Head to head
Buffer vs Zoho 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
Zoho Social combines publishing, monitoring and reporting with Zoho CRM and Desk integration. Business and agency plans bundle brands and members; optional extras are separate charges. The Free edition publishes immediately but does not schedule.
- From
- Paid scheduling; confirm regional offer
- 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. Zoho Social fits businesses already using Zoho CRM or the wider Zoho suite better.
A verified price comparison requires the same billing term, currency and eligible workload. See each pricing section for the published terms.
Key differences
Where the two actually diverge, before the full tables.
- Buffer has a free scheduling plan; Zoho Social doesn't, though it offers a 15-day trial.
- Buffer posts to 12 networks, Zoho Social to 13.
Features compared
| Feature | Buffer | Zoho 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 | Zoho 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 | Auto |
| Snapchat | Not assessed | Auto |
| Telegram | Not assessed | No |
| Substack Notes | Auto | Not assessed |
| Arattai | Not assessed | Auto |
| Not assessed | No |
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 edition; scheduling paid.
Paid scheduling; confirm regional offer
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.
Zoho Social
Free
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 6
- 1 brand, 6 channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn profile and page, Google Business), 1 member
- Immediate publishing only; the Free edition does not schedule posts
- Forever free after the 15-day all-access trial
Standard
Billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 14
- 1 bundled brand(s); 14 channel connections; 1 team member(s)
- Publishing calendar, multi-channel publishing, zurl shortener, summary reports, 40 AI credits
Professional
Billed annually
- Seats
- 1
- Accounts
- 14
- 1 bundled brand(s); 14 channel connections; 1 team member(s)
- Adds bulk scheduling, repeat posting, post insights, monitoring dashboard, media library, RSS, messages, first comment
Premium
PopularBilled annually
- Seats
- 3
- Accounts
- 16
- 1 bundled brand(s); 16 channel connections; 3 team member(s)
- Adds SmartQ, unified Inbox, content approvals and workflow, custom reports, UTM, Zoho CRM and Desk integration, 80 AI credits
Agency
Billed annually
- Seats
- 5
- Accounts
- 160
- 10 bundled brand(s); 160 channel connections; 5 team member(s)
- Client invite, customizable client portal, agency-branded reports, all Premium features
Agency Plus
Billed annually
- Seats
- 5
- Accounts
- 320
- 20 bundled brand(s); 320 channel connections; 5 team member(s)
- All Agency features, with 10 more brands available as add-ons
- Business plans bundle one brand and included members; Agency/Agency Plus bundle ten/twenty brands and five members. Do not multiply the headline price by every bundled team member.
- US official pricing search extracts corroborate annual monthly equivalents of USD10/30/40/230/330. The current extracted page hides monthly prices, so monthly numeric tariffs are unconfirmed here.
- Extra brands and members are separately priced, plan-dependent add-ons. Regional currency and applicable taxes must be checked directly; no currency conversion has been used.
- Free includes one brand, six channels and one member but excludes scheduling. A fifteen-day trial is advertised.
- Standard/Professional list fourteen connections including Snapchat and Arattai. Premium adds WhatsApp and Telegram inbox connections; not every connection is a scheduled publishing destination.
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
Zoho Social
- Zoho CRM and Desk integration
- Publishing plus monitoring and reporting
- Native MCP publishing and media workflows
- Bundled agency plans
- Free edition excludes scheduling
- Inbox and approvals require higher tiers
- Extra brands and members are plan-dependent charges
- Messaging connections do not all support feed publishing
Buffer vs Zoho Social: FAQ
- Is Buffer or Zoho Social 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 Zoho Social have a free plan?
- Buffer: Free plan available. Zoho Social: Free edition; scheduling paid. Check the scheduling allowance, separately from any free research or design features.
- Which is better, Buffer or Zoho Social?
- Buffer is the stronger pick for solo creators, while Zoho Social is the better fit for businesses already using Zoho CRM or the wider Zoho suite. We don't score them; the right call comes down to how you post.