Best times to post on social media in 2025
You want practical, not hype. Here it is. Treat these as starting windows, then test against your own data. The studies below are recent and global, with Australia-specific numbers where useful. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Best engagement clusters in the morning. Typical peaks: Monday and Tuesday 9 a.m. to noon. Wednesday 8 to 11 a.m. with a second pulse 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday 8 a.m. to noon. Friday and Saturday around 9 to 10 a.m. Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. [1]
Midday performs well for brands. Strong windows: Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Weekends dip, with Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to noon plus 3 p.m. [1]
Alternative dataset worth testing: Later’s 6 million post study skews earlier, often pre 6 a.m. for creators. If your audience follows creator hours, try an early slot too. [5]
Business hours rule. Late mornings are reliable: Monday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday 10 a.m. Wednesday 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. Weekends are quiet. [1]
Simple and tidy: 1 p.m. is the standout time most days, with weekdays beating weekends. [1]
TikTok
Afternoons pull weight. Monday noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday 5 p.m. Wednesday 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday 3 to 5 p.m. Friday 5 p.m. Saturday 9 to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. [1] Cross check: Hootsuite also flags strong Thursday posting, plus weekday late afternoons overall. [2]
X (formerly Twitter)
Think news cycle. Weekdays mid morning to early afternoon is safest. Tuesday to Thursday roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Wednesday stretching 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. [1] Hootsuite’s analysis lines up, with best performance 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. midweek. [2]
Australia quick check
If most of your audience is in AEST, expect later peaks. Sprout’s AU data shows Monday to Thursday 4 to 8 p.m. Friday 8 to 10 a.m. Weekends around 9 to 10 a.m. Use this to sanity check your schedule before you test. [3]
How to pick your times fast
- Pick two or three slots per network based on the windows above. Keep the gaps tight.
- Post consistently for three to six weeks. Then sort your top posts by engagement and note the publish times. Rinse and adjust.
- Compare against platform analytics. Buffer’s 2025 study also localises times as “your local time,” which matches Sprout’s and Hootsuite’s approach. [4] [1] [2]
Why sources disagree: different datasets, different audiences, different definitions of “engagement.” That is normal. Use these studies to get in the right ballpark, then let your own data make the final call. [1] [2] [4] [5]
References
- Sprout Social. Best times to post on social media in 2025. Mar 26, 2025. sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media/
- Hootsuite. Best time to post on social media: Q1 2025 update. Apr 27, 2025. blog.hootsuite.com/best-time-to-post-on-social-media/
- Sprout Social. Best times to post on social media in Australia (2025). Mar 26, 2025. sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-social-media-australia/
- Buffer. The best time to post on social media in 2025. Jun 16, 2025. buffer.com/resources/best-time-to-post-social-media/
- Later. Best time to post on Instagram in 2025. Updated 2025. later.com/blog/best-time-to-post-on-instagram/
Last updated: 12 August 2025. Times are local to your audience unless otherwise noted.