Buffer vs Metricool Comparison 2026
Buffer charges by the channel, a simple queue that is free for three of them and $5 each beyond that. Metricool charges by the brand instead, bundling accounts together, with a free plan covering 20 scheduled posts a month and Starter from $20 a month billed annually for five brands. Metricool also folds in competitor tracking and paid campaign reporting that Buffer's plain scheduler does not attempt, which is the real reason to pay more for it.
At a glance
- Buffer starts cheaper, at $5.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Buffer | Metricool | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $5 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 14 days | Not stated |
| API | Yes |
Buffer
Schedule posts across every account at once
Buffer queues posts for most networks, suggests times and reports on what landed. The free plan covers three channels, which is enough for a lot of people. It stays out of the way, which is the main thing a scheduler can do.
Our note
Buy it for the calm rather than the features. Per-channel pricing punishes anyone posting everywhere, so count your channels before comparing the headline price with a competitor's flat fee.
Metricool
Scheduling and analytics across brands
Metricool schedules to most of the networks a creator uses and then reports on what happened, including competitor tracking and paid campaign numbers in the same view. Pricing counts brands rather than seats, which suits somebody running several accounts. The free plan schedules 20 posts a month, enough to decide whether the reports are worth paying for.
Our note
Twenty scheduled posts a month on the free plan lasts a single creator a long time. Against Later the pricing is per brand rather than per social set, which is why it scales better across clients and gives less to somebody managing one account closely.
Why people weigh these two
- Metricool instead of Buffer
- Metricool schedules like Buffer and leans harder on analytics across brands, with a free plan and paid from $20.
- Buffer instead of Metricool
- Buffer keeps scheduling simple and starts at $5 a month, the plainer tool for someone who wants posting handled without Metricool's competitor tracking.
Which one should you pick
Pick Metricool if managing several accounts under a few brands matters, or reporting on competitors and ad spend belongs in the same view as scheduling. Its own listing notes twenty scheduled posts a month on the free plan lasts a single creator a long time, and Starter opens at $20 a month billed annually for five brands.
Pick Buffer if the accounts run under one name and the per-channel pricing stays predictable, since three channels are free and each additional one is a flat $5. Buffer's own listing warns that per-channel pricing punishes anyone posting everywhere, so count channels before assuming it beats a per-brand tool like Metricool.
Common questions
- How does the pricing structure differ?
- Buffer charges per connected channel, at $5 each after the first three free ones. Metricool charges per brand instead, bundling multiple accounts under one price, which scales differently for anyone managing several brands or clients.
- Which free plan is more useful for a single creator?
- Metricool's own listing says its 20 scheduled posts a month lasts a single creator a long time. Buffer's free plan covers three channels with ten scheduled posts each, which is a different shape of limit, capped by channel count rather than total volume.
- Does either one track competitors or ad spend?
- Metricool does both, with competitor tracking and paid campaign reporting in the same view as organic scheduling. Buffer's feature list does not mention competitor tracking or ad spend reporting.
- Which is cheaper for someone managing several client brands?
- Metricool, generally, since its pricing is built around brands rather than individual channels, with Starter covering five brands from $20 a month billed annually. Buffer's per-channel pricing adds up faster once several brands each bring their own set of accounts.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.