Head to head
Buffer vs Post Planner
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
Post Planner combines content discovery, recurring queues and publishing across ten listed networks. Its current plans extend from Free to agency-sized bundles; X and Pinterest require Growth or higher.
- From
- Free
- Free scheduling
- Yes
Bottom line
Post Planner is the pick for solo creators and small businesses on a tight budget, and it adds evergreen recycling that Buffer leaves out. Buffer fits solo creators better.
A verified price comparison requires the same billing term, currency and eligible workload. See each pricing section for the published terms. Post Planner adds evergreen recycling that Buffer leaves out.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Post Planner to 10.
- Only Buffer reaches Mastodon.
- Post Planner has evergreen recycling; Buffer doesn't.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Post Planner |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Not confirmed |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Yes |
| Team roles | Yes | Partial |
| Approvals | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Link in bio | Yes | Not confirmed |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Post Planner |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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.
- Free entry plan
- Free
Whole-plan price; it doesn't scale per unit.
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.
Post Planner
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- 10
- 3 daily posts per profile; 1 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Starter
Displayed $14 monthly, $9 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 150
- 12 daily posts per profile; 15 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Growth
Displayed $59 monthly, $39 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- 15
- Scheduled posts
- 1500
- 24 daily posts per profile; 150 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Business
Displayed $99 monthly, $69 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 5
- Accounts
- 25
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- unlimited daily posts per profile; 250 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Agency
Displayed $179 monthly, $119 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 10
- Accounts
- 50
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- unlimited daily posts per profile; 500 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Agency + 50
Displayed $329 monthly, $219 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 20
- Accounts
- 100
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- unlimited daily posts per profile; 1000 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
Agency + 3 × 50
Displayed $629 monthly, $419 monthly equivalent with annual billing. Currency not explicitly confirmed; verify current selected tariff and invoice.
- Seats
- 40
- Accounts
- 200
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- unlimited daily posts per profile; 2000 AI images/month
- AI text, captions and hashtags unlimited
- Current plan prices and limits are corroborated by the official plans page and help-center plan comparison. Annual prices are monthly equivalents paid yearly.
- Scheduled-post limits measure pending queue capacity, not monthly publishing volume. Daily per-profile posting caps are separate.
- X and Pinterest require Growth or higher. Threads and Bluesky are supported.
- AI images use monthly allowances; caption/text/hashtag generation is unlimited. The prior daily AI-credit table is obsolete.
- A seven-day trial is advertised; official FAQ says accounts fall back to Free if no paid plan is selected.
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
Post Planner
- Content discovery and reusable posting queues
- Free plan and seven-day paid trial
- Ten advertised publishing networks
- Current agency tiers and unlimited AI text generation
- X and Pinterest require Growth or higher
- Lower tiers cap pending posts and daily output separately
- AI images have monthly allowances
- Formal approvals and unified inbox not established
Buffer vs Post Planner: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Post Planner cheaper?
- A verified price comparison is unavailable for these configurations. Check the current billing term, currency, required capacity and plan features before comparing totals.
- Does Buffer or Post Planner have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Post Planner?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Post Planner is the better fit for solo creators and small businesses on a tight budget. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.