Head to head
Buffer vs Postly
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
Postly is an AI-forward, per-channel scheduler that reaches a dozen social networks plus email. It bills by channel (cheaper as you add more), throws in unlimited team members and an AI studio for text, image, and video, and adds bio pages and a social inbox.
- From
- $3.2 per channel / mo
- Free plan
Bottom line
Buffer and Postly both cover the basics; the right one comes down to how you post. Buffer is the stronger pick for Solo creators; choose Postly for Creators and small agencies who want wide coverage cheaply.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Postly |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Not assessed |
| Bulk upload | No | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Postly |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Auto |
| Telegram | No | Auto |
| WordPress | No | Auto |
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.
Postly
Starter
Free
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- 2
- Scheduled posts
- 50
- Free: 2 channels, 2 team members
- 50 one-time scheduled posts, 5,000 AI writing credits a month
- 1GB storage
Pro
Popular$3.2 per channel / mo
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- $3.20 per channel/mo (5-channel minimum, so from $16/mo)
- Cheaper per channel at scale: $1.60 (11-100), $0.80 (101+)
- Unlimited posts, unlimited AI, unlimited team members, 100GB, API
Enterprise
Custom
- Seats
- Unlimited
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- Custom pricing and volume rates
- Dedicated onboarding and migration, priority support
- Priced per channel on Pro, where a channel is a page, profile, Google Business location, Pinterest board, or similar destination. The rate falls as you add channels: $3.20 each up to 10, $1.60 from 11 to 100, and $0.80 beyond 100.
- Pro has a 5-channel minimum, so it effectively starts at $16 a month; the cost-at-scale figures start from one channel but you can't buy fewer than five on Pro.
- There's a genuine free Starter plan (2 channels, 50 scheduled posts, 2 team members). Annual billing is about 20% cheaper.
- Unlimited team members are included on Pro, unlike per-seat tools. Postly also sells email campaigns (Postly Email) alongside social.
- 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
Postly
- Per-channel billing that gets cheaper as you scale
- Unlimited team members on Pro
- Broad AI Studio: text, image, video, avatars, voiceovers
- A dozen networks plus WordPress and email, with a social inbox and bio pages
- Five-channel minimum on Pro
- Recycling is limited to recurring posts
- Young, lightly documented company
- Wide AI feature set means uneven depth
Buffer vs Postly: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Postly cheaper?
- Postly is cheaper to start, from $3.2 against $5 for Buffer. The unit each one charges by differs, so the real bill depends on how many channels or seats you run.
- Does Buffer or Postly have a free plan?
- Both have a free plan, so you can try either one before paying.
- Which is better, Buffer or Postly?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Postly is the better fit for creators and small agencies who want wide coverage cheaply. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.