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Paid plans start at $5/mo. There's also a free plan.
Buffer starts at $0, with paid plans listed at $5 per channel per month for Essentials and $10 per channel per month for Team. Annual billing is $60 or $120 per channel, respectively; Buffer says that saves two months versus paying monthly. The catch is the pricing unit: each connected channel adds cost. Free caps you at three channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Essentials covers one channel per plan unit.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | solo users testing basic scheduling |
| Essentials | $5 | $5 | solo creators or freelancers needing unlimited posts |
| Team | $10 | $10 | teams needing approvals and unlimited seats |
Add-ons and overages
- Pricing scales per connected channel, so adding channels multiplies the per-plan cost
- Extra API keys and higher request limits are tied to plan tier, not sold separately
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
Channels multiply the bill
Essentials and Team are priced per channel. Each additional connected channel adds another $5 or $10 per month, depending on the plan.
Free has post limits
Free includes up to three channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. Posts are refillable, but the plan does not offer unlimited scheduling.
API limits vary by tier
Free includes one API key and 1,000 requests per channel monthly. Higher allowances depend on tier; extra keys and requests are not sold separately.
Annual billing is upfront
The listed annual costs are $60 per Essentials channel and $120 per Team channel, billed yearly. The pricing page pitches this as two months saved.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo users testing scheduling | Free | It costs $0 and includes three channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, one user, and 30-day analytics history. |
| Creators needing unlimited posts | Essentials | It includes unlimited scheduled posts and ideas, advanced analytics, and one user for $5 per channel monthly. |
| Teams needing approvals | Team | It includes unlimited team members, access levels, approval workflows, advanced analytics, and a community inbox for $10 per channel monthly. |
04Is Buffer worth the money?
Buffer is inexpensive for one account: Essentials is $5 per channel monthly, and Team is $10. The price gets harder to defend as you add channels across clients, because each one adds another plan unit. Free is useful for basic scheduling, but its three-channel and 10-post-per-channel limits are real constraints. We’d compare the total channel count—not just the advertised starting price—before moving a multi-client workflow.
Buffer pricing FAQ
What does being a Buffer mean?
If you mean Buffer the product, it is a social media workspace for scheduling, creating, and analyzing posts across platforms. “Being a buffer” is not a plan name or pricing term in Buffer’s listed plans. In general cost discussions, a buffer usually means a reserve or cushion for unexpected costs.
Is buffer.com free?
Yes. Buffer lists a Free plan at $0 per month. It includes up to three connected channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas, one user account, and 30-day analytics history. The plan has limits, so it is not the same as unlimited scheduling on Essentials or Team.
How much is a Buffer account?
Buffer lists Free at $0, Essentials at $5 per channel per month, and Team at $10 per channel per month. Annual billing is $60 per Essentials channel or $120 per Team channel. Because paid plans are priced per channel, the total depends on how many channels you connect.
What does “buffer” mean in the context of costing?
In ordinary cost discussions, a buffer is extra money set aside as a cushion for unexpected expenses. That is different from Buffer’s software pricing: its paid Essentials and Team plans charge per connected channel. The pricing details also list a 14-day free trial, but do not say which plan it applies to.