Head to head
Buffer vs Planoly
Last updated 4 June 2026
vs
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
Planoly grew up as an Instagram feed planner and still leads with the visual side: drag posts around a grid preview until the profile looks right, then schedule them, with a link-in-bio page that can sell digital products. It publishes to eight networks and prices in flat plans from a free mobile tier to $47 a month.
- From
- $14 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer and Planoly both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Buffer is the stronger pick for Solo creators; choose Planoly for Instagram-led creators who plan their grid visually.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Planoly |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | No |
| Bulk upload | No | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | No | No |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Not assessed |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Planoly |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
Pricing
Buffer
Free
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.
Planoly
Free
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 1 social set, 1 user (mobile app)
- 10 uploads a month
- Visual planner and link-in-bio
Starter
$16 /mo
$14/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $16/mo, $14 on annual
- 1 social set, 1 user, unlimited uploads
- Free link in bio; upgrade to Growth to add sets or users
Growth
Popular$28 /mo
$24/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- 2
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $28/mo, $24 on annual
- 2 social sets, 2 users, unlimited uploads
- Extra social set $10/mo, extra user $5/mo
Pro
$55 /mo
$47/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- 6
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $55/mo, $47 on annual
- 6 social sets, 6 users, unlimited uploads
- Extra social set $8/mo, extra user $3/mo
- Flat, quota-bundled plans: each tier bundles a number of social sets and users. A social set is one account per network (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and so on), so one set covers your presence across the networks you connect.
- Starter has no add-ons (you upgrade to grow). Growth and Pro let you buy extra sets ($10 then $8 a month) and extra users ($5 then $3 a month).
- There's a free mobile plan (1 social set, 10 uploads a month).
- Annual billing is up to 15% cheaper. Annual rates were read off the live pricing page; the Pro monthly figure is derived from the page's stated annual discount.
- Prices are USD, read off the live pricing page.
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
Planoly
- Best-known Instagram feed/grid visual planner
- Link-in-bio page that can sell digital products
- Schedules to eight networks with AI captions and auto-responses
- Free mobile plan and clear, cheap add-ons
- Analytics are moderate, with no custom reports
- No evergreen recycling or broad listening
- No Bluesky or Google Business
- Starter can't add sets or users without upgrading
Buffer vs Planoly: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Planoly cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $14 for Planoly. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Buffer or Planoly have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Planoly?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Planoly is the better fit for Instagram-led creators who plan their grid visually. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.