Publer vs Buffer: which free social media scheduler is better for beginners?
Use Buffer if you post to 1 to 3 accounts and want the simplest queue. Use Publer if you want more on the free plan, including drafts, a link-in-bio page, Canva, and a photo editor, and you plan to grow into bulk scheduling or recycling. Publer's free plan cannot connect X. Buffer's channel list includes X profiles, and its pricing page does not say Free excludes X. Confirm that on Buffer before you rely on it. A scheduler does not get followers.
Checked October 2026.
| Publer | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pick it when | You want drafts, a link-in-bio page, Canva, and a photo editor on the free plan, and you can wait on X until you pay. | You post to a few accounts and want a simple queue. Confirm whether Free includes X before you count on it. |
| What it does | Schedules social posts and includes an AI assistant for writing them. | Schedules posts to social accounts and includes an AI assistant for draft ideas. |
| Who it is for | People who want a scheduler with a free starting plan and can live with its account limits. | People posting to one or two accounts who want a queue instead of posting live every time. |
| Free plan | Free forever: 1 user, 1 workspace, and 3 social accounts. X is not allowed. It includes 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 saved drafts, 24-hour post history, a link-in-bio page, Canva, and a photo editor. | The free plan includes 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas, 1 user, the AI Assistant, and 30 days of insights history. A FAQ on the pricing page mentions a 3-channel limit on Free. |
| Price we checked | See pricing. Professional, Business, and Enterprise are priced per social account. Yearly billing is described as 2 months free. Checked 2026-10-16 at https://publer.com/plans. | Essentials is $5 a month per channel, with $60 billed yearly. Team is $10 a month per channel, with $120 billed yearly, unlimited team members, and approval workflows. Paid plans offer a 14-day trial. Checked 2026-10-16 at https://buffer.com/pricing. |
| The catch | X needs a paid plan. Pinterest on the free plan needs 100 or more followers, or a claimed site. The price rises with each account. | The price is per channel. The cards say yearly billing saves 2 months. A FAQ on the same page says a 20% discount. Confirm which line applies before you pay. |
Also read
Questions
- Can Publer's free plan connect X?
- No. X needs a paid plan.
- Does Buffer's free plan include X?
- Buffer's channel list includes X profiles, and the pricing page does not say Free excludes X. Confirm that on Buffer before you rely on it.
- How much does Publer cost?
- See pricing. Professional, Business, and Enterprise are priced per social account. Open https://publer.com/plans. The Publer listing on this site still has an older paid note from 2026-10-15. This page does not repeat that number.
- Why do Buffer's yearly discounts disagree?
- The cards say yearly billing saves 2 months. A FAQ says a 20% discount. Read both before you pay. Essentials is $5 a month per channel ($60 billed yearly). Team is $10 a month per channel ($120 billed yearly).
- Which Visit link is an affiliate link?
- Publer. Buffer's button goes to the official site, and the full listing is on this site. The order is the pair in the title, not a commission rank.