Buffer vs Publer 2026: Which Social Scheduler Wins?
Quick verdict: Buffer is our overall pick for Buffer vs Publer.
Publer wins on price — Professional at $4/account/mo annual with unlimited scheduling on a flat workspace — while Buffer wins on the free tier and network coverage.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Best overall Best free | 4.0/5 | Free $5/channel/mo (annual) | Buffer is a social scheduling tool built around one clean idea: queue and schedule posts a… |
| Publer Best for teams | 4.0/5 | Free $5/account/mo (annual) | Publer is a low-cost social planner that bills per account on a flat workspace with unlimi… |
Bottom line: Buffer (4.0/5) for the cleanest cross-network queue — free 3-channel tier that includes X/Twitter, 10 posts per channel, 1 user, and per-channel billing starting at $5/channel/mo annual. Publer (4.0/5) for the cheapest paid entry — Professional at $4/account/mo annual on a flat workspace with unlimited scheduling, free 3-account tier (no X/Twitter), and every 10th account free. Pick Buffer when X and a free starting point matter; pick Publer when a team holds many accounts and the flat per-account bill is the priority. Neither has a localized UI; both bill without a per-user seat charge.
Pricing and details
Buffer · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $5/channel/mo (annual)
Buffer bills by channel, not by user. Free $0 forever: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user. Essentials $6/channel/mo monthly ($5 annual, 14-day trial). Team $12/channel/mo monthly ($10 annual) adds analytics and integrations. Each additional channel adds to the bill; there is no per-user charge, so it scales better for many-brand accounts than seat-based rivals.
Essentials $5/channel/mo · Team $10-12/channel/mo (annual)
Buffer is a social scheduling tool built around one clean idea: queue and schedule posts across Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and Threads from a single feed. It bills per channel, not per seat, and its free tier is a real standing plan (3 channels, 1 user) rather than a trial.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Free plan is a standing plan (3 channels, 1 user), not a trial
- Per-channel, not per-seat, pricing — the cheapest paid entry in the cluster ($5/channel/mo annual)
- Covers Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and Threads from one feed
- Clean, fast UI (ease 4/5) with 14-day paid trial
Cons
- Collaboration (approvers, shared feeds) is lighter than Hootsuite's team workflows
- No built-in deep analytics suite the way Metricool ships — scheduling is the strength, not measurement
- No X-removal surprises, but feature depth trails an enterprise platform
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Publer · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $5/account/mo (annual)
Publer bills per account, flat workspace (unlimited scheduling, no per-user charge on the workspace). Free $0 forever: 3 social accounts, no X/Twitter, 10 scheduled posts/account, 25 drafts. Professional $6/account/mo monthly ($4 annual). Business $12/account/mo monthly ($8 annual) adds analytics. Every 10th account or seat is free. X/Twitter is not on the free tier.
Professional $4/account/mo · Business $8/account/mo (annual)
Publer is a low-cost social planner that bills per account on a flat workspace with unlimited scheduling. Its free tier covers 3 social accounts, and its paid entry is among the cheapest in the cluster when a small team needs many accounts without the per-seat math.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Cheapest paid entry in the cluster: Professional $4/account/mo annual
- Flat per-account bill with unlimited scheduling on the workspace
- Free tier is a standing plan (3 accounts, 25 drafts)
- Every 10th account or seat is free
Cons
- X/Twitter is not on the free tier
- Younger vendor — thinner enterprise governance and inbox tooling than Hootsuite
- Analytics are basic next to Metricool's built-in suite
Pricing verified 2026-09-18
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Buffer or Publer?
Buffer is our overall pick (4.0/5 vs 4.0/5). Publer wins on price — Professional at $4/account/mo annual with unlimited scheduling on a flat workspace — while Buffer wins on the free tier and network coverage.
Do Buffer and Publer offer free plans?
Buffer and Publer have a free tier. Buffer paid plans start at $5/channel/mo (annual); Publer paid plans start at $5/account/mo (annual).
What does Buffer cost?
$5/channel/mo (annual) — Buffer bills by channel, not by user. Free $0 forever: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user. Essentials $6/channel/mo monthly ($5 annual, 14-day trial). Team $12/channel/mo monthly ($10 annual) adds analytics and integrations. Each additional channel adds to the bill; there is no per-user charge, so it scales better for many-brand accounts than seat-based rivals. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-18.