Head to head
Buffer vs Post Planner
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
Post Planner is a budget scheduler built around content discovery: it surfaces proven, high-engagement posts to share, lets you recycle your best content, and schedules to eight networks. Plans run from a free tier up to $57 a month on annual billing.
- From
- $7 /mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the cheaper start, from $5 per channel / mo. Post Planner fits solo creators and small businesses on a tight budget better, and it adds evergreen recycling that Buffer leaves out.
Buffer starts cheaper, $5 per channel / mo against $7 a month for Post Planner. They bill on different units, so the real gap depends on how much you run. Buffer brings approvals that Post Planner skips, while Post Planner has evergreen recycling Buffer doesn't.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer starts at $5 per channel / mo, Post Planner at $7 a month.
- Buffer posts to 11 networks, Post Planner to 8.
- Only Buffer reaches Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
- Buffer has approvals; Post Planner doesn't.
- Buffer has social inbox; Post Planner doesn't.
- Buffer has link in bio; Post Planner doesn't.
- 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 | No |
| Bulk upload | No | Not assessed |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Yes |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | No |
| Link in bio | Yes | No |
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 | No |
| 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.
Free plan available.
- 1 channel
- $6/mo~$5/mo annual
- 9 channelsTypical
- $54/mo~$45/mo annual
Cheapest plan: Essentials.
Free plan available.
- Cheapest paid plan
- $7/mo
Whole-plan price; it doesn't scale per unit.
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.
Post Planner
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 1
- Scheduled posts
- 15
- 1 social account, 1 user, 15 scheduled posts
- 3 daily posts per account, 100 AI credits a day
- Basic scheduling and content discovery
Starter
$7/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 3
- Scheduled posts
- 150
- $12/mo, $7 on annual ($84/yr)
- 3 social accounts, 1 user, 150 scheduled posts
- 12 daily posts per account, 1,000 AI credits a day
Growth
Popular$37/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- 12
- Scheduled posts
- 1000
- $49/mo, $37 on annual ($444/yr)
- 12 social accounts, 2 users, 1,000 scheduled posts
- 18 daily posts per account, 20,000 AI credits a day, analytics
Business
$57/mo billed annually
- Seats
- 5
- Accounts
- 25
- Scheduled posts
- 5000
- $79/mo, $57 on annual ($684/yr)
- 25 social accounts, 5 users, 5,000 scheduled posts
- 24 daily posts per account, 40,000 AI credits a day, analytics
- Flat, quota-bundled plans: each tier bundles social accounts, users, scheduled posts, a daily posting cap per account, and a daily AI credit allowance. You move up a plan to grow; for more than Business you contact them.
- There's a genuine Free plan (1 account, 15 scheduled posts) plus a 7-day trial of the paid features.
- Annual billing is roughly 30-40% cheaper: Starter is $7 a month, Growth $37, Business $57.
- Analytics arrive on the Growth plan and up; the AI features are metered by a daily credit allowance.
- Prices are USD, read off the live plans page by toggling monthly and annual, and cross-checked against current third-party 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
Post Planner
- Strong content-discovery engine with predicted-performance ratings
- Cheap, with a real free plan and a $7 entry on annual billing
- Evergreen recycling and a simple posting plan
- Publishes to eight networks with AI content built in
- No social inbox, and no Threads or Bluesky
- Analytics are basic and only from the Growth plan up
- AI is capped by a daily credit allowance
- No approval workflows, client workspaces, or white-label
Buffer vs Post Planner: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Post Planner cheaper?
- Buffer is cheaper to start, from $5 against $7 for Post Planner. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- 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.