Buffer
Buffer · Marketing & Email
Social media scheduling and analytics from a fully-remote 80-person company known for radical transparency (publishes salaries, revenue publicly). Positioned as the alternative to Hootsuite for small businesses and creators. Distinctive for its calm, no-upsell culture. Priced $6-$120/mo across four tiers. Losing ground to Hootsuite (enterprise) and Later (Instagram-first) but still profitable and cash-generative.
In other words, Buffer is worth it for solo creators and small marketing teams (1-10 people) that need reliable scheduling across Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads — without Sprout Social's enterprise pricing. Free plan covers 3 channels; Team adds analytics and collaboration. Extremely easy setup (5 minutes to first scheduled post). Native integrations with Canva, Notion, and Zapier. Downside: analytics are shallow versus Sprout or Hootsuite, and there's no built-in listening or engagement inbox at lower tiers.
Pricing summary
$5/mo billed annually
Both
Main metered limit
Priced per connected social channel - Essentials $6/channel/mo ($5 billed annually). Free plan covers 3 channels. CHECKED 2026-09-17 (daily refresh): NO MOVEMENT. Essentials $6/channel/mo monthly and $5 annual, Team $12/$10, Free at 3 channels — all re-confirmed against buffer.com/pricing plus capterra and wise.com. STRUCTURAL DETAIL NEWLY CAPTURED (no price change): the per-channel rate STEPS DOWN as channel count rises, rather than staying flat as our tier text implies. Essentials: 1-10 channels $6/channel, 11-25 $4, 26-50 $3, 51+ $1. Team: 1-10 $12/channel, 11-25 $4, 26-50 $3, 51+ $2. Our stored entry price is the 1-10 channel rate, which is the correct headline for the directory, but the volume steps are worth surfacing on the tool page — an agency at 30 channels pays $3/channel, not $6, so the effective price is half the headline at scale. ANNUAL DISCOUNT NOTE: Buffer's page advertises '20% off' for annual billing, but the actual Essentials arithmetic is $6 -> $5 = 16.7%, which is what our stored 17% correctly reflects. The 20% claim does not hold at the entry rate. Left as 17% — flagging only so a future run does not 'correct' our accurate figure to match the vendor's marketing round-up. Status stays Auto-Verified.
Need advanced listening + engagement inbox? Pick Sprout Social or Hootsuite. Just one channel (LinkedIn or X)? Native scheduling is free.
All plans
See a plain-English answer to “How much does Buffer cost?” →
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Free | Free | Free | 3 channels |
EssentialsEntry tier | $6 | $5Save 17% | per channel/mo, channels 11+ discounted |
Team | $12 | $10Save 17% | per channel/mo, unlimited users + approvals |
All tier prices verified September 17, 2026 · View source →
Price history
Price tracking is just getting started for Buffer. Full history will build as we log changes. See what we have so far →
Common questions about Buffer
- How much does Buffer cost in 2026?
- Does Buffer have a free plan?
- How often does Buffer change prices?
- What are the best Buffer alternatives in 2026?
- Is Buffer worth it?
- Buffer is worth it for solo creators and small marketing teams (1-10 people) that need reliable scheduling across Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads — without Sprout Social's enterprise pricing. Free plan covers 3 channels; Team adds analytics and collaboration.
- What are the pricing tiers of Buffer?
- Buffer has 3 plans: Free (free), Essentials ($6/mo), Team ($12/mo).
- Does Buffer offer annual discounts?
- Yes. Paying annually brings the entry plan from $6/month down to $5/month — about 17% cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
About Buffer pricing.
Alternatives in Marketing & Email (30)
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At a glance
- Key limit metric
- Social channels
- Pricing transparency
- Public
Integrates and connects
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