Fair comparison

Postfolio vs Preview for Instagram carousels

Preview is a feed planner: you drag posts around a mock grid, schedule and analyse. Postfolio is a carousel builder: seamless panoramas, gallery borders, editorial templates, exact export sizes. They solve different problems — build the slides in Postfolio, plan them in Preview if you need scheduling.

People ask about these two together because both live in the 'make my Instagram look better' drawer. But they do different jobs. Preview is about the order and rhythm of your grid over time; Postfolio is about what each carousel looks like on the inside. It is less a rivalry than a hand-off.

What you will not find in Postfolio

No accountOpen it and start — nothing to sign up for.
No uploadPhotos never leave your device; there is no server.
No subscriptionFree web app, free iOS download, Pro is bought once.
No watermarkFree exports are clean — no logo, no badge.
No recompressionPNG at Instagram's exact sizes; Instagram compresses once.
No ads, no trial timerNothing expires, nothing nags.

Where Preview is better

Grid planning — see how the next nine posts sit together before you publish.
Scheduling and reminders, hashtag tools, analytics.
Team and multi-account workflows.
Basic filters and presets for quick, consistent colour.

Where Postfolio is better

Building the carousel itself — panorama splits, borders, editorial layouts, typography.
Pixel-exact panoramas that Preview's editor is not designed for.
Export quality — PNG at 1080 × 1350 / 1080 × 1920, no recompression.
Privacy — no account, no upload, works offline.
No subscription — free web app, free iOS download, Pro once.

Side by side

	Preview	Postfolio
Made for	Planning and scheduling the feed	Building carousels and stories
Seamless panorama split	No	Yes, built in
Templates	Some layout/collage options	Editorial families, frames look, gallery borders
Grid preview / scheduling	Yes	No
Account needed	Yes	No
Pricing	Free tier; subscription plans	Free web app; iOS free; Pro one-time

Which one should you pick?

Pick Preview if…

you need to plan, schedule and analyse posts
you manage several accounts
your slides are already finished and you just need to place them

Pick Postfolio if…

you need to make the slides — panoramas, borders, layouts
you care about export quality
you want no account and no monthly fee

Build in Postfolio, plan in Preview. The one thing to avoid is doing the panorama split in a planner's built-in editor — that is where seams come from.

Questions, answered straight.

Can I use Postfolio and Preview together?

Yes, and that is the sensible setup: build and export the slides in Postfolio, then drop them into Preview to plan the grid and schedule.

Does Postfolio schedule posts?

No. Postfolio has no account and no server, so it cannot post for you. Export the slides and publish them yourself or through a planner.

Which is free?

Both have free tiers. Postfolio's web app is free with no limits or watermark; the iOS app is a free download with Pro as a one-time purchase. Preview's advanced features are subscription plans.

Try it on your own photos.

The web app is free — no login, no watermark, no time limit. Your photos never leave your device.

Open the free web app iPhone app (TestFlight beta)

iOS app: free download, full editor. Pro is a one-time purchase — never a subscription.