Head to head
Buffer vs Vista 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
Vista Social bundles publishing, engagement, reporting, reviews, listening and Vista Page. Current Professional pricing starts at USD99 monthly or USD950 annually; X and broader listening cost extra.
- From
- $79.17a month, billed yearly
- 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. Vista Social fits agencies and teams that want publishing, listening, and review management in one tool better.
Buffer has a free plan and paid plans from $5 per channel a month, billed yearly, and Vista Social starts at $79.17 a month, billed yearly. 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; Vista Social doesn't, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Paid plans start at $5 per channel a month, billed yearly on Buffer and $79.17 a month, billed yearly on Vista Social.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Vista Social to 13.
- Only Buffer reaches Mastodon.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Vista Social |
|---|---|---|
| AI captions | Yes | Yes |
| Basic analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced reports | Partial | Yes |
| Bulk upload | Yes | Yes |
| Evergreen recycling | No | Partial |
| Team roles | Yes | Yes |
| Approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio | Yes | Yes |
Platforms compared
| Network | Buffer | Vista Social |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Not assessed | Auto | |
| Snapchat | Not assessed | Auto |
| Substack Notes | Auto | Not assessed |
| Tumblr | Not assessed | Auto |
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
- $79.17 a month, billed yearly
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.
Vista Social
Professional
$79.17 a month billed annually
- Seats
- 2
- Accounts
- 15
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD99/month or USD950/year
- 15 profiles; 1,000 monthly AI credits
- Two users
Advanced
$159.17 a month billed annually
- Seats
- Not confirmed
- Accounts
- 30
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD199/month or USD1910/year
- 30 profiles; 2,000 monthly AI credits
- Included users conflict between pricing and help; confirm offer
Scale
$359.17 a month billed annually
- Seats
- Not confirmed
- Accounts
- 70
- Scheduled posts
- Unlimited
- USD449/month or USD4310/year
- 70 profiles; 3,500 monthly AI credits
- Included users conflict between pricing and help; confirm offer
Enterprise
- Seats
- Not confirmed
- Accounts
- Not confirmed
- Custom quote; current pricing advertises eight or more users, not unlimited
- Custom security, integrations and account support
- Bundled-profile plans, with extra-user/profile charges depending on tier. Current annual totals are USD950/1,910/4,310, not rounded monthly equivalents multiplied by twelve.
- Professional includes two users. Pricing says three/four users on Advanced/Scale, while official subscription help says four/eight. Confirm included seats before buying.
- X is a USD29/month add-on. Own-profile listening is included; broader social/web/news listening is USD75/month.
- Employee Advocacy has a free three-advocate allowance and a USD199/month package for 25 employees.
- MCP and Ask Vista appear on Professional; Zapier/Make and advanced approval workflows start on Advanced.
- Fourteen-day trial; no recurring free scheduler plan.
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
Vista Social
- Broad by design: publishing, inbox, listening, reviews, and reporting together
- Wide network list, including Reddit, Snapchat, and Google Business
- Built-in link-in-bio, DM automations, and AI for copy and images
- Strong agency features on Scale: white label and client connect
- No recurring free scheduler plan
- X and broader listening are paid add-ons
- AI and DM automation have plan limits
- Official pages disagree on Advanced and Scale seats
Buffer vs Vista Social: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Vista Social cheaper?
- Buffer has a free entry plan. Vista Social starts at $79.17 a month, billed yearly. The plans may cover different workloads, so check the required accounts and features.
- Does Buffer or Vista Social have a free plan?
- Buffer has a free plan; Vista Social does not, though it offers a 14-day trial.
- Which is better, Buffer or Vista Social?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Vista Social is the better fit for agencies and teams that want publishing, listening, and review management in one tool. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.