Head to head
Buffer vs Gain
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
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
- $99 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the only one of the two with a free plan. Gain fits agencies whose bottleneck is client review and sign-off better.
Buffer starts cheaper, $5 per channel / mo against $99 a month for Gain. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Buffer adds social inbox and link in bio that Gain leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer has a free plan; Gain doesn't, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Buffer starts at $5 per channel / mo, Gain at $99 a month.
- Buffer posts to 11 networks, Gain to 8.
- Only Buffer reaches YouTube, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
- Buffer has social inbox; Gain doesn't.
- Buffer has link in bio; Gain doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | No |
| Bulk upload | No | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | No | No |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | No |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Gain |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | No |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | Auto | No |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
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.
Gain
Starter
$99/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 3
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $119/mo, $99 on annual
- 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
Popular$199/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $239/mo, $199 on annual
- Up to 6 team members, up to 12 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
- Adds white-label and more capacity
Agency Premium
$399/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 20
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $479/mo, $399 on annual
- Up to 20 team members, up to 30 client workspaces, unlimited social accounts
Enterprise
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing, as many team members and workspaces as you need
- Unlimited social accounts, advanced support
- Flat, quota-bundled plans: each tier bundles team members and workspaces (one per client), with unlimited social accounts on every plan, so the price scales by team size and client count rather than per channel.
- Client reviewers are unlimited and don't count against your seats: clients approve or reject posts by email or SMS without needing a Gain account.
- There's no free plan, only a 14-day trial, no card required.
- Annual billing is about 17% cheaper: Starter is $99 a month versus $119, Agency $199 versus $239, Agency Premium $399 versus $479.
- White-label is included from the Agency plan up.
- Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page by toggling monthly and annual.
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
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
- No social inbox, listening, or evergreen recycling
- Light analytics and reporting
- No YouTube or Bluesky
- Priced for teams, with the entry plan at $99 a month
Buffer vs Gain: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Gain cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $99 for Gain. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- 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.