Buffer vs Postpone (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 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 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
Postpone
Social media scheduler with inbox, AI writing and an API
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 Postpone if
- Fits if you want an inbox and approvals on a mid-priced plan
- Works for a small team of 2 users on Creator
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as 5 scheduled posts a month is all you get
- Skip it if you tweet a lot, as Starter allows 100 a month
- Not for you if you need the inbox or approvals on Starter
- Watch out: extra accounts cost $6 each a month, and yearly plan changes go through support
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.2GPAPostponeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CStarter is $16 a month on yearly billing for 3 accounts, between the $14 cheaper-quarter line and the $24.99 middle. |
| 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 2 accounts but only 5 scheduled posts a month, and a 14-day trial on 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. | CScheduling, inbox, approvals, AI writing and feeds. Tweets are capped separately, from 100 a month, and the inbox starts on Creator. |
| 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 connect accounts and set up feeds. 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 only, with Claude, ChatGPT, Zapier, Canva, RSS, Grok and Gemini. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | scheduling with approvals and an inbox |
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 Postpone. 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. Postpone starts at $16 a month and scores 2.3.
Buffer scores higher and starts $11 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 6 score higher than Postpone 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.
- Postpone also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Buffer | Postpone | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $16 per month, billed yearly ($24 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 5 posts a month from 2 social accounts; no credit card required. |
| 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 | Tomatic LLC |
| Price read from | buffer.com | postpone.app |
| 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.
Postpone
- Tweets are counted separately from other posts and capped by plan, from 100 a month on Starter.
- Extra social accounts cost $6 each a month on top of the plan's account limit.
- The unified inbox, approvals and bulk import are not on Starter.
- Plan changes on yearly billing go through support rather than the app.
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.
Postpone
- Scheduling across networks
- Plan posts, threads, Reels and Stories on one calendar, with per-account schedules, bulk import and best-time suggestions.
- Unified inbox
- Reply to comments and messages from connected accounts in one place; the inbox starts on the Creator plan.
- AI writing and MCP
- An AI assistant writes posts and replies, and Postpone connects to Claude, ChatGPT and other AI apps through MCP.
- Team approvals and permissions
- Granular permissions and post review before publishing start on Creator; Professional adds a client portal.
- Feeds and automation
- Feed automation posts new blog or video content automatically, and a Zapier app and GraphQL API cover custom workflows.
- Analytics
- Account and post analytics with history of 2 months on Starter up to unlimited on Agency.
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.
Postpone
Free$0
5 scheduled posts a month from 2 social accounts.
Starter$16
per month for 3 accounts, billed yearly ($24 billed monthly)
1 user, 200 posts and 100 tweets a month, AI post writer, best-time-to-post, 2 months of analytics.
Creator$32
per month for 7 accounts, billed yearly ($48 billed monthly)
2 users, unlimited posts, 400 tweets, unified inbox, approvals, bulk import and 6 months of analytics.
Professional$64
per month for 15 accounts, billed yearly ($96 billed monthly)
Unlimited users, 800 tweets a month, client manager and portal, 12 months of analytics.
Agency$128
per month for 30 accounts, billed yearly
1,600 tweets a month, unlimited analytics history and priority support; monthly price not shown.
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.
Postpone
- Annual discount
Save 33% with yearly billing
Postpone's plans page lists 33% off, or four months free, when billed yearly instead of monthly.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits and education
Postpone's FAQ states a 50% discount for non-profits and educational institutions, requested by email.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Postpone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $16 a month for Postpone. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and Postpone starts at $16 per month, billed yearly ($24 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or Postpone?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Buffer and Postpone have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buffer and Postpone 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.