Buffer and Vista Social sit at opposite ends of the small-business market. Buffer is a per-channel workspace for creators — start free with 3 channels, then pay $5–10/month for each one you add. Vista Social is a team-first all-in-one suite whose cheapest plan bundles 15 profiles and 3 user seats at $79/month, with a unified inbox, review management, and listening built in (as of June 2026). This page compares the two honestly — pricing models, platforms, and the X (Twitter) add-on — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, fits the solo users and small teams caught between them.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Vista Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | 10 of 11Also supports: Snapchat, Reddit | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes | 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 | $79/mo (Professional)$64/mo billed annually ($758/year, 20% off) — verified June 10, 2026 | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Team-tier plans — 15 profiles & 3 seats bundled at entryX (Twitter), full listening & advocacy listed as 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 | 15 on Professional · 30 on Advanced · 70 on Scale | 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 the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | Unlimited on all plansPer the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | Not listedNot itemized on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | “Customize posts per profile” on all plansItemized in their plan comparison table (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot itemized on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Calendar view on all plansItemized in their plan comparison table (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | 2,500 AI credits/mo on Professional · 10,000 on Advanced | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Media library + drafts on all plans | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | 3 on Professional · 6 on Advanced · 10 on Scale | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Team workflows marketedPlan-level gating not itemized on their pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on the Vista Social pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Basic reporting on all plans (social, post & web) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Not listedNo API row on their pricing page; Zapier/Make/MCP integrations listed from Advanced ($149/mo) (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Not listedSupport tiers not itemized on their pricing page (June 2026) | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Mid-size teams & agencies that want inbox, listening & advocacy in one suite | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Vista 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.
$64/month billed annually — $758/year, 20% off. Bundles 15 profiles & 3 users; X (Twitter) listed as a +$29/month add-on; full social listening +$75/month. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
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Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Vista 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
Pick by team size. Buffer is the better of the two for solo creators with a handful of channels — free to start, cheap at one or two networks, and it covers every major platform including Mastodon. Vista Social is the better of the two for genuine multi-person teams that will use the bundled seats, inbox, and review tools — its $79/month Professional bundle is coherent for a team of three, less so for a team of one. Most creators and small teams live between those poles: more channels than Buffer’s meter forgives, fewer people than Vista Social’s bundles assume. That middle is what SocialKit is priced for — all 11 platforms with X and Mastodon included, 15 accounts on a flat €29/month Solo plan, approvals on a flat €49/month Team plan, 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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