Head to head
Buffer vs Metricool
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
Metricool started as an analytics tool and it still leads with reporting, pulling paid ads in next to organic and going deeper than the price suggests. Pricing is set by how many brands you connect, the free plan is one of the most generous around, and a few networks sit behind a paywall.
- From
- $20 per month
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the cheaper start, from $5 per channel / mo. Metricool fits analytics-led marketers who want organic and paid in one report better, and it reaches Twitch and WordPress, which Buffer doesn't.
Buffer starts cheaper, $5 per channel / mo against $20 per month for Metricool. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Metricool adds bulk upload that Buffer leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer starts at $5 per channel / mo, Metricool at $20 per month.
- Buffer posts to 11 networks, Metricool to 12.
- Only Buffer reaches Mastodon.
- Only Metricool reaches Twitch and WordPress.
- Metricool has bulk upload; Buffer doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Yes |
| Bulk upload | No | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Auto |
| Bluesky | Auto | Auto |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
| Twitch | No | Analytics |
| 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.
Metricool
Free
- Scheduled posts
- 20
- 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month
- All networks except LinkedIn and X
- 5 competitor profiles, 30 days of analytics, AI assistant
Starter
Popular$20/mo billed annually
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- From $25/mo ($20 annual) for up to 5 brands
- Up to 10 brands for $45/mo ($36 annual)
- Unlimited publishing, LinkedIn, 100 competitor analyses
- Reporting tools, PDF and PPT exports, SmartLinks, Canva and Drive
- X is a +$5 per-account add-on
Advanced
$53/mo billed annually
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- From $67/mo ($53 annual) for up to 15 brands
- 25 brands $107/mo ($85 annual); 50 brands $210/mo ($159 annual)
- Team and client management, role management, post approvals
- Full X analytics, custom report templates, Looker Studio connector, API
Custom
- Quote-only for more than 50 brands
- White label, dedicated account manager, custom AI credits
- Business integration
- Plans are chosen by how many 'brands' you connect rather than multiplied per brand: you land in a brand-count band and pay that band's price. A brand is a group of profiles, roughly one account per network.
- Starter covers up to 10 brands ($25 a month for 5, $45 for 10; $20 / $36 on annual). Advanced covers up to 50 ($67 / $107 / $210 a month for 15 / 25 / 50 brands; $53 / $85 / $159 on annual). Past 50 brands it's the quote-only Custom plan.
- Annual billing saves up to 24% depending on the band.
- X (Twitter) is a paid add-on at $5 per connected account on every plan. LinkedIn is included from Starter up but not on the Free plan.
- Listed prices exclude VAT, which is added before checkout.
- The Free plan is genuine: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, 5 competitor profiles, and 30 days of analytics, but no LinkedIn or X.
- Prices are USD read off the live pricing page, which has a EUR/USD switch and a brand slider and renders client-side. Figures were read with the USD toggle selected, across both billing periods and the brand bands, and cross-checked against current third-party 2026 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
Metricool
- Deepest analytics for the price, with paid ads alongside organic
- Unusually generous free plan
- Wide network list, including Twitch analytics and Google Business
- Strong agency value with brand-band pricing and white-label reports
- Brand-band pricing takes a minute to work out
- X is a paid add-on and LinkedIn is paid-only
- Listed prices exclude VAT
- No category-based evergreen recycling and no broad listening
Buffer vs Metricool: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Metricool cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $20 for Metricool. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Buffer or Metricool have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Metricool?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Metricool is the better fit for analytics-led marketers who want organic and paid in one report. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.