Head to head

Buffer vs CoSchedule

vs

The simplest way to schedule a few accounts, and the cheapest entry if you only run one to three channels.

From
$5 per channel / mo
Free plan

Part social scheduler, part marketing calendar: CoSchedule schedules to eleven networks, recycles evergreen posts with ReQueue, and on the bigger plans pulls whole content projects onto the same timeline. It is priced per seat from a free plan up to quote-only tiers, with social profiles and X billed as extras.

From
$19 per user / mo
Free plan

Bottom line

Buffer and CoSchedule both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Buffer is the stronger pick for Solo creators; choose CoSchedule for Content teams that want social and editorial work on one calendar.

Features compared

FeatureBufferCoSchedule
AI captionsYesYes
Basic analyticsYesYes
Advanced reportsPartialYes
Bulk uploadNoYes
Evergreen recyclingNoYes
Team rolesYesYes
ApprovalsYesYes
Link in bioYesYes

Platforms compared

NetworkBufferCoSchedule
InstagramAutoAuto
FacebookAutoAuto
X (Twitter)AutoAuto
LinkedInAutoAuto
TikTokAutoAuto
PinterestAutoAuto
YouTubeAutoAuto
ThreadsAutoAuto
BlueskyAutoAuto
Google BusinessAutoAuto
MastodonAutoAuto
WordPressNoAuto

Pricing

Buffer

Free

Free
Seats
1
Accounts
3
Scheduled posts
10
  • 3 channels
  • 10 scheduled posts per channel

Essentials

Popular
$6 per channel / mo

$5/mo billed annually

Seats
1
Accounts
1
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $6 per channel/mo, $5 on annual
  • Analytics
  • Engagement tools

Team

$12 per channel / mo

$10/mo billed annually

Seats
Unlimited
Accounts
1
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $12 per channel/mo, $10 on annual
  • Unlimited team members
  • Approvals
  • Priced per channel: the headline $6 / $12 is for a single channel and scales with how many you connect.
  • Volume discount lowers the per-channel rate above 10 channels (down to $1-$2 per channel at 51+).
  • Annual billing saves about two months, so a channel works out near $60 / $120 per year.

CoSchedule

Free Calendar

Free
Seats
1
Accounts
1
Scheduled posts
15
  • Free forever, 1 user, 1 social profile
  • Up to 15 scheduled social messages
  • Drag-and-drop calendar, best-time publishing, AI assistant, 20 AI templates

Social Calendar

Popular
$29 per user / mo

$19/mo billed annually

Seats
3
Accounts
3
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $29 per user/mo, $19 on annual; up to 3 seats
  • 3 social profiles included, $5/mo per extra (X billed separately at $8/profile/mo)
  • Unlimited scheduling, ReQueue recycling, bulk scheduling, 1,600+ AI templates
  • Social analytics, Facebook and Instagram inbox

Agency Calendar

$69 per user / mo

$59/mo billed annually

Seats
3
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • $69 per user/mo, $59 on annual; up to 3 seats
  • 5 social profiles included, $5/mo per extra (X at $25/profile/mo)
  • Unlimited client calendars, all-network inbox, profile groups
  • White-label reports, social approvals, read-only calendar sharing

Content Calendar

Custom
Seats
5
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • Custom pricing, up to 5 seats
  • Adds Kanban and table views, marketing campaigns, custom fields and project types
  • Project and campaign reports, guest user access, dedicated account management

Marketing Suite

Custom
Accounts
5
Scheduled posts
Unlimited
  • Custom pricing and custom user limits
  • Adds sub-calendars, approval workflows, intake forms, digital asset management
  • Team management dashboard, advanced audience targeting, custom permissions, SSO
  • Priced per user/seat: the headline $29 / $69 is for one seat and multiplies by how many people you add. The two self-serve paid plans, Social Calendar and Agency Calendar, cap at 3 seats each; Content Calendar and Marketing Suite are quote-only.
  • Social profiles are a second, separate cost. Social Calendar bundles 3 and Agency 5, then it is $5 a month per extra profile.
  • X (Twitter) is billed on top of everything else because of X's API pricing: $8 per profile a month on Social Calendar and $25 per profile a month on Agency, Content, and Marketing Suite.
  • There is a genuine Free Calendar (1 user, 1 profile, 15 scheduled messages) plus a 14-day trial of the paid features.
  • Annual billing is cheaper per seat (the page shows a 'save 20%' banner): Social Calendar drops from $29 to $19 a seat and Agency from $69 to $59.
  • Prices are USD read off the live pricing page, which renders client-side; monthly and annual figures were read by toggling the billing switch and cross-checked against current third-party 2026 listings.

Pros and cons

Buffer

  • Clean, fast interface
  • Cheapest entry for one to three channels
  • Widest network list, including Bluesky and Mastodon
  • Genuinely useful free plan
  • Per-channel pricing adds up quickly
  • No CSV bulk upload
  • No evergreen recycling
  • Analytics are basic

CoSchedule

  • ReQueue is a genuinely good evergreen recycling engine
  • Publishes directly to eleven networks, with a usable free plan
  • Doubles as a marketing project and content calendar on the higher tiers
  • Strong agency features: client calendars, white-label reports, approvals
  • Per-seat pricing plus per-profile and X surcharges make the real cost hard to read
  • Self-serve plans cap at three users; the top two tiers are quote-only
  • No social listening or competitor tracking
  • The marketing-calendar breadth is overkill if you only want to schedule posts

Buffer vs CoSchedule: FAQ

Is Buffer or CoSchedule cheaper?
Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $19 for CoSchedule. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
Does Buffer or CoSchedule have a free plan?
Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
Which is better, Buffer or CoSchedule?
Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while CoSchedule is the better fit for content teams that want social and editorial work on one calendar. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.