Buffer pricing 2026: plans and costs
How AI answers describe Buffer pricing
Buffer is my top recommendation for transparent social media management pricing in 2026.
Compared to: Hootsuite · Sprout Social · Metricool
- Annual billing isn't always cheaper: Buffer, for example, has pricing structures where the annual savings can be limited or absent.
- Buffer is one of the clearest choices for transparent pricing.
- Buffer has a free-forever plan rather than requiring a trial, supporting up to three channels.
Quick pricing summary
- Free: $0 month, up to 3 channels
- Essentials: $5 channel/month ($60/channel billed yearly)
- Team: $10 channel/month ($120/channel billed yearly)
- Worth noting: Paid plans priced per connected channel. Yearly billing saves 2 months. Free plan connects up to 3 channels.
Plans
Free
$0 month, up to 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
- 100 ideas
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant
- Insights
- API access (1 API key)
- Community inbox
Essentials
$5 channel/month ($60/channel billed yearly)
- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant
- Advanced analytics
- API access (3 API keys)
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
Team
$10 channel/month ($120/channel billed yearly)
- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- Unlimited team members
- AI Assistant
- Advanced analytics
- API access (5 API keys)
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
- Access levels
- Content approval workflows
What you get on each plan
| Feature | Free | Essentials | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ideas | 100 ideas | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Tags | 3 tags | 250 tags | 250 tags |
| Scheduled posts per channel | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Threaded posts | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| First comment scheduling | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Channel groups | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hashtag manager | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom video covers | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI replies | 5 suggestions per week | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Saved replies | 1 saved reply | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Insights | 30-day history | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Performance overview | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom analytics | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reports | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom UTM parameters | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Branded reports | — | — | ✓ |
| Included users | 1 | 1 | Unlimited |
| Notes | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Approval workflows | — | — | ✓ |
| Custom access and permissions | — | — | ✓ |
| API keys | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| App clients | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| API 30-day limit | 1,000 per channel, up to 3,000 | 3,000 per channel, up to 30,000 | 10,000 per channel, up to 100,000 |
| Email support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Buffer pricing vs alternatives
| Brand | Entry price | Free plan | Model | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo | Yes | Per seat | — | |
| Hootsuite | $99 per seat / mo | No · 14-day trial | Per seat | Teams and agencies that manage many social accounts, and larger organizations such as enterprise companies and franchises that need approvals, governance, and expert support. | Compare → |
| Sprout Social | $79 per seat / mo | No · 30-day trial | Per seat | Marketing and customer care teams that manage many social profiles and high engagement; the Professional plan is aimed at teams handling a lot of profiles. | Compare → |
| Metricool | Free; paid from $20 / mo | Yes | Flat tiers | Social media managers, agencies and teams that manage several brands or client accounts | Compare → |
| HubSpot | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo | Yes | Per seat | Startups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM. | Compare → |
List prices as published on buffer.com/pricing. Totals are worked examples, not quotes.