Marketing
Buffer
Schedules social posts and handles comment replies, priced per connected channel
What is Buffer?
Buffer is a social media scheduling tool for publishing, analytics and comment replies across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile and Substack. Creators and small teams use it to queue posts and track performance. Pricing is per connected channel, with a free plan for 3 channels and lower per-channel rates above 10 channels.
Good for
- Creators and small businesses managing a few channels on a budget
- Agencies that want to pay per channel rather than per brand or client
- Teams that need approval workflows without per-user fees
- Scheduling posts from AI assistants through the MCP server or API
Key features
- Channels: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile and Substack
- Posting queue, visual content calendar, drafts and ideas board
- Community inbox for replying to comments, with AI reply suggestions
- AI Assistant for writing, refining and repurposing posts
- Analytics with CSV, PDF and markdown reports; branded reports on Team
- Public GraphQL API with API keys on every plan, including Free
- MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Perplexity and other AI tools, on every plan
- Start Page link-in-bio builder
Limitations to know about
- Billed per connected channel; after upgrading, the 3 channels that were free are billed too
- Free plan: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user and 30 days of insights
- Essentials includes 1 user; approval workflows and access levels need the Team plan
- Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups get reminder notifications only, not automatic publishing
Buffer pricing
Buffer has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5 a month billed annually (Essentials).
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 100 ideas, 1 user, 30-day insights history |
| Essentials | $6 per channel/mo, or $5 per channel/mo billed yearly | Unlimited scheduled posts, advanced analytics and reports, hashtag manager, first comment scheduling, 1 user |
| Team | $12 per channel/mo, or $10 per channel/mo billed yearly | Everything in Essentials plus unlimited team members, approval workflows, access levels and branded reports |
Free plan limits: Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 100 ideas, 1 user, 30 days of insights, 1 API key with 3,000 requests/month
Buffer alternatives
The best Buffer alternatives, compared on price and features
Later
Visual social media planner and scheduler, priced by social sets and users
Hootsuite
Social media suite for publishing, inbox, listening and analytics, billed per user
Publer
Schedules social posts and threads, priced per social account and team member
PostWharf
Schedules one post to every social account, priced per brand, not per channel
Sprout Social
Social publishing, inbox, listening and reporting for teams, priced per seat
Metricool
Schedules posts and reports on social and ads, priced by number of brands
Head to head: Buffer vs Hootsuite
Guides that use Buffer
Frequently asked questions
Is Buffer free?
Buffer has a free plan. Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 100 ideas, 1 user, 30 days of insights, 1 API key with 3,000 requests/month. Paid plans start at $5/mo billed annually.
How much does Buffer cost?
Buffer's cheapest paid plan, Essentials, costs $6 a month billed monthly, or $5 billed annually. Billed per connected channel; $60 billed yearly for 1 channel; on monthly billing channels 11-25 cost $4 each, 26-50 $3 each, 51+ $1 each. Prices as published on Buffer's pricing page on 16 October 2026.
What is Buffer used for?
Buffer is a social media scheduling tool for publishing, analytics and comment replies across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile and Substack. People use it for creators and small businesses managing a few channels on a budget, agencies that want to pay per channel rather than per brand or client, teams that need approval workflows without per-user fees and scheduling posts from AI assistants through the MCP server or API.
What are the alternatives to Buffer?
Tools that do a similar job include Later, Hootsuite, Publer, PostWharf and Sprout Social. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Buffer?
Buffer is made by Buffer, Inc. The company was founded in 2010.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Buffer, Inc.'s own pages, read on the dates shown.
- buffer.com/pricing (plan prices per channel (monthly and yearly toggle), free plan limits, trial, feature comparison, supported channels table, FAQ) read 16 October 2026
- buffer.com/pricing.md (machine-readable pricing: per-channel volume rates, fair use cap of 5,000 posts per channel, nonprofit discount) read 16 October 2026
- buffer.com/mcp (MCP server: supported AI tools, included on every plan including Free) read 16 October 2026
- buffer.com/api (public GraphQL API, API key included on every plan) read 16 October 2026
- buffer.com/about (founding year (November 2010) and fully remote team) read 16 October 2026
- buffer.com/terms (legal company name (Buffer, Inc.)) read 16 October 2026
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