AuthoredUp vs Buffer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Buffer: it is first in our ranking of social media schedulers, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
AuthoredUp grades higher on value for money. Buffer grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
AuthoredUp
LinkedIn post editor, scheduler and analytics for personal profiles
Buffer
Social media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan
Which one is for you
Pick AuthoredUp if
- Fits if LinkedIn is the only place you post
- Works for ghostwriters and agencies running several LinkedIn profiles
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you also post to Instagram, X or Facebook, because it covers LinkedIn only
- Not for you if you want scheduling without a browser extension: video, polls and events publish through it
- Tight if you're a team: Business needs at least 3 profiles and the Custom Growth Plan 10
- Watch out: the Coauthor AI writing assistant is described as a closed beta
Pick Buffer if
- Fits if you post to a few channels and want to pay only for those
- Works for one person running up to 3 accounts on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you keep adding channels on Team, since every one is $10 a month, including the three that were free
- Too light for teams that live in DMs, as its inbox is described for comments, and there's no competitor tracking on record
- Tight if you're staying free, with 10 queued posts per channel, 1 user and 30 days of analytics
- Not for you if you need approvals or more than one user on Essentials, as those need Team
- Watch out: Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups get a reminder to post by hand, not automatic publishing
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAuthoredUpFair | 2.8GPABufferGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$16.63 a month on annual billing ($19.95 monthly) for one LinkedIn profile, just under the category's $17.99 cheaper-quarter mark. | CFive channels on Team, which a team needs because Essentials is one user, is $50 a month billed yearly ($10 a channel). That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 where the dearer quarter starts. On your own, Essentials is $25 for five. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree trial with no card, but its length isn't stated. No free plan. | BFree for good with up to 3 channels, AI help, a comment inbox and 30 days of insights. One person can run three accounts on it. The catch is 10 queued posts per channel at a time and a single user. |
| Features | CEditor with previews, drafts, calendar, scheduling and analytics for LinkedIn. It does that one job fully, but it's a smaller job than a full scheduler. | CQueue, calendar, ideas board, AI help, reports and an API across 12 networks. The gaps it shows: the inbox is described for comments only, there's no competitor tracking on record, and Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups only get a reminder to post by hand. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You install a Chrome extension and connect your LinkedIn account. | AIts iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 34,600 ratings, and the free plan needs nothing but your social accounts connected. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb plus a Chrome extension, for one network. No phone apps on record. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, plus an API on every plan, an MCP server, and Canva, Zapier, Make and WordPress. No desktop app, which is what an A needs. |
| Best for | writing and scheduling LinkedIn posts | paying only for the channels you use |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AuthoredUp and Buffer. How we grade
Price against what you get
AuthoredUp starts at $16.63 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Buffer starts at $5 a month and scores 3.0.
Buffer scores higher and starts $11.63 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, 8 score higher than AuthoredUp for less, and none scores higher than Buffer for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
At a glance
| AuthoredUp | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $16.63 per month, billed annually ($19.95 billed monthly) | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user, 100 saved ideas and 30 days of analytics history. |
| Free trial | Free trial with no credit card required; length not stated | 14-day free trial of the paid plans |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | AuthoredUp | Buffer |
| Price read from | authoredup.com | buffer.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AuthoredUp
- It covers LinkedIn only; there is no support for other social networks.
- Scheduling, video, polls and events publish through the Chrome extension.
- Business needs at least 3 connected profiles, and the Custom Growth Plan at least 10.
- The Coauthor AI writing assistant is described as a closed beta.
Buffer
- The Free plan holds only 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time and keeps 30 days of analytics.
- Essentials allows a single user; approval workflows, access controls and branded reports need Team.
- Upgrading means paying for every connected channel, including the three that were free.
- Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups get reminder notifications to post by hand, not automatic publishing.
Key features
AuthoredUp
- Formatted editor with previews
- Adds bold, italic, bullets and emoji styles LinkedIn lacks, readability scoring, and desktop and mobile previews including the See more fold.
- Drafts and snippets
- Unlimited drafts and snippets, tags and stages for drafts, a hooks library of 200+ opening lines and 150+ closing lines.
- Calendar and scheduling
- A content calendar for profiles, company pages and groups. Scheduling runs through the Chrome extension, with reminders to post and engage.
- Post analytics
- A dashboard with growth timeline, best time to post from your own history, post comparison, CSV export and an analytics API on every plan.
- Company pages and groups
- Manage every company page you administer at no per-page charge, and post into LinkedIn groups from the editor.
- Team features
- The Business plan adds shared drafts, a team calendar, roles and organization-wide analytics. Billing counts connected profiles, not members.
Buffer
- Queue and calendar
- Posts go into a per-channel queue or onto a visual calendar for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Pinterest, YouTube, Substack and Google Business Profile.
- Ideas and AI Assistant
- An ideas board stores drafts and inspiration (100 on Free, unlimited on paid plans), and the AI Assistant helps write and repurpose posts on every plan.
- Community inbox
- Comments from connected accounts can be answered in one place, with saved replies and AI reply suggestions (5 a week on Free).
- Analytics and reports
- Insights cover follower growth, engagement and post performance. Free keeps 30 days of history; paid plans add reports and UTM tags, and Team adds branded reports.
- Start Page
- A link-in-bio page builder is included on every plan, alongside link shortening and a Chrome extension for sharing from any web page.
- API and MCP server
- Every plan includes API keys, from 3,000 requests a month on Free to 15,000 on Team, and Buffer lists a social media MCP server for AI tools.
Plans
AuthoredUp
Individual$16.63
per month, billed annually ($19.95 billed monthly)
1 LinkedIn profile, editor, unlimited drafts, calendar, scheduling and analytics. $199.50 billed yearly.
Business$12.46
per profile / month, billed annually ($14.95 billed monthly)
Minimum 3 profiles, with sub-accounts, team analytics and draft collaboration. $149.50 per profile yearly.
Custom Growth PlanCustom
For teams and agencies with 10 or more profiles, billed annually, with onboarding and training.
Buffer
Free$0
Up to 3 channels and 1 user, 10 queued posts per channel at a time, the AI Assistant and a comment inbox.
Essentials$5
per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
1 user, unlimited scheduled posts, hashtag manager, first-comment scheduling and reports. The rate per channel drops after 10: $100 a month at 25 channels, billed annually.
Team$10
per channel / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Unlimited team members, approval workflows, access levels and branded reports. $150 a month at 25 channels, billed annually.
Ways to pay less
AuthoredUp
- Annual discount
Two months off on yearly billing
Yearly billing is shown at $199.50 for Individual and $149.50 per profile for Business, labeled as getting 2 months off.
Buffer
- Annual discount
About two months free with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Essentials to $5 a channel a month from $6, and Team to $10 from $12. The pricing page calls it saving two months.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits and charities
Buffer's pricing FAQ offers nonprofit and charity organizations a 50% discount on its paid plans.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AuthoredUp or Buffer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $16.63 a month for AuthoredUp. AuthoredUp starts at $16.63 per month, billed annually ($19.95 billed monthly), and Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, AuthoredUp or Buffer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buffer has a free plan. AuthoredUp does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do AuthoredUp and Buffer run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buffer lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.