As of October 2026, the two biggest studies point to weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM in your followers' time zone. TikTok and YouTube Shorts do better in the evening. Use that as a start. After about 3 posts in an hour slot, your own numbers beat any chart.
Best times by platform (October 2026)
The first two columns come from Buffer's 2026 study of 52 million posts, published March 2026. The last column is what sprkly scores each post on when it finds your own best hour.
| Platform | Slot to test first | Best day in the study | What sprkly scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM and 6 PM, weekdays | Wednesday | Reach, or likes, comments, shares and saves | |
| TikTok | 6 PM to 11 PM, plus weekend mornings | Saturday | Views |
| YouTube Shorts | 4 PM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday | Friday | Views |
| Threads | 7 AM to noon, weekdays | Wednesday | Nothing yet. Threads shares no numbers with sprkly. |
| 8 AM to noon, weekdays | Wednesday | Nothing yet. Facebook shares no numbers with sprkly. |
- Sprout Social's 2026 study, about 2 billion engagements, lands close: Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 6 PM.
- Both studies use local time. So 9 AM means 9 AM where your followers live.
Why a chart is only a start
- A study averages millions of accounts, in every niche and every country.
- Your followers are one group, often in one or two time zones.
- Neither study says how many of your own posts you need before you can trust your own answer.
How sprkly finds your best hour
The Analytics board picks your best hour and best day from your own posts. This is the rule in our code today.
- Each post counts in the hour it went out, in your time zone. With no time zone set, the chart says UTC.
- Each post is scored against your best post on the same platform. So one big TikTok does not drown out Instagram.
- One post sent to 3 accounts at the same time counts as one vote, not 3.
- A best hour needs at least 3 posts behind it, and at least 1 in 10 of all your posts.
- Below that, the board tells you the answer is thin. Treat it as a hint.
- Older Instagram and TikTok posts you made before sprkly count too.
- Threads and Facebook posts do not move the result.
So you do not need months of data. Test 3 or 4 slots with 3 posts each. That is 9 to 12 posts, about 2 weeks at one post a day. The full rules are in the sprkly Analytics guide.
What to do this week
- Pick 3 slots from the table for your main platform: one morning, one midday, one evening.
- Schedule 3 posts in each slot over the next 2 weeks. Keep the kind of post the same, so time is the only thing that changes.
- Read Analytics after 2 weeks. If the best hour rests on 3 or more posts, move next month's posts there.
Not sure how many posts a week to aim for? See How often should you post?
Make it automatic
- 7 AM on a Saturday is easy to plan and hard to hit live.
- Write the week in one sitting, then let it post on time. How to batch a week of content shows how.
- sprkly schedules all of this on a free plan: 3 accounts, 10 queued posts per account, no card. Start free.
FAQ
What is the best time to post on social media in 2026?
Weekdays, 9 AM to 6 PM in your followers' time zone, is the safest start. TikTok and YouTube Shorts do better from late afternoon into the evening.
What is the best day to post on social media?
Wednesday leads for Instagram, Threads and Facebook in Buffer's 2026 study. Saturday leads for TikTok and Friday for YouTube Shorts.
How many posts do I need to find my own best time?
At least 3 posts in an hour slot, by sprkly's rule. Test 3 or 4 slots with 3 posts each, about 2 weeks of daily posts.