comments and messages) | 75% |
| Paid social ads | 18% |
Source: HeyOrca, 2026.
Two things stand out. Community management is missing from a quarter of packages, so check who replies to comments and DMs. And paid social is usually a separate service, with its own fee and the ad spend on top.
Hourly rates
| Hourly rate | Where the agency is |
|---|---|
| $100-$149 | US, Canada and Australia |
| $50-$99 | UK and Poland |
| $25-$49 | Ukraine, Spain and Mexico |
| Under $25 | India and the Philippines |
Source: Clutch, Social Media Marketing Pricing Guide, updated 21 Sep 2026.
Few agencies bill social media by the hour, but the rates explain why two similar packages can be priced so differently.
What changes the price
- Platforms. Each platform needs its own formats and its own attention. Two done well usually beat five done thinly.
- Content volume. Posts, carousels and stories a week, and above all how much short-form video.
- Who makes the content. Original photos and video cost more than graphics and stock. Footage you film yourself brings the price down.
- Community management. Replying daily to comments and messages is real time, and it's what most cheap packages leave out.
- Reporting. A screenshot of likes is quick. A report that ties posts to website visits and leads takes setup.
- Paid social. Running ads is a separate job with its own fee, and the ad spend goes on top.
What each price level usually buys
- Under $1,000 a month. One or two platforms, scheduled posts and graphics, light replies. Often little strategy and little video.
- $1,000 to $2,500. A content plan, regular short-form video, community management and a monthly report: the range where half the market sits.
- $2,500 and up. More platforms, more video, daily engagement, and often paid social or influencer work alongside, for larger brands.
What to avoid
Bought followers and engagement. They don't buy anything, and the FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in effect since October 2024, bars businesses from buying fake indicators of social media influence they knew or should have known were fake. Also avoid accounts set up in the agency's name rather than yours, long minimum terms, and reports built only on likes. How to choose a social media marketing agency has the questions to ask.
What we charge
Our social media marketing runs $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, with entry plans from $500 and no setup fee. Every plan includes strategy, captions, graphics and short-form video, plus daily community management and a monthly report that ties reach and engagement to website traffic and leads. It's organic only: paid social sits under Meta ads management, priced separately, and what social media advertising costs covers the ad spend side. See social media marketing for small business for how we work, and what a digital marketing agency costs for the other services.
Questions people ask
How much does social media marketing cost per month?
Most agencies charge between $1,000 and $2,499 a month: that was 49% of the almost 100 agencies in HeyOrca's 2026 survey, with another 31% under $1,000. Clutch's 2026 guide puts the average monthly cost of projects reviewed on its site at about $5,100, pulled up by larger brands. Ours run $500-$2,000 a month.
How much do social media agencies charge per hour?
Mostly it depends on where the agency is. Clutch's 2026 guide lists $100-$149 an hour in the US, Canada and Australia, $50-$99 in the UK, and under $25 in India and the Philippines. Most agencies quote a monthly package rather than hours.
Is ad spend included in social media management pricing?
No. Ad spend goes to the platform and is always on top of the agency's fee, and Clutch's guide says the same. Only 18% of the agencies in HeyOrca's survey include paid social in a typical package, so running ads is usually a separate fee too.
What should a social media package include?
At least strategy, content creation, scheduling and a monthly report: in HeyOrca's survey those appear in 81-97% of packages. Community management, meaning replying to comments and messages, is in 75%. Check the number of posts and videos a month, the platforms, and who supplies photos and footage.
Why do some agencies charge $5,000 a month or more?
More platforms, more video, daily community management, paid social alongside organic, and bigger teams for bigger brands. Only 3% of the agencies in HeyOrca's survey charged more than $5,000 a month for a package, so for most small businesses a quote that high is buying more than they need.
Are cheap social media packages worth it?
Only if you know what's in them. Very low prices usually mean templated posts with no strategy or video, and nobody answering comments. And avoid anyone selling follower growth: the FTC's 2024 rule bars buying fake followers or engagement that a business knew or should have known were fake.
Want a price for your accounts? Book a strategy call. We'll look at what you post now and tell you what we'd do in the first 90 days, and what it would cost.
