What agencies charge for social media
Between 369 and 20,000 euros a month - that is how far four published price lists are apart. For one or two channels with a few posts, the cheapest source says 369 euros, the dearest says 3,000. Every figure here carries its source and the date we read it. The numbers describe the German-speaking market.
| Scope | Price per month | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | 369 to 3,000 euros per month | One or two channels, four to twelve posts a month, a monthly report. The four sources set the lower bound very differently - the widest disagreement in the field. |
| Mid-range | 2,000 to 10,000 euros per month | Two or three channels, regular posts, plus community management and reporting. |
| Full service | 5,000 to 20,000 euros per month | Several channels, daily posts, paid campaign management, sometimes influencers and reporting. |
| Hourly rate | 60 to 180 euros per hour, Germany | Austria 60 to 160 euros, Switzerland 100 to 250 francs. Relevant when an agency bills by time rather than a retainer. |
| Strategy and concept | 1,000 to 5,000 euros one-off | Audience research, channel choice and an editorial plan before you start. This row rests on a single source. |
Only one of the four sources states net prices explicitly (creationell); the other three say nothing. German business-to-business prices are usually quoted net - but for three of the four sources that is not certain. Paid advertising budget is never included.
- creationell, social media agency in Augsburg: cost overview - states 500 to 2,500 basic, 2,500 to 5,000 standard, 5,000 to 10,000 premium and 1,000 to 5,000 for strategy - explicitly net.
- Social Media One, agency: prices and benchmarks 2026 - states 1,500 to 3,000 basic, 3,000 to 7,000 standard and 7,000 to 20,000 full service.
- AgenturFinder, brokerage portal: prices and costs 2026 - states 500 to 2,000 for small companies and 2,000 to 10,000 for mid-sized ones, plus hourly rates for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- social-media-agentur.net, agency: price list - states three packages from 369, 699 and 1,499 euros.
One caveat other pages leave out
There is no neutral survey of agency prices - no trade body, no independent study with a sample. Every figure on this page comes from an agency or a broker, so from someone with a stake in the number. We show them anyway, because they are published and anyone can check them. Ask any agency you talk to for the same openness: which channels, how many posts, who answers comments, and what happens when you cancel.
The second option: hire someone
That costs more than the salary, too.
3,100 to 4,000 euros gross a month
That is how far apart two salary sites are for the same role: StepStone gives an average of 37,100 euros a year, around 3,091 euros a month. gehalt.de gives a middle value of 4,008 euros a month at a 40-hour week. We quote both, because we cannot know which survey fits your market better.
Plus around 21 percent employer contributions
On top of the gross salary come the employer's social insurance contributions: half of each of 14.6 percent health insurance, 18.6 percent pension, 3.6 percent long-term care and 2.6 percent unemployment insurance - 19.7 percent together. Plus half of the health insurer's supplementary rate, which differs by insurer: 2.69 percent at Techniker Krankenkasse, so 1.35 percent for the employer. That makes around 21 percent. At 4,000 euros gross that is roughly 840 euros a month on top - before holiday, sick leave and onboarding.
Half a role is not half the work
Doing social media on the side still means facing the same empty content plan every week. The bottleneck is rarely the budget - it is the moment a good idea needs to become a finished post.
Sources for the salary figures: StepStone and gehalt.de, salary overviews for social media managers; Techniker Krankenkasse, social insurance contribution rates 2026 - all retrieved on 21 September 2026.
The third option: do it yourself, but not alone
That is what kontiqo is for. You record an idea, kontiqo turns it into a finished post in your own voice - with an image, for LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, scheduled and published. That costs from 34.90 euros a month including VAT. Not because there is less in it, but because nobody else's working hours are in it: the idea is yours, the voice is yours, the time is what you save.
- Agency, smallest package: from 369 euros a month
- In-house hire: from around 3,700 euros a month including employer contributions
- kontiqo: from 34.90 euros a month including VAT
The agency prices appear as the sources state them - explicitly net only at creationell, the other three say nothing about VAT. The salaries are gross salaries, and no VAT applies to them. The kontiqo price is gross; without VAT, the entry tier's 34.90 euros is 29.33 euros net.
When an agency is the better choice
Those cases exist, and we will not pretend otherwise.
When you run paid advertising
Once there is ad budget in play, someone steering campaigns daily pays for themselves. kontiqo publishes posts; it does not run ads.
When five channels need something every day
Running several channels daily, producing video and answering comments in real time takes people.
When you lack direction, not time
A strategy workshop with someone who listens cannot be replaced by any tool. That costs 1,000 to 5,000 euros once - and you can take the execution from there yourself.
When these prices were checked
All prices in this post were verified on 21 September 2026 on each provider's own pricing page - that retrieval date sits next to every source below. Pricing pages change; if you are subscribing today, check the figure there.
Common questions about agency costs
Answered briefly, from the same sources as above.
What is the minimum a social media agency costs?
The cheapest package among the four providers we checked starts at 369 euros a month for one or two channels. Other sources put the floor for the same scope at 500 or at 1,500 euros - there is no single market figure. A one-off concept fee from 1,000 euros is common on top.
What do small companies pay on average?
Depending on the source, 500 to 2,000 euros (broker AgenturFinder), 500 to 2,500 euros (creationell) or 1,500 to 3,000 euros (Social Media One) a month. Each means one or two channels with regular posts and a monthly report.
Is an agency worth it for solo professionals?
Rarely. Even the cheapest package we found costs 369 euros a month, 4,428 euros a year - for one or two channels. If you already know what you want to say, you need help doing it rather than help thinking it, and that costs a fraction.
What comes on top of the monthly retainer?
Three items that are usually billed separately: the advertising budget, the one-off strategy and concept fee, and individual high-effort formats. At the providers we checked, none of them is part of the monthly retainer.
What is the alternative to an agency?
Either hire someone - from around 3,700 euros a month including employer contributions - or do it yourself and hand off the part that eats the most time. kontiqo turns a voice note into a finished post from 34.90 euros a month.
Are the prices shown net or gross?
The agency prices appear as the sources state them: explicitly net only at creationell, the other three say nothing about VAT. The salaries are gross salaries, and no VAT applies to them. The kontiqo entry price of 34.90 euros is gross, including 19 percent German VAT. On the same basis it equals 29.33 euros net.