Prices read from buffer.com/pricing and buffer.com/pricing.md on October 19, 2026. Last updated October 19, 2026. Prices are in US dollars before tax. If a number here no longer matches their page, their page is right and we will fix ours.
The short answer: Buffer has a free plan for up to 3 channels, then charges per channel: Essentials is $6 per channel a month and Team is $12 per channel a month, or $5 and $10 billed yearly. The per-channel rate drops once you pass 10 channels. Paid plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Buffer plans and prices
| Plan | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, up to 3 channels | 10 scheduled posts per channel at any one time (refills as posts go out), 100 ideas, 1 user, the AI Assistant, insights with 30 days of history, the community inbox and API access with 1 key. |
| Essentials | $6 per channel a month, or $5 billed yearly | Unlimited scheduled posts, 1 user, advanced analytics, hashtag manager, first comment scheduling, custom video covers, reports, 3 API keys. |
| Team | $12 per channel a month, or $10 billed yearly | Everything in Essentials plus unlimited team members, approval workflows, access levels, branded reports and 5 API keys. |
What 5, 10 or 25 channels cost
Buffer publishes its volume rates. On monthly billing, channels 11 to 25 cost $4 each on either plan, channels 26 to 50 cost $3 each, and from 51 on it is $1 on Essentials and $2 on Team. Buffer's own examples:
| Channels | Essentials monthly | Essentials yearly | Team monthly | Team yearly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6 | $5 | $12 | $10 |
| 5 | $30 | $25 | $60 | $50 |
| 10 | $60 | $50 | $120 | $100 |
| 25 | $120 | $100 | $180 | $150 |
| 50 | $195 | $163 | $255 | $213 |
Yearly prices are per month, billed once a year, and save about two months. A Start Page counts as a channel.
What you actually get
- Free is a real plan, not a trial: three channels and ten posts queued per channel at a time is enough for a lot of small accounts.
- Essentials removes the queue limit and adds the analytics and reports most businesses want.
- Team is for more than one person, with approvals and per-channel access.
Buffer's AI Assistant writes and repurposes text and is unlimited on every plan. Its plans do not include AI image or video generation.
Who Buffer fits
Buffer suits small businesses, creators and agencies who want a calm, reliable scheduler with fair per-channel pricing, good analytics and a strong free plan. It also covers channels we do not, such as Mastodon and Substack.
Hermoso's plans next to Buffer
| Hermoso plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card | 30 credits at signup plus 250+ more to earn as you set up your brand and create. The full studio, nothing locked. |
| Starter | $19 a month, or $190 a year | 1,000 credits a month: roughly 100+ image ads or about 10 video ads. Real faces in your videos from your own photos. |
| Pro | $49 a month, or $490 a year | 3,000 credits a month: roughly 300+ image ads or about 30 video ads. Priority generation. |
| Studio | $149 a month, or $1,490 a year | 10,000 credits a month: roughly 1,000+ image ads or about 100 video ads. Priority support and enterprise SSO. |
Or skip the subscription: credit packs from $25, valid for a year, on any plan including Free. See pay as you go.
The pricing models point in opposite directions. Buffer charges for each channel and gives the AI writing away. Hermoso charges nothing for channels, posts or team members: publishing and scheduling are free on every plan, Free included, with no per-channel fee and unlimited seats. You pay for credits when you want the content made, as finished image and video ads with your real product, based on research into what is already working in your market. If you run 10 channels and make your own content, Buffer Essentials is $60 a month and Hermoso is $0. If you also want the ads made and the paid campaigns run, that is what a Hermoso plan buys.
On every Hermoso plan, Free included, these cost nothing: publishing and scheduling posts, building and managing campaigns on the ad platforms, analytics, comments and DMs, connectors, brand profiles and team seats. Credits go to two things only, running an AI model (image, video, voice, writing, planning) and Ad Spy research, and the app shows the exact cost before you spend anything. The one exception is X, where posting and reading X data bill a few credits per call because X charges per request. Monthly plan credits do not roll over; credit packs, which you can buy on any plan including Free, last 365 days.
Which one to pick
Pick Buffer if you want a long-standing scheduler with approval workflows and branded reports, or you post to Mastodon or Substack. Pick Hermoso if you want to post free on any number of channels and have the content and ads made in the same place.
Related
Buffer alternative · Hermoso vs Buffer · Social media scheduler
More pricing breakdowns: Higgsfield pricing, Arcads pricing, Creatify pricing, Blotato pricing, Fastlane pricing, Postiz pricing, Post Bridge pricing. Our own plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Buffer cost?
On October 19, 2026 Buffer listed a free plan for up to 3 channels, Essentials at $6 per channel a month and Team at $12 per channel a month, or $5 and $10 billed yearly. Channels beyond 10 get lower rates.
Is Buffer free?
Yes. The free plan covers up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user and 30 days of insights.
How much is Buffer for 10 channels?
Buffer's own example puts 10 channels at $60 a month on Essentials or $120 on Team, and $50 or $100 a month billed yearly.
Is there a free Buffer alternative with no channel limit?
Hermoso does not charge for channels: publishing and scheduling are free on every plan, including Free, and you pay only for AI generation and ad research.
Start free, 250+ earnable free credits, no card. Posting, scheduling, ads management and analytics are free on every plan.
Start free → See pricing