Buffer Alternatives (2026): 5 Options That Don't Charge per Channel

How Buffer's pricing works

Buffer's free plan lets you connect up to 3 channels and schedule up to 10 posts per channel at a time. It's one user, with 30 days of analytics history.

Paid plans are priced per channel. Essentials costs $5 per channel per month and Team costs $10 per channel per month. A business connecting Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube pays $25 a month on Essentials, but Essentials is single user. To add a teammate or get client approvals you need Team, where the same five channels cost $50 a month.

Why people look for alternatives

• Every new channel raises the bill, which adds up fast for agencies and anyone running several brands.
• Ten scheduled posts per channel on the free plan only covers a few days for a business that posts regularly.
• Team workflows and approvals are only on the top plan.

1. Metricool

A good fit if analytics and reports matter to you. Pricing is per brand, not per channel, so all of a brand's accounts are covered by one price. The free plan includes 1 brand and 20 scheduled posts a month, but you can't connect LinkedIn or X. Starter begins at $20 a month billed yearly and covers up to 5 brands. Team and approval features are on Advanced, from $53 a month billed yearly.

2. Later

Suits visual brands that work mostly on Instagram and TikTok. There's no free plan, but there is a 14-day trial. Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly, for one user and up to 8 profiles, with a cap of 30 posts per profile per month. Approvals and a shared inbox come with Growth at $37.50 a month billed yearly.

3. Meta Business Suite

If you only use Facebook and Instagram, it's free and often enough. You can schedule posts and Reels and see messages and insights in one place. It doesn't connect TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube or Pinterest, so you'll need a second tool for those.

4. Hootsuite

Built for large teams and enterprises, with brand monitoring, an advanced inbox and detailed reports on top of scheduling. There's no free plan; there's a 14-day trial and pricing starts at $99 per user. It costs more than Buffer, and teams choose it for the extra features and team management.

5. IZY Social

Our own tool, built for small businesses and agencies. Pricing is per plan, not per channel: the Business plan connects Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, and the Corporate Brand plan connects all 8 platforms. The business plan is $49 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly. AI writes posts in your brand's voice, and agencies get a panel that keeps each client separate with one-link approvals. The 14-day trial needs no card. Plan details are on the pricing page.

Which one should you pick?

• Only on Facebook and Instagram? Try Meta Business Suite first.
• Few channels and working solo? Buffer's paid plan may still be the cheapest.
• Several brands and reporting matters? Look at Metricool.
• Lots of channels, or an agency with clients to approve? Try IZY Social.
• A big team with enterprise needs? Hootsuite or a similar enterprise tool fits better.

Overlap for a month. Keep Buffer running while you test the new tool, and cancel once your scheduled posts are set up again.