Head to head
Buffer vs Later
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
Later prices scheduling in social sets: Starter is $25 monthly or $18.75 per month billed yearly for one set and one user. A separate limited Free plan exists. Growth adds collaboration; Story publishing and outside feedback have specific account and format limits.
- From
- Free
- Free scheduling
- Yes
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it adds bulk upload and a posting queue that Later leaves out. Later fits Instagram-first creators and brands better.
Buffer has a free plan and paid plans from $5 per channel a month, billed yearly, and Later has a free plan and paid plans from $18.75 per social set a month, billed yearly. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Buffer adds bulk upload and a posting queue that Later leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Paid plans start at $5 per channel a month, billed yearly on Buffer and $18.75 per social set a month, billed yearly on Later.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Later to 8.
- Only Buffer reaches X (Twitter).
- Buffer has bulk upload; Later doesn't.
- Buffer has a posting queue; Later doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | No |
| Evergreen recycling | No | No |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | No |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | Auto | Not assessed |
| Google Business | Auto | Not assessed |
| Mastodon | Auto | Not assessed |
| Snapchat | Not assessed | Auto |
| 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.
Free plan available.
- 1 channel · Essentials
- $6/mo~$5/mo annual
- 9 channels · EssentialsTypical
- $54/mo~$45/mo annual
Lowest priced plan at each shown workload. Check the plan's included features before choosing it.
Free plan available.
- 1 social set · StarterTypical
- $25/mo~$19/mo annual
Lowest priced plan at each shown workload. Check the plan's included features before choosing it.
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.
Later
Starter
$18.75 per social set a month 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$37.50 per social set a month 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
$82.50 per social set a month 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.
- Free is documented separately with limited scheduling and a two-week past/future calendar window. The reviewed plan guide does not state its numerical post allowance.
- The live USD pricing page shows 25% off annual billing (three months free). The help guide mentions four months free, so the live priced tariff is used here. Legacy and promotional plan inclusions may differ.
- Starter AI add-ons are inconsistent across official pages: the priced tariff says unavailable while the help guide says they may be available. Check the subscription screen for an existing account.
What it really costs
Monthly cost by social set count. Per-unit tiers grow with usage; flat tiers keep their whole-plan price within the published allowance, with the 1-social set row marked as a realistic setup.
| social sets | Starter | Growth | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Typical | $25/mo | $50/mo | $110/mo |
| 3 | Exceeds plan capacity | $65/mo | $110/mo |
| 5 | Exceeds plan capacity | $95/mo | $110/mo |
| 10 | Exceeds plan capacity | $170/mo | $170/mo |
| 25 | Exceeds plan capacity | $395/mo | $395/mo |
| 50 | Exceeds plan capacity | $770/mo | $770/mo |
Monthly billing. Volume discounts lower the per-social set rate at higher counts. Annual billing takes about 3 months off.
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
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?
- Both Buffer and Later have a free entry plan. Compare their account allowances, publishing limits and any paid features you need.
- 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.