Head to head
Buffer vs Planable
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
A content-review tool first and a scheduler second, built around comments, approvals, and seeing exactly how a post will look before anyone signs off. It charges per workspace rather than per person, so the whole team can pile in at no extra cost.
- From
- $33 per workspace / mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the cheaper start, from $5 per channel / mo. Planable fits agencies and teams that need client sign-off before posting better, and it adds bulk upload that Buffer leaves out.
Buffer starts cheaper, $5 per channel / mo against $33 per workspace / mo for Planable. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Buffer brings link in bio that Planable skips, while Planable has bulk upload Buffer doesn't.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer starts at $5 per channel / mo, Planable at $33 per workspace / mo.
- Buffer posts to 11 networks, Planable to 9.
- Only Buffer reaches Bluesky and Mastodon.
- Buffer has link in bio; Planable doesn't.
- Buffer has posting queue; Planable doesn't.
- Planable has bulk upload; Buffer doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Planable |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Partial |
| Bulk upload | No | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | No |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Planable |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.
Planable
Free
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 4
- Scheduled posts
- 50
- 50 posts total, then you upgrade (no time limit, no card)
- 1 workspace, up to 4 social pages
- Unlimited users
- Feed and Calendar views, optional approval
Basic
$33/mo billed annually
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 4
- Scheduled posts
- 60
- $39 per workspace/mo, $33 on annual
- 60 posts per workspace each month, 4 social pages
- Unlimited users
- Feed and Calendar views, none and optional approval
- 10GB media storage
Pro
Popular$49/mo billed annually
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 10
- Scheduled posts
- 150
- $59 per workspace/mo, $49 on annual
- 150 posts per workspace each month, 10 social pages
- Adds Grid view and required approval
- Team-only drafts and 30-day version history
- 50GB media storage
Enterprise
- Accounts
- 50
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing, for teams that need more than 5 workspaces
- 50 social pages per workspace, unlimited posts and campaigns
- Multi-level approvals and List view
- SSO, 24-month post storage, dedicated account manager
- Priced per workspace, which is Planable's word for a brand or client: the headline $39 / $59 is for one workspace, and you pay again for each one you add, up to five before Enterprise. Users are unlimited on every plan.
- Annual billing is two months free, so Basic works out to $33 a workspace each month ($390/yr) and Pro to $49 ($590/yr).
- Two paid add-ons sit on top, also per workspace: Analytics at $14/mo and the Engagement social inbox at $9/mo, both about two months cheaper on annual.
- The Free plan caps you at 50 posts for the life of the account rather than by time; after that you upgrade.
- Prices are USD from the live pricing page, which renders client-side and defaulted to the annual figures here in Australia. The monthly numbers were read by toggling the billing switch and match current third-party listings.
What it really costs
Planable charges per workspace, so the headline price is for one. Here is the monthly cost as you connect more, with the 3-workspace row marked as a realistic setup.
| workspaces | Basic | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $39/mo | $59/mo |
| 3Typical | $117/mo | $177/mo |
| 5 | $195/mo | $295/mo |
| 10 | $390/mo | $590/mo |
| 25 | $975/mo | $1475/mo |
| 50 | $1950/mo | $2950/mo |
Monthly billing. Annual billing takes about 2 months off.
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
Planable
- Approval workflows, inline comments, and version history are the strongest part
- Per-workspace pricing means unlimited users at no extra cost
- Per-network previews in feed, grid, calendar, and list views
- Free plan with no time limit, capped at 50 posts
- Analytics and the social inbox cost extra per workspace
- Per-workspace pricing adds up fast for agencies with many clients
- No Bluesky, Mastodon, or link-in-bio
- Reporting is light and there is no real evergreen recycling
Buffer vs Planable: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Planable cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $33 for Planable. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Buffer or Planable have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Planable?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Planable is the better fit for agencies and teams that need client sign-off before posting. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.