Head to head
Buffer vs Crowdfire
Last updated 4 June 2026
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
Crowdfire's social media app shut down in 2025, so this is here for the record rather than as a recommendation. In its day it leaned on content curation, surfacing articles and images to share, plus scheduling, light analytics, and the follower management it started life with as JustUnfollow.
- From
- $7.48 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the cheaper start, from $5 per channel / mo. Crowdfire fits most setups better, and it adds bulk upload that Buffer leaves out.
Buffer starts cheaper, $5 per channel / mo against $7.48 a month for Crowdfire. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Buffer brings link in bio that Crowdfire skips, while Crowdfire has bulk upload Buffer doesn't.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer starts at $5 per channel / mo, Crowdfire at $7.48 a month.
- Buffer posts to 11 networks, Crowdfire to 8.
- Only Buffer reaches Threads, Bluesky, Google Business, and Mastodon.
- Only Crowdfire reaches WordPress.
- Buffer auto-publishes Instagram; Crowdfire sends a reminder to post.
- Buffer auto-publishes TikTok; Crowdfire sends a reminder to post.
- Buffer has link in bio; Crowdfire doesn't.
- Buffer has team roles; Crowdfire doesn't.
- Crowdfire has bulk upload; Buffer doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Crowdfire |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Not assessed |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Yes |
| Bulk upload | No | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | No |
| Team roles | Yes | No |
| Approvals | Yes | Not assessed |
| Link in bio | Yes | No |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Crowdfire |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Reminder | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Reminder |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | No |
| Bluesky | Auto | No |
| Google Business | Auto | No |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
| WordPress | No | Auto |
Pricing
Headline prices are for a single unit. Here is the real monthly cost as each tool scales, costed on its own unit so the two stay honest.
Buffer
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
Essentials
Popular$5/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $6 per channel/mo, $5 on annual
- Analytics
- Engagement tools
Team
$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.
What it really costs
Buffer charges per channel, so the headline price is for one. Here is the monthly cost as you connect more, with the 9-channel row marked as a realistic setup.
| channels | Essentials | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6/mo | $12/mo |
| 3 | $18/mo | $36/mo |
| 5 | $30/mo | $60/mo |
| 9Typical | $54/mo | $108/mo |
| 10 | $60/mo | $120/mo |
| 25 | $120/mo | $180/mo |
| 50 | $195/mo | $255/mo |
Monthly billing. Volume discounts lower the per-channel rate at higher counts. Annual billing takes about 2 months off.
Crowdfire
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 accounts, 10 scheduled posts per account
- Article and image curation, basic analytics
Plus
$7.48/mo billed annually
- $9.99/mo, $7.48 on annual (25% off)
- More accounts and scheduling, content curation
Premium
Popular$37.48/mo billed annually
- $49.99/mo, $37.48 on annual
- Bulk scheduling, deeper analytics, more accounts
VIP
$74.98/mo billed annually
- $99.99/mo, $74.98 on annual
- Most accounts, full analytics and curation
- Crowdfire's social media management product shut down in 2025 (widely reported as May 15, 2025). The figures here are its last-known plans, kept for reference; you can no longer subscribe.
- The brand has pivoted to a media site covering social media, Web3, and AI, and no longer offers scheduling, curation, or analytics.
- Flat, quota-bundled plans: Free plus Plus, Premium, and VIP, each with more accounts and scheduling than the last. Annual billing was 25% off.
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
Crowdfire
- Strong content curation, suggesting articles and images to share
- Mobile-first and simple to use
- Audience management roots from its JustUnfollow days
- Discontinued in 2025; you can no longer sign up
- No team collaboration or evergreen recycling
- Leaned on reminder publishing for Instagram
Buffer vs Crowdfire: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Crowdfire cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $7.48 for Crowdfire. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Buffer or Crowdfire have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Crowdfire?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Crowdfire is the better fit for a different setup. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.