Buffer alternatives, compared on price and fit
Four tools whose pricing we have checked on their own pricing pages, what each adds or lacks compared with Buffer, and how to move your accounts over.
The Buffer alternatives with verified pricing are Hootsuite, Sprout Social, SocialBee and Orbin. If Buffer’s per-channel price is adding up, SocialBee and Orbin charge a flat price per workspace. If you have outgrown it and need monitoring or a fuller inbox, Hootsuite and Sprout Social cover that at per-user prices. None of the four has a free plan.
Orbin is our product. We list it first and say plainly where another tool is the better fit.
Why look for a Buffer alternative?
- Buffer is priced per channel. On the Team plan, 10 channels cost $100 a month and 25 cost $250, billed annually.
- The free plan is limited to 3 channels, one user and 10 scheduled posts per channel, and Essentials is for one user.
- Its pricing page lists an AI Assistant, but not an Autopilot that drafts posts for you or a prediction of how a post will perform.
- If you need brand monitoring or social listening, it is not part of what Buffer’s plans are built around.
4 Buffer alternatives with verified pricing
Prices are the cheapest listed plan for 3 people managing 10 channels, per month billed annually.
1. Orbin(our product)
$39 / month$61 a month less than Buffer
One price per workspace
- Best for
- Growing teams whose Buffer bill rises with each channel. Orbin charges one price per workspace (10 profiles and 3 team members on Professional) and adds Autopilot, AI comment replies and engagement prediction.
- Keep in mind
- Orbin has no free plan and no shared inbox, both of which Buffer has. It publishes to Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn; Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads are coming soon.
2. SocialBee
$82 / month$18 a month less than Buffer
Per workspace, with profile and user limits
- Best for
- People who want a flat price with plenty of profiles, category-based posting and unlimited AI content generation.
- Keep in mind
- Bootstrap and Accelerate list one user per workspace, so a team needs Pro, which lists 3.
3. Hootsuite
$297 / month
Per user
- Best for
- Teams who have outgrown scheduling alone and need one inbox for messages, brand and competitor monitoring, and inbox automation.
- Keep in mind
- It is priced per user, from a much higher starting price than Buffer, so it costs more for almost any team.
4. Sprout Social
$897 / month
Per seat
- Best for
- Teams who need a consolidated inbox, social listening, review management and customer care reporting.
- Keep in mind
- It is priced per seat, with the highest starting price of the tools here.
Buffer itself: $100 a month for 3 people managing 10 channels. Try your own numbers in the pricing calculator →
How to switch from Buffer to Orbin
- 1
List what you run today
Write down the accounts connected to Buffer, the posts already scheduled, and who on your team needs access.
- 2
Keep the posts you want
There is no automatic import from Buffer, so copy the scheduled posts you want to keep, or export them if Buffer offers an export.
- 3
Connect your accounts
Start a trial and connect each network through its own login screen. It takes a few minutes per network.
- 4
Rebuild the schedule
Re-add the posts you kept, or let Autopilot draft the next week from your website for you to review.
- 5
Bring the team over
Invite teammates by email with the Admin, Member or Viewer role.
- 6
Wind down Buffer
Once your last post scheduled in Buffer has gone out, cancel or downgrade it so nothing is published twice. Buffer charges per channel, so disconnect each channel from Buffer once it is connected and scheduling in the new tool, to stop paying for it twice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Buffer alternative for many channels?+
For a team of 3 managing 10 channels, the cheapest listed plans billed annually are $39 a month on Orbin and $82 on SocialBee, compared with $100 on Buffer Team. Hootsuite and Sprout Social cost more because they charge per user. Use the pricing calculator for your own numbers.
Is there a free alternative to Buffer?+
None of the four tools here has a free plan; Buffer is the one that does. Orbin, SocialBee and Hootsuite offer 14-day free trials, and Sprout Social offers 30 days.
Which Buffer alternative is best for AI content?+
It depends on the kind of help you want. SocialBee lists unlimited AI content generation on every plan. Orbin drafts weekly posts from your website with Autopilot, drafts replies to Facebook and Instagram comments, and scores a draft before you post, with a review step on by default.
Why does this page list only four tools?+
We list only tools whose prices we have checked on their own pricing pages. There are other good schedulers, and we will add them once we have verified their plans rather than repeat figures we cannot stand behind.
Prices come from each vendor's public pricing page and may have changed since. Confirm before you buy: Buffer (October 2026), SocialBee (October 2026), Hootsuite (October 2026), Sprout Social (October 2026). Orbin is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these vendors. All product names and brands are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification only.