Head to head
Buffer vs Sked Social
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
Sked Social combines visual planning, publishing and agency review. Eight channels have direct publishing, while Threads and Snapchat use notifications. Approval workflows start on Accelerate; Grow supplies statuses and previews.
- From
- $69a month
- Free scheduling
- No
Bottom line
Buffer is the pick for solo creators, and it's the only one of the two with a free scheduling plan. Sked Social fits agencies with a defined internal and client approval sequence better.
Buffer has a free plan and paid plans from $5 per channel a month, billed yearly, and Sked Social starts at $69 a month. 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.
- Buffer has a free scheduling plan; Sked Social doesn't, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Paid plans start at $5 per channel a month, billed yearly on Buffer and $69 a month on Sked Social.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Sked Social to 10.
- Only Buffer reaches Bluesky and Mastodon.
- Buffer auto-publishes Threads; Sked Social sends a reminder to post.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Sked Social |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Not assessed |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Sked Social |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Auto | |
| Auto | Auto | |
| X (Twitter) | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| TikTok | Auto | Auto |
| Auto | Auto | |
| YouTube | Auto | Auto |
| Threads | Auto | Reminder |
| Bluesky | Auto | No |
| Google Business | Auto | Auto |
| Mastodon | Auto | No |
| Snapchat | Not assessed | Reminder |
| 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.
No free plan; 14-day trial.
- Lowest public entry price
- $69 a month
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.
Sked Social
Grow
- Seats
- 3
- Accounts
- 6
- USD69 monthly or USD690/year
- Three users and six profiles; extra profiles are paid
- Statuses and previews; formal approvals are not included
Accelerate
Popular- Seats
- 6
- Accounts
- 10
- USD199 monthly or USD1,990/year
- Six users and ten profiles; paid extra users and profiles
- Internal/external approvals with sequential or parallel reviewers
Custom
- Seats
- Not confirmed
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Custom capacity and quote; advertised from USD299/month or USD249/month with annual billing
- Internal and external approval workflows
- Current plans are Grow, Accelerate and Custom. Grow includes three users and six profiles; Accelerate includes six users and ten profiles.
- Grow is USD69 monthly or USD690/year; Accelerate is USD199 monthly or USD1,990/year. Budget those exact annual bills rather than multiplying rounded USD58/USD166 headlines by twelve.
- Formal internal and external approval workflows start on Accelerate. Grow statuses and previews are different controls.
- Additional profiles: USD8/month or USD80/year on Grow; USD10/month or USD100/year on Accelerate. Extra Accelerate users: USD15/month or USD150/year.
- Extra profiles are USD8/month on Grow and USD10/month on Accelerate. Extra users are available on Accelerate at USD15/month; confirm annual or custom additions.
- The current page describes a fourteen-day no-card trial. Custom capacity and pricing require a quote.
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
Sked Social
- Visual planning and bulk scheduling
- Eight documented direct-publishing channels
- Accelerate approval workflows and external review
- Recurring queues for scheduling
- Threads and Snapchat require notification completion
- Grow statuses and previews do not enforce formal approval
- Users and profiles have plan allowances and paid additions
- Automatic evergreen library behavior needs separate verification
Buffer vs Sked Social: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Sked Social cheaper?
- Buffer has a free entry plan. Sked Social starts at $69 a month. The plans may cover different workloads, so check the required accounts and features.
- Does Buffer or Sked Social have a free plan?
- Buffer has a free plan; Sked Social does not, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Which is better, Buffer or Sked Social?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Sked Social is the better fit for agencies with a defined internal and client approval sequence. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.