Buffer
Schedules social posts and drafts the variations for each platform
buffer.com Free tier Checked 30 August 2026
- Price
- From $5 per month
- Not priced in pounds
- Trains on your data
- Vendor does not publish it
- Where data is processed
- Not published
- Data processing agreement
- Not published
- Setup
- Minutes
- Skill needed
- Anyone
What is Buffer?
Queue posts across LinkedIn, X, Instagram and the rest from one place, with an AI assistant that rewrites a single idea into the shape each platform wants. Modest, cheap, and does what it says.
The value is consistency, not cleverness. A business that posts weekly for a year beats one that posts daily for a fortnight and stops, and a queue is what makes the first one survivable.
The AI variations are worth using as a starting point and not as output. Posted unedited across three platforms, they read exactly like what they are.
What does Buffer cost in the UK?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel (refillable), 100 ideas, AI assistant. |
| Essentials | $5/month billed annually ($60/year) | Unlimited scheduling, advanced analytics, hashtag manager. Monthly billing is about 20% more. |
| Team | $10/month billed annually ($120/year) | Unlimited team members, approval workflows, branded reports. |
What the free tier actually gets you
Free plan connects up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, refillable, plus the AI assistant. Workable for a small business posting a few times a week.
What to watch on the price
Essentials is $5 a month billed annually ($60 a year). The page states annual billing is about 20% cheaper than monthly, so month-to-month is higher. Priced in US dollars. Read 29 August 2026.
Does Buffer train AI models on your data?
Vendor does not publish it
Read Buffer's privacy policy on 30 August 2026. The word "train" does not appear anywhere in it, so there is no published position either way.
The rest of the data position
- Where data is processed: Not published
- Data processing agreement: Not published
What do people use Buffer for?
- Post consistently without being on social media all day
- Turn one idea into a LinkedIn post and a thread
- Keep a channel alive during a busy week
What does Buffer connect to?
- X
- TikTok
- Zapier
Where does Buffer fall short?
- Analytics are thin compared with dedicated social tools
- The AI rewrites are serviceable rather than good, and read as generic if you post them unedited
- Priced in US dollars
Who is Buffer for?
A good fit for
- Sole traders
- Local businesses
- Anyone posting on more than one platform
Not for
- Businesses that need deep social analytics — the reporting is thin next to dedicated tools
- Anyone hoping the AI will write posts worth reading without editing them
The Torus verdict on Buffer
The free tier is the right starting point for a small business, and the paid step is small. Write the posts yourself and use the tool for scheduling.
What are the alternatives to Buffer?
Others in marketing, with what each one is for.
- Brevo See vendor pricing Email, SMS and chat from a French vendor, priced by sends not contacts
- Copy.ai from $1/mo Go-to-market copy and workflows, aimed at sales as much as marketing
- Jasper from $59/user/mo Marketing copy at volume, with a brand voice you configure once
- Mailchimp from £9/mo Email marketing with AI that writes and times the sends