Publer vs Buffer

· Reviewed by Sergio Verdugo, co-founder of Quetzal

Publer and Buffer are both low-cost schedulers for people who make their own posts: Publer charges per connected account, Buffer per connected channel, and both have a free plan. This page compares what both publish on their own pages, says which one fits most readers, and then looks at the job neither of them does for you.

Verdict

Buffer is the safer pick for most readers, because everything you need to decide is on its own pages: $6 a month per channel, a free plan for up to three channels, a 14-day trial without a card and a stated refund window. Publer's prices were not listed on the page we read, so we cannot compare the bill.

Publer wins if you also publish to Telegram or WordPress, or want to try its paid features without a card through its 7-day trial. The two are close on the rest: both have a free plan, an AI assistant for text and an approval step.

Both schedule what you bring. If you have nothing to bring, see the third option below. See the third option

Publer and Buffer at a glance

What it is

Publer
A social media scheduler priced per connected account, with a free plan and an AI assistant for post text and images.
Buffer
A simple scheduler for individuals and small teams, priced per connected channel, with an AI assistant for post text.

Best for

Publer
Scheduling your own posts across many accounts, Telegram and WordPress included
Buffer
Scheduling your own posts with published prices and refund terms

Starts at

Publer
Not listed on their pricing page
Buffer
Essentials: $6 a month per channel ($5 a month billed yearly)

Pricing basis

Publer
Per connected social account, per month.
Buffer
Per connected channel, per month, with a volume discount above 10 channels.

Free plan and trial

Publer
Free plan and 7-day trial, no card
Buffer
Free plan and 14-day trial, no card

Refunds

Publer
Not listed on their pricing page
Buffer
Monthly plans are refunded within 7 days of starting, annual plans within 30 days.

AI for the content

Publer
Helps you write when you ask
Buffer
Helps you write when you ask

AI video

Publer
No AI video
Buffer
No AI video

Approvals

Publer
Yes
Buffer
Yes

Inbox

Publer
Not listed
Buffer
Yes

Networks

Publer
13 networks: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads and 6 more
Buffer
13 networks: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads and 6 more

App languages

Publer
Not listed on their pricing page
Buffer
English only

Where Publer wins

  • Publishes to 13 networks, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and WordPress.
  • A free plan, and a 7-day trial of paid features without a card.
  • An approval step listed on its plans page.

Where Buffer wins

  • Prices published per channel: $6 a month per channel, or $5 billed yearly.
  • A free plan for up to three channels and a 14-day trial without a card.
  • A stated refund window: 7 days on monthly plans and 30 days on annual plans.
  • A simple queue and calendar, plus Substack and a Start Page among its 13 networks.

Pricing, plan by plan

Prices in the currency each vendor publishes, as shown on their own page. Mind the unit: paying per channel is not the same as paying per user.

Publer

Per connected social account, per month.

Their prices were not listed on the page we read; check their site.

Buffer

Per connected channel, per month, with a volume discount above 10 channels.

  • FreeFree
  • Essentials$6 a month · $5 a month billed yearly
  • Team$12 a month · $10 a month billed yearly

Unit: per channel. Their pricing page

The empty-calendar test

Both are an inexpensive way to publish content you already have. This test asks what happens when you have none. Ticks come from each vendor's own pages; where a vendor does not say, we write "not listed".

Writes post text with AI

Publer
Yes (when you ask)
Buffer
Yes (when you ask)
Quetzal
Yes

Plans and makes the week's posts on its own

Publer
No
Buffer
No
Quetzal
Yes (from Growth)

Makes video with AI

Publer
No
Buffer
No
Quetzal
Yes (from Pro)

Approval step before anything posts

Publer
Yes
Buffer
Yes
Quetzal
Yes

Publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube

Publer
Yes
Buffer
Yes
Quetzal
Yes

App available in Spanish

Publer
Not listed
Buffer
No
Quetzal
Yes

Changes the next posts from each post's results

Publer
Not listed
Buffer
Not listed
Quetzal
Yes

Start without a card (free plan or card-free trial)

Publer
Yes
Buffer
Yes
Quetzal
No (14 days free, card required)

The third option: Quetzal

If you make your own posts, a low-cost scheduler is the right spend and Quetzal costs more. If you do not, the scheduler stays empty. Quetzal plans the week from your brand and website, writes and designs the posts, publishes them to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube after your approval, and changes the next week from what each post did. AI reels are included from Pro.

Quetzal (quetzaltech.app) is an AI social media manager. It reads your website and brand, plans the week, writes and designs every post, makes AI reels from the Pro plan, and publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube. You can approve each piece before it goes out, or let it run on full autopilot.

Price: the Starter plan is $116 a month per brand ($89 a month billed yearly), before tax.

Try for freeSee a week made with your brand

14 days free. Card required, nothing charged today.

Questions about Publer and Buffer

Is Publer cheaper than Buffer?

We cannot say from the vendors' own pages: Publer's prices were not listed on the page we read. Buffer charges per channel, from $6 a month. Both have a free plan, so you can compare them on your own accounts before paying.

Do Publer and Buffer have free plans?

Yes, both do. Buffer's covers up to three channels. Publer also offers a 7-day trial of paid features and Buffer a 14-day trial, both without a card.

Which networks do Publer and Buffer publish to?

Publer lists 13 networks, including Telegram, WordPress, Bluesky and Mastodon. Buffer lists 13, including Substack, Bluesky, Mastodon and a Start Page. Both cover Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Do Publer and Buffer have approval workflows?

Both list an approval step on their plans pages, so a manager or client can sign off before a post goes out.

Do Publer or Buffer make posts for you?

Both have an AI assistant that helps with text when you ask, and neither lists AI video. Neither plans and makes a week of posts on its own.

How we compare: Publer and Buffer's prices were read from their own pricing pages on 30 September 2026, on monthly billing and in the currency they publish. Features were checked on their own pages on the same date; where a vendor does not say, we write "not listed". We make Quetzal, so this is a vendor's comparison. If anything is wrong or out of date, write to hello@quetzaltech.es and we will correct it within 48 hours.

Sources: Publer (/plans) · Buffer (/pricing) · Buffer (/articles/refund-policy-d1GbglDfJa)

Publer and Buffer are trademarks of their respective owners; Quetzal is not affiliated with any of them.

Publer vs Buffer (2026): features, trial and which to pick