Buffer 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.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Later | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | 7 of 11Also supports: Snapchat | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | No | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | No | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $5/mo per channel (Essentials)Free plan: up to 3 channels | $25/mo (Starter, 1 social set)Lists at $18.75/mo billed annually (June 2026) | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Per “social set” — extra sets, users, and AI credits are paid add-ons | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 1 social set (8 profiles) on Starter2 sets (16 profiles) on Growth · 6 sets (48) on Scale | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | 14 days (no free plan) | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | 30/profile/mo on Starter · 180 on GrowthUnlimited only on Scale ($110/mo) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | Yes | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Visual calendar + Instagram grid preview | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | Metered credits: 5/mo on Starter50/mo on Growth · 100/mo on Scale; extra credits are paid add-ons | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Not itemizedNot detailed on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | No X, Bluesky, or Mastodon to thread onLater ended X support Aug 28, 2025 | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Hashtag suggestionsUsers report on G2 the hashtag tools feel limited | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | 1 on Starter · 2 on Growth · 4 on ScaleExtra users are paid add-ons | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Up to 3 months history on Starter1 year on Growth · 2 years on Scale | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Not listedNo public API or webhooks shown on Later’s pricing page (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Help centerSupport tiers not detailed on the pricing page (June 2026) | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Instagram-first visual planning and influencer campaigns | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Later 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.
One social set = up to 8 profiles, 1 user, 30 posts per profile/month, 5 AI credits, 3 months of analytics history. Lists at $18.75/month billed annually. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Later 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
Pick by where you post. Buffer is the better of the two for breadth: it covers all 11 major platforms — including X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Google Business, which Later does not — and its free plan is honest value at 1–3 channels. Later is the better of the two for Instagram-first visual planning, Snapchat, and creator campaigns. The catch is what each costs at full stretch: Buffer meters every connected channel at $5–$10/month, while Later meters posts, AI credits, and social sets, with extras sold as paid add-ons (both as of June 2026). That squeeze is exactly the case SocialKit is built for — all 11 platforms and unlimited scheduled posts on one flat EUR plan, approvals on a flat €49/month Team plan, API + webhooks on every tier, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on top of the trial.
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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