Buffer and Publer are two of the most popular budget schedulers — and both make you do a little math. Buffer bills per channel: every connected account adds $5/month on Essentials or $10/month on Team. Publer bills modularly: a $5/month base covers one account, then each extra account adds $4–7/month and each teammate $2–3/month (as of June 2026). Both cover all 11 major platforms, and both have free plans. This page compares the two honestly — pricing models, feature gating, and the fine print — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, replaces both meters with one flat EUR plan.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Publer | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | All 11Also supports: Telegram, WordPress | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $5/mo per channel (Essentials)Free plan: up to 3 channels | $5/mo base + $4 per extra account (Professional)Typical configured setups quoted around $12/mo · as of June 2026 | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Modular — base covers 1 account, add-ons per account and per member | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 1 account at the base priceExtras $4/mo (Professional) or $7/mo (Business); every 10th free | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | 7 days (Professional) · 14 days (Business) + free plan | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | 14 daysListed on publer.com/plans (June 2026) — VAT not included | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | Unlimited scheduling on paid plans · 10 pending/account on Free | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | Business plan and upListed under Business-plan features (June 2026) | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown in Publer’s published plan details (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Professional plan and up“Schedule 1st comments & threads” listed on Professional (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | AI Assist — Business plan and upNot listed for the Professional plan (June 2026) | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown in Publer’s published plan details (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Drafts & post history (25 drafts on Free) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Professional plan and up“Schedule 1st comments & threads” listed on Professional (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Hashtag suggestions — Business plan and up | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | Pay per member+$2/mo each (Professional) · +$3/mo each (Business) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Team collaboration includedApproval specifics not shown in Publer’s published plans (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown in Publer’s published plan details (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Business plan and upUsers report on G2/Trustpilot that analytics depth is fairly basic | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Publer API on Business and up“Access to Publer API” listed under Business features (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Help center + support · prioritized on Enterprise | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Budget-minded users with 1–2 accounts who want a free plan | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Publer figures per their public pricing page. Both may change. SocialKit facts per our own pricing page.
Entry plans compared. SocialKit prices are in EUR; all 11 platforms included — no per-network pricing.
About $55/month with all 11 networks connected (channels beyond 10 cost less per channel). Team plan: $10/month per channel. As of June 2026.
Base covers 1 social account, 0 team members; typical configured setups are quoted around $12/month (Professional) and $21/month (Business). All 11 networks list at $44/month on Professional per Publer’s own calculator. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Publer prices are taken from their public pricing pages (linked above) and may change. Full SocialKit plan details on our pricing page.
Each tool genuinely wins somewhere. Here is the honest split.
Bottom line
These two are closer rivals than most pairs on this site: both cheap to start, both covering all 11 platforms, both metered. Buffer is the better of the two if you want a free plan that includes X, an AI assistant on every tier, and the most established name in the category. Publer is the better of the two if you optimize raw cost per account, need Telegram or WordPress, or value its listed 14-day money-back guarantee. Either way, the meters run as you grow — and at full platform coverage both land above SocialKit’s flat €29/month Solo plan (€17.40/month billed annually), which includes 15 social accounts, unlimited scheduled posts, AI, analytics, best-time posting, and API + webhooks with nothing held back for a higher tier.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
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Every SocialKit plan includes all 11 platforms, analytics, AI, and API + webhooks — no per-channel meters, no per-seat pricing. Try it free for 7 days.
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