What is Buffer?
Buffer is a social media tool for scheduling and publishing posts, collecting ideas, viewing analytics and handling replies. It includes an AI Assistant for drafting, rephrasing and repurposing post text.
Who it's for
The vendor describes Essentials as for solo creators and small businesses. The Team plan adds unlimited users, approval workflows and access levels for groups that work together.
Pros & cons
Strengths
- A free plan with up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas and 1 user
- Paid plans are priced per connected channel, and the per-channel price falls as the channel count grows
- The AI Assistant is listed on Free, Essentials and Team
- Paid plans have a 14-day free trial, and nonprofits and charities get 50% off paid plans
- Team has unlimited users, access levels and approval workflows
Limitations
- Free allows 3 connected channels at once, 1 user and 30 days of insights
- Free caps lifetime channel connections at 8 unique channels, counting ones you disconnect later
- Essentials allows 1 user. Approval workflows, custom permissions and branded reports are Team only
- AI reply suggestions in the community inbox are limited to 5 a week on Free
- Payment is by credit or debit card only
Plans and pricing
- Free: $0. Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas, 1 user.
- Essentials: $5 per channel a month, billed annually ($6 monthly), for 1 to 10 channels. Unlimited scheduled posts and ideas, advanced analytics, hashtag manager, 1 user.
- Team: $10 per channel a month, billed annually ($12 monthly), for 1 to 10 channels. Everything in Essentials, plus unlimited users, access levels, approval workflows and branded reports.
Price is per channel, so five channels on Essentials come to $25 a month billed annually or $30 monthly, by the vendor's own example. Above 10 channels the per-channel price drops (monthly billing: $4 for 11 to 25 channels, $3 for 26 to 50). We read the vendor's text copy of the pricing page.
Details checked October 2026 against the vendor's own pages. Prices and limits change, so confirm before you buy. Official pricing page ↗
Sources
This profile was compiled from these public pages. We have not run hands-on tests.
Buffer — at a glance
Buffer is a social media tool for scheduling and publishing posts, collecting ideas, viewing analytics and handling replies. It includes an AI Assistant for drafting, rephrasing and repurposing post text.
Try Buffer →