Pricing
Buffer Alternative: Per-Channel vs Bundle Pricing (2026)
By PostMediaAI6 min read
Buffer is one of the best-known schedulers, and its pricing is simple: you pay per connected channel. That is great when you run two or three accounts, and it adds up when you run ten. If you are searching for a Buffer alternative, the useful question is not "which tool is best" but "which pricing model fits how many channels I run and who needs access."
How Buffer pricing works (as of Nov 2026)
- Free: 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time (slots refill as posts publish), 100 ideas, 1 user, AI Assistant, insights with 30-day history, community inbox. The Free plan has a three-channel limit.
- Essentials: $5 per channel a month billed yearly ($60 a year per channel). Unlimited scheduled posts per channel (fair-use cap of 5,000 per channel), 1 user, advanced analytics, hashtag manager, first comment scheduling.
- Team: $10 per channel a month billed yearly ($120 a year per channel). Everything in Essentials plus unlimited team members, access levels, approval workflows and branded reports.
- Volume discount: channels 1 to 10 are billed at the standard rate and channels above 10 cost less each.
- Trial: 14 days on paid plans. Buffer also offers 50% off for nonprofits.
All of the above is from Buffer's own pricing page and FAQ (buffer.com/pricing), which says its pricing was last updated in November 2025.
How PostMediaAI pricing works
PostMediaAI sells four plans sized by channels, each with unlimited posts and the Advanced Picture Editor: Standard $9 a month for 5 channels (one person), Team $19 for 10 channels, Pro $29 for 30 channels and Ultimate $49 for 100 channels, with unlimited team members on Team, Pro and Ultimate. Yearly billing saves about 20%. There is no free plan or free trial listed, and you can cancel anytime from Billing (postmediaai.com/pricing, postmediaai.com/faq).
Cost examples: per-channel vs bundle pricing
The table uses yearly billing on both sides so the numbers are like for like. It is a list-price comparison only; your taxes and any discounts will differ.
Buffer vs PostMediaAI by setup
- 1 person, 3 channels, light use: buffer: Free plan: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user; postmediaai: No free plan; Standard $86/yr ($7.17/mo) for up to 5 channels
- 1 person, 5 channels: buffer: Essentials: 5 x $5 = $25/mo; postmediaai: Standard: $7.17/mo
- Team, 5 channels: buffer: Team: 5 x $10 = $50/mo, unlimited users; postmediaai: Team: $15.17/mo for up to 10 channels, unlimited members
- Team, 10 channels: buffer: Team: 10 x $10 = $100/mo; postmediaai: Team: $15.17/mo
- Team, 30 channels: buffer: Team: $10/channel for the first 10, lower per channel above 10 (see buffer.com/pricing); postmediaai: Pro: $23.17/mo
The pattern is simple. With very few channels and light posting, Buffer's free plan is hard to beat, and PostMediaAI does not try to compete there. As channel count or team size grows, a bundle with unlimited members usually costs less than paying per channel.
Where Buffer is the stronger fit
A fair comparison has to say what Buffer offers that PostMediaAI does not list. On Buffer's pricing page:
- A permanent free plan for up to 3 channels.
- A community inbox for replying to comments across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, X, TikTok, Google Business Profile, YouTube and Mastodon, with AI reply suggestions.
- Approval workflows and custom access permissions on Team.
- First comment scheduling, a hashtag manager, link shortening and a Start Page.
- An API with published limits, plus integrations such as Canva, Zapier, Make, n8n, Google Drive and WordPress.
- Branded, exportable reports on Team.
If your workflow depends on any of these, Buffer is likely the better tool for you, or you may run both for a while.
Where PostMediaAI is the stronger fit
- More channels for the money: 5 channels on Standard, 10 on Team, 30 on Pro and 100 on Ultimate.
- Unlimited team members from the $19 Team plan, without paying per channel for the team tier.
- AI drafting built around channels: give it a topic or a link and get a first draft for each channel, then rewrite with Shorter, More casual or For LinkedIn (postmediaai.com).
- Visual tools in the same app: AI images and short videos, cutting long videos into clips and the Advanced Picture Editor.
- A wide channel list: 35 listed channels, including networks Buffer does not list on its pricing page, such as Reddit, Discord, Slack, Telegram, Twitch, Kick, Medium, Dev.to and WordPress (postmediaai.com/faq, buffer.com/pricing).
How to decide in ten minutes
- Write down every account you post to. Each linked account or page is one channel on both tools.
- Count who needs to log in. If more than one person schedules posts, compare Buffer Team against PostMediaAI Team.
- Mark your must-have features: inbox replies, approvals, API, AI drafting, video clipping.
- Price both on the live pages for your channel count, not on a blog post (including this one).
- Pick the tool that covers your must-haves at the lowest cost, then move a single week of posts and see how it feels.
What counts as a channel on each tool
Both tools count the same way, which makes the maths easy. Buffer says a channel is one social account you connect, such as a single Instagram profile, Facebook page or LinkedIn page, so five brands with an Instagram and a Facebook page each are 10 channels (buffer.com/pricing). PostMediaAI says every linked account or page uses one slot, so three Facebook Pages use three slots (postmediaai.com/faq).
The difference is what happens when you add one more account. On Buffer, each extra channel adds to the monthly bill. On PostMediaAI, extra accounts are free until you fill the bundle, then you move up a plan: 5 to 10 channels is $9 to $19 a month, 10 to 30 is $19 to $29 and 30 to 100 is $29 to $49 (postmediaai.com/pricing). If you need more than 100, PostMediaAI asks you to email support@postmediaai.com.
For the process side, our guides on scheduling social media posts and automating posting walk through a weekly batching routine that works in either tool. To compare more options, see our guide to the best auto posting apps.
FAQ
Is there a cheaper alternative to Buffer?
It depends on your channel count. For 1 to 3 channels, Buffer's free plan costs nothing. For 5 channels on yearly billing, Buffer Essentials is $25 a month and PostMediaAI Standard is $7.17 a month (buffer.com/pricing, postmediaai.com/pricing). Check both pages for your exact setup.
Are there free alternatives to Buffer?
Several schedulers publish free plans with limits. PostMediaAI does not offer a free plan, so if free is the requirement, start with Buffer's own Free plan.
Does Buffer charge per user?
Free and Essentials include 1 user. Team includes unlimited team members and is priced per channel (buffer.com/pricing).
Can I move my scheduled posts from Buffer to PostMediaAI?
PostMediaAI's FAQ describes switching as connecting your channels and recreating your upcoming posts, and suggests keeping your old tool running until you are ready to switch over (postmediaai.com/faq). It does not list an import tool.
Related guides: Hootsuite Alternative for Small Teams: What Changes (2026) and Later Alternative for Every Channel, Not Just Visual Ones.
Sources
Competitor details below were read on each vendor's own pricing or product page on 1 November 2026. Plans change often, so check the live page before you buy.