Best Time to Post on TikTok
There is no single best time to post on TikTok for every account, and the two big studies barely overlap. Start with the windows below, test two of them for a few weeks, then let iHatePosting, an AI social media scheduler for 15 networks with unlimited accounts for $15/month (billed annually), schedule your winners.
Key takeaways
- No single hour wins for every account. Sprout Social favors weekday afternoons, while Hootsuite's data points to mornings on several days, so the two studies barely overlap.
- Where the two studies overlap, start there: Wednesday 4 to 6 p.m. and Friday 4 to 5 p.m., in your audience's local time. Monday's windows only touch, at about 5 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday split, with one study saying afternoon and the other morning, so test one window from each.
- Weekends are the biggest gap: Sprout Social says to avoid them, and Hootsuite lists Saturday and Sunday windows. Test them only if your audience is active then.
- Check TikTok's own analytics for when your followers are online, post at two windows for a few weeks each, and keep the winner.
How do you find your own posting time on TikTok?
The best time is when your followers are online and ready to watch. TikTok's own analytics can show you when your audience is active. Where that view sits can change with the app version and the account type. Check TikTok's help for the current menu names before you look for it.
Hootsuite adds a reason to care about timing. It says the For You page tailors what each person sees, so no single time works for everyone. But videos shown there are usually no older than a couple of days. That is why when you post still matters a little.
Which days and times work best on TikTok?
Two large studies give day-by-day windows, and they barely agree. Sprout Social's 2026 study used nearly 2 billion engagements from November 2025 to February 2026 and was published on 31 March 2026. Hootsuite's guide used over 1 million posts and was published on 19 November 2025, so it is the older of the two. Both give times in the local time of the audience.
| Day | Sprout Social (31 March 2026) | Hootsuite (19 November 2025) | Window to test first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 3 to 5 p.m. | 5 p.m. | About 5 p.m. (the windows touch here) |
| Tuesday | 2 to 6 p.m. | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | One from each: 2 to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 1 to 8 p.m. | 4 to 6 p.m. | 4 to 6 p.m. (both agree) |
| Thursday | 1 to 5 p.m. | 7 to 9 a.m. | One from each: 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 a.m. |
| Friday | 3 to 5 p.m. | 4 to 6 p.m. | 4 to 5 p.m. (both agree) |
| Saturday | Avoid posting | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | A slot in 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., only if you post at weekends |
| Sunday | The worst day of the week | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. | A slot in 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., only if you post at weekends |
The last column is our own rule, not a result from either study. Where the two studies overlap, we use the overlap. Where they do not, we suggest one window from each. Treat every row as a starting point to test.
Weekends are where the studies split the most. Sprout Social says to avoid Saturday and calls Sunday the worst day, while Hootsuite lists long windows on both. Your audience may behave differently from either sample, so a short test of your own is worth more than any table.
Why do the studies disagree?
They measure different things. Sprout Social's data comes from the engagements on its customers' profiles across six networks, over three months. Hootsuite's comes from over 1 million posts across 118 countries, in a guide dated a few months earlier. A different sample, a different period and a different method will give different hours.
That is not a flaw to fix. It is a reminder that a benchmark describes other people's audiences. Yours is the one that counts.
How do you test two windows?
Pick two windows
Choose two from the table, such as Wednesday 4 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Use your audience's local time.
Post similar videos in each
Share the same kind of video in both windows for a few weeks, so the comparison is fair.
Compare views, shares and comments
Judge each window by what people did with the video, not by one big result.
Keep the winner and test a new one
Keep the window that wins more than once, then test another against it.
How do you schedule these TikTok videos?
Once you have two windows, queue videos into them instead of posting by hand. Our guide to scheduling TikTok videos shows how, and this walkthrough of TikTok scheduling covers the details. iHatePosting also suggests times from your own results, so you can compare what you tested. You can start with the 90-day free trial and see iHatePosting pricing for the single plan.
Related reading
- The best time to post on social media: the general windows for every network.
- How to schedule TikTok videos: queue your tested windows.
- Best time to post on Instagram: the same two studies for Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
Does TikTok even have a best time?
Hootsuite says the For You page tailors what each person sees, so no single time works for everyone. It also says videos shown there are usually no older than a couple of days, so timing still matters a little. Treat every benchmark as a place to start, not a rule.
Which study should I trust?
Neither one alone. They use different samples and periods, and Hootsuite's guide is dated November 2025 while Sprout Social's data runs to February 2026. Where they overlap, start there. Where they do not, test one window from each and let your own results decide.
Does my time zone matter?
Yes. Sprout Social lists its windows in local time. It says to schedule for the time zone your audience is in, so a video for London followers should follow London time. Hootsuite also localized its data. If your followers are spread out, test your largest region first.
How long should I test a window?
A few weeks is a fair start. Post similar videos in each window so the comparison is fair, and judge them by views, shares and comments rather than one big post. If one window wins more than once, keep it, and then test a new window against it.
What if my account is new?
With little data of your own, use the windows in the table as a starting point. Pick two, post at them for a few weeks each, and compare views, shares and comments. As the account grows, check TikTok's own analytics and add what it shows to your tests.