Buffer vs FeedHive (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. FeedHive grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on 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
FeedHive
AI social media scheduler with automation and agent connections
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 FeedHive if
- Fits if you are a creator who wants AI drafts and automatic reposts
- Works for agencies needing many workspaces under one login
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you pick Creator: 4 social accounts, 30 scheduled posts and scheduling 14 days ahead
- Skip it if you need approvals or workspaces without paying for Brand
- Watch out: prices show in euros here, and a US dollar price was not found
- Watch out: only annual-billing prices were read; the monthly price was not found
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.2GPAFeedHiveFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | B€15 a month on annual billing (€180 a year) for Creator, close to the category's $17.99 cheaper-quarter mark. Brand is €22. |
| 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. | D7-day free trial; the listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. No free plan. |
| 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. | CScheduling, AI writing, automation rules, an API, workspaces and an inbox. Creator holds 30 scheduled posts, 14 days ahead; workspaces and approvals need Brand. |
| 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. Rules and credits to learn. |
| 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 Zapier, Make, n8n, ChatGPT and Claude Code on the list. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | AI drafts and rule-based reposting |
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 FeedHive. 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. FeedHive starts at about $16.76 a month and scores 2.3.
Buffer scores higher and starts $11.76 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 4 score higher than FeedHive 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 calendar and reports.
- FeedHive also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Buffer | FeedHive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | €15 per month, billed annually (€180) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | FeedHive |
| Price read from | buffer.com | feedhive.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.
FeedHive
- Prices are shown in euros to visitors from this location; a US dollar price was not found.
- Only the annual-billing price is shown on the page read; the monthly-billing price was not found.
- The Creator plan caps scheduled posts at 30 and scheduling at 14 days ahead.
- Workspaces, approval workflow and more than 4 accounts need the Brand plan or above.
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.
FeedHive
- Scheduling and post plans
- Calendar scheduling with smart scheduling, drafts, post templates and posting plans. Scheduling horizon and saved-post limits grow with the plan.
- AI writing and credits
- An AI writing assistant, hashtag and image generation, and performance prediction, drawing on a monthly allowance of AI credits that rises by plan.
- Automation and post conditions
- Post conditions and workflows trigger or hold posts based on rules, with webhooks. Each plan has a monthly cap on automation runs.
- Agent and API access
- An MCP server, REST API and CLI let AI agents such as Claude Code or ChatGPT plugins draft and schedule posts. Zapier, Make and n8n are also listed.
- Workspaces and approvals
- Separate workspaces per brand or client with team members and an approval workflow. Workspaces start on the Brand plan.
- Social inbox
- A social inbox for replies and comments is listed in the plan comparison, alongside first-comment posting and link shortening.
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.
FeedHive
Creator€15
per month, billed annually (€180)
4 social accounts, 2.5K AI credits and 500 automation runs a month, 30 scheduled posts.
Brand€22
per month, billed annually (€264)
10 accounts, 5 workspaces, 10K AI credits, 2K automation runs and 500 scheduled posts.
Business€69
per month, billed annually (€828)
100 accounts, 50 workspaces, 50K AI credits, 10K automation runs, unlimited scheduled posts.
Agency€239
per month, billed annually (€2868)
500 accounts, 100 workspaces, 100K AI credits, 100K automation runs 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.
FeedHive
- Annual discount
Save up to 30% with yearly billing
The pricing page states that yearly billing saves up to 30% compared with monthly billing.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or FeedHive?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against about $16.76 a month for FeedHive. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and FeedHive starts at €15 per month, billed annually (€180).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or FeedHive?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buffer has a free plan. FeedHive does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Buffer and FeedHive 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.