Is Buffer or Later cheaper?

Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $18.75 for Later. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.

Does Buffer or Later have a free plan?

Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.

Which is better, Buffer or Later?

Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Later is the better fit for Instagram-first creators and brands. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.

Head to head

Buffer vs Later

Last updated 4 June 2026

Buffer

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

Visit Buffer

Later

Later is the visual-first scheduler, built around an Instagram feed planner and a strong Link in Bio, and it sells access in social sets (one profile of each network) rather than per channel. The cheapest paid plan is $25 a month, or $18.75 on annual billing, for one social set and one user.

From: $18.75 per social set / mo
Free plan

Visit Later

Bottom line

Buffer and Later both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Buffer is the stronger pick for Solo creators; choose Later for Instagram-first creators and brands.

Features compared

Feature	Buffer	Later
AI captions	Yes	Yes
Basic analytics	Yes	Yes
Advanced reports	Partial	Yes
Bulk upload	No	No
Evergreen recycling	No	No
Team roles	Yes	Yes
Approvals	Yes	Yes
Link in bio	Yes	Yes

Platforms compared

Network	Buffer	Later
Instagram	Auto	Auto
Facebook	Auto	Auto
X (Twitter)	Auto	No
LinkedIn	Auto	Auto
TikTok	Auto	Auto
Pinterest	Auto	Auto
YouTube	Auto	Auto
Threads	Auto	Auto
Bluesky	Auto	No
Google Business	Auto	No
Mastodon	Auto	No
Snapchat	No	Auto

Pricing

Buffer

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.

Later

Starter

$25 per social set / mo

$18.75/mo billed annually

Seats: 1
Accounts: 8
Scheduled posts: 30

$25/mo, $18.75 on annual
1 social set (8 profiles, one per network)
1 user, 30 posts per profile / month
Link in Bio, best-time-to-post, AI captions
Capped at one social set; no extra sets, users, or AI credits

Growth

Popular

$50 per social set / mo

$37.5/mo billed annually

Seats: 2
Accounts: 16
Scheduled posts: 180

$50/mo, $37.50 on annual
2 social sets (16 profiles), 2 users
180 posts per profile / month
Social inbox, approvals, and collaboration
Extra social sets $15/mo each ($11.25 on annual)

Scale

$110 per social set / mo

$82.5/mo billed annually

Seats: 4
Accounts: 48
Scheduled posts: Unlimited

$110/mo, $82.50 on annual
6 social sets (48 profiles), 4 users
Unlimited posts
Custom analytics, competitive benchmarking, brand listening
Extra social sets $15/mo each ($11.25 on annual)

Priced per social set. A social set is one profile on each of the eight networks Later supports, so the headline price covers a whole brand across networks rather than a single channel.
Starter is capped at one social set and one user with no add-ons, so its column in the cost table stays flat. Only Growth and Scale let you add social sets, at $15 each per month ($11.25 on annual).
Extra users are $5 a month each on Growth and Scale ($3.75 on annual). Growth's two included sets and Scale's six converge in price once you pass six sets, since both add extra sets at the same $15 rate; above that you pay Scale only for its deeper features.
Annual billing gives three months free (about 25% off): Starter $18.75 vs $25, Growth $37.50 vs $50, Scale $82.50 vs $110 per month.
Later still has a limited free plan (Link in Bio plus a small posting allowance, aimed at creators joining brand campaigns), but it's off the main pricing page, which now leads with a 14-day trial.
Prices are USD list, read off the live pricing page, which bills in USD worldwide. The monthly and annual figures were confirmed by toggling the page's billing switch and cross-checked against current third-party 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

Later

Strong visual planner and Link in Bio, the features it's known for
Clean, Instagram-first workflow
Auto-publishing across all eight supported networks
Social-set pricing is fair if you run a single brand
No X support since 2025
No reorderable evergreen queue and no CSV bulk upload
Listening and competitor benchmarking are locked to the top Scale plan
Starter caps at one social set, so growing past it pushes you up a plan fast

Buffer vs Later: FAQ

Is Buffer or Later cheaper?: Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $18.75 for Later. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
Does Buffer or Later have a free plan?: Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
Which is better, Buffer or Later?: Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Later is the better fit for Instagram-first creators and brands. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.