Buffer vs Planoly (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 2.4.
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. Planoly 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
Planoly
Visual social planner with link in bio and Instagram DM automation
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 Planoly if
- Fits if you plan an Instagram feed from your phone
- Makes sense if you want planning, link in bio and DM replies in one place
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 10 uploads a month, on the mobile app
- Not for you if you need teams on Starter, which allows 1 set and 1 user
- Watch out: where a platform bars auto-posting, you get a reminder to post it yourself
- Watch out: the page shows annual billing by default, with savings up to 15%
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.4GPAPlanolyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$14 a month on the default annual billing, inside the category's $17.99 cheaper quarter; the monthly price wasn't read. Growth is $24. |
| 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: mobile app only, 10 uploads a month. 14-day trial of paid plans. |
| 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. | CGrid preview, auto-posting, AI captions, link in bio and automated replies. Some platforms can't auto-post, so you get reminders. |
| 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. Social sets and the grid layout to set up. |
| 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, iOS and Android, with Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest and X. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | mobile Instagram planning with link in bio |
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 Planoly. 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. Planoly starts at $14 a month and scores 2.3.
Buffer scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 4 score higher than Planoly 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 reports.
- Planoly also covers online store.
At a glance
| Buffer | Planoly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $14 per month (page defaults to annual billing; monthly-billing price not read) |
| 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. | Free plan on the mobile app with 10 uploads per month. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 14-day free trial on paid plans |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | Planoly |
| Price read from | buffer.com | planoly.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.
Planoly
- The free plan is limited to 10 uploads a month and lives on the mobile app.
- Starter allows 1 social set and 1 user; extra sets and users start on Growth.
- Some platforms do not allow auto-posting, so those posts arrive as reminders instead.
- The pricing page shows annual billing by default and gives a saving of up to 15%, not the monthly prices.
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.
Planoly
- Visual planning and grid preview
- Plan the whole calendar in one view and preview how an Instagram feed will look, rearranging posts before they go out.
- Auto-posting and reminders
- Posts publish automatically where the platform allows it. Otherwise a push notification reminds you to post natively.
- AI ideas and captions
- Suggests post ideas, keywords and captions tailored to a brand, plus a calendar of holidays and trending formats.
- Link in bio and store
- A link-in-bio page can sell digital products, services, bookings and merch. The vendor says it charges no transaction fees.
- Automated replies and DMs
- Set auto-responses for Instagram comments and direct messages. The feature is listed on every paid plan.
- Media library
- A built-in library stores photos, videos and graphics, with unlimited uploads on the paid plans.
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.
Planoly
Free$0
Available on the Planoly mobile app, limited to 10 uploads per month.
Starter$14
per month; page defaults to annual billing
1 social set, 1 user and unlimited uploads. Adding sets or users needs Growth.
Growth$24
per month; page defaults to annual billing
2 social sets and 2 users. Extra sets $10 a month, extra users $5 a month.
Pro$47
per month; page defaults to annual billing
6 social sets and 6 users. Extra sets $8 a month, extra users $3 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.
Planoly
- Annual discount
Save up to 15% on annual plans
The pricing page says annual plans are billed upfront at a discount of up to 15%.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Planoly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $14 a month for Planoly. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Planoly starts at $14 per month (page defaults to annual billing; monthly-billing price not read).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or Planoly?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Buffer and Planoly have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buffer and Planoly run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buffer lists a browser extension. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. 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.