Buffer vs CoSchedule (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
Buffer grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Buffer
Social media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan
CoSchedule
Marketing calendar with social scheduling, inbox and AI drafting
Which one is for you
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
Pick CoSchedule if
- Fits if you are a solo marketer who wants a calendar and scheduling in one tool
- Works for small teams and agencies needing approvals and client calendars
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 1 profile and 15 posts at a time
- Pricey if you post to X: those profiles are $16 a month each, outside the base count
- Watch out: extra profiles are $5 a month and extra Professional seats $29
- Watch out: Starter allows one user and Professional at most three; Suite is sold through sales
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.2GPACoScheduleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$29 a month on annual billing, the category middle, for 1 user and 3 profiles. Professional is $49 for 2 users. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CFree plan: 15 scheduled posts at a time on 1 profile, plus a 14-day trial of any paid plan. You'll hit that cap. |
| Features | 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. | CCalendar, requeue, analytics, inbox and approvals. The inbox on Starter covers Facebook and Instagram only. |
| Ease of use | AIts iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 34,600 ratings, and the free plan needs nothing but your social accounts connected. | CNo store rating on record. A calendar to build, and profiles to connect. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, with Mailchimp, HubSpot, Canva, Zapier, WordPress and Google Analytics on the list. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | a marketing calendar with social scheduling |
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: Buffer and CoSchedule. How we grade
Price against what you get
Buffer starts at $5 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CoSchedule starts at $29 a month and scores 2.3.
Buffer scores higher and starts $24 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 9 score higher than CoSchedule 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
- Buffer also covers templates.
- CoSchedule also covers shared inbox and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Buffer | CoSchedule | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $29 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user, 100 saved ideas and 30 days of analytics history. | Schedule up to 15 posts at a time on 1 social profile. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 14-day free trial of any paid plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | CoSchedule |
| Price read from | buffer.com | coschedule.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
CoSchedule
- X profiles are billed separately at $16 per profile a month and are not included in the base profile count.
- Extra social profiles cost $5 a month each, and extra Professional seats $29 a month.
- Starter allows one user, and Professional allows at most three.
- Suite is sold through sales, and its price is custom.
Key features
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.
CoSchedule
- Drag-and-drop calendar
- Posts and campaigns sit on one calendar; moving a campaign's launch date moves its social schedule with it.
- ReQueue
- Reshares chosen evergreen posts to fill gaps in the schedule and repeats recurring promotions.
- Social inbox
- Comments, mentions and DMs in one place, with saved replies and AI-drafted replies. Starter covers Facebook and Instagram, Professional covers nine networks.
- Analytics and reports
- Social reports on all plans, with AI insights, custom dashboards, scheduled and white-label reports on Professional.
- AI assistants
- A social assistant and a campaign assistant, both unlimited on paid plans, with brand voice profiles on Suite.
- Agency tools
- Professional adds client calendars, white labeling and message approvals for teams that publish for several brands.
Plans
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.
CoSchedule
Free$0
Up to 15 scheduled posts at a time on 1 social profile.
Starter$29
per month for 1 user, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
1 user seat, 3 social profiles ($5 a month for each extra), unlimited scheduling, ReQueue, analytics and a Facebook and Instagram inbox.
Professional$49
per month for 2 users, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
2 seats (up to 3, extra seat $29 a month), 5 profiles, a 9-network inbox, approvals, client calendars and white-label reports.
SuiteCustom
Custom seats and profiles, team permissions, campaign planning, SSO and AI brand voice. Custom plans start at $69 a month.
Ways to pay less
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.
CoSchedule
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or CoSchedule?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $29 a month for CoSchedule. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and CoSchedule starts at $29 per month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or CoSchedule?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Buffer and CoSchedule have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buffer and CoSchedule run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buffer lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. 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.