# When is the best time to post on TikTok? Every day of the week, from the 2026 studies

Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok

By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-26; updated 2026-10-31.

Weekday afternoons are the safest start: Sprout Social's 2026 data peaks Tuesday through Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m., while Buffer's study of 7.1 million posts ranks Sunday at 9 a.m., Monday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. highest, all in your audience's local time. The studies disagree most about weekends, so test a weekday slot against the hours TikTok analytics shows your viewers are most active.

Ask what time to post on TikTok and you'll get a different answer from every study. Sprout Social says avoid weekends. Buffer says Saturday is the best day of the week. Hootsuite says Thursday mornings. This guide puts all of their numbers side by side for each day, explains why they disagree, shows how to convert their times to your audience's time zone, and walks through finding your own best time in TikTok's analytics with a two-week test you can start today.

## The short answer

If you're starting from nothing, post between 2 and 6 p.m. on a weekday, in your viewers' local time. That window is Sprout Social's peak from Tuesday to Thursday, and it overlaps with Hootsuite's times on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For weekends, Buffer and Hootsuite both point to Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, but Sprout Social says skip weekends entirely, so treat weekend posts as a test. Then open TikTok analytics: the Viewers tab shows when your viewers were most active over the last 7 days.

**Which TikTok posting time should you try first?**
- New account, no analytics yet → A weekday between 2 and 6 p.m. in your viewers' time zone, Sprout Social's 2026 peak.
- You can see Most active times in analytics → Test your viewers' busiest hour against one study slot for two weeks.
- You want to post on weekends → Try Saturday 3 to 5 p.m. or Sunday 9 a.m., where Buffer and Hootsuite overlap.
- Your viewers span several US time zones → Try 5 p.m. Eastern, which is 2 p.m. Pacific: inside Sprout Social's window in all four.

*Starting points from the Sprout Social, Buffer and Hootsuite studies.*

| Study | Data | Best days | Top times | Weakest |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sprout Social, March 2026 | About 2 billion engagements, 307,000 profiles, Nov 2025 to Feb 2026 | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday | Tue to Thu, 2–6 p.m. local | Sunday; avoid weekends |
| Buffer, September 2026 | 7.1 million+ posts, median engagement rate | Saturday, then Monday and Sunday | Sun 9 a.m., Mon 1 p.m., Sun 1 p.m. local | Wednesday and Thursday; afternoons on most days |
| Hootsuite, 2025 data | Over 1 million posts, page updated October 2026 | Thursday and Saturday | Thu 6–9 a.m., Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m. local | Before 7 a.m. on weekends |
| Later, March 2025 | Sample and method not published | Thursday and Friday | Mon to Fri, 10 a.m. Pacific | Not stated |

- 7.1M+: posts in Buffer's 2026 TikTok timing study
- 11.4M: TikTok posts in Buffer's frequency study
- 307,000: social profiles in Sprout Social's 2026 data
- 1M+: posts in Hootsuite's analysis

*Sprout Social's data covers six networks, not only TikTok.*

## What time should you post on TikTok? What the studies say

Each study below uses posts from its own customers and its own measure of engagement. Three of the four report times in the audience's local time; Later's TikTok page uses Pacific time. Here's what each found.

### Sprout Social, March 2026

[Sprout Social's 2026 analysis](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-tiktok/), published March 31, 2026, covers about 2 billion engagements across 307,000 social profiles from 30,000 customers, collected between November 27, 2025 and February 27, 2026, across six networks including TikTok. All times are local. Its headline is Tuesday through Thursday between 2 and 6 p.m. By day it lists Monday 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday 1 to 8 p.m., Thursday 1 to 5 p.m. and Friday 3 to 5 p.m. It says there are no best times on Saturday and calls Sunday the worst day of the week.

### Buffer, September 2026

[Buffer's study](https://buffer.com/resources/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/), published September 14, 2026, ranks every hour by median engagement rate across more than 7.1 million videos, carousels, photos and text posts published through Buffer. Buffer says its data team made the times universally applicable, so there's no need to convert them. The top three slots are Sunday at 9 a.m., Monday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Saturday is the best day, then Monday, closely followed by Sunday. Wednesday tends to be quieter and Thursday sees lower engagement overall. Buffer adds that afternoons from 12 to 5 p.m. show the lowest engagement on most days, and evenings from 6 to 11 p.m. generally peak.

### Hootsuite, 2025 data

[Hootsuite's guide](https://blog.hootsuite.com/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/), first published November 19, 2025 and updated October 2, 2026, is based on an analysis of over 1 million social posts, with times localized across the 118 countries in the sample. Its best overall times are Thursday morning, 6 to 9 a.m., and Saturday midday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. By day: Monday 5 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday 7 to 9 a.m., Friday 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. It advises against posting before 7 a.m. on weekends.

### Later, March 2025

[Later's TikTok page](https://later.com/blog/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/), published March 7, 2025, says its social team found the best time is Monday to Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific, and that Thursdays and Fridays had the most engagement. It doesn't publish a sample size, a method or day-by-day times, so it carries less weight than the other three. It's included here because it's widely quoted.

**Sprout Social**
- Weekday afternoons, 2 to 6 p.m.
- Tuesday to Thursday strongest
- No best times on Saturday
- Sunday worst

**Buffer**
- Saturday best day
- Sunday 9 a.m. top slot
- Evenings 6 to 11 p.m. peak
- Wednesday and Thursday weaker

**Hootsuite**
- Thursday 6 to 9 a.m.
- Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Weekday late afternoons
- Avoid weekends before 7 a.m.

*The three studies with published data. All times are the audience's local time.*

## What is the best time to post on TikTok each day?

For each day, here's every study's answer and where they meet. Buffer lists three times per day, best first. Later's weekday 10 a.m. is in Pacific time, so it only matches the others directly if your viewers are on the US West Coast.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Monday

Sprout Social says 3 to 5 p.m. Buffer's best Monday time is 1 p.m., which is also its second-best slot of the whole week, followed by 11 a.m. and 8 a.m.; Monday is Buffer's second-best day. Hootsuite says 5 p.m. Later says 10 a.m. Pacific.

Three studies put Monday's best time between 1 and 5 p.m. Sprout Social and Hootsuite meet in late afternoon; Buffer is earlier, at 1 p.m. A good Monday test is 1 p.m. against 4 p.m.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Tuesday

Sprout Social says 2 to 6 p.m., one of its three peak days. Buffer's best Tuesday time is 6 a.m., then 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Hootsuite says 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Later says 10 a.m. Pacific.

Tuesday has no overlap between the three data-backed studies: early morning, late morning and afternoon each have one backer. Hootsuite's 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Later's 10 a.m. point the same way for West Coast viewers. Pick Sprout Social's afternoon if you post on Tuesdays and test a morning slot against it.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Wednesday

Sprout Social's widest window of the week is Wednesday, 1 to 8 p.m. Hootsuite says 4 to 6 p.m. Buffer's best Wednesday time is 10 p.m., then 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., but Buffer also says Wednesday tends to be quieter overall. Later says 10 a.m. Pacific.

Sprout Social and Hootsuite agree on 4 to 6 p.m., which sits inside both windows. Buffer disagrees on the day itself: Sprout Social's peak day is one of Buffer's quieter ones.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Thursday

Hootsuite's best overall TikTok time is Thursday morning: its day list says 7 to 9 a.m. and its overall summary says 6 to 9 a.m. Sprout Social says 1 to 5 p.m. Buffer's best Thursday time is 1 p.m., then 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., though Buffer finds Thursday lower overall. Later says Thursday and Friday had its most engagement, at 10 a.m. Pacific.

1 p.m. is the one Thursday time named by two studies (Sprout Social and Buffer). Hootsuite's morning window is its strongest finding of the week, so Thursday is a good day to test 8 a.m. against 1 p.m.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Friday

Sprout Social says 3 to 5 p.m. Hootsuite says 4 to 6 p.m. Buffer's best Friday time is 6 p.m., then 10 p.m. and 8 p.m. Later names Friday as one of its two best days, at 10 a.m. Pacific.

Friday is the best-agreed weekday. Sprout Social and Hootsuite overlap from 4 to 5 p.m., and Buffer's 6 p.m. is where Hootsuite's window ends. Anywhere from 4 to 6 p.m. has two studies behind it.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Saturday

This is where the studies split hardest. Sprout Social says there are no best times on Saturday and advises against posting. Buffer calls Saturday the best day of the week, with 5 p.m., 4 p.m. and 3 p.m. its best Saturday times. Hootsuite names Saturday midday one of its two best times overall, listing 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and advising against anything before 7 a.m. Later's page gives weekday times only.

If you post on Saturday, 3 to 5 p.m. has two studies behind it, since Buffer's three best Saturday hours all sit inside Hootsuite's window. There's a further wrinkle: Buffer says afternoons are its lowest-engagement time on most days, yet its best Saturday hours are afternoon hours. Saturday is the exception in Buffer's own data.

### Best time to post on TikTok on Sunday

Buffer's single best slot of the week is Sunday at 9 a.m., followed on Sunday by 1 p.m. and 12 p.m.; Sunday is its third-best day. Hootsuite says 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and, as on Saturday, warns against posting before 7 a.m. Sprout Social calls Sunday the worst day of the week and says to avoid it.

Buffer's 9 a.m. falls inside Hootsuite's 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. window, so Sunday morning has two studies behind it. Sprout Social's data says the opposite, which is why a Sunday post is worth testing rather than assuming.

## TikTok posting times by day and hour: the full table

The first table gives each study's times by day. The second groups them into windows, so you can see which parts of each day have the most support. All times are your viewers' local time except Later's, which is Pacific.

| Day | Sprout Social 2026 | Buffer 2026 | Hootsuite (2025 data) | Later 2025 (Pacific) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | 3–5 p.m. | 1 p.m., 11 a.m., 8 a.m. | 5 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Tuesday | 2–6 p.m. (peak) | 6 a.m., 10 p.m., 7 a.m. | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Wednesday | 1–8 p.m. (peak) | 10 p.m., 6 a.m., 9 p.m. (quieter day) | 4–6 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Thursday | 1–5 p.m. (peak) | 1 p.m., 10 p.m., 6 a.m. (lower day) | 7–9 a.m. (best overall) | 10 a.m. (top day) |
| Friday | 3–5 p.m. | 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 8 p.m. | 4–6 p.m. | 10 a.m. (top day) |
| Saturday | No best times; avoid | 5 p.m., 4 p.m., 3 p.m. (best day) | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. (best overall) | Not given |
| Sunday | Worst day; avoid | 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 12 p.m. | 8 a.m.–12 p.m. | Not given |

| Day | 12–6 a.m. | 6 a.m.–12 p.m. | 12–6 p.m. | 6 p.m.–12 a.m. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monday | None | Buffer, Later | Sprout Social, Buffer, Hootsuite | None |
| Tuesday | None | Buffer, Hootsuite, Later | Sprout Social, Hootsuite | Buffer |
| Wednesday | None | Buffer, Later | Sprout Social, Hootsuite | Sprout Social, Buffer |
| Thursday | None | Buffer, Hootsuite, Later | Sprout Social, Buffer | Buffer |
| Friday | None | Later | Sprout Social, Hootsuite | Buffer |
| Saturday | None | Hootsuite | Buffer, Hootsuite | Hootsuite |
| Sunday | None | Buffer, Hootsuite | Buffer | None |

> No study names a best TikTok time between midnight and 6 a.m. on any day. Monday afternoon is the only window with all three data-backed studies behind it.

## What time zone are TikTok's best times in?

### Whose time zone the studies use

Sprout Social lists every time in local time and tells you to schedule for each audience's own time zone. Buffer says its times need no conversion. Hootsuite localized its times across 118 countries. So for these three, Tuesday 2 p.m. means 2 p.m. where your viewers are. Later is the exception: its 10 a.m. is Pacific time, which is 1 p.m. on the US East Coast.

### How to convert a study time

1. **Find where your viewers are**: TikTok analytics shows your viewers' top locations on the Viewers page. Note the biggest one or two.
2. **Pick a slot in their time**: Choose a time from the tables above, for example Friday at 5 p.m. for viewers in New York.
3. **Work out the gap on the posting date**: Use the gap that applies on the day the post goes out. Countries change their clocks on different dates.
4. **Enter it in your scheduler's time zone**: Type the converted time in whatever time zone your scheduler uses, then check the time it shows after you save.

### A worked example: one post for viewers across the US

Say your viewers are spread across the mainland US. [time.gov](https://www.time.gov/), run by NIST and the US Naval Observatory, lists Eastern standard time as UTC minus 5, Central as minus 6, Mountain as minus 7 and Pacific as minus 8, so each zone is one hour behind the one to its east. Sprout Social's peak is 2 to 6 p.m. local time from Tuesday to Thursday.

| If you post at | Eastern | Central | Mountain | Pacific | Inside Sprout Social's 2–6 p.m. in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 p.m. Eastern | 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | 12 p.m. | Eastern and Central |
| 4 p.m. Eastern | 4 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Eastern, Central and Mountain |
| 5 p.m. Eastern | 5 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | All four zones |
| 6 p.m. Eastern | 6 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 3 p.m. | All four, at the edge for Eastern |

Posting at 5 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific, lands inside the window in all four zones. On Friday it also sits inside Hootsuite's 4 to 6 p.m. window for Eastern and Central viewers.

### A second example: London and the US

If you're in London with viewers in New York, the usual gap is 5 hours. In 2026 the UK put its clocks back on October 25, per [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change), and the US on November 1, per [NIST](https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst), so for that week the gap was 4 hours. Buffer's Sunday 9 a.m. for New York viewers is normally 2 p.m. in London, but it was 1 p.m. during that week. The same mismatch happens in spring: the US moved its clocks on March 8, 2026 and the UK on March 29.

### Which time zone does TikTok analytics use?

TikTok's Creator Academy article on analytics describes the Most active times chart but doesn't say which time zone it uses. Some third-party guides say UTC and others say local time; we couldn't confirm either on a TikTok page. Read the chart next to your viewers' top locations and use it to choose test slots, not as an exact timetable.

## How do I find my own best time to post on TikTok?

TikTok's Creator Academy article [Introducing TikTok analytics](https://www.tiktok.com/creator-academy/en/article/tool-analytics-intro) describes three ways in, and the two sections that matter for timing.

TikTok: Profile › Menu › TikTok Studio › Analytics › View all

*From TikTok's Creator Academy, checked on a Wayback Machine copy of September 23, 2026.*

1. **Open analytics**: In the TikTok app, go to your profile, tap the menu bars, select TikTok Studio, find Analytics and tap View all. On the TikTok Studio website, use the Analytics tab on the left. In the TikTok Studio app, tap Analytics in the bottom bar.
2. **Set the date range**: Choose the last 7, 28, 60 or 365 days, or a custom range. TikTok says you can download up to 365 days of data at a time.
3. **Open the Viewers page**: Most active times shows when your viewers were most active on TikTok in the last 7 days. The same page shows unique and returning viewers and their inferred age, gender and location.
4. **Check the Followers tab**: TikTok says the Followers tab breaks your audience's habits down by hours and days, to show when they're most active.
5. **Compare with your top posts**: The Content tab's Your top posts section ranks your 10 best videos in the period. Note what time each one went out.

1. Open TikTok Studio, then Analytics
2. Pick a date range
3. Viewers: Most active times (last 7 days)
4. Followers: activity by hours and days
5. Content: note when your top posts went out

*Section names from TikTok's Creator Academy article on analytics.*

### Why most active times aren't the whole answer

Most active times shows when your viewers are on TikTok, not when your posts do best. The studies measure the second thing. The Your top posts list is a useful third view: if your best videos cluster at one time of day, that's a candidate slot even if it isn't your viewers' busiest hour. Treat all three as inputs to the test below.

### Use more than 7 days of history

The Most active times chart covers only the last 7 days, so a holiday or one viral video can shift it. Look at it on two or three different weeks before you commit, and check your top posts over 28 or 60 days for a longer view.

## How often should you post on TikTok?

[Buffer's frequency study](https://buffer.com/resources/how-often-should-you-post-on-tiktok/), published October 8, 2025, looked at 11.4 million TikTok posts from more than 150,000 accounts and recommends 2 to 5 posts a week. Compared with posting once a week, accounts posting 2 to 5 times saw up to 17% more views per post, 6 to 10 times up to 29%, and 11 or more up to 34%. Buffer is careful about what that means: the returns shrink as you post more, median views per post stay roughly flat, and the gains come mostly from a higher chance of a breakout post.

- 17%: more views per post at 2 to 5 posts a week vs once a week
- 29%: more at 6 to 10 posts a week
- 34%: more at 11 or more posts a week

*Buffer, October 2025. The figures are upper bounds, and median views stayed roughly flat.*

TikTok's own Creator Academy guidance on [posting cadence for publishers](https://www.tiktok.com/creator-academy/en/article/posting-cadence-best-practices-publishers) says there's no one-size-fits-all answer, that publishers who post several times a day see higher views and more For You feed exposure, and suggests setting a daily target you can consistently hit. It's written for brands and publishers, so a solo creator may reasonably aim lower.

> Hootsuite's page says TikTok recommends posting 1 to 4 times a day. We couldn't find that figure on any TikTok page, so we haven't relied on it.

A sensible starting point is 3 to 5 posts a week, inside Buffer's efficient range. That also gives you enough posts to run a fair timing test.

### Which slots to use for 3, 4 or 5 posts a week

If you post a few times a week, put each post in a slot that more than one study supports. These come straight from the day-by-day overlaps above, in your viewers' local time.

| Posts a week | Suggested slots | Why these |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 | Monday 5 p.m., Wednesday 5 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. | Each matches both Sprout Social's and Hootsuite's times for that day; Monday's is the end of Sprout Social's 3 to 5 p.m. |
| 4 | Add Sunday 9 a.m. | Buffer's top slot of the week, inside Hootsuite's Sunday window |
| 5 | Add Saturday 4 p.m. | Buffer's best day, inside Hootsuite's Saturday window |

The weekend slots are the ones Sprout Social would tell you to drop, so they're also the ones most worth testing. If your weekend posts lag your weekday posts after a few weeks, move them to Tuesday or Thursday afternoon instead. Pair each post with a few relevant tags from the [TikTok hashtag generator](/tools/tiktok-hashtag-generator) so the test isn't skewed by one post having better tags than another.

## Does the time you post matter on TikTok's For You feed?

TikTok calls the For You feed the primary place where people discover new content, and it isn't limited to accounts they follow, so you might expect timing not to matter. TikTok's own publisher guidance suggests it still does, indirectly. It describes a trending rate that measures how quickly a video gains views, likes and shares, and says a high trending rate makes a video more likely to be featured on the [For You feed](/glossary/fyp). A post that goes out when your viewers are around has more chance of early views than one that goes out while they sleep.

That's also why no single time works for everyone: the right time depends on when your particular viewers are around. If your videos aren't getting views at any time of day, timing is unlikely to be the main cause; [why is my TikTok not getting views](/blog/why-is-my-tiktok-not-getting-views) covers the other reasons.

## Does the best time to post on TikTok change by industry?

Sprout Social and Hootsuite both break down their TikTok data by industry. Hootsuite covers only three industries; Sprout Social covers nine. All times are local.

| Industry | Sprout Social 2026 | Hootsuite (2025 data) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Education | Weekdays; Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. headline; weekends worst | Not broken out |
| Financial services | Weekdays and Saturday best; Sunday worst | Not broken out |
| Food and beverage, dining | Weekdays, mostly 2–6 p.m.; weekends worst | Tuesday 8–11 a.m., Thursday 4–8 p.m. (dining, hospitality and tourism) |
| Government | Weekdays; Wednesday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. headline | Not broken out |
| Healthcare | Weekdays; Wednesday 11 a.m.–7 p.m. headline | Not broken out |
| Nonprofit | Tuesday to Saturday; Wednesday and Friday evenings headline; Sunday worst | Not broken out |
| Retail | Weekdays, about 2–4 p.m. in its summary; weekends worst | Not broken out |
| Software and tech | Weekdays and weekends, mostly mornings; late nights and early mornings worst | Not broken out |
| Travel and hospitality | Weekdays and weekends; early mornings worst | See dining, hospitality and tourism |
| Marketing agencies | Not broken out | Tuesday 10 a.m.–12 p.m. |
| Media and entertainment | Not broken out | Saturday and Sunday 2–6 p.m. |

## Why is there no single best time to post on TikTok?

Because the studies disagree on the basics, including which days are good at all.

- They disagree on weekends. Sprout Social says avoid Saturday and Sunday. Buffer says Saturday is the best day and Sunday the third-best. Hootsuite puts Saturday midday among its two best times.
- They measure different things. Buffer uses median engagement rate. Sprout Social counts engagements. Hootsuite reports engagement from its own sample. Later doesn't describe its method at all.
- They study different accounts and periods. Each uses its own customers. Sprout Social's data covers late November 2025 to late February 2026, a window that includes the winter holidays.
- They contradict themselves. Buffer says afternoons are its weakest time on most days, yet its best Saturday hours are 3 to 5 p.m. Hootsuite gives Thursday's best window as 7 to 9 a.m. in one place and 6 to 9 a.m. in another.
- Averages blur real peaks. A best hour averaged across 118 countries, or across millions of accounts, may not be any one audience's actual peak.

The studies are still useful for one thing: narrowing the first test. Weekday late afternoons, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning are the windows with more than one study behind them. Pick two and let your own numbers decide.

## How to test your best TikTok posting time in two weeks

This plan compares two slots with nothing but TikTok analytics and a notes app. Six posts over 14 days is 3 a week, inside Buffer's 2 to 5 range.

1. **Choose two slots**: Slot A from a study, such as 4 p.m., which Sprout Social and Hootsuite both cover on Wednesday and Friday. Slot B from your Most active times, for example 9 p.m., or a second study time.
2. **Keep the videos comparable**: Similar length, similar topic, same kind of hook. Change only the posting time.
3. **Alternate**: Publish 3 videos in each slot over 14 days, alternating so neither slot gets all the strong days.
4. **Log results at a fixed delay**: 24 hours after each post, note views, likes, comments and shares. If you can, check again at 7 days.
5. **Compare medians**: Use the middle value per slot. On TikTok, one breakout video can make a slot look far better than it is.
6. **Keep the winner and re-test**: Make the winning slot your default and test it against a new challenger next fortnight.

- Day 1: Pick slot A from a study and slot B from Most active times
- Days 2 to 14: Post 6 comparable videos, alternating A and B
- 24 hours after each: Log views, likes, comments and shares
- Day 15: Compare each slot's median
- Day 16 onward: Keep the winner, test a new challenger

*Three posts a week fits Buffer's efficient 2 to 5 range.*

| Video | Day | Slot | Viewers' time | Views at 24 h | Likes, comments, shares |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Mon | A | 4 p.m. |  |  |
| 2 | Wed | B | 9 p.m. |  |  |
| 3 | Fri | A | 4 p.m. |  |  |
| 4 | Sun | B | 9 p.m. |  |  |
| 5 | Tue | A | 4 p.m. |  |  |
| 6 | Thu | B | 9 p.m. |  |  |

To compare videos fairly, turn interactions into a rate with the free [engagement rate calculator](/tools/engagement-rate-calculator); the [engagement rate guide](/blog/social-media-engagement-rate) explains which formula to use, and the glossary defines [engagement rate](/glossary/engagement-rate) if you need a refresher.

**Make the test fair**
- [ ] Same number of videos in each slot
- [ ] Similar length, topic and hook
- [ ] Results logged at the same delay
- [ ] Medians compared, not totals
- [ ] No paid promotion on any test video
- [ ] Times set in your viewers' time zone

*Repeat the test before making a big change; six videos is a small sample.*

## How do I post on TikTok at the time I picked?

The [guide to scheduling TikTok videos](/blog/how-to-schedule-tiktok-videos) covers the options. If the same video also goes to Instagram, YouTube or other networks, [PostMesh](/platform/tiktok) posts to TikTok through TikTok's official Content Posting API at the time you pick, up to 30 days ahead, with the privacy, comment, Duet, Stitch and disclosure settings you choose on each post.

One timing caveat: TikTok sometimes sends a video to your TikTok inbox instead, for you to finish posting in the app. If that happens, the video goes live when you finish it, not at the scheduled time, so check your inbox around the slot during a timing test. Before scheduling, check the caption length with the [TikTok caption character counter](/tools/tiktok-caption-character-counter).

Each network keeps its own hours, so one time rarely suits every app. Compare the best time to post on [Instagram](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-instagram), [YouTube](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-youtube), [Facebook](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-facebook) and [LinkedIn](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-linkedin) before cross-posting, and see [does cross-posting hurt engagement](/blog/does-cross-posting-hurt-engagement) for what the networks themselves say.

## Common mistakes and what to do next

- Using Later's 10 a.m. as local time. It's Pacific, which is 1 p.m. Eastern.
- Assuming weekends are dead or great. The studies disagree, so test one weekend slot before deciding.
- Reading Most active times once. It covers only 7 days; check it over a few weeks.
- Judging a slot on one video. TikTok views are very uneven, so compare medians over several posts.
- Changing time and content together. Change one thing per test.
- Ignoring clock changes. Two countries can change their clocks weeks apart.

Next step: schedule three videos for a weekday at 4 p.m. in your viewers' time zone and three at your Most active times peak, then compare after two weeks. If you're also weighing what TikTok pays as your views grow, [how much TikTok pays for 1 million views](/blog/how-much-does-tiktok-pay-for-1-million-views) has the numbers.

## Questions

### When is the best time to post on TikTok?

Sprout Social's 2026 data says Tuesday to Thursday, 2 to 6 p.m. local time; Buffer's says Sunday 9 a.m., Monday 1 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. Start with a weekday afternoon and test it against your analytics.

### What time should I post on TikTok on a Saturday?

Buffer's best Saturday hours are 3, 4 and 5 p.m., all inside Hootsuite's 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. window. Sprout Social says to avoid Saturday, so treat it as a test.

### What time should I post on TikTok on a Sunday?

Around 9 a.m.: it's Buffer's top slot of the week and inside Hootsuite's 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. window. Sprout Social calls Sunday the worst day.

### What is the best day to post on TikTok?

It depends on the study. Buffer picks Saturday, Sprout Social picks Tuesday to Thursday, and Later's 2025 page picks Thursday and Friday.

### What is the worst time to post on TikTok?

No study names a best time between midnight and 6 a.m., and Hootsuite warns against weekend posts before 7 a.m. Sprout Social calls Sunday the worst day.

### Are TikTok best times in my time zone or my viewers'?

Your viewers' for Sprout Social, Buffer and Hootsuite. Later's 10 a.m. is Pacific time.

### Where can I see when my TikTok followers are active?

In TikTok Studio's analytics. The Viewers page has Most active times for the last 7 days, and the Followers tab breaks activity down by hours and days.

### How many times a day should I post on TikTok?

Buffer's study of 11.4 million posts recommends 2 to 5 posts a week. TikTok's publisher guidance says to set a daily target you can consistently hit.

### Does posting at the best time guarantee views?

No. The studies show averages across many accounts, and Buffer notes that posting more mostly raises the chance of a breakout rather than lifting every video.

### Does a scheduled TikTok always go out on time?

Usually, but when TikTok sends a video to your inbox to finish in the app, it goes live only when you finish posting it.

## Sources

- [Sprout Social: Best times to post on TikTok (March 2026)](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/best-times-to-post-on-tiktok/)

- [Buffer: Best time to post on TikTok (September 2026)](https://buffer.com/resources/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/)

- [Buffer: How often should you post on TikTok? (October 2025)](https://buffer.com/resources/how-often-should-you-post-on-tiktok/)

- [Hootsuite: The best time to post on TikTok [2025 data] (updated October 2026)](https://blog.hootsuite.com/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/)

- [Later: The best time to post on TikTok (March 2025)](https://later.com/blog/best-time-to-post-on-tiktok/)

- [TikTok Creator Academy: Introducing TikTok analytics, Wayback Machine copy of September 23, 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260923175232/https://www.tiktok.com/creator-academy/en/article/tool-analytics-intro)

- [TikTok Creator Academy: Posting cadence best practices for publishers, Wayback Machine copy of January 9, 2026](https://web.archive.org/web/20260109170246/https://www.tiktok.com/creator-academy/en/article/posting-cadence-best-practices-publishers)

- [time.gov (NIST and US Naval Observatory): US time zones](https://www.time.gov/)

- [GOV.UK: When do the clocks change?](https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change)

- [NIST: Daylight saving time](https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst)