Best Time to Post on LinkedIn in 2026, by Day (Two Studies Compared)
· 4 min read
The best LinkedIn posting times for every day of the week in 2026, comparing Buffer's 4.8M-post study with Sprout Social's data, plus how to find your own.
The best time to post on LinkedIn in 2026 is a weekday afternoon, with Wednesday the strongest day. Buffer's study of 4.8 million posts puts the peak at 3–8pm, with Wednesday at 4pm the single best slot. Sprout Social's data puts it earlier, at 11am–5pm Tuesday to Thursday. Both agree on two things: midweek wins and weekends lose. Where they overlap, Tuesday to Thursday, 3–5pm in your audience's time zone, is the safest place to start.
The two studies measure different accounts. Buffer analyses posts published through Buffer, a user base with many creators, founders and small businesses. Sprout Social analyses its own customers, who are more often brands and larger companies. That's the most likely reason Buffer's peak lands later in the day. If you post as a person, Buffer's later window is likely closer to your audience. If you post as a Company Page to a B2B audience, Sprout's office-hours window is the better first guess.
Day by day
Best time to post on LinkedIn on Monday
Monday is one of the weaker weekdays. People are clearing inboxes and meetings. Sprout's best window is 1–2pm; Buffer's data favours the evening (5pm, then 9–10pm), when people catch up after work.
Best time to post on LinkedIn on Tuesday
Tuesday opens the strong midweek stretch. Sprout's window is wide, 11am–5pm; Buffer's top slots are 4–5pm. A post at 4pm sits in both.
Best time to post on LinkedIn on Wednesday
Wednesday is the best day in Buffer's data, with 4pm the single best slot of the week, followed by 3pm and 5pm. Sprout's window is 11am–4pm. Put your most important post of the week here.
Best time to post on LinkedIn on Thursday
Thursday is strong in both studies: 1–5pm for Sprout, 5pm and 7pm for Buffer. Late afternoon is the overlap.
Best time to post on LinkedIn on Friday
Friday is better than its reputation. Buffer ranks it among the strongest days, with 3pm and 4pm both top slots of the week. Sprout is more cautious, at 11am and 1–2pm. Post before people log off, ideally by mid-afternoon.
Best time to post on LinkedIn on the weekend
Sprout recommends skipping weekends entirely. Buffer finds Saturday at 9am is the best weekend slot. Weekend posts face less competition, so they can work for personal-brand content, but they rarely beat a midweek afternoon.
Worst times to post on LinkedIn
Saturday and Sunday, in both studies.
Early mornings before 8am, apart from the odd Sunday-morning reader.
Late Friday, once the working week is over.
How to find your own best time on LinkedIn
Pick three slots from the table above, for example Tuesday 11am, Wednesday 4pm and Thursday 5pm.
Post in each slot for two to four weeks, keeping content quality steady.
Compare engagement rate (reactions, comments and reposts ÷ impressions), not raw likes. The engagement rate calculator does the maths.
Keep the winner, swap the loser for a new slot, and repeat every quarter.
LinkedIn's native scheduler lets you queue posts for those slots up to three months ahead. Our guide to scheduling LinkedIn posts covers profiles and Company Pages step by step.
Does timing matter on LinkedIn?
Less than content, but more than on most networks. LinkedIn tests a new post with a small part of your network first, and how it performs in the first hour decides how far it travels. Posting when your audience is actually online gives that first hour a fair chance. Replying to early comments quickly matters just as much.
Questions people ask
What is the best time to post on LinkedIn in 2026?
Weekday afternoons. Buffer's data peaks at 3–8pm with Wednesday 4pm as the best slot; Sprout Social's peaks at 11am–5pm Tuesday to Thursday. Tuesday to Thursday, 3–5pm satisfies both.
What is the best day to post on LinkedIn?
Wednesday, according to Buffer's 4.8 million-post study, followed by Thursday and Friday. Sprout Social also finds Tuesday to Thursday strongest.
What is the best time to post on LinkedIn on Friday?
3–4pm according to Buffer, where Friday ranks among the best days of the week, or 11am and 1–2pm according to Sprout Social.
Is it bad to post on LinkedIn on weekends?
Weekends are the weakest days in both studies. Saturday at 9am is the best weekend slot in Buffer's data, but a midweek afternoon will usually do better.
Should I use my time zone or my audience's?
Your audience's. If most of your followers are in New York and you're in London, a 4pm New York post goes out at 9pm your time.
How often should I post on LinkedIn?
Two to five times a week is a sustainable range for most people and Pages. Consistency matters more than volume.
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