Buffer and Sked Social target different buyers despite occupying similar shelves in the social scheduler market. Buffer is a month-to-month per-channel workspace with a free plan for up to three channels — familiar, simple, and built for creators scaling up. Sked Social is an agency-first annual-billing suite with a strong collaboration story, but its entry plan covers exactly one user and one social profile, and the approval workflows it markets as core are sold as paid add-ons below the Accelerate tier. This page compares both tools honestly — pricing, platforms, and team features as of June 2026 — and notes where SocialKit, priced in flat EUR, lands as a third option.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Sked Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | 9 of 11Also supports: Snapchat (notification-based) | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | No | 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 | $290/yr Basic (~$24/mo billed annually)1 user, 1 social profile; monthly rates not surfaced on the pricing page (June 2026) | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Annual tiers + paid add-ons for extra profiles, users, and approvals | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 1 on Basic · 6 on Grow · 10 on AccelerateExtra profiles listed at $80–$100/yr each (June 2026) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | 14 days — no card required | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | “No post limits” advertised | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | “Unlimited AI usage” advertisedPer skedsocial.com (June 2026) | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Not listedCanva, Dropbox & Google Drive integrations shown (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNo Bluesky or Mastodon; Threads listed as notification-based (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | 1 on Basic · 3 on Grow · 6 on Accelerate (extra users $150/yr) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Paid add-on on GrowInternal +$500/yr, external +$1,000/yr; included on Accelerate (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Collaboration tools by tierApproval/collaboration features gated to higher tiers or add-ons (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | IncludedCompetitor tracking: 1 on Basic · 5 on Grow · 20 on Accelerate | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Not listedNot shown on Sked Social’s pricing page (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Help center · dedicated support on CustomSome users report slow responses for smaller accounts (Capterra/G2) | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Agencies and multi-location brands on annual budgets | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Sked Social 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.
Includes 1 user and 1 social profile. Realistic multi-profile use lands on Grow at $690/yr (3 users, 6 profiles) or Accelerate at $1,990/yr — with approvals a +$500–$1,000/yr add-on on Grow. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Sked Social 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
The choice between Buffer and Sked Social is largely a question of commitment and team size. Buffer is the stronger option for solo users and small teams who want a free plan, month-to-month flexibility, and the full 11-platform list including Bluesky and Mastodon. Sked Social is the stronger option for agencies and multi-location brands that need a formal client approval portal and have the Accelerate budget for it — and its SOC 2 certification and 14-day no-card trial are genuine positives worth noting. The space between them is where most growing teams land: posting to many networks, needing a simple review step before publishing, and not wanting to pay per channel or commit to a four-figure annual plan just to get approvals. SocialKit's flat EUR plans cover that case — all 11 platforms, a Team approval flow at €49/month, and API + webhooks on every 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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