Buffer vs Postcron (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, ease of use and platforms. Postcron grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features.
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
Postcron
Low-cost scheduler with bulk upload and automatic watermarks
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 Postcron if
- Fits if you want the lowest monthly bill for scheduling to 10 accounts
- Works for people who plan posts in a spreadsheet and upload them in bulk
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on the free plan: 10 pending posts and 1 X account
- Not for you if you need teammates, as seats start at the $24 Entrepreneur plan
- Skip it if you want proof it's maintained: the page footer reads 2022
- Watch out: the pricing page leads with yearly prices and its monthly price couldn't be read
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.4GPAPostcronFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$8 a month on yearly billing for 10 accounts, under 60% of the $14 that marks the category's cheaper quarter. Teams start at Entrepreneur, $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. | CA free plan covers 3 accounts, 1 X account and 10 pending posts, a cap you'll hit within a week. Personal adds a 7-day trial. |
| 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, a bulk uploader, watermarks, a content gallery and insights. Per its own page, team seats start at Entrepreneur and pending posts are capped per 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. | CNo store rating on record. You connect each account and prepare a spreadsheet to use the bulk uploader. |
| 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. | CWeb only, with Google Sheets for the bulk file and no wider integrations. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | low-cost bulk scheduling with a free tier |
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 Postcron. 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. Postcron starts at $8 a month and scores 2.0.
Buffer scores higher and starts $3 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 6 score higher than Postcron 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
| Buffer | Postcron | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $8 per month for 10 accounts, billed annually |
| 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. | Up to 3 social accounts, 1 X account and 10 pending posts. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | Postcron |
| Price read from | buffer.com | postcron.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.
Postcron
- The page shows annual prices first; the monthly price was not readable, though the FAQ says annual billing gives 2 months off.
- Pending posts are capped per plan: 10 on Free, 100 on Personal and 3,000 on Enterprise.
- Free and Personal have no team members listed; seats start with Entrepreneur.
- The page footer reads 2022, so check that the product is still maintained.
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.
Postcron
- Bulk uploader
- Schedule up to 1,000 posts, pins or tweets at once from an Excel or Google Sheets file.
- Instagram posting
- Posts directly to Business accounts, or sends a push notification for other accounts, and supports several Instagram accounts.
- Watermarks
- Add a logo or watermark to every scheduled image automatically.
- Content gallery
- A gallery of content to share, for when there is nothing of your own to post.
- Insights and moderation
- Insights and a moderation view come with Entrepreneur and above, along with team seats on higher tiers.
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.
Postcron
Free$0
3 social accounts, 1 X account and 10 pending posts.
Personal$8
per month for 10 accounts, billed annually
10 social accounts, 1 X account and 100 pending posts; 7-day free trial.
Entrepreneur$24
per month for 21 accounts, billed annually
21 accounts, 2 X accounts, 500 pending posts, 1 team member, insights and moderation.
Corporate$58
per month for 40 accounts, billed annually
40 accounts, 4 X accounts, 2,000 pending posts and 5 team members.
Enterprise$166
per month for 140 accounts, billed annually
140 accounts, 8 X accounts, 3,000 pending posts and 15 team members.
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.
Postcron
- Annual discount
2 months free with annual billing
Postcron's plans page says paying annually gives 2 additional months for free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Postcron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $8 a month for Postcron. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Postcron starts at $8 per month for 10 accounts, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Buffer or Postcron?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Buffer and Postcron have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buffer and Postcron run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.