Best for
Creators and small teams scheduling across Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok
Pricing
Free · paid from $6/channel/mo
Setup time
Under 15 min
Learning curve
Easy
Support
Email, chat (paid), docs
Company
Buffer, Inc.
Launched
2010
About Buffer
Buffer is a social media management platform aimed at SMBs and creators. Two things keep it on shortlists: Cleanest UI in social scheduling, plus per-channel pricing is predictable and cheap. The product centres on Queue and AI Assistant — everything else is scaffolding around those. There's a genuinely free plan to start, with paid upgrades for teams that outgrow it. For SMBs, solo creators and agencies without complex approval chains, Buffer is the right pick.
Available on
WebiOSAndroid
Pros and cons
Pros
- Interface stays out of your way
- Per-channel pricing scales fairly for solos
- Start-page product doubles as a link-in-bio
- Reliable publishing to major networks
Cons
- Analytics are shallower than Sprout Social
- Limited enterprise collaboration features
- IG Reels publishing is still restricted
Bottom line
Should you use Buffer?
If social scheduling is your job, pick Sprout Social or Hootsuite. If social scheduling is one of twelve things on your plate, Buffer stays the fastest way to get posts out the door.