Buffer vs Planoly Comparison 2026
Both cover social media management. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
At a glance
- Buffer starts cheaper, at $5.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Buffer | Planoly | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $5 | From $14 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Not stated |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Some of it | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | Not stated |
| Runs on | Not stated |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
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.
Only on this side
- Covers analytics
- Works with X
Planoly
Plan the grid before anything is posted
Planoly started as a visual planner for Instagram and still leads with the thing that made it: drag posts around a mock grid until the feed looks right, then schedule from there. Pinterest and TikTok came later and the link in bio is included rather than sold separately. Pricing is by social set and by user, both of which can be added one at a time, which suits somebody running two accounts rather than twenty.
Our note
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.