The best Buffer alternative depends on why you are leaving. Buffer is good and, for one to three channels, hard to beat on price: it has a free plan and paid plans from $5 a month per channel, as published in October 2026. People usually look for an alternative for one of three reasons: the per-channel bill has grown, they want replies and comments in one place alongside scheduling at a set price, or they want to pay in pounds.
This page compares Buffer with five alternatives using each company's own published prices, and says plainly when you should stay with Buffer.
A note on who is writing. WyreIt is our own product, so read our view of it with that in mind. Where another tool is the better choice, this page says so.
Buffer and five alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Entry paid price | Free plan or trial | What the entry plan covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WyreIt (our product) | £19 a month (Standard), £49 (Pro), £79 (Creator) | No free plan. 14-day trial, no card | Any 3 platforms and 3 extra profiles on Standard; all 7 platforms on Pro | UK sole traders and small businesses who want one flat price in pounds |
| Buffer | From $5 a month per channel on yearly billing ($60 a year per channel) | Free plan: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel | Priced per channel, so the bill grows with each one you add | One to three channels, or anyone who needs a free plan |
| Publer | Paid price depends on how many accounts you add; see Publer's page | Free plan: 3 social accounts (not X), 10 scheduled posts per account | Priced by the number of social accounts and team members | A free plan that covers more networks, such as Pinterest and Google Business |
| Metricool | Starter from $20 a month on annual billing ($25 monthly) | Free plan: 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, no LinkedIn or X | Up to 5 brands on Starter. X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per account | People who want a free plan and care most about analytics |
| Later | $18.75 a month, billed yearly (Starter) | No free plan. 14-day trial | 1 social set, 1 user and 30 posts per profile a month on Starter | Visual brands built around Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest |
| SocialBee | $29 a month, or $24 on annual billing (Bootstrap) | No free plan. 14-day trial, no card | 5 social profiles and 1 user on Bootstrap; 10 profiles on Accelerate ($49) | Solo operators who want unlimited AI writing in the entry plan |
Competitor prices and plan details are as published by each company on its own pricing page, October 2026: Buffer, Publer, Metricool, Later, SocialBee. Dollar prices are shown as each company lists them and may exclude VAT. Prices change, so check the page before you buy. WyreIt is our own product, and its prices are on our pricing page.
What Buffer costs in 2026
As published on Buffer's pricing page in October 2026:
- Free: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user.
- Essentials: from $5 a month per channel on yearly billing ($60 a year per channel), with unlimited scheduled posts per channel.
- Team: from $10 a month per channel ($120 per channel billed yearly), with unlimited users.
- AI Assistant: included on every plan, including Free.
Per-channel pricing is simple and fair. It also means the bill is a multiplication: the price times every channel you connect, including a second profile on the same platform.
WyreIt vs Buffer
WyreIt has four plans. Standard is £19 a month for any 3 platforms, with 3 extra profiles, the inbox, analytics, and AI caption and reply drafting. Pro is £49 a month for all 7 platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Bluesky), with 4 extra profiles, WyreIt AI, Autopilot and 1,000 AI credits a month. Creator is £79 a month with 3,000 AI credits and AI images. Agency is priced by conversation. The price is for the account, not per user or per channel. There is a 14-day free trial with no card needed. The trial does not include any AI.
The sums are easy to do for your own setup. On Buffer Essentials, multiply your channels by the per-channel price. On WyreIt the price stays the same until you need more than a plan covers: Standard gives you one profile on each of 3 platforms plus 3 extra profiles, and Pro covers all 7 platforms plus 4 extra profiles.
Be clear about what Buffer does better. It has a free plan and WyreIt does not. Its AI Assistant is on the free plan, while WyreIt's trial has no AI. And Buffer publishes to networks WyreIt does not, including Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile and Mastodon. If any of those matter to you, Buffer is the better choice. The detailed side-by-side is on WyreIt vs Buffer.
The other alternatives
Publer
Publer's free plan covers 3 social accounts (not X) with 10 scheduled posts per account, which is close to Buffer's. Paid plans are priced by the number of accounts and team members; Publer's page works out the figure for your setup. Its platform list includes Pinterest, Threads, Google Business and Telegram.
Metricool
Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, without LinkedIn or X. Starter is from $20 a month on annual billing for up to 5 brands, and X is a paid add-on at $10 a month per connected account. Choose it if analytics is your main reason for paying.
Later
Later's Starter plan is $18.75 a month billed yearly, for 1 social set and 1 user, with 30 posts per profile a month. There is no free plan. It suits brands built around Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
SocialBee
SocialBee's Bootstrap plan is $29 a month, or $24 on annual billing, for 5 social profiles and 1 user, with unlimited AI content generation. There is no free plan.
When to stay with Buffer
- You post to one, two or three channels and the free plan or a few dollars a month covers it.
- You need a free plan for the long term, not a trial.
- You post to Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile or Mastodon.
If none of those is you, and you are adding platforms or want comments, mentions and messages in one inbox at a set price, a flat-price tool is worth a trial.
How to switch from Buffer
- Count your channels and note which platforms they are on.
- Start a trial on the alternative and connect the same accounts. WyreIt's trial is 14 days with no card.
- Schedule next week in the new tool while Buffer finishes the posts already queued.
- Cancel or downgrade Buffer once the queue is empty. Its free plan means you can keep the account without paying.
Frequently asked questions
Is Buffer still free in 2026?
Yes. As published in October 2026, Buffer's free plan covers up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel and 1 user.
What is the best free Buffer alternative?
Publer and Metricool both publish free plans. Publer's covers 3 social accounts (not X); Metricool's covers 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month. WyreIt has no free plan, only a 14-day free trial.
Is WyreIt cheaper than Buffer?
It depends on how many channels you have. For one to four channels Buffer is cheaper, and up to three can be free. From about five channels upwards, compare your Buffer total with WyreIt's set price: £19 a month for any 3 platforms with 3 extra profiles, or £49 for all 7 platforms.
Does WyreIt have an inbox and analytics?
Yes, on every plan. The inbox gathers comments, mentions and messages from the platforms you have connected, and WyreIt Analytics shows what was published, what failed and the figures each platform provides.
Does WyreIt write captions with AI?
Every paid plan drafts captions and replies for you to edit. WyreIt AI and Autopilot are on Pro and Creator. The free trial does not include any AI.
See every plan on pricing, or read Hootsuite alternatives for small businesses if you are comparing the bigger tools too.
WyreIt is a social media management tool for small business owners and sole traders. Post to Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and more from one dashboard — at a fraction of the price of Hootsuite.