Does Buffer have an API?

Not one you'd actually build on today. There's a legacy API left over from earlier versions, but it isn't suitable for modern programmatic posting.

How much does Buffer cost for 50 channels?

$250/month at $5 per channel. That linear curve is the reason Buffer stops being cheap once you're past a handful of accounts.

Is the free plan still worth it?

Yes, for three channels and manual scheduling. It remains one of the cleanest free experiences in this category.

What are the best Buffer alternatives?

Publer if you want more automation at the same price, Metricool for stronger analytics, and Zernio when you actually need an API.

dashboard

4.5

Buffer Review (2026): Pricing, API Limits & Alternatives

Last fact-check: July 2026

Our hands-on Buffer review — pricing, API limits and the best alternatives, updated July 2026.

from$5/moVisit Buffer Compare alternatives

Quick facts

Starting price	$5 / channel
Pricing model	per channel
API included?	No (n/a)
Rate limit	limited
Platforms supported	10
Max video size	1 GB
Media processing	—
Free plan	Yes
Plan notes	25% recurring 12 months

Who is Buffer for?

Solo creators and small teams that schedule by hand and care more about UI than depth.

Buffer is easy to like. The product is tidy, the free plan still matters, and solo users can get value quickly. But for this site's audience, the catch is obvious: at $5 per channel the pricing scales linearly, and the public API doesn't hold up if you need real programmatic publishing in 2026.

Clean scheduling UI, generous free plan, and almost no reason to buy it for API work.

How Buffer's pricing works

Buffer uses a per channel pricing model starting at $5 per channel.

Channels	Starting price	Quick facts
3	$15/mo	per channel
10	$50/mo	per channel
20	$100/mo	per channel
50	$250/mo	per channel

At 20 social accounts you pay roughly $100/mo.

API & developer experience

API included	No
Rate limit	limited
MCP server	No
SDKs	—
Platforms	Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Mastodon, Bluesky

Media handling

Max video size	1 GB
FFmpeg	No
Media processing	No
Resumable upload	No

Pros

The free plan for 3 channels is still useful
Fast, uncluttered scheduling flow
Good mobile experience

Cons

No proper public posting API
At 50 channels, the math gets ugly fast

Top alternatives

Metricool

4.6

from$20/mo

Strong free plan, serious reporting, and a paid upgrade path that makes sense for agencies.

One of the few free plans that feels complete
Analytics depth is ahead of Buffer and Publer
Per-brand pricing works well for agencies

Visit site Read review

Publer

4.5

from$5/mo

Feature-heavy scheduler with AI, RSS, and an API that only starts to make sense on Business.

Same basic price band as Buffer, with more automation
RSS and Spintax still stand out in 2026
Good fit for content-heavy teams