Marketing
Buffer
Social media planning.
What it is
Buffer is the simplest and most transparent way to manage your social media presence. It allows you to schedule content across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter from one central dashboard. Designed for small businesses and creators, Buffer focuses on ease of use rather than enterprise bloat. With its 'Grid Planner,' you can design your Instagram aesthetic in advance, while analytics tools show you which posts are driving the most engagement for your brand.
Buffer pricing
Buffer lists 1 plan and none of them carries a monthly charge.
| Plan | Price | What the vendor’s page says |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Free $0: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user, 30-day analytics history |
Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-09. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source Price verification log.
Key features
Multichannel Scheduling
Schedule a single piece of content across all your channels simultaneously.
Instagram Grid Planner
Plan exactly how your posts will look on your profile before they go live.
Approval Workflows
Review and approve posts prepared by team members before they are published.
Start Page Builder
Create a stylish 'link in bio' page for your social profiles in minutes.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- User Experience: Very clean, uncluttered UI that avoids unnecessary features.
- Free Start: Offers an exceptionally generous free plan for small accounts.
- Transparency: Known for its honest culture and very clear pricing policy.
- AI Assistant: Uses AI to help you rewrite and optimize captions for different platforms.
Where it falls short
- Deep Analytics: May feel too basic for enterprise-level reporting needs.
- Social Listening: Lacks features for monitoring competitor mentions or hashtags.
- Platform Limits: Some platform API restrictions may require manual steps for posting.
Who it is for
Social Media Managers, Creators, and Small Business Owners.
Pick it or skip it
Pick Buffer if
- Solo creators on Free: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel and 30 days of analytics history
- Freelancers on Essentials at $5 per channel/month ($60/year) with unlimited scheduled posts
- Teams on Team at $10 per channel/month ($120/year) with unlimited team members and branded reports
Skip it if
- You manage many accounts — pricing is per channel, so ten channels on Team is $100/month
- You need more than 10 scheduled posts per channel without paying; that is the free cap
- You want team seats on the cheaper tier: Essentials is a single user account
Our verdict
A simple, affordable scheduler for teams that do not need a full social suite.
Closest alternatives we track
Same category, ordered by verified starting price.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Buffer cost?
- Buffer starts at $5/mo per user. We verified this against the vendor's pricing page; see "What we checked" below for the date.
- Who is Buffer best for?
- Social Media Managers, Creators, and Small Business Owners.
- What are the main drawbacks of Buffer?
- The trade-offs we noted: Deep Analytics: May feel too basic for enterprise-level reporting needs.; Social Listening: Lacks features for monitoring competitor mentions or hashtags.; Platform Limits: Some platform API restrictions may require manual steps for posting..
- When should you not use Buffer?
- Skip Buffer if: You manage many accounts — pricing is per channel, so ten channels on Team is $100/month; You need more than 10 scheduled posts per channel without paying; that is the free cap; You want team seats on the cheaper tier: Essentials is a single user account.
What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Yes
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Vendor pricing page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-09
- Buffer — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-09-09 · Supports: Free $0: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user, 30-day analytics history, Essentials $5 per channel/month or $60/year: unlimited scheduled posts, 1 user, unlimited analytics history, Team $10 per channel/month or $120/year: unlimited team members, branded reports, Channels 1-10 at standard rate; channels above 10 cost less per channel
Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed by an editor on this date; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark. Prices and limits change.
Compare Buffer with alternatives
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Same job, different pricing. Verified starting price first.
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