Buffer and Tailwind approach social media from completely different directions. Buffer is an all-network scheduler covering all 11 major platforms — including TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Google Business — with a free-forever plan and per-channel pricing built for creators who post everywhere. Tailwind is a Pinterest-first specialist: deeply integrated with the Pinterest ecosystem since 2012, built for bloggers, content creators, and e-commerce sellers who drive traffic through pins, and designed to publish to Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. Both offer free tiers; neither charges a flat EUR price across all networks. For anyone who publishes to more than those three platforms — or wants unlimited posts and multiple accounts on one predictable bill — SocialKit covers all 11 on a 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 | Tailwind | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | 3 of 11 | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | No | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | No | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | No | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $5/mo per channel (Essentials)Free plan: up to 3 channels | Pro lists at $29.99/mo ($17.99/mo billed annually)Free Forever plan also available; frequent % discounts (June 2026) | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Tiered plans metered by posts/month and AI credits | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 1 on Pro · 3 on MaxPer Tailwind’s pricing-overview page (June 2026) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | Free Forever plan (1 account, 5 posts/mo)No time-limited full trial listed on its pricing pages (June 2026) | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | NoNone listed on tailwindapp.com pricing (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | 150/mo on Pro · unlimited on MaxPer Tailwind’s pricing-overview page (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | SmartSchedule (auto-optimal times) | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Within its 3 networksCross-posting covers Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Tailwind’s pricing pages (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | Ghostwriter AI (metered credits) | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Pin design templates (capped designs/mo by plan) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Not listedNot shown on Tailwind’s pricing pages (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | NoTailwind does not publish to X, Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Not listedPinterest keyword/SEO tools instead (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | 1 on Pro · 5 on MaxPer Tailwind’s pricing-overview page (June 2026) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Not listedNot shown on Tailwind’s pricing pages (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Tailwind’s pricing pages (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Pinterest-focused (Pin, board & profile insights) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Not listedNo public API/webhooks shown on its pricing pages (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Email + chat, US-based team | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Pinterest-first bloggers and e-commerce sellers | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Tailwind 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.
Lists at $17.99/month billed annually, with 150 posts/month and 1 user. Max lists at $99.99/month ($49.99/month annually) and still includes only 3 social accounts. Posting and AI tools pause when plan limits are hit, per Tailwind’s FAQ. Tailwind runs frequent discounts — figures as of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Tailwind 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
Buffer and Tailwind are tools that solve genuinely different problems, and the honest comparison is almost a category comparison rather than a feature comparison. Buffer is an all-network publishing platform: 11 platforms, a solid free tier, per-channel pricing, and a long track record. Tailwind is a Pinterest growth engine: SmartSchedule, Communities, keyword and SEO tools, and a Free Forever plan — all purpose-built for the Pinterest loop that bloggers and e-commerce sellers depend on. If Pinterest is the whole game, Tailwind earns its place; if you publish anywhere else, you need another tool alongside it. SocialKit covers all 11 platforms — the three Tailwind handles plus the eight it doesn't — on a flat EUR plan with unlimited posts, 15 accounts on Solo, a 7-day trial, and a 7-day money-back guarantee.
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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