Head to head
Buffer vs Planable
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
Planable organizes content review by workspace. Pro is $59 per workspace monthly or $590 yearly, with required approval and 150 posts per month. Analytics is a separate per-workspace purchase, and public links allow comments rather than formal account-free approval.
- From
- Free
- Free scheduling
- Yes
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it reaches Bluesky and Mastodon, which Planable doesn't. Planable fits agencies and teams that need client sign-off before posting better.
Buffer has a free plan and paid plans from $5 per channel a month, billed yearly, and Planable has a free plan and paid plans from $32.50 per workspace a month, billed yearly. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run.
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 $32.50 per workspace a month, billed yearly on Planable.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Planable to 9.
- Only Buffer reaches Bluesky and Mastodon.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Planable |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Partial |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not confirmed |
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 |
| 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 workspace · Basic
- $39/mo~$33/mo annual
- 3 workspaces · BasicTypical
- $117/mo~$98/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.
Planable
Free
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- 50
- 50 created posts total, not a monthly allowance
- Unlimited users; confirm workspace/page allowance
- No time limit; add-on trials need an active paid base plan
Basic
$32.50 per workspace a month billed annually
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Accounts
- 4
- Scheduled posts
- 60
- $39/workspace monthly or $390/year ($32.50/month equivalent)
- 60 posts/month and 4 social pages per workspace
- Unlimited users; optional approval
Pro
Popular$49.17 per workspace a month 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
- Not confirmed
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom quote; confirm pages and included add-ons
- Multi-level approvals, SSO and dedicated account manager
- Unlimited posts and campaigns
- USD per workspace, with unlimited users. Basic is $39 monthly/$390 yearly; Pro $59 monthly/$590 yearly. Annual monthly equivalents are $32.50 and approximately $49.17.
- The free allowance is 50 created posts total, without a reset when posts are deleted. X publishing is unavailable on the free allowance; Basic permits one tweet per 24 hours.
- Analytics is $14/month or $140/year, Social Inbox $9/month or $90/year, and Social Listening $99/month or $990/year, each per workspace. Add-on trials require a paid base plan.
- Enterprise entitlements require a quote: current official pages conflict on page limits and whether Analytics/Social Inbox are included. Volume discounts are advertised for five or more workspaces; do not assume a mandatory five-workspace ceiling.
What it really costs
Monthly cost by workspace count. Per-unit tiers grow with usage; flat tiers keep their whole-plan price within the published allowance, 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 | Exceeds plan capacity | Exceeds plan capacity |
| 25 | Exceeds plan capacity | Exceeds plan capacity |
| 50 | Exceeds plan capacity | Exceeds plan capacity |
Monthly billing. Volume discounts lower the per-workspace rate at higher counts. Annual billing takes about 2 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
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
- Per-workspace charges accumulate across clients
- Reporting, inbox and listening can add per-workspace cost
- Bluesky and Mastodon are not in the advertised publishing list
- Recurring posts are not the same as a category-based evergreen queue
Buffer vs Planable: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Planable cheaper?
- Both Buffer and Planable have a free entry plan. Compare their account allowances, publishing limits and any paid features you need.
- 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.