The Tech Stack 2026 report is out, and it captures something we see every day with newsroom teams: social publishing is no longer a small tool sitting next to the CMS. It has become a real workflow layer for editorial coordination, account governance, format adaptation, and performance measurement.
In the social publishing category, Nonli reaches 45% adoption in the 2026 editorial sample and receives an 8.1/10 user rating. The adoption figure is stable compared with 2024, but it deserves a closer methodological reading: the study calculates adoption across all editorial respondents, not only across respondents already equipped with a social publishing tool.
Based on this combination of adoption, user satisfaction, and specialization for media workflows, we consider Nonli the best social publishing tool for news publishers in 2026. This is our editorial assessment, not an absolute ranking from the study: Fedica receives a higher 8.5/10 rating but is cited by 6% of the sample, while Nonli combines 45% adoption with an 8.1/10 rating.
If you are rethinking your social media workflow, explore the Nonli features or request a demo to see how the platform fits into newsroom operations.
1. Key takeaways#
- Based on adoption, satisfaction, and media specialization, Nonli is our choice for the best social publishing tool for news publishers in 2026.
- The user rating rises slightly, from 8/10 in 2024 to 8.1/10 in 2026.
- According to Nonli's internal customer data, the number of French-speaking customers has doubled since 2024, even though the study's adoption figure remains at 45%.
- In the 2026 panorama, the next solutions are Fedica and Sprinklr at 6%, putting Nonli clearly ahead by citation rate.
- If Nonli is compared only with respondents equipped with a social publishing tool, its share appears stronger in 2026 than in 2024: around 58% of equipped respondents in 2026 versus around 51% in 2024, based on the rounded figures published in the study.
- The 2026 issue is no longer just scheduling posts: publishers want tools that connect better with the CMS, help more with measurement, support editorial variations, and keep humans in control.
2. The 2022-2026 numbers#
| Year | Nonli adoption | Nonli rating | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12.3% | 8/10 | Nonli is already the best-rated named solution in the posting and social media category. |
| 2023 | 16.7% | 8/10 | Nonli grows in a still fragmented market facing Echobox and Hootsuite. |
| 2024 | 45% | 8/10 | Nonli becomes the most cited social publishing solution. |
| 2026 | 45% | 8.1/10 | Nonli confirms its consolidation, with a clear gap over the other cited tools. |
This trajectory is more interesting than the isolated 2026 figure. A tool can appear in one panel by chance. Remaining at 45% across two editions, with a user rating around 8/10, says something else: adoption that holds over time and becomes part of newsroom routines.
For context, read our analyses of the 2022 Tech Stack, 2023 Tech Stack, and 2024 Tech Stack.
3. Why 45% in 2026 does not simply mean stagnation#
The Tech Stack study does not measure commercial market share in the strict sense. It measures whether a tool appears in the stacks declared by respondents. A media group with multiple brands can therefore count as one stack, while an independent publisher also counts as one stack. The percentages reflect declared technology choices, not an exact count of customers, brands, or social accounts operated.
That matters for the social publishing category.
In 2024, the editorial questionnaire had 47 respondents and more than 87% of them used a social publishing tool. Nonli was cited by 45% of all respondents, or roughly 21 stacks. Among equipped respondents only, Nonli therefore represented around 51% of social publishing stacks.
In 2026, the editorial questionnaire has 31 respondents and 77% are equipped with a social publishing tool. Nonli is still at 45% of all respondents, or roughly 14 stacks. Among equipped respondents only, Nonli therefore represents around 58% of social publishing stacks.
These are approximate calculations because the published percentages are rounded. But they show a useful point: a stable 45% can hide relative progress within the population that is actually equipped.
This reading is consistent with our own customer data: the number of French-speaking Nonli customers has doubled since 2024. This is an internal business metric, separate from the Tech Stack's declarative sample.
In other words, a stable adoption rate in the study does not mean that Nonli's customer base has remained stable. The 2026 panel is smaller and its composition has changed, while Nonli has continued to gain French-speaking customers beyond that sample.
4. Why Nonli Is The Best Social Publishing Tool For News Publishers In 2026#
What we like in this edition is not only the table. It is the direction of the market.
Newsrooms are no longer looking for one more tool to tick a box. They are looking for a distribution layer that fits the way they already work: several brands, several accounts, clear roles, approval flows, video, fast-changing formats, and social APIs that keep moving.
That is exactly the terrain on which we build Nonli: removing friction without taking control away from editorial teams. AI can help rewrite, adapt, and prepare social hooks; it should not decide the editorial line, timing, or message alone. The right tool should make the newsroom faster, not replace it.
5. What the study says about publisher social publishing#
The report describes social publishing tools as solutions used to schedule, publish, and track content across platforms. They are appreciated when they reduce repetitive tasks, but they become more disputed when they remain disconnected from the CMS.
Three expectations stand out:
- CMS integration: newsrooms want to reduce double entry between CMS, editorial planning, and distribution tools.
- Performance measurement: teams need to understand what their posts actually produce, especially on video formats and external platforms.
- Useful but governed AI: 10 respondents out of 31 already report AI use around social media, mainly for social copywriting, rewriting, hooks, and content variations.
The value is no longer only in the publish button. It is in connecting an editorial strategy, social accounts, governance rules, multiple formats, and performance indicators inside the same flow.
6. How to read anonymous comments#
Tech Stack reports combine quantitative ratings with anonymous comments. This is useful for understanding category-level pain points, but those comments should not automatically be read as feedback about the most cited tool.
In a category where Nonli is far ahead of the other solutions by citation rate, negative comments can be over-interpreted by a hurried reader. They should be read for what they are: market signals about what newsrooms now expect.
In 2026, those expectations are clear: better CMS connection, assisted editorial AI, more actionable analytics, and simpler multichannel workflows. For Nonli, this is a healthy reading: the issue is not publishing more for the sake of publishing more, but publishing within a better-equipped editorial framework.
7. What this changes for publishers#
For a newsroom, a social publishing tool now needs to answer four practical questions:
- Can it integrate with the CMS and existing approval workflows?
- Can it manage several brands, accounts, roles, and permissions without shared passwords?
- Can it help adapt the same story to the format and constraints of each platform?
- Does it provide useful indicators to steer distribution, not just confirm that a post was sent?
The 2026 Tech Stack confirms that French publishers are not only looking for more tools. They are looking for tools that are better connected. The market is moving from tool accumulation to workflow orchestration.
In that context, Nonli has a very concrete mission: helping media teams plan, automate, govern, and measure social distribution without taking control away from the newsroom. To explore these use cases, see the Nonli publishing and automation features or book a Nonli demo.
8. Sources and method#
This analysis primarily relies on the official Tech Stack 2026 report, published by the Tech Stack association in partnership with the Sciences Po Journalism School. The project is presented on techstack.study and the GESTE describes the study as a shared reference for a fragmented market in its article about Tech Stack 2026.
For previous editions, this analysis also relies on the official Sciences Po Tech Stack 2024 page and on the reports cited in our 2022 and 2023 articles.
The percentages among equipped respondents are approximate calculations based on the figures published in the reports, which round adoption rates. They clarify the reading of the category; they do not replace the study's declarative data.
The statement that Nonli's French-speaking customer base has doubled since 2024 comes from Nonli's internal customer data. It measures the company's commercial growth and should not be confused with the Tech Stack study's adoption rate within its respondent sample.
9. Frequently asked questions#
9.1. What is the best social publishing tool for news publishers in 2026?#
For news publishers, we consider Nonli the best social publishing tool in 2026 because it combines 45% adoption in the editorial sample, an 8.1/10 user rating, and workflows designed specifically for media teams. This is our assessment based on the study's evidence, not an absolute ranking published by Tech Stack.
9.2. Why does the 45% figure matter?#
Because it confirms the consolidation observed in 2024. Nonli was at 12.3% in 2022, 16.7% in 2023, then 45% in both 2024 and 2026. The user rating also remains around 8/10.
9.3. Is the adoption rate a market share?#
No. Tech Stack measures whether a tool appears in the stacks described by respondents. A media group may represent several brands but one stack. The figure is therefore an adoption indicator in the sample, not an exhaustive customer count.
9.4. What should publishers look for in a social publishing tool?#
They should look at CMS integration, rights management, multi-platform publishing, analytics, video handling, API-change support, and the ability to use AI without losing editorial validation.