Buffer vs Post Planner (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 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Buffer grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. Post Planner 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
Post Planner
Social media scheduler with viral content discovery
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 Post Planner if
- Fits if you want ideas to share as well as a scheduler
- Works for one person with up to 3 accounts
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you publish to X or Pinterest on a cheap plan, as that needs Growth at $39 a month
- Tight if you queue lots of posts, as Free holds 30 and Starter 150
- Skip it if you want old content, since anything over 30 days needs Growth or higher
- Pricey if you manage many accounts: Agency tiers above 50 accounts cost $219 and $419 a month
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.4GPAPost PlannerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BStarter is $9 a month on yearly billing for 3 accounts, inside the cheaper quarter, which tops out at $14. |
| 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. | CA free plan with 1 account, 30 queued posts and 12 posts a day, so you hit the cap quickly. |
| 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. | CContent discovery, scheduling, recycling and AI images. X and Pinterest need Growth and older content needs a paid plan. |
| 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. | CA web app where you build queues and pick sources, no store rating on record. |
| 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, iPhone and Android, with ten networks. No desktop app. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | finding and queueing posts to share |
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 Post Planner. 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. Post Planner starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3.
Buffer scores higher and starts $4 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 2 score higher than Post Planner 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.
- Post Planner also covers image generation.
At a glance
| Buffer | Post Planner | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $9 per month for 3 accounts, billed yearly ($14 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. | 1 social account, 1 user, 30 scheduled posts and 3 AI images a month. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial; choose a plan during the trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | Post Planner |
| Price read from | buffer.com | postplanner.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Post Planner
- X and Pinterest publishing needs Growth or higher.
- Queue size is capped: 30 posts on Free, 150 on Starter.
- Content older than 30 days needs Growth or higher.
- Agency tiers above 50 accounts cost $219 and $419 a month on yearly billing.
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.
Post Planner
- Content discovery
- Finds viral posts and articles by topic to curate; the age of content available depends on the plan.
- Scheduling and recycling
- Post buckets, recycling, shuffling, bulk upload, Reels, Stories, carousels and LinkedIn PDF posts.
- Ten networks
- Facebook, Instagram, Google Business, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads and Bluesky.
- AI and media tools
- Generates images (monthly cap by plan) and has unlimited hashtag, content and caption generation, plus a media editor.
- Mobile apps
- iOS and Android apps for creating and managing posts.
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.
Post Planner
Free$0
1 social account, 30 queued posts, 12 daily posts per profile and curated content up to 7 days old.
Starter$9
per month for 3 accounts, billed yearly ($14 billed monthly)
3 accounts, 1 user, 150 queued posts and 15 AI images a month.
Growth$39
per month for 15 accounts, billed yearly ($59 billed monthly)
15 accounts, 2 users, 1,500 queued posts; adds X and Pinterest publishing.
Business$69
per month for 25 accounts, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
25 accounts, 5 users, unlimited queued posts and 250 AI images a month.
Agency$119
per month for 50 accounts, billed yearly ($179 billed monthly)
50 accounts, 10 users; larger Agency tiers go to 200 accounts and 40 users.
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.
Post Planner
- Annual discount
Cheaper with yearly billing
Post Planner's plan page shows yearly billing at lower monthly rates, such as Starter at $9 against $14 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Post Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $9 a month for Post Planner. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Post Planner starts at $9 per month for 3 accounts, billed yearly ($14 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or Post Planner?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Buffer and Post Planner have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buffer and Post Planner run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.