Buffer is the cheapest well-known scheduler on the market. Their Essentials plan is $6 per channel per month, which sounds fine for one channel and starts adding up fast on four or five. FairPost is $0.05 per post — which works out cheaper as soon as you slow down or add another platform, and stays cheaper forever. This page walks through where each tool wins, honestly.
"Essentials — $6/month per channel."
"Team — $12/month per channel (adds templates and approval)."
"Analyze add-on — $35/month (engagement analytics)."
— Buffer's public pricing page. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
FairPost: $0.05 per text post. Every platform included. Analytics included. Templates included. Approval workflow included. $5 minimum top-up. $0 if you don't post this month.
Buffer's pricing scales with channels. FairPost's scales with posts. Pick the axis that matches how you actually work.
| Scenario | FairPost | Buffer Essentials | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 posts/month, 1 channel | $1.00 | $6.00 | 6× cheaper |
| 20 posts/month, 4 channels | $4.00 | $24.00 | 6× cheaper |
| 100 posts/month, 1 channel | $5.00 | $6.00 | 1.2× cheaper |
| 100 posts/month, 4 channels | $14.00 | $24.00 | 1.7× cheaper |
| 100 posts/month, 4 channels + templates & analytics | $14.00 | $83.00 | 6× cheaper |
| 300 posts/month, 4 channels + templates | $42.00 | $48.00 | 1.1× cheaper |
| 500 posts/month, 4 channels + everything | $70.00 | $83.00+ | Cheaper + no contract |
| 2,000 posts/month, 6 channels + everything | $280.00 | $107+/mo + API (Business) | Similar cost, included API |
FairPost: $0.05/text post for the first platform, $0.03/cross-post for each additional platform (same content reused). Buffer: Essentials $6/channel/mo, Team $12/channel/mo, Analyze add-on $35/mo. All figures from Buffer's public pricing page on 2026-04-20. Assumes all-text posts; image ($0.08) and video ($0.10) shift the FairPost math up slightly.
Buffer's $6/channel/month is cheap for one channel. Here's what it looks like as a founder scales.
| Month | What's happening | Buffer bill |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Launched on X | $6 |
| Month 2 | Added LinkedIn | $12 |
| Month 3 | Added Instagram | $18 |
| Month 4 | Added Bluesky + Threads | $30 |
| Month 5 | Added TikTok | $36 |
| Month 6 | Wanted analytics, added Analyze | $71 |
| Month 7 | Wanted templates, upgraded to Team | $107 |
| Month 8 | Had a slow month, posted 10 times | $107 |
That's the cliff. Every channel is a $6/month floor whether you post to it zero times or 200 times. Every feature is an upsell. At $107/month you've moved into Hootsuite territory. FairPost at the same usage (100 posts/month across 6 channels = 100 primary + 500 cross-posts × $0.03 = $20/month). If you have the slow month at 10 posts, it's $3. And you already had analytics, templates, and the API the whole time.
Where Buffer charges extra and where we include it.
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule posts | ✓ | ✓ | Both work |
| Queue / drip schedule | ✓ | ✓ | Both work |
| Multi-platform cross-posting | cross-post rate | per-channel fee | |
| Draft + collaboration | ✓ | Team+ | |
| Browser extension (one-click share) | Roadmap | category-leading | Buffer wins here |
| Mobile app | Roadmap | ✓ | Buffer wins today |
| Pause / resume queue | ✓ | ✓ | Both work |
| Bulk upload / CSV | ✓ | ✓ | Both work |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content templates | included | Team+ ($12/ch/mo) | |
| Content library | ✓ | Team+ | |
| Template scheduling (cron / RSS-driven) | ✓ | — | FairPost-only |
| Source connectors (RSS, Sheets, Airtable, Notion) | ✓ | via Zapier/IFTTT | |
| AI caption generation | AI assist | AI Assistant | Both available |
| Approval workflow | ✓ | Team+ |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-level metrics | ✓ | Analyze add-on ($35/mo) | |
| Cross-platform dashboards | ✓ | Analyze add-on | |
| Best-time-to-post | AI | Analyze add-on | |
| Custom reports | ✓ | Analyze add-on | |
| Hashtag performance | Basic | Analyze add-on | |
| Engagement rate tracking | ✓ | Analyze add-on |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited team members | ✓ | — | Buffer charges per seat on Team+ |
| Multi-brand / client configs | ✓ | per channel × per brand | |
| Client approval | ✓ | Team+ | |
| White-label reports | Roadmap | — |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| X / Twitter | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ✓ | ✓ | ||
| ✓ | ✓ | ||
| ✓ | ✓ | ||
| TikTok | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bluesky | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Threads | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Roadmap | ✓ | Buffer wins today | |
| YouTube | Roadmap | ✓ | Buffer wins today |
| Mastodon | Roadmap | ✓ |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public REST API | ✓ | Business only ($100/mo) | |
| TypeScript SDK | ✓ | — | |
| Python SDK | ✓ | — | |
| MCP server for AI agents | ✓ | — | FairPost-only |
| Webhooks | ✓ | Business | |
| Usage-based billing | ✓ | — |
| Feature | FairPost | Buffer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription required | — | ✓ | |
| Per-channel pricing | — | ✓ | |
| $0 idle month | ✓ | — | Buffer keeps charging per-channel fees |
| Pay exactly for usage | ✓ | — | |
| Free tier | 5 posts, no card | 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each | |
| Cancel any time | ✓ | Monthly plan |
Two scenarios where Buffer is genuinely the right tool.
If you're a solo creator posting 10 times a day to one channel, and you don't want templates, don't care about API access, and already love Buffer's browser extension — their $6/mo Essentials plan is simpler and cheaper at that specific volume and shape.
At 300 posts/month on 1 channel: Buffer = $6, FairPost = $15. If your usage never changes and never grows, Buffer wins by $9/month.
We don't ship Pinterest or YouTube publishing yet. They're on the roadmap, but if Pinterest is half your content strategy, use Buffer today. When we ship Pinterest, we'll tell you.
Everywhere else, once you either (a) add more than one or two platforms, (b) want templates or analytics, or (c) have a month where you don't post — our math wins.
Buffer's format is straightforward to import. Expect 30 minutes end-to-end.
Reconnect each platform via OAuth. Buffer's tokens stay in place; you can run both in parallel while you migrate.
Buffer's Publisher has a built-in CSV export of scheduled posts. Download it.
Upload the CSV via FairPost's bulk uploader (or /v1/post/import). Scheduled times, platforms, and captions preserved.
If you used Buffer's Team-tier content library or categories, map those to FairPost templates. Typically 5-10 minutes per template.
Buffer is monthly — cancel any time and the plan runs out at the end of the current period. No early termination. No dual-billing while you switch.
Once FairPost's queue is running smoothly, pause Buffer's queue or cancel. Post history stays available in your Buffer account.
Every feature Buffer charges for — templates, analytics, approval, API — included on every FairPost post. 5 free posts on signup. No card required.
Start posting — 5 free posts →Volume comparisons based on 2026-04-20 pricing for Buffer Essentials ($6/channel/mo), Team ($12/channel/mo), and Analyze add-on ($35/mo). Your actual savings depend on channel count, post volume, and which Buffer features you use.