Head to head
Buffer vs Gain
Last updated 13 October 2026
Buffer offers a free three-channel plan with ten queued posts per channel, plus per-channel paid plans. It suits a solo publishing routine; teams should check its client-access limitations before using one organization for separate clients.
- From
- Free
- Free scheduling
- Yes
Gain is a content-approval tool first and a scheduler second. Its whole point is getting client sign-off without friction: clients review and approve posts by email or SMS without logging in, channels are unlimited, and you pay by team size and client count rather than per account.
- From
- Check billing term
- Free scheduling
- No
Bottom line
Gain is the pick for agencies whose bottleneck is client review and sign-off. Buffer fits solo creators better, and it's the only one of the two with a free scheduling plan.
A verified price comparison requires the same billing term, currency and eligible workload. See each pricing section for the published terms.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer has a free scheduling plan; Gain doesn't, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Gain to 9.
- Only Buffer reaches Bluesky and Mastodon.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Not confirmed |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not confirmed |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | Auto | No |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
| Substack Notes | Auto | Not assessed |
Pricing
Prices use each tool’s billing unit. Annual equivalents are labeled as billed yearly; scaling rows show monthly costs and available annual rates.
Buffer
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 connected channels
- 10 scheduled posts waiting per channel, replenished after publication
- One user; unlimited drafts
Essentials
Popular$5 per channel a month billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $6 per channel/mo, $5 on annual
- Analytics
- Engagement tools
Team
$10 per channel a month billed annually
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $12 per channel/mo, $10 on annual
- Unlimited team members
- Approvals
- Free has three channels and ten queued posts per channel at a time. It is not a ten-post monthly allowance.
- Paid plans charge for every connected channel, including the original free three. Rates above ten channels are marginal volume bands.
- The annual figures are monthly equivalents of annual channel tariffs; the yearly Essentials rate for channels 51+ is $20, not twelve times its $1 monthly rate.
- Paid scheduling is subject to a 5,000 queued-post fair-use ceiling per channel. Prices exclude applicable taxes.
What it really costs
Monthly cost by channel count. Per-unit tiers grow with usage; flat tiers keep their whole-plan price within the published allowance, 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.
Gain
Starter
Verify monthly
- Seats
- 3
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD 99/month billed annually; current month-to-month tariff not re-established
- Up to 3 team members, up to 6 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
- Unlimited approval workflows and client reviewers, content calendar, AI writing assistant
Agency
PopularVerify monthly
- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD 199/month billed annually; current month-to-month tariff not re-established
- Up to 6 team members, up to 12 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
- Adds white-label and more capacity
Agency Premium
Verify monthly
- Seats
- 20
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD 399/month billed annually; current month-to-month tariff not re-established
- Up to 20 team members, up to 30 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
Enterprise
- Seats
- Not confirmed
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing, contracted member and workspace capacity
- Unlimited social accounts, advanced support
- Annual cards list USD99/199/399 monthly equivalents with 3/6/20 members and 6/12/30 workspaces. Current month-to-month totals need confirmation.
- Unlimited reviewers, channels, posts and approval workflows; storage is 15/100/500 GB, with unlimited storage on Enterprise.
- Fourteen-day trial; no free ongoing plan listed. Enterprise members and workspaces are contract-specific.
- The pricing page advertises a 20% yearly saving; do not derive monthly prices from that badge.
Pros and cons
Buffer
- Free three-channel plan with replenishing queues
- Wide network coverage including Substack Notes
- Paid plan volume bands and Team approvals
- API/MCP and automation integrations
- Per-channel pricing adds up quickly
- CSV import supports text and single images; create videos and carousels in the composer
- No evergreen recycling
- Analytics are basic
Gain
- Best-in-class client approvals: sign off by email or SMS, no account needed
- Unlimited client reviewers and unlimited social accounts on every plan
- Flat pricing by team and client count, with white-label from Agency up
- Revision tracking through each feedback round
- Storage quotas on self-service plans
- Current monthly tariff needs confirmation
- X analytics discontinued
- YouTube insights cover only the last 30 days
Buffer vs Gain: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Gain cheaper?
- A verified price comparison is unavailable for these configurations. Check the current billing term, currency, required capacity and plan features before comparing totals.
- Does Buffer or Gain have a free plan?
- Buffer has a free plan; Gain does not, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Which is better, Buffer or Gain?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Gain is the better fit for agencies whose bottleneck is client review and sign-off. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.