Buffer vs Publer
We give Buffer a 2.8 GPA and Publer a 2.6, out of 4.0. Buffer grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use 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
Publer
Social media scheduler priced by connected accounts and members
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.6GPAPublerGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBusiness, the plan with analytics and approvals, is $8 an account a month billed yearly, so five accounts are $40, and each extra team member adds to that. That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 dearer quarter. Professional is $20 for five. |
| 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 for good with 3 accounts and 10 queued posts each, but no X, 25 drafts and only 24 hours of published-post history, and analytics are a Business thing. Fine for a try, tight for a business. |
| 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. | CCalendar, bulk uploads of up to 500 posts, RSS, recycling, AI, competitor tracking and approvals on Business. The gaps it shows: no social inbox in its listing, a daily posting cap only Enterprise lifts, and an API only for eligible customers. |
| 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. | AIts iPhone and iPad app averages 4.75 from about 26,600 ratings, and connecting accounts and scheduling a first post is quick. |
| 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, Android and a browser extension, with Canva, Google Drive, Unsplash, WordPress and Linkie. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | cheap scheduling to lots of networks |
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 Publer. 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. Publer starts at $4 a month and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Publer starts $1 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and none scores higher than Publer 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 starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly). Publer starts at $4 per month for 1 social account, billed yearly ($5 billed monthly).
- Buffer also covers templates.
At a glance
| Buffer | Publer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $4 per month for 1 social account, billed yearly ($5 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 user, 1 workspace, 3 social accounts other than X, 10 scheduled posts per account at a time and 25 drafts. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial of Professional, 14-day free trial of Business |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | Kalemi |
| Price read from | buffer.com | publer.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Buffer
- Solo creators and small businesses posting to a handful of accounts
- People who want a free plan for up to three social accounts
- Agencies that add and drop client accounts and want to pay only for those connected
Publer
- Solo creators who want one or two accounts for a few dollars a month
- Agencies that need unlimited workspaces and pay only for accounts used
- People who post to less common networks such as Telegram or Mastodon
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.
Publer
- The Free plan leaves out X, holds 10 scheduled posts per account at a time and keeps published posts for 24 hours.
- Listed prices are for a single social account; each added account and team member raises the total, with every tenth one free.
- Analytics, best times, competitor analysis, recycling, approvals and unlimited AI need Business; the API goes only to eligible Business and Enterprise customers.
- Paid plans schedule without limit but cap daily posting to prevent spam; only Enterprise lifts Publer's daily cap.
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.
Publer
- Calendar and cross-posting
- Posts for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram, Google Business Profile and WordPress are planned on a drag-and-drop calendar.
- Bulk scheduling and RSS
- Up to 500 posts at once from a CSV file or a bulk media upload, and RSS feeds that auto-schedule new articles, on paid plans.
- Recycling and AutoSchedule
- Posting schedules fill slots automatically on every plan, and Business adds automatic recycling of evergreen posts with Spintax variations.
- Analytics and competitors
- Business adds post and account analytics, downloadable reports, best times to post, hashtag analytics and competitor tracking.
- AI Assist
- AI writes captions, completes text, makes images and suggests comment replies; prompts are unlimited on Business.
- Workspaces and approvals
- Paid plans get unlimited workspaces and roles per social account, and Business adds approval workflows for teams and outside clients.
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.
Publer
Free$0
3 social accounts (no X), 10 queued posts per account, 25 drafts and 24 hours of published-post history.
Professional$4
per month for 1 social account, billed yearly ($5 billed monthly)
X support, unlimited scheduling and workspaces, bulk scheduling, RSS automations and full post history. Each added account or member raises the price.
Business$8
per month for 1 social account, billed yearly ($10 billed monthly)
Analytics and reports, best times, competitor analysis, post recycling, approvals, unlimited AI and the API. Each added account or member raises the price.
EnterpriseCustom
Volume discounts, 1:1 onboarding, priority support, no daily posting cap from Publer and payment by purchase order or wire.
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.
Publer
- Annual discount
20% off with yearly billing
Publer's help center gives yearly billing a 20% discount: $4 a month instead of $5 for Professional and $8 instead of $10 for Business at one account.
