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    Buffer

    Schedules and publishes social posts from one calendar, free for 3 channels and priced per connected channel beyond that.

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    ToolTrim verdict Good

    Keep it if You manage a small, stable number of social channels and want a simple scheduling calendar.

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    Buffer, preview 1
    About

    In practice. What you can do with Buffer.

    Buffer schedules and publishes posts across social networks from one calendar, with an AI Assistant for drafting copy and a shared team calendar plus analytics. The free plan covers 3 channels, 10 queued posts each and 30 days of analytics history, enough to test the workflow.

    Paid tiers bill per connected channel rather than per seat: Essentials is $5/month/channel with advanced analytics, Team is $10/month/channel with unlimited users and approval workflows. That model fits solo creators and small brands with a handful of channels better than teams managing many brand accounts, where the per-channel cost adds up.

    Practical uses

    • SchedulingQueue a week of posts across 3 channels on the free plan, no cost while staying under the channel limit.
    • GrowthAdd a 4th connected channel on Essentials ($5/month) to keep publishing once the free plan's 3-channel cap is reached.

    Features & use cases

    Analytics reseaux
    Multi plateformes
    Planification posts

    The case for and against. What Buffer does well, and when it costs too much.

    For. What works in its favour.

    • Free plan already covers 3 channels with a real scheduling calendar and analytics.
    • Team plan includes unlimited users at the same per-channel price as Essentials plus one user.

    Pays off from

    8 minsaved a month

    Buffer costs $5/month. If your hour is worth $40, those 8 min cover it.

    Against. What to plan for.

    • Per-channel pricing means the bill grows with every new social account connected, not with team size.
    • Analytics history is capped at 30 days on the free plan.

    Too expensive if

    • You use it less than once a month
    • A simple free version or a tool already in your stack would do

    Pricing. What does Buffer cost ?

    Essentials

    ToolTrim reference price

    $5/mo

    Billed annually · $5/mo billed monthly. Per user.

    • Priced per connected channel, not per user: $5/month or $60/year per channel
    • Unlimited scheduled posts
    • 1 user
    • Advanced analytics
    • Hashtag manager

    Team

    $10/mo

    Billed annually · $10/mo billed monthly. Per user.

    • Priced per connected channel: $10/month or $120/year per channel
    • Unlimited users
    • Approval workflows
    • Custom access permissions
    • Branded reports

    Checked on September 25, 2026Official pricing

    Alternatives. What could replace Buffer?

    Hootsuite3.5/5 · Very goodFrom €86.72/moEstablished social media management platform, with competitive monitoring and agency reporting.Later3.4/5 · GoodFrom €16.10/moSocial media scheduling and link-in-bio tool with a visual calendar, starting at $25 a month for one profile set.Sprout Social3.4/5 · GoodFrom €67.84/moA per-seat social media management platform: scheduling, unified inbox, listening, and reporting, starting at $99 per seat monthly.

    Our verdict. What to know about Buffer.

    How the score breaks down

    Added value

    Neutral-leaning score: the free plan covers 3 channels at no cost, but per-channel pricing on paid tiers means cost scales with growth in a way the sources do not benchmark against alternatives.

    Simplicity

    A free 3-channel plan with a single scheduling calendar and an AI Assistant for drafting copy points to a quick first result.

    Fit for purpose

    Scheduling, publishing and analytics work as advertised on the free tier itself, with paid tiers adding stated features rather than workarounds.

    Performance

    Neutral score: capability ceiling against enterprise social suites is not covered by the collected sources beyond the stated approval workflows and API limits.

    Reversibility

    Neutral score: export formats and data portability if leaving Buffer are not covered by the collected sources.

    Decided? Visit Bufferor compare alternatives

    AI. What it changes for Buffer.

    AI augments this tool

    Go further with AI

    Buffer added an AI assistant to write posts and suggest content ideas from a theme.

    Can AI replace it?

    Replace Buffer with an AI? No: scheduling and publishing across multiple social networks remains a tooling need, not just writing. Verdict: AI writes the post, Buffer schedules and publishes it.

    The AIs that matter here

    Buffer Summary

    Category
    productivity tool.
    Price from
    $5/mo (Essentials).
    Best for
    Solo creators and small brands scheduling posts across a handful of social channels from one calendar.
    Avoid if
    You manage many brand accounts, where per-channel pricing costs more than a flat per-seat tool.
    Alternatives
    Hootsuite, Later, Sprout Social.
    ToolTrim verdict
    Essentials costs $5/month per channel ($60/year); each channel beyond the free plan's 3 adds that amount to the bill.

    Frequently asked questions. What people ask about Buffer.

    What is Buffer used for?

    Schedules and publishes social posts from one calendar, free for 3 channels and priced per connected channel beyond that.

    How much does Buffer cost?

    Buffer costs $5/month (Essentials plan). Price verified on September 25, 2026.

    Is Buffer suitable for beginners?

    Solo creators and small brands scheduling posts across a handful of social channels from one calendar.

    Is Buffer worth the price?

    Essentials costs $5/month per channel ($60/year); each channel beyond the free plan's 3 adds that amount to the bill.

    What are the best alternatives to Buffer?

    The main alternatives to Buffer are: Hootsuite, Later, Sprout Social.

    Stacks. Where Buffer fits in.

    BufferFrom $5/mo
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    Your next step.

    Visit Buffer