# Buffer Pricing 2026: Every Plan, and What 5 to 40 Channels Cost

> Buffer starts at $5 a month per channel. Every plan, the free plan, and what 5, 10, 20 and 40 channels really cost. Checked November 2026.

Canonical: https://tesselith.com/blog/buffer-pricing
Last updated: 2026-11-04

**Buffer's paid plans start at $5 a month per channel, billed annually.** There's a free plan (3 channels). Buffer charges per connected channel, so the bill grows with every account you add. For 10 channels and one person, the cheapest Buffer plan costs $50 a month. Prices checked November 2026 on Buffer's own pricing page.

**Key takeaways**
- Entry price: $5 a month per channel (annual billing).
- Free plan: Yes, 3 channels.
- Charges per channel.
- 10 channels, 1 user: $50 a month.
- The median entry plan across 11 schedulers is $20 a month.

## Buffer plans and prices

| Plan | Price | What's included |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0 | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user |
| Essentials | $5 / channel / mo | Unlimited posts, 1 user, no approvals |
| Team | $10 / channel / mo | Unlimited users, approval workflows, branded reports |

Source: [Buffer's pricing page](https://buffer.com/pricing), checked November 2026. Prices are in US dollars, on annual billing where Buffer offers it, before tax and add-ons.

## What Buffer costs for 5, 10, 20 and 40 channels

| Channels | Buffer, 1 user |
| --- | --- |
| 5 | $25 / mo |
| 10 | $50 / mo |
| 20 | $100 / mo |
| 40 | $200 / mo |

The cheapest published Buffer plan that covers each number of connected accounts. "Not published" means no listed plan states a limit that high.

## How Buffer charges

Buffer is known for a calm, uncluttered scheduler built around a posting queue, with a free plan for up to 3 channels. Paid plans are priced per channel, so the cost grows with every account you connect. Approval workflows are part of its Team plan.

## Why people look for a Buffer alternative

- Per-channel pricing means the bill grows with every account you connect.
- Approval workflows sit on the Team plan, at $10 per channel a month.
- They need Telegram channels on the same calendar as everything else.

## How Buffer's price compares

Across the 11 schedulers in our [pricing study](https://tesselith.com/research/social-media-scheduler-pricing), entry plans cost $5 to $99 a month, with a median of $20. Buffer's entry plan is below the median, but that's per channel. At 10 channels, Tesselith ($35), Later ($37.50), SocialBee ($40), Loomly ($49) cost less.

[Compare Buffer alternatives side by side](https://tesselith.com/alternatives/buffer)

## Questions people ask

### How much does Buffer cost?

Buffer's paid plans start at $5 a month per channel on annual billing (checked November 2026). 10 channels for one person cost $50 a month.

### Does Buffer have a free plan?

Yes: 3 channels.

### Does Buffer charge per user or per channel?

Buffer charges per connected channel, so the bill grows with every account you add.

### What's a cheaper alternative to Buffer?

For 10 channels and one user, Tesselith costs $35, Later costs $37.50, SocialBee costs $40, Loomly costs $49 a month, against $50 for Buffer. (Tesselith publishes this comparison.)

---
Tesselith · https://tesselith.com · Full site index: https://tesselith.com/llms.txt