Schedule social posts from a visual calendar, with AI captions and a link-in-bio page.
Marketing & Ads
Buffer
Schedules posts to every social network from one queue, with an AI writing helper.
4.2our rating
FreemiumFrom $6/channel/moWorks with Claude Code
Quick take
- The easiest social scheduler to learn. Most people have a week of posts queued within half an hour.
- Free covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, which is enough for a sole trader posting a few times a week.
- Essentials is $6 per channel a month, or $5 billed yearly. Team doubles that and adds unlimited users and approvals.
- Analytics are thin. If you need client-ready reports or social listening, look at Hootsuite instead.
- Has a public API and an official MCP server, so Claude can draft and queue posts for you.
What is Buffer?
Buffer is a social media scheduler. You connect your accounts (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, X, Google Business Profile and more), write a post once, tweak it per network and drop it into a queue that publishes at the times you set. The built-in AI Assistant drafts and rewrites captions, turns one post into versions for each network and suggests replies to comments. There is a simple analytics view, a comments inbox and a free link-in-bio page.
Pick Buffer over Later when you post across many networks and want the cheapest, simplest queue: Buffer is priced per channel and has a real free plan, while Later is built around Instagram and TikTok visual planning and starts at $25 a month. Pick Hootsuite instead if a team needs a shared inbox, social listening and approval workflows across lots of accounts.
The catch: reporting is basic, so agencies who send clients ROI reports usually outgrow it. Per-channel pricing adds up once you pass ten or so accounts, and some users report the odd post failing to publish, so check your queue on important days.
Who's using it, and who it's for
- Small business owners
- Solo founders
- Creators
- Small marketing teams
- Non-profits
Small businesses, solo founders and creators who want to post regularly across several social networks without paying for an enterprise suite.
Key features
Publishing queue
Set posting times per channel and Buffer publishes whatever is next in the queue, or pick an exact time for a post.
AI Assistant
Drafts posts from an idea, rewrites tone and length, and reshapes one post for each network.
Ideas board
Save post ideas, links and images in one place and turn them into scheduled posts later.
Comments inbox
Reply to comments from several networks in one view, with AI reply suggestions.
Analytics
Post and account performance with best-time-to-post suggestions; history is limited on the free plan.
Start Page
A free link-in-bio page you can update without touching a website.
How we rate it
4.2 / 5
Our rating
From using the tool ourselves. The average of the five scores.
- Ease of use
- 5.0
- Features
- 3.5
- Output quality
- 4.0
- Value for money
- 4.5
- Speed & reliability
- 4.0
How quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
How completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
How good the results are before you fix them.
What you get for the price, including the free plan.
How fast it is and how often it falls over.
Buffer pricing
Free
Free
A sole trader posting a few times a week.
- Up to 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
- AI Assistant and 30 days of analytics
- 1 user
- Our pick
Essentials
$6/channel/mo, or $5/channel/mo billed yearly
One person running a business's social accounts.
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- Full analytics and best-time suggestions
- Comments inbox
- Cheaper per channel as you add more
Team
$12/channel/mo, or $10/channel/mo billed yearly
Small teams who need approvals.
- Everything in Essentials
- Unlimited users
- Draft and approval workflows
- Access levels per person
Which plan should you pick?
Start on Free to see if you will actually post regularly. Move to Essentials once you need more than 10 posts queued per channel; Team is only worth it when someone else needs to approve posts.
Prices in USD unless noted, checked 22 October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Best use cases
Ways Buffer can slot into your week.
- 1
Batch a month of posts
Spend one afternoon writing posts, let the AI Assistant adapt each one for LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and fill the queue for the month.
- 2
Promote a launch everywhere
Write the announcement once, schedule tailored versions across every network for launch morning, then follow-ups through the week.
- 3
Keep a local business visible
Queue weekly offers and photos to Instagram, Facebook and Google Business Profile so the page never goes quiet.
- 4
Let Claude run the queue
Connect Buffer's MCP server and ask Claude to turn a blog post into a week of scheduled social posts.
How it fits your tech stack
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy to learn, with a clean interface
- Real free plan, and low per-channel prices
- Covers almost every network, including Threads, Bluesky and Google Business Profile
- AI Assistant is included on every plan
- Public API and official MCP server
Cons
- Analytics are basic next to Hootsuite or Sprout Social
- Per-channel pricing climbs quickly once you manage many accounts
- Some users report posts occasionally failing to publish or duplicating
- No social listening, and the inbox is lighter than a full social suite
Buffer alternatives
The closest alternatives to Buffer in the library, best rated first.
Klaviyo
4.3
Best for abandoned cart recovery
Compare with Buffer
beehiiv
4.2
Best for launching a newsletter
Compare with Buffer
Foreplay
4.2
Best for swipe files of great ads
Compare with Buffer
Stripo
4.2
Best for designing responsive emails without code
Compare with Buffer
Why it made the list
It is the simplest, cheapest way to keep a steady posting schedule across every major network, and it has a genuine free plan.
Buffer FAQ
How much does Buffer cost?
There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $6/channel/mo. Prices checked 22 October 2026 against Buffer's pricing page.
Is Buffer free?
Yes, Buffer has a free option. Start on Free to see if you will actually post regularly. Move to Essentials once you need more than 10 posts queued per channel; Team is only worth it when someone else needs to approve posts.
What is Buffer best for?
Buffer is best for scheduling posts across many networks, small teams on a tight budget and turning one post into versions for each network. Small businesses, solo founders and creators who want to post regularly across several social networks without paying for an enterprise suite.
What are the best Buffer alternatives?
The closest alternatives are Klaviyo, beehiiv, Foreplay and Stripo. Klaviyo is best for abandoned cart recovery.
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