Buffer and Zoho Social are both well-established schedulers with free plans and full coverage of the 11 major platforms — but they monetize growth very differently. Buffer charges per connected channel: $5/month per channel on Essentials, $10/month per channel on Team (as of June 2026), so the bill scales with every account you add. Zoho Social charges per brand and per seat: Standard lists at $15/month ($10/month billed annually) for one brand and one user, with extra teammates and brands as paid add-ons or a step up to the $65/month Premium or $320/month Agency tiers. Zoho also integrates natively with Zoho CRM and Desk — genuine value if your business runs on Zoho, less relevant if it doesn't. SocialKit offers a third model: all 11 platforms on a flat EUR plan, no per-channel or per-seat mathematics, from €29/month.
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Zoho Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | All 11Also supports: Telegram, WhatsApp | 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 | $15/mo (Standard — 1 brand, 1 user)$10/mo billed annually · forever-free plan available | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Per brand + per seat — extra members and brands are paid add-ons or higher tiers | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 1 brand on Standard & ProfessionalFree plan: 1 brand, 6 channels (June 2026) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | 15 days, no card (then limited free plan) | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | NoNone listed on zoho.com/social pricing (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | UnlimitedPer Zoho’s own comparison pages (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | SmartQ predictions | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | Not listedSmartQ covers best-time only; a writing assistant is not shown on the pages we reviewed (June 2026) | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | 1 on Standard/Professional · 3 on PremiumExtra members listed at about $11.50/member/mo (June 2026) | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Not listed by planPlan gating not shown clearly on the pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Deeper analytics on higher tiersUsers report analytics-depth limits on basic plans (G2/Capterra) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Not listedNot shown on the Zoho Social pricing page (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Varies by planUsers report slow support responses on G2/Capterra | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Solo, single-brand users already inside the Zoho suite | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Zoho 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.
$10/month billed annually. Extra members are listed by third parties at about $11.50/member/month; Premium is $65/month (1 brand, 3 members) and Agency starts at $320/month. USD prices as of June 2026 — Zoho adjusts by region.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Zoho 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
Buffer and Zoho Social are both legitimate schedulers with free plans and full 11-platform coverage, but they suit different situations. Buffer is the better standalone choice for a creator or small team that wants a clean, no-ecosystem-required scheduler at per-channel rates, especially if they manage only a handful of accounts. Zoho Social is the better choice if your business already runs on Zoho — the CRM and Desk integration is real value — or if you need a genuinely cheap single-brand paid tier, or if Telegram and WhatsApp matter to your audience. Neither is a flat deal once your team grows: Buffer's per-channel rate and Zoho's per-seat add-ons both compound. SocialKit's flat EUR plans — all 11 platforms, approval workflows at €49/month, API + webhooks on every plan, and a 7-day money-back guarantee — are built for exactly the moment that compounding starts.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
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.
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
The full head-to-head: every feature, platform, and price compared with Buffer.
SocialKit vs Zoho SocialThe full head-to-head: every feature, platform, and price compared with Zoho Social.
Best Buffer alternativesSwitching away from Buffer? The honest list of tools worth a look.
Best Zoho Social alternativesSwitching away from Zoho Social? The honest list of tools worth a look.
Buffer vs HootsuiteBuffer and Hootsuite are the two most recognized names in social media management — and they sit at opposite ends of the market. Buffer is a clean, per-channel workspace built for creators and small businesses, with a genuinely useful free plan. Hootsuite is an enterprise social intelligence platform priced per seat, with listening and advocacy tooling most small teams never open. This page compares the two honestly — pricing, platforms, and team features as of June 2026 — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, undercuts them both on flat EUR pricing.
Buffer vs LaterBuffer and Later are two of the most popular schedulers for creators and small businesses — and they have grown in opposite directions. Buffer stayed focused on broad, simple publishing: all 11 major platforms, a genuinely useful free plan, and per-channel pricing. Later doubled down on Instagram-first visual planning and influencer marketing, ending X support in 2025 along the way. This page compares the two honestly — platforms, pricing models, and publishing limits as of June 2026 — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, beats them both on flat EUR pricing.