Buffer Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Complete Breakdown

Quick answer: Buffer charges per connected channel: $6/month each on Essentials, $12 on Team, or $5 and $10 on annual billing. The free plan covers 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts each. There are only three plans; the Agency tier Buffer used to sell is gone, and its features sit in Team.

The detail almost every Buffer cost comparison gets wrong: the per-channel rate is not flat. Buffer's own pricing page says channels 1 to 10 are charged at the standard rate and any channel above 10 costs less. So the usual "20 channels means 20 times $12" arithmetic, which this page itself used to print, overstates the bill for exactly the agency-scale buyer most likely to be reading it. Buffer does not publish the tier amounts, so check the total in your own billing screen before you budget against a blog post.

• Full pricing table
• How per-channel pricing works
• Buffer vs competitors
• Is Buffer worth it
• FAQ

Simple pricing, but costs add up with more channels. Some newer tools like Schedchie (€7.99/mo) offer unlimited channels on a flat rate, though they lack Buffer's proven track record. For a complete analysis of Buffer's features, pros, and cons, see our Buffer review 2026.

Buffer Pricing Table 2026

Annual billing works out at $60 per channel per year on Essentials and $120 on Team, which is two months free.

Buffer no longer sells an Agency plan. Older comparisons, including an earlier version of this page, list an Agency tier at a $120 base. Buffer's pricing page now shows Free, Essentials and Team only, with the agency-shaped features folded into Team. If a plan comparison still shows you four Buffer tiers, it has not been checked recently.

What Each Plan Includes

Free ($0/month)

Good for testing. You get:

• 3 channels
• 1 user
• 10 scheduled posts per channel
• Basic publishing tools
• Landing page builder

Limit: 10 posts per channel is restrictive for active accounts.

Essentials ($6/channel/month)

Best for solo creators. Adds:

• Any number of channels, billed per channel
• 1 user
• Unlimited scheduling
• Engagement tools
• Advanced analytics
• AI Assistant

Example cost: 5 channels = $30/month.

Team ($12/channel/month)

For teams and agencies. Adds:

• Unlimited users
• Approval workflows
• Custom permissions
• Draft collaboration
• Team analytics

Example cost: 10 channels + 3 users = $120/month.

Buffer's Per-Channel Pricing Explained

Buffer charges per social channel, not per user or flat rate:

Channels = individual profiles:

• 1 Instagram account = 1 channel
• 1 Facebook page = 1 channel
• 1 LinkedIn profile = 1 channel

The straight multiplication stops working at 10. Buffer states that channels 1 to 10 are priced at the standard rate and that any channel above 10 costs less per channel, so the average cost per channel falls as you grow. Buffer does not publish what the reduced rate is, which is why the 20-channel row above says less than rather than a number. Anyone quoting you an exact figure for 20 channels, this page included until today, is extrapolating.

Advantage: Only pay for what you use, and the marginal channel gets cheaper past 10. Disadvantage: Still per-channel, so a 3-platform presence for 6 clients costs real money. If you prefer flat-rate pricing, Enji offers $29/month unlimited for small businesses.

Key Features by Plan

Key insight: the AI Assistant is not the paywall people assume it is. Buffer lists it on the free plan, capped rather than absent, so what Essentials really buys you is unlimited scheduling and analytics. The genuine cliff is users: Essentials is one seat at any number of channels.

Buffer vs Competitors

Note how differently these are counted. Buffer bills by the channel, so 5 channels is 5 line items. Later sells social sets, and one Starter set already covers 8 profiles, so a 5-channel user is on the $25 entry plan rather than anything higher. Hootsuite Standard includes 10 accounts on a single seat. Comparing headline prices without checking what a "channel" means on each tool is how these tables usually go wrong.

Annual Cost Comparison (5 Channels)

Hootsuite is left out of the annual table on purpose: its published figures are monthly ($99 Standard, $199 Professional, $399 Advanced) and multiplying those by twelve, which this page used to do, is not its annual price.

Buffer wins on simplicity. SocialRails wins on features per dollar. For the full field, see our Buffer alternatives roundup.

What Buffer Does Well

Simple Interface

Buffer's core strength:

• Clean dashboard: no clutter
• Easy scheduling: drag and drop
• Quick setup: connect in minutes
• Intuitive flow: minimal learning curve

Best for users who want straightforward scheduling.

AI Assistant

Included on paid plans:

• Caption suggestions
• Content ideas
• Repurposing help
• Hashtag recommendations

Analytics

Track performance:

• Post engagement
• Best times to post
• Audience growth
• Export reports

What Buffer Lacks

No visual content calendar Buffer's calendar is basic. No Instagram grid preview.

Per-channel pricing adds up 10+ channels gets expensive fast.

Limited social listening No brand monitoring or mention tracking. If you need social listening, see Vista Social which includes it in all paid plans.

No video creation tools You'll need external tools for video content.

Basic AI compared to others AI Assistant is helpful but limited vs. dedicated AI tools.

Is Buffer Worth It?

Worth it if you:

• Manage fewer than 10 channels
• Want simple, no-frills scheduling
• Work solo or small team
• Value clean interface over features
• Need basic AI assistance

Not worth it if you:

• Manage 15+ channels (costs escalate)
• Need advanced visual planning
• Want full AI content creation
• Require social listening
• Need video creation tools

Free Plan Details

Unlimited time, with limits:

What you get:

• 3 channels
• 10 posts per channel
• Basic publishing
• Landing page builder

Good for: Testing Buffer before committing.

Limitation: 10 posts/channel won't last a week for active accounts.

Special Discounts

Nonprofit Discount

Buffer offers 50% off for registered nonprofits and charities.

Essentials: $3/channel/month Team: $6/channel/month

Best Alternatives

SocialRails: Best Value

Effectively the same monthly price, and SocialRails adds AI content and video templates. Creator covers 10 connected accounts, so the comparison holds until you pass that, at which point Buffer's per-channel model and our plan tiers diverge.

Hootsuite: For Bigger Teams

Hootsuite's tiers are Standard $99, Professional $199 and Advanced $399, then Enterprise on request. The $99 plan is Standard, not Pro, which is the name most comparison pages give it.

Later: For Visual Planning

Compare Buffer to other tools: Planable vs Buffer, Publer vs Buffer, or.

Buffer Pricing FAQ

Summary

Buffer pricing:

• Free: $0 (3 channels, 10 posts each, capped AI Assistant)
• Essentials: $6/channel/month, $5 annual (unlimited posts, 1 seat)
• Team: $12/channel/month, $10 annual (unlimited team members)
• Channels above 10 are charged at a lower per-channel rate
• No Agency plan; it no longer exists

Best for: Simple scheduling, solo creators, small teams, clean interface lovers.

Missing: Visual planner, video tools, advanced AI, social listening.

Best alternative: SocialRails at $29/month, $290 a year, with AI content included and 10 connected accounts.

Related

Buffer Guides:

• Buffer Alternatives
• Buffer Nonprofit Pricing

Comparisons:

• Blog2Social vs Buffer
• Buffer vs OneUp
• Buffer vs Fedica
• Buffer vs PostFlow
• Buffer vs Plann

Competitor Pricing:

• Typefully Pricing
• Plann Pricing
• Hypefury Pricing
• Metricool vs Buffer
• SocialBee vs Buffer
• Planable vs Buffer
• Publer vs Buffer

Competitor Pricing:

• Hootsuite Pricing
• HubSpot Social Media Pricing 2026
• Semrush Social Pricing 2026
• Later Pricing
• PostFlow Pricing
• Postly Pricing
• Postcron Pricing
• Radaar Pricing
• MavSocial Pricing: $29/month with built-in ad management
• SocialFlow Pricing: Enterprise publisher pricing
• Loomly Pricing
• SocialBee Pricing
• Sprout Social Pricing
• SocialPilot Pricing
• Agorapulse Pricing
• Sendible Pricing
• Metricool Pricing
• Statusbrew Pricing
• RecurPost Pricing
• Lately Pricing
• Sociality Pricing
• Viraltag Pricing
• Post Bridge Pricing
• Postpone Pricing: Reddit-focused scheduler
• Lomavis Pricing: German social media tool

Guides:

• Best Social Media Schedulers 2026

Alternatives Roundups:

• Hootsuite alternatives: for users priced out of Buffer's per-channel model
• Later alternatives: visual-first scheduling beyond Buffer
• Sprout Social alternatives: enterprise-grade alternatives
• SocialPilot alternatives: agency-focused options
• Metricool alternatives: analytics-first alternatives
• Publer alternatives: budget alternatives to Buffer
• Sendible alternatives: white-label alternatives
• Pallyy alternatives: Instagram-first alternatives
• Vista Social alternatives: all-in-one schedulers with social listening