Getting Started with Buffer Tutorial
Published by BufferWatch on YouTube
Buffer
Simple scheduling priced per channel
- Buffer, Inc. · United States
- Since 2010
Key takeaways
from our research
Per-channel pricing with unlimited users — a founder with three profiles pays $18
Fewest failed posts of any tool in our 30-day publishing test
Free tier genuinely usable for one person and three channels
Analytics and inbox are deliberately shallow; no social listening at all
Our verdict
Updated Aug 25, 2026Fact-checked Jul 15, 2026
Buffer wins on the two things most small teams actually need: it is easy, and it is cheap in the way small teams need cheap. At $6 per channel per month with unlimited users, a founder with three profiles pays $18 — against $99 or more from the seat-priced incumbents for the same workload. That model alone decides the purchase for a large share of this market.
The product matches the pricing philosophy. The calendar is uncluttered, scheduling works reliably across networks, the AI assistant produces usable variations of a post for different platforms, and the free tier genuinely works for one person managing three channels. In our 30-day publishing test it had the fewest failed posts of any tool here.
The trade is depth. Analytics answer what performed well and stop short of the cross-network attribution and competitor benchmarking that Sprout or Metricool provide. The engagement inbox is basic — fine for a few comments a day, inadequate for social customer service. Social listening is absent entirely.
Our guidance: the default for solo creators, small businesses and teams whose social job is consistent publishing. Move to Metricool if you want serious analytics on a budget, or Sprout if reporting and inbox volume justify the step up.
Written by Maya Krishnan · Edited by Daniel Ross
Recognitions
Awards Buffer has earned
- Easiest to Use 2026Social Media Management
- Category Leader 2026Social Media Management
Ratings
Loved by 100% of reviewers
First-party reviews, individually moderated before publication.
Pros & cons
Where Buffer shines — and where it doesn't
What users love
- Simplicity52
- Per-channel pricing46
Where it falls short
- Shallow analytics38
- Basic inbox27
Themes generated from 3 verified reviews, updated monthly
Head to head
Buffer vs Metricool at a glance
BufferRating
4.5(3)
4.5(3)
Starting price
$5/mo
$18/mo
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Alternatives
Top Buffer alternatives
The closest fits based on category, feature overlap, and reviewer demand.
Videos
Watch Buffer in action
Product walkthroughs published on Buffer's own YouTube channel — so you see the real interface, not a reenactment.
How to Use Buffer in 2 Minutes | 2026 Quick-start Guide ⚡️
Published by BufferWatch on YouTube
Capabilities
Key features
What Buffer does — and doesn't — cover, checked against the category feature vocabulary.
Publishing
- Included:Approval workflowsRoute posts for internal or client sign-off before they publish.
- Included:Bulk schedulingUpload many posts at once from a spreadsheet or media batch.
- Included:Instagram first commentAutomatically posts hashtags or links as the first comment.
- Included:Link-in-bio pageHosted landing page linking profile traffic to your content and products.
- Included:Multi-network schedulingQueue posts across every connected network from one calendar.
- Included:Reels & TikTok publishingDirect publishing of short-form video rather than a push notification reminder.
- Included:Visual content calendarDrag-and-drop calendar showing the published grid as followers will see it.
Engagement
- Included:Saved replies & automationCanned responses and rules for routine comment and message handling.
- Not included:Social listeningMonitors mentions and keywords beyond your own accounts.
- Included:Unified inboxComments and messages from every network in one queue with assignment.
Measurement
- Not included:Competitor benchmarkingCompare your performance against named competitor accounts.
- Included:Cross-network analyticsPerformance across every network in one comparable view.
- Not included:Paid & organic togetherAd performance alongside organic in the same reporting view.
- Included:Scheduled client reportsBranded reports generated and emailed on a schedule.
Pricing
Buffer pricing
Buffer's paid plans start at $5/month — below the $18 median of the 5 Social Media Management tools we track. A free plan is available, and you can test it on a 14-day free trial.
Value for money 4.3/5Free
$0
Free forever
- Three connected channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
- Basic publishing calendar
- Link-in-bio page
- AI assistant with limits
Essentials
$5/mo
per channel, per month
or $6/mo billed monthly
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- Full analytics and reporting
- Engagement inbox
- AI assistant
- Unlimited team members
Most popularVisit website
Team
$10/mo
per channel, per month
or $12/mo billed monthly
Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Draft approval workflows
- Unlimited team members with permissions
- Post-level collaboration
- Client access controls
Agency
$100/mo
per month, 10 channels
or $120/mo billed monthly
Everything in Team, plus:
- 10 channels included
- Additional channels at a lower rate
- Client reporting
- Priority support
Pricing fact-checked August 25, 2026 · source: vendor pricing page · see the full breakdown
Ecosystem
Integrates with 5+ tools
Fit check
Will Buffer fit your team?
Support
- Email support
- Knowledge base
Training
- Documentation
- Video tutorials
- Webinars
Deployment
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Typical users
- Freelancers
- Small businesses
- Mid-size companies
Reviews
What real users say
First-party, moderated reviews — never scraped, never paid for.
Isabella R.
Founder · E-commerce · Self-employed
5.0
July 16, 2026
“Eighteen dollars against ninety-nine for the same job”
Used daily for 1–2 years
I run three profiles for my studio. Every seat-priced tool quoted me around a hundred a month for one user. Buffer charges by channel, so I pay eighteen and the product is simpler than the ones I did not buy.
Lucas M.
Growth Lead · SaaS · 1–10 employees
4.5
May 30, 2026
“Publishing has never failed us”
Used daily for 2+ years
We schedule roughly 200 posts a month across six networks. In a year I recall two failures, both token expiry, both flagged clearly. Other tools I have used silently dropped posts, which is far worse.
Amara O.Validated Reviewer
Marketing Director · E-commerce · 51–200 employees
4.0
April 22, 2026
“Outgrew it when social support arrived”
Used daily for 1–2 years
Fine while social was broadcast. Once customers started asking questions in comments, the inbox could not cope — no assignment, no SLA, no way to know who had replied. Moved the inbox to Sprout and kept Buffer for publishing.
Sources & methodology
Product information sourced from Buffer, Inc.'s public content (United States); pricing verified August 25, 2026. Reviews are first-party and moderated. How we test and rate tools
- Founded 2010
- 1 language supported
- buffer.com