The main difference between Buffer and PostOnce is where you write the post. With Buffer you write each post in Buffer and schedule it; with PostOnce you post once on your usual app, and copies go out to your other apps on their own. Buffer is simple and has a free plan. PostOnce is for people who already post and want the other apps filled.
| Buffer | PostOnce | |
|---|---|---|
| How posting works | Write a post, pick channels, schedule | Post on one app, copies go to the rest |
| 5 accounts | $30/mo (Essentials, $6 per channel) | $29/mo (Creator) |
| 15 accounts | $80/mo (Essentials) | $29/mo (Creator) |
| Apps | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Google Business Profile, Mastodon, Substack | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest |
| Free start | Free plan for 3 channels, 14-day trial | 7-day trial, no card |
Below are 10 Buffer alternatives, free and paid, with each tool's price, free option and the job it does best. You'll see which apps like Buffer fit how you post, and what each costs as you add accounts. If you're only weighing Buffer against PostOnce, see Buffer vs PostOnce.
Prices were checked on each tool's own pricing page on November 5–6, 2026, billed monthly.
Why switch from Buffer?
Switch from Buffer when you run many channels or don't want to write each post twice. Essentials is $6 per channel for the first 10 and $4 after that, so 15 channels cost $80 a month. For a few channels, Buffer's free plan and queue remain a good fit.
What are the best alternatives to Buffer?
The best Buffer alternatives in 2026 are PostOnce for automatic crossposting, Publer and Metricool if you want a free plan, and Later or Planoly for visual planning. Paid plans start between $5 and $35 a month, and 3 of these tools have a free plan.
| Tool | Best for | Starts at | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| PostOnce | Copying each post to your other apps | $29/mo, 15 accounts | 7-day trial, no card |
| Publer | Low price per account | $5/mo, 1 account | 3 accounts free |
| Metricool | Analytics and reports | $25/mo, up to 5 brands | 1 brand, 20 posts a month |
| Later | Visual calendar and link in bio | $25/mo, 8 profiles | 14-day trial |
| Planoly | Visual grid planning | $16/mo, 1 social set | Free app plan, 10 uploads a month |
| SocialBee | Recycling evergreen posts | $29/mo, 5 profiles | 14-day trial, no card |
| OneUp | Main-account crossposting workflows | $25/mo, 5 accounts | 7-day trial |
| Repurpose.io | Reposting videos without watermarks | $35/mo, 3 per network | 14-day trial, 10 videos |
| Nuelink | Posts from RSS, stores and podcasts | $24/mo, 10 channels | 7-day trial |
| Blotato | Writing and designing posts with AI | $29/mo, 20 accounts | 7-day trial, card required |
1. PostOnce: best for automatic crossposting
PostOnce copies each post you publish on one app to your other apps. Post on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube as usual, and the copies go out on their own, with no second post to write or schedule. Older posts can be reposted too, and you can still schedule posts.
Creator is about $0.79 a day billed yearly ($290/year), or $29 month to month, for 15 accounts with unlimited posts. Pro is $69 a month for 50 accounts.
Choose PostOnce if you run 5 or more accounts, or you already post on one app and want the rest filled. Try it free for 7 days with no card.
2. Publer: best for a low price per account
Publer schedules posts to 13 networks from one calendar, with AI writing, bulk scheduling, RSS automation and post recycling. Like Buffer, it prices per account.
Professional is $5 a month for 1 account; from 3 accounts, each account is $4, so 5 cost $20. Every 10th account is free. The free plan covers 3 accounts, not including X, with 10 scheduled posts each.
Choose Publer if you like Buffer's per-account pricing and want it cheaper. Publer vs PostOnce
3. Metricool: best for analytics and reports
Metricool pairs a planning calendar with analytics, reports and ad data in one place.
Starter is $25 a month for up to 5 brands, with one account per app per brand. Each X account adds $10 a month. The free plan covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month.
Choose Metricool if reporting matters as much as posting. Metricool vs PostOnce
Post once. Reach every app.Connect once. PostOnce copies each new post for you.See how →4. Later: best for a visual calendar
Later plans posts in a visual calendar and includes Link in Bio. It posts to Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube and Snapchat.
Starter is $25 a month for 8 profiles, one per app, with 30 posts per profile a month. Growth is $50 for 16 profiles and 180 posts each. There's no free plan; every plan starts with a 14-day trial.
Choose Later if you plan visually and post to Snapchat. Later vs PostOnce
5. Planoly: best for visual grid planning
Planoly lays out your Instagram grid, writes captions with AI and auto-posts to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads and Pinterest, with link in bio included.
Starter is $16 a month for 1 social set (one profile on each app), Growth $28 for 2 and Pro $55 for 6. The mobile app has a free plan with 10 uploads a month.
Choose Planoly if your Instagram grid comes first. Planoly vs PostOnce
6. SocialBee: best for recycling evergreen posts
SocialBee sorts posts into content categories, then schedules and recycles them across 10 apps. It also has an AI Copilot and one inbox for comments and DMs.
Bootstrap is $29 a month for 5 profiles, Accelerate $49 for 10 and Pro $99 for 25. The 14-day trial needs no card.
Choose SocialBee if you reshare a library of evergreen posts. SocialBee vs PostOnce
7. OneUp: best for crossposting workflows
OneUp can post from a main account to your other accounts, with 1 to 8 crossposting workflows by plan, alongside a scheduler.
Basic is $25 a month for 5 accounts, Intermediate $60 for 15 and Growth $120 for 30. There's a 7-day trial.
Choose OneUp if you want crossposting and scheduling in one tool. OneUp vs PostOnce
8. Repurpose.io: best for reposting videos
Repurpose.io reposts your videos, images and Stories to your other apps with watermarks removed, and can back up videos to Google Drive or Dropbox.
Starter is $35 a month for 3 accounts per network and 5,000 videos a month. Pro is $79 and Agency $179. The 14-day trial includes 10 free videos.
Choose Repurpose.io if you repost video and want backups. Repurpose.io vs PostOnce
9. Nuelink: best for posts from RSS, stores and podcasts
Nuelink schedules social posts and fills queues from RSS feeds, online stores, podcasts, Substack and YouTube. It can also crosspost Instagram Reels.
Standard is $24 a month for 10 channels and Premium $54 for 30. There's a 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Choose Nuelink if your posts come from a blog, shop or podcast. Nuelink vs PostOnce
10. Blotato: best for AI-made posts
Blotato writes posts with AI, makes images, carousels and videos, and publishes them to 9 apps. AI agents like ChatGPT and Claude can run it through its API.
Starter is $29 a month for 20 accounts, Creator $97 for 40 and Agency $499 for 100. The 7-day trial needs a card.
Choose Blotato if you want AI to create posts for you. Blotato vs PostOnce
What is the best free alternative to Buffer?
The best free Buffer alternative is Publer, free for up to 3 accounts with 10 scheduled posts each, or Metricool, free for 1 brand with 20 posts a month. Buffer's own free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel.
Planoly's mobile app is also free for 10 uploads a month. PostOnce has no free plan, but its 7-day trial needs no card.
Which apps are like Buffer or similar to it?
Publer is the app most similar to Buffer: both schedule posts from one calendar and price per account, and Publer starts at $5 a month. Metricool, SocialBee and Later are also close, with more focus on reports, recycling or visual planning.
If you don't want to write posts in a scheduler at all, PostOnce copies the posts you already publish on one app to your other apps.
Who are Buffer's competitors?
Buffer's main competitors are Publer, Metricool, Later, Planoly and SocialBee for scheduling, and PostOnce, OneUp and Repurpose.io for crossposting. Their paid plans start at $5 to $35 a month, and Publer, Metricool and Planoly have free plans for small setups.
How to choose between these Buffer alternatives
- You want Buffer, but cheaper per account: Publer.
- You want reports: Metricool.
- You plan a grid: Planoly.
- You want a visual calendar: Later.
- You run 5 or more accounts and already post on one app: PostOnce.
More guides: Later alternatives and Metricool alternatives.
FAQ
Is there a cheaper alternative to Buffer?
Yes. Publer costs $20 a month for 5 accounts against $30 on Buffer Essentials. From 5 accounts, PostOnce costs less too: $29 a month for up to 15 accounts, against $80 for 15 channels on Buffer Essentials, billed monthly.
What are the best Buffer and Hootsuite alternatives?
If you are replacing Buffer or Hootsuite, start with Publer or Metricool for a free plan, or PostOnce for 15 accounts at $29 a month. See our Hootsuite alternatives for more.
Can I use Buffer and PostOnce together?
Yes. Schedule in Buffer, and PostOnce copies each post to your other apps once it's live on your source account.
