Buffer vs SocialPilot
We give Buffer a 2.8 GPA and SocialPilot a 2.4, out of 4.0. Buffer grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. SocialPilot grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money 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
SocialPilot
Social media scheduler for agencies and small teams, priced by plan
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.4GPASocialPilotFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CEssentials is one user, so a team of two or three buys Standard: $42.50 a month billed yearly for 15 accounts and 3 users. That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 dearer quarter. |
| 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. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day trial with no card needed. |
| 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. | BQueues and a calendar for 10 networks, RSS, AI credits, an inbox, analytics, approvals and white-label reports for agencies. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core job; the API is held back for Enterprise. |
| 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. | CThere's no App Store rating on record for us to go by, and you'll connect accounts and set up queues first. So it gets the ordinary grade. |
| 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, Slack, Zapier, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Unsplash. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | small teams that want an inbox on a budget |
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 SocialPilot. 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. SocialPilot starts at $25.50 a month and scores 2.7.
Buffer scores higher and starts $20.50 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 3 score higher than SocialPilot 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). SocialPilot starts at $25.50 per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
- Buffer has a free plan. SocialPilot does not, though it has a free trial.
- Buffer also covers templates.
At a glance
| Buffer | SocialPilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $25.50 per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 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. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | SocialPilot Technologies Inc. |
| Price read from | buffer.com | socialpilot.co |
| 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
SocialPilot
- Small agencies that want client approvals and branded reports at a flat price
- Teams posting from RSS feeds or bulk CSV files
- Freelancers managing a handful of accounts on a budget
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.
SocialPilot
- There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.
- Essentials has 1 user and no inbox, analytics or approvals; those start on Standard.
- Extra social accounts cost $4 a month each and extra users $5 a month each.
- Bulk scheduling, client approvals and white-label reports need Premium; API access is limited to Enterprise.
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.
SocialPilot
- Queues and calendar
- Posts for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Threads, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, Google Business Profile and Bluesky go into smart queues or onto a calendar view.
- Bulk and RSS scheduling
- CSV uploads and bulk scheduling start on Premium, and every plan can pull posts from RSS feeds (5 on Essentials up to 20 on Ultimate).
- AI Pilot credits
- An AI writer drafts and adapts posts on monthly credits: 500 on Essentials, 1,000 on Standard, 5,000 on Premium and unlimited on Ultimate.
- Social inbox
- From Standard, comments, messages and story replies are answered in one inbox, with inbox automation.
- Analytics and white-label reports
- Standard adds analytics and emailed PDF reports; Premium adds custom and competitor reports and reports carrying the agency's own branding.
- Client management and approvals
- Premium gives clients their own seats to review and approve posts, and Ultimate adds an advanced white-label dashboard.
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.
SocialPilot
Essentials$25.50
per month for up to 7 accounts, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
7 social accounts, 1 user, 500 AI credits, smart queues, a calendar, a content library and 5 RSS feeds.
Standard$42.50
per month for up to 15 accounts, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
15 accounts, 3 users, 1,000 AI credits, the social inbox, analytics, PDF reports and manager approvals.
Premium$85
per month for up to 25 accounts, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
25 accounts, 6 users, unlimited client seats, bulk scheduling, custom and competitor reports, client approvals and white-label reports.
Ultimate$170
per month for up to 50 accounts, billed annually ($200 billed monthly)
50 accounts, unlimited users and AI credits, advanced white label, enforced 2FA, migration help and an account manager.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom account limits, unlimited users and clients, single sign-on and API access.
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.
SocialPilot
- Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
Annual billing brings Essentials to $25.50 a month from $30, Standard to $42.50 from $50, Premium to $85 from $100 and Ultimate to $170 from $200.
