The Buffer Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Buffer in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Buffer
The Insider’s Guide
Social media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among social media schedulers, read from Buffer’s own pages.
Made by Buffer · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Buffer’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Buffer’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 19 of the 19 other social media schedulers we grade
Buffer schedules posts to 12 networks, including Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky and YouTube, from a queue and a content calendar. It also collects content ideas, answers comments from one inbox and reports on how posts performed. Paid plans are charged for each connected social account, and the rate per account falls after the tenth.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Buffer, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for paying only for the channels you use
Just know the inbox in its listing is for comments, and there's no competitor tracking on record.
- 2
Paid plans start at $5 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Community inbox
Comments from connected accounts can be answered in one place, with saved replies and AI reply suggestions (5 a week on Free).
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 19 of 19
That is against the other social media schedulers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
You could make the core of Buffer for yourself: calendar, reports and templates.
Buffer at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of the paid plans
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Buffer, since 2010
- Category
- Social Media Schedulers
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 34,637 ratings
The report card
Best for paying only for the channels you use
Buffer is the simple one: a queue and a calendar for 12 networks, a free plan for three of them, and a price per channel rather than per person. A team of two or three running five profiles pays $50 a month on Team. Just know the inbox in its listing is for comments, and there's no competitor tracking on record.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Five 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free 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. |
| Features | C | Queue, 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. |
| Ease of use | A | Its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 34,600 ratings, and the free plan needs nothing but your social accounts connected. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Buffer is for
- Great if you post to a few channels and want to pay only for those
- Good for one person running up to 3 accounts who never wants to pay
- Handy when you want an API, even on the free plan
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you keep adding channels on Team, since every one is $10 a month
- Too light for teams that live in DMs, as its inbox is described for comments
- Tight if you're staying free, with 10 queued posts per channel at a time
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$5
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Buffer has a free plan. Paid plans start at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly).
One person can run three accounts on it.
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.
The 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.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of the paid plans
Read from buffer.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on buffer.comNonprofit
50% off for nonprofits and charities
Buffer's pricing FAQ offers nonprofit and charity organizations a 50% discount on its paid plans.
Stated on buffer.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
4
Places it runs: Web, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Social media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, templates, calendar, reports.
Web, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, plus an API on every plan, an MCP server, and Canva, Zapier, Make and WordPress.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Canva
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Zapier
- Make
- Bitly
- WordPress
- Claude
Buffer is made by Buffer, and has been around since 2010.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
19/19
Other social media schedulers it is graded above
Buffer's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 19 of the 19 other social media schedulers we grade.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 17 of 19) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $5 a month, against a middle price of $27.25 for the category: 1 of the 19 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 20 social media schedulers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Buffer’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 4 of 19
- BFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 19
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 19
- AEase of useAbove 17 of 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 1 of 19
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 20 social media schedulers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Buffer is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
You could make the core of Buffer for yourself: calendar, reports and templates.
What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $60 a year.
What you could make
- Calendar, reports and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Canva, Google Drive and Dropbox among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Buffer’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Hootsuite, Later, Publer, SocialBee and Metricool
The 5 tools Buffer is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Hootsuite
Free trial · from $99/mo
Social media suite for publishing, inbox, listening and reports.
- Buffer has a free plan. Hootsuite does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Buffer lists a browser extension.
- Buffer also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
Later
Free trial · from $18.75/mo
Visual social media planner with link in bio and analytics.
- Buffer has a free plan. Later does not, though it has a free trial.
- Buffer also covers templates.
- Later also covers shared inbox.
- 2.6GPA
Publer
Free plan · from $4/mo
Social media scheduler priced by connected accounts and members.
- Buffer also covers templates.
- 2.2GPA
SocialBee
Free trial · from $29/mo
Category-based social media scheduler that recycles evergreen posts.
- Buffer has a free plan. SocialBee does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Buffer lists a browser extension.
- Buffer also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
Metricool
Free plan · from $20/mo
Social media planner and analytics priced by the number of brands.
- Only Buffer lists a browser extension.
- Buffer also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
16
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Buffer free?
Buffer has a 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.
How much does Buffer cost?
Buffer lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Buffer work on?
Buffer is available on Web, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Buffer offer any discounts?
Buffer publicly lists the following: About two months free with yearly billing; 50% off for nonprofits and charities.
How is Buffer rated?
Buffer's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34,637 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Buffer have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Buffer is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Buffer have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Buffer is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Buffer open source?
Buffer is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Buffer have an API?
Yes. Buffer offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Buffer integrate with?
Buffer's listing names Canva, Google Drive, Dropbox, Zapier, Make, Bitly, WordPress and Claude.
Does Buffer have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of the paid plans.
Who makes Buffer?
Buffer is made by Buffer. It dates from 2010.
What are the alternatives to Buffer?
The closest alternatives to Buffer in our directory are Hootsuite, Later, Publer, SocialBee and Metricool.
How does Buffer compare with other social media schedulers?
Buffer's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 19 of the 19 other social media schedulers we grade.
Is Buffer good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Buffer C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $5 a month, against a middle price of $27.25 for the category: 1 of the 19 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Buffer?
You could make the core of Buffer for yourself: calendar, reports and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Buffer’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Buffer's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Buffer. Prices change, so check buffer.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Buffer, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/buffer
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Buffer: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/buffer
Know someone choosing between social media schedulers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/buffer/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded social media schedulers after Buffer, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Social Media Schedulers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 20 social media schedulers we grade, compared
- Hootsuite Insider's GuideSocial media suite for publishing, inbox, listening and reports2.6 GPA
- Publer Insider's GuideSocial media scheduler priced by connected accounts and members2.6 GPA
- Vista Social Insider's GuideSocial media management with inbox, DM automations and reviews2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Buffer’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Buffer is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Buffer. Prices and plans change: check buffer.com before you buy.