Buffer Review 2026: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons
TL;DR - Quick Answer
19 min readTips you can use today. What works and what doesn't.
Buffer pioneered social media scheduling. It's been around since 2010 and remains one of the most recognized names in the space.
But with new competitors offering AI features and better pricing, is Buffer still worth it? Here's the honest breakdown.
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialQuick Summary
Best for: Solopreneurs and small businesses wanting simple, clean scheduling without complexity.
Not ideal for: Teams needing collaboration, agencies managing multiple clients, or power users wanting advanced features.
Pricing at a Glance
Prices are per channel. 5 channels = $30/month on Essentials.
The catch: Per-channel pricing adds up fast. Managing 10 channels costs $60/month on Essentials. For budget-conscious teams, Postoplan offers 5 accounts with unlimited users for just $6.90/month.
How much does Buffer cost if you manage 10 social media channels?
What Buffer Does Well
Simplicity
Buffer is the easiest scheduling tool to use.
Verdict: If simplicity is your priority, Buffer leads.
Free Plan
Buffer still offers a free tier when competitors removed theirs.
What you get free:
- 3 social channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
- Landing page builder
- Basic analytics
Verdict: Best free plan for basic scheduling needs.
Browser Extension
Solid content curation workflow:
- Share content while browsing
- Queue posts instantly
- Add images on the fly
- Works across browsers
Verdict: Popular feature for content curators.
What's Buffer's biggest competitive advantage in 2026?
What Buffer Lacks
Limited Features
Buffer intentionally stays simple. But sometimes you need more.
Per-Channel Pricing
How costs escalate:
Competitors offer unlimited channels at fixed prices.
Basic AI
Buffer's AI Assistant:
- Caption suggestions
- Hashtag recommendations
- Limited generation quality
Missing:
- AI image generation
- Video content AI
- Smart optimization
- Trend detection
No Social Listening
Can't track:
- Brand mentions
- Competitor activity
- Industry trends
- Sentiment analysis
Which feature is NOT included in any Buffer plan?
Pros and Cons Summary
What's the main complaint about Buffer from power users?
Real User Reviews
What Users Love
"The simplest scheduling tool I've used. No learning curve at all." — G2 Review
"Been using Buffer for years. It just works." — Capterra Review
What Users Complain About
"Per-channel pricing killed it for me. Managing 8 accounts got expensive." — G2 Review
"I outgrew Buffer. Needed analytics and listening that it doesn't have." — G2 Review
Buffer is best suited for which type of user?
Who Should Use Buffer
Ideal Users
Solopreneurs
- Managing 3-5 channels
- Want simple scheduling
- Don't need analytics
- Budget-conscious start
Content Creators
- Focus on creating, not managing
- Want quick post queuing
- Use browser extension
- Minimal feature needs
Who Should Look Elsewhere
Agencies needing client management at scale
Teams wanting collaboration workflows
Power Users needing analytics and listening
Multi-Account Managers frustrated by per-channel costs (see Postoplan or Postfity for flat-rate pricing)
Twitter Power Users needing tweet management tools (see Circleboom or TweetDeck)
Buffer vs Alternatives
Note: TweetDeck requires X Premium and only works with X/Twitter. Viraly offers AI features but has post limits. See Viraly vs Buffer and TweetDeck vs Buffer for detailed comparisons.
Compare Buffer directly: Buffer vs Quuu, Buffer vs OnlyPult, Planable vs Buffer, Publer vs Buffer, Agorapulse vs Buffer, Sendible vs Buffer, SocialPilot vs Buffer, Later vs Buffer, Buffer vs Pallyy, Buffer vs Circleboom, Buffer vs Social Champ, Buffer vs PostPickr, or Buffer vs Ripl.
FAQ
Is Buffer worth it in 2026?
For solopreneurs managing few channels who prioritize simplicity, yes. For agencies, teams, or anyone managing 5+ channels, alternatives offer better value.
Does Buffer have a free plan?
Yes. Buffer's free plan includes 3 channels with 10 posts each. It's one of the few scheduling tools still offering a free tier.
Is Buffer good for agencies?
The $120/month Agency plan works for small agencies. Larger agencies find per-channel pricing prohibitive and the feature set limiting compared to Sprout Social or Hootsuite.
Can Buffer replace Hootsuite?
For simple scheduling, yes. For social listening, unified inbox, advanced analytics, or enterprise features, no. Buffer intentionally trades features for simplicity.
Bottom Line
Buffer is the simplest scheduler, but simplicity has limits.
Choose Buffer if:
- Simplicity is your top priority
- You manage fewer than 5 channels
- You don't need advanced analytics
- You want a free plan to start
Choose an alternative if:
- You manage many channels
- You need social listening
- You want advanced AI
- You need team collaboration
For unlimited AI-powered scheduling at $29/month, consider SocialRails.
Create content, post everywhere
Create posts, images, and carousels with AI. Schedule to 9 platforms in seconds.
Start your free trialRelated
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- Buffer Alternatives 2026
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- Buffer vs Hootsuite
- Buffer vs OneUp
- Buffer vs PostPickr
- Buffer vs Ripl
- Buffer vs Fedica
- Buffer vs Ocoya
- Buffer vs Narrato
- Buffer vs Typefully
- Buffer vs Plann
- Buffer vs SocialPilot
- Buffer vs Pallyy
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Buffer Comparisons
- Buffer vs Enji
- Buffer vs Post Bridge
- Buffer vs PostFlow
- Buffer vs Postly
- StoryChief vs Buffer
- Hypefury vs Buffer
- Circleboom Review 2026
- Social Champ Review 2026
- ContentStudio Review
- SocialBu Review
- Crowdfire Review
- Sprinklr Review
- Contently Review - Enterprise content
- Kapost Review - B2B content
- Postcron Review - Budget scheduler
- Radaar Review - Social inbox focus
AI Content Tools
- Predis Review - AI social media generator
- Predis Pricing
- Predis vs Buffer
- Cheaper Than Predis
Tool Comparisons
- Buffer vs Quuu
- Buffer vs OnlyPult
- FeedHive vs Buffer
- Nuelink vs Buffer
- Dlvr.it vs Buffer
- Vista Social vs Buffer
- CoSchedule vs Buffer
- Tailwind vs Buffer
- MeetEdgar vs Buffer
- Zoho Social vs Buffer
- eClincher vs Buffer
- Post Planner vs Buffer
- Buffer vs Loomly
- Planable vs Buffer
- Publer vs Buffer
- Agorapulse vs Buffer
- Sendible vs Buffer
- SocialPilot vs Buffer
- Statusbrew vs Buffer
- RecurPost vs Buffer
- ContentStudio vs Buffer
- SocialBu vs Buffer
- Crowdfire vs Buffer
- Buffer vs Lately
- Buffer vs Sociality
- Missinglettr vs Buffer
- PromoRepublic vs Buffer
Best-Of Guides
- Best Social Media Schedulers 2026
- Hootsuite Alternatives
- Sprout Social Alternatives
- MavSocial Alternatives
- SocialFlow Alternatives
Ad Management & Enterprise Tools
- MavSocial Review - Built-in ad management
- MavSocial Pricing - $29/month starting
- MavSocial vs Buffer
- SocialFlow Review - Enterprise publisher tool
- SocialFlow Pricing
- SocialFlow vs Buffer
Niche & Regional Tools
- Postpone Review — Reddit scheduler with anti-shadowban
- Lomavis Review — German social media tool
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