Buffer vs Metricool 2026: Free Limits and Scheduling Costs

Choose Buffer Free if one person needs to schedule up to three channels, including LinkedIn, and can work within ten queued posts per channel. Consider Metricool if organizing several networks under client brands and preparing reports matters more: its Free plan covers one brand and 20 planned posts a month, but excludes LinkedIn and X. Both have $0 entry plans. Vendor pages checked October 28, 2026.

The limits measure different things. Buffer's ten posts are queue slots per channel that become available again after publication; Metricool's 20 are a monthly planner limit. Do not treat them as the same monthly quota.

Toolradar data: Our directory evaluated 164 social media management tools for its October 26, 2026 ranking. That is the size of the category snapshot, not a product trial of these two services. Toolradar has separate Buffer profile and Metricool profile pages.

Buffer vs Metricool at a glance

Question	Buffer	Metricool
Free subscription	$0	$0
Free organization	Up to 3 channels	1 brand, with 1 profile per supported network
Free scheduling	10 queued posts per channel; slots refill	Up to 20 posts per month in the planner
LinkedIn on Free	Listed among supported channel integrations	Not included
X on Free	Listed among supported channel integrations	Not included; paid access uses an add-on
Entry paid model	Essentials per channel	Starter priced by brand capacity
Team approvals	Team plan	Advanced plan lists post approval system

Details come from Buffer's plan guide and Metricool's plan comparison. Features can vary by platform and account; verify the exact social networks, post types and permissions before switching.

How do free scheduling limits work?

Buffer Free supports up to three connected channels and ten scheduled posts per channel at a time. Buffer says a slot becomes available when a post is published, so that is not a ten-post monthly cap. Its help documentation also describes a lifetime limit of eight distinct channel connections per social network on Free, even if channels are later disconnected. Its connection guide describes that lifetime count per social network; confirm how it applies to your account. This matters to an agency rotating through client profiles.

Metricool Free supports one brand, a container for a business or client. Metricool says each brand can connect one profile per supported network, and Free permits up to 20 planned posts per month. LinkedIn and X are excluded from Free. If two client accounts use the same social network, check how many brands the agency needs instead of assuming both can go into one brand.

Example: A solo marketer manages Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for one business. Buffer's stated three-channel Free allowance can cover the channel count, subject to support for the intended post types and its queue limit. Metricool Free does not include the LinkedIn connection, so the marketer would need a paid option or a different workflow. This example compares plan rules, not publication quality or reach.

A second marketer uses only Instagram and Facebook for one brand but needs more than 20 planner posts during a month. Metricool Free's monthly limit becomes relevant. Buffer's queue may be refilled after publication, although it is still limited to ten scheduled items per channel at any one time. Check how each provider counts a post published to several networks in your actual setup.

What do the paid plans cost?

Buffer's pricing and features guide lists Essentials at $6 per channel per month for channels one through ten on monthly billing. The corresponding annual price is $60 per channel per year for that band. Buffer says channels that were free are billed when the account upgrades; the first three do not remain free on a paid plan.

For one user managing three paid channels, the published Essentials rates give $18 per month on monthly billing, or $180 per year on annual billing, before taxes and extra products. Team uses a different rate and supports multiple users and approvals. At more than ten channels, Buffer's published channel bands change, so do not apply the first-channel rate to every additional profile.

Metricool's pricing guide lists Starter from $25 per month on monthly billing or $20 per month billed annually. Its pricing page shows the five-brand option at those price points. Confirm the selected billing interval, currency, taxes and checkout total for your account. A brand is not equivalent to a Buffer channel, and plan features are not identical.

Cost question	Buffer	Metricool
One person, three different network profiles, paid entry tier	Essentials: $18/month billed monthly	Starter up to five brands: $25/month billed monthly
Same setup for a year	$180/year at published annual channel rates	$240/year calculated from $20/month annual rate
Extra client	Count each added channel and its price band	Count the brand slots and profiles needed
Approval workflow	Check Team pricing for all paid channels	Check Advanced plan and needed user access

These are not equal-feature bids. They exclude taxes, add-ons and any service not listed in the chosen plans. An agency should price the actual client configuration and approval roles rather than compare a one-channel price with a multi-brand package.

Which has better LinkedIn and X coverage?

Metricool's Free documentation explicitly excludes LinkedIn and X. It lists LinkedIn on paid plans and says X connection requires a paid plan and an add-on. Check the add-on price and exact account limits before building an X workflow around the entry paid plan.

Buffer lists LinkedIn and X among its supported integrations, including in the Free plan's general integration list. Availability of an integration is not a promise that every format or action is supported. A team publishing native video, carousels or first comments should inspect the vendor's current documentation and test the precise format on an authorized account.

For a LinkedIn-focused team, list the profiles and approval steps before choosing. One company's LinkedIn page plus a founder's profile may count as separate channels or require specific permissions. Confirm the connection rules and the person who can authorize access rather than estimating from a marketing page.

For adjacent comparisons, see Hootsuite vs Buffer, Later vs Buffer and our social media management tools guide.

Which is better for an agency?

Metricool's brand structure is useful to investigate when an agency groups profiles by client. A brand can hold one profile for each supported social network, while plan size determines how many brands are available. Metricool's paid Starter offers different brand capacities; Advanced lists team and client management, role management and a post-approval system.

Buffer prices paid plans by channel and lists unlimited users on Team. That can make a channel inventory more useful than a headcount estimate. Identify every Instagram account, Facebook Page, LinkedIn profile and other connection that must be managed, then ask which plan and price band applies.

Neither billing unit automatically makes one service cheaper. An agency with many client brands but one network each has a different shape from an agency managing several networks for one client. Include approvals, analytics, exports and any add-on in the quote. A flat brand allowance is not enough if the workflow requires a higher plan for client access.

Give each vendor one representative client to demonstrate: connect the accounts, create a draft, route it for approval, publish the approved format and produce a report. Ask what happens when the client rejects the draft or revokes account access. A feature list alone may not reveal where a handoff requires manual work.

Analytics, reports and collaboration

Metricool's Free plan lists 30 days of analytics history and watermarked analytics, according to its help guide. It says PDF or PPT report downloads are not included on Free. Paid plans offer longer history, while the pricing page lists additional reporting and collaboration features by tier. Confirm whether a client-facing report is included in the package you are quoted.

Buffer lists analytics on Free and advanced analytics on Essentials. Its Team plan adds collaboration and approval features. Compare the metrics and social networks that matter to your client rather than assuming the same label means the same report on both products.

If approvals are non-negotiable, do not price only the solo plans. Ask whether an external client needs a seat, what permissions they receive and whether a reviewer can approve without publishing. Check the cost of adding a second client and whether reports can be exported with the required branding.

Our Buffer review and Metricool review cover the products more broadly. For alternative workflows, compare free social media schedulers and Buffer alternatives.

How to choose without losing scheduled work

Start with an inventory of social accounts, the owner of each login and the publishing formats used. Count Buffer channels individually and group Metricool profiles by client brand. Note whether the team needs the same network more than once for a single client, since Metricool describes one profile per network inside a brand.

Next, map the work: how far ahead posts are scheduled, who writes them, who approves them, and which analytics the client receives. Set a test period using accounts you are authorized to manage. Verify platform permissions and how each app behaves when a connection expires.

Finally, check migration and timing. Export or record future posts, ensure images and links are available, and avoid running two queues for the same account at once. Assign someone to reconcile the schedule after the change. A low monthly subscription is not useful if a scheduled campaign goes out twice or misses an approval.

If the decision starts with content creation rather than scheduling, see AI for social media, tools for content marketers, and link-in-bio tools. For another platform in this category, our Hootsuite review provides context.

Frequently asked questions

Are Buffer and Metricool free?

Both offer free plans. Buffer lists three connected channels and ten queued posts per channel. Metricool lists one brand and 20 planner posts per month, with LinkedIn and X excluded.

Is Buffer's ten-post limit monthly?

Buffer describes ten scheduled posts per channel at a time. Once a post publishes, its slot becomes available again. Check any separate limits and platform rules in your account.

Does Metricool Free include LinkedIn?

No. Metricool's Free plan help page says LinkedIn is available on paid plans. Check the exact connection and post types before upgrading.

Is X included in Metricool Starter?

Metricool says X access is available on paid plans via an add-on. Confirm the add-on price and connection terms for your account.

What does a brand mean in Metricool?

Metricool describes a brand as a container for a business or client, with one profile per social network inside it. The number of brands depends on the plan.

Do Buffer's first three channels stay free after upgrading?

Buffer says paid plans charge for every connected channel, including channels previously connected on Free. Use the current channel bands to calculate a quote.

How much is Buffer Essentials for three channels?

At the published rate of $6 per channel per month for the first ten channels, three cost $18 per month on monthly billing before tax. Annual pricing is different and requires the annual term.

Which is better for client approval?

Buffer lists approval workflows on Team; Metricool lists a post-approval system on Advanced. Compare the actual client access, permissions and total price for your setup.

Methodology

We reviewed Buffer's pricing and help pages, Metricool's pricing and plan documentation, and Toolradar's category page on October 28, 2026. The three-channel Buffer and five-brand Metricool totals are arithmetic using published US rates; confirm the chosen billing interval in checkout. We did not create accounts or perform product testing. Check current features and prices before switching.

Cite this: MarketingShot, "Buffer vs Metricool 2026: Free Limits and Scheduling Costs", October 2026.

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