Best Time to Post on TikTok

When to post on TikTok in 2026 — what three big studies agree on.

Sprout Social, Hootsuite and Buffer each analyzed millions of posts and came to different answers. Instead of picking one, this page shows all three, where they overlap, and what that means in your own time zone.

Short answer

No hour is backed by all three studies. Two of them agree on Wednesday 4–6 p.m., Thursday 1 p.m., Friday 4 p.m., Saturday 3–6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. (your audience's local time).
Weekends are disputed: Sprout Social says avoid them, while Buffer finds Saturday the best day and Sunday 9 a.m. the best single slot.
Use these as a starting schedule, then keep what your own TikTok analytics confirm.

Your TikTok posting times

Where is most of your audience?

Next recommended slot

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No slot backed by two or more studies in the next 24 hours — aim for the strongest one below.

Today (Monday for your audience)

Sprout Social (2026)
3–5 p.m.
Hootsuite (2025 data)
5 p.m.
Buffer (2026)
1 p.m. (also 11 a.m., 8 a.m.)

Darker = more studies recommend this hour (0–3). Times shown in your time zone.

	12a			3a			6a			9a			12p			3p			6p			9p
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun

Best time to post on TikTok by day

Each study's recommendation in the audience's local time. Hours are as published by each source.

Day	Sprout Social (2026)	Hootsuite (2025 data)	Buffer (2026)
Monday	3–5 p.m.	5 p.m.	1 p.m. (also 11 a.m., 8 a.m.)
Tuesday	2–6 p.m.	10 a.m. – 1 p.m.	6 a.m. (also 10 p.m., 7 a.m.)
Wednesday	1–8 p.m.	4–6 p.m.	10 p.m. (also 6 a.m., 9 p.m.)
Thursday	1–5 p.m.	7–9 a.m.	1 p.m. (also 10 p.m., 6 a.m.)
Friday	3–5 p.m.	4–6 p.m.	6 p.m. (also 10 p.m., 8 p.m.)
Saturday	Avoid posting	10 a.m. – 7 p.m.	5 p.m. (also 4 p.m., 3 p.m.)
Sunday	Avoid posting (worst day)	8 a.m. – 12 p.m.	9 a.m. (also 1 p.m., 12 p.m.)

Sprout Social (2026): 2 billion engagements across 307,000 profiles, Nov 2025 – Feb 2026.
Hootsuite (2025 data): Over 1 million social posts, localized across 118 countries.
Buffer (2026): 7.1 million posts, median engagement rate.

Why the studies disagree

They measure different accounts. Sprout Social's data comes from its business customers, Buffer's from posts scheduled through Buffer, and Hootsuite's from its own sample — brands post differently from creators.
They measure different things. Buffer ranks by median engagement rate; Sprout Social looks at when engagement peaks across all its profiles. A slot can have fewer posts competing and still win on rate.
TikTok's For You feed keeps showing a good video for days. The hour you post matters most for the first push, not the video's whole life.

How to find your own best time on TikTok

Switch to a Business account (free) in Settings → Account so analytics are available.
Open your profile → menu → Creator tools → Analytics → Followers, and check "Most active times".
Post at the top hour for two weeks, then at one of the windows above for two weeks, and compare views in the first 24 hours.

Timing gets you the first push. The video decides the rest.

A video that hooks in the first second keeps getting shown long after your posting hour. Felo's Viral Remake copies the hook, cuts and pacing of a TikTok that already went viral and generates a brand-new video with your own subject.

Remake a viral TikTok

FAQ

What is the best time to post on TikTok?

There is no single best time. Sprout Social's 2026 data points to Tuesday–Thursday, 2–6 p.m.; Buffer's top slots are Sunday 9 a.m. and Monday 1 p.m.; Hootsuite's are Thursday morning and Saturday midday. The slots two studies share are Wednesday 4–6 p.m., Thursday 1 p.m., Friday 4 p.m., Saturday 3–6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.

What is the best day to post on TikTok?

It depends on the study. Sprout Social finds Tuesday to Thursday strongest and Sunday weakest, while Buffer finds Saturday the top day, with Monday and Sunday close behind.

Are these times in my time zone?

The studies give times in the audience's local time. If most of your viewers live elsewhere — for example you're in India and your audience is in the US — pick their location in the tool above and it converts the times to your clock.

How often should I post on TikTok?

Consistency matters more than the exact hour. Most growth guides suggest posting several times a week; pick a pace you can keep and test different slots.

Does posting time still matter with the For You feed?

Less than it used to. Posting when your followers are active helps the first wave of views, but the For You feed can keep pushing a strong video for days.

Also see: Best time to post on Instagram