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The practical answer
For one person with up to three supported social accounts and a queue of ten posts per account, Buffer Free can handle an ongoing publishing routine as slots reopen. Metricool is worth considering when its brand-based organization and reporting fit the job. Count the accounts, features, and actual work before comparing the advertised starting prices.
Compare the details
| Decision | Buffer | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Free publishing boundary | Three channels; ten queued posts per channel, refillable | One brand; twenty posts per month |
| LinkedIn on Free | Supported; check profile and post-format requirements | Not included |
| Paid billing unit | Per connected channel; rates quoted for the first ten | Fixed 5-brand or 15-brand bundle |
| Approval requirement | Team plan | Advanced plan |
Important tradeoffs
- A connected social account is a channel in Buffer; a brand in Metricool groups supported profiles. They are different billing units.
- A queue cap limits how far ahead you can prepare; a monthly allowance limits how much you can publish. Neither is a measure of content quality.
- Check profile types, post formats, media restrictions, and permissions with the vendor. The cost calculator does not certify every account connection.
- Tax, unpriced X add-ons, extra AI usage, and other services are excluded. Annual totals are paid upfront, not month by month.
What the relevant plans cost
Prices reviewed 2026-11-01. Billing periods, units, and scenario assumptions are shown below.
| Decision | Buffer | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Free boundary | 3 channels; 10 queued posts per channel. Published posts free up slots. Source ↗ | 1 brand; 20 posts per month. LinkedIn and X are excluded. Source ↗ |
| Solo paid setup | Essentials: $6 per channel/month or $60 per channel/year, for channels 1–10. Source ↗ | Starter, 5 brands: $25/month or $240/year. This is a fixed bundle. Source ↗ |
| Approvals | Team: $12 per channel/month or $120 per channel/year, for channels 1–10. Source ↗ | Advanced, 15 brands: $67/month or $636/year. Source ↗ |
One business, three channels, twenty-four monthly publications
Illustrative scenario · calculations use the assumptions below
- Synthetic planning example: one person, one business, three supported accounts including LinkedIn, 24 total network publications per month, no approvals.
- Prepare at most ten posts per channel at once. No separate X add-on is required in this example.
| Step in the calculation | Buffer | Metricool |
|---|---|---|
| Can the free plan fit? | Potentially yes: 3 channels and queue size 10. Refill slots after publication; 24 monthly publications do not alone exceed this queue allowance. | No: 24 is above 20 monthly posts, and LinkedIn is excluded on Free. |
| If paid features are needed | 3 × $6 = $18/month. Annual: 3 × $60 = $180 upfront ($15/month equivalent). | Starter: $25/month. Annual: $240 upfront ($20/month equivalent). |
I would test the required accounts and post formats on the smallest suitable plan first. Paying for a larger allowance is useful only when the allowance or a specific feature is the actual constraint.
This is plan-fit arithmetic, not a measured comparison of reach, engagement, reliability, or time saved.
Start with your publishing inventory
Write one row for every connected profile: network, account type, business, owner, planned posts, and whether another person must approve them. A single idea posted to several networks can be several publications. Confirm the counting rule before treating a content-calendar row as one unit.
Then list the formats you actually need: a text post, carousel, video, story, or another format. For each, record whether publication is direct or needs a phone reminder. A plan can fit the price and still fail your workflow if its required publishing method is unsuitable.
A proposed side-by-side publishing test
Use the same approved asset and copy in both trials, and start with a draft. Verify the intended account, crop, alt text where supported, timezone, and link preview before scheduling. Make one controlled test publication that you are comfortable making public; delete or reschedule through the native service if necessary.
Record the scheduled time, actual appearance, correct account, link destination, manual steps, and any error. Test approval rejection and revision if that is part of your process. These are suggested reader tests, not experiments the publication claims to have completed.
What “unlimited” still needs you to check
Buffer’s paid publishing queue is subject to fair use. Metricool also applies a fair-use policy; its 600-post monthly threshold per brand triggers review rather than acting as a guaranteed hard allowance. Neither label removes the social network’s own rules or technical limits.
Keep a fallback: save the approved copy and asset outside the scheduler, know where a failed post is reported, and record who can publish manually. Additional reach is not a result you can infer from a software subscription.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Buffer
- Your priority is a small, predictable publishing queue across a few supported accounts.
- You understand the per-channel bill and need only the features of the plan selected.
Choose Metricool
- Your profiles fit Metricool’s brand structure and its reporting workflow matters to your business.
- The included bundle and required approvals or networks justify the selected paid tier.
When to use neither
- Native scheduling already covers your accounts and formats.
- You do not have an approved content routine yet; prepare a small reusable content brief first.
Before you pay
- Connect the exact profile types and check required networks before paying.
- Prepare one example of each needed format; distinguish direct publication from reminder-based posting.
- Confirm how cross-posts count and test approval permissions if required.
- Inspect a published test link and the native network result; compare reported metrics with the network’s own report.
Check the plans against your needs
Does your publishing setup fit a channel price or a brand bundle?
Official plan evidence checked 2026-11-01. Prices are in USD, before tax and unlisted add-ons.
Only counts and feature choices are needed. Inputs stay in this browser; this tool does not save or send them.
What the calculation includes
- A Buffer channel is one connected social account. Every paid channel is charged.
- Metricool paid prices are fixed brand bundles, not multiplied by the brand count.
- Monthly post input should include each network publication; confirm multi-network counting with the vendor.
It checks the requirements listed here against reviewed plan facts. It does not measure product quality or predict your results. A missing price or limit stays unknown. Higher tiers are not estimated beyond the verified bands.
Monthly-pay prices and full-year charges are shown separately. A monthly equivalent for an annual plan is the annual charge divided by 12; it is not a monthly cancellation option.
- Buffer estimates stop at ten paid channels; Metricool quotes stop at the included brand tier.
- Required X access needs a separate Metricool add-on quote.
- Metricool’s 600-post per-brand review threshold is not a guaranteed or hard maximum.
- Network, account type and format restrictions still apply.
Verified plan reference and primary sources
This reference is available without JavaScript. Prices below are per stated billing unit; use the limits to check the correct tier.
Buffer
| Plan and unit | Pay monthly | Pay for a year | Verified scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeper plan | USD 0.00 | USD 0.00 USD 0.00 / month equivalent |
|
| Essentialsper channel | USD 6.00 | USD 60.00 USD 5.00 / month equivalent |
|
| Teamper channel | USD 12.00 | USD 120.00 USD 10.00 / month equivalent |
|
- Supported posting formats and direct publishing depend on the network and profile type.
Metricool
| Plan and unit | Pay monthly | Pay for a year | Verified scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeper plan | USD 0.00 | USD 0.00 USD 0.00 / month equivalent |
|
| Starter · 5 brandsper plan | USD 25.00 | USD 240.00 USD 20.00 / month equivalent |
|
| Advanced · 15 brandsper plan | USD 67.00 | USD 636.00 USD 53.00 / month equivalent |
|
- A brand bundles connected profiles; network/profile configuration must be checked before treating a channel count as covered.
- The 600-post monthly per-brand threshold triggers review rather than an automatic hard cap.
Before you pay: test the actual job
- Connect the exact profile types and check required networks before paying.
- Prepare one example of each needed format; distinguish direct publication from reminder-based posting.
- Confirm how cross-posts count and test approval permissions if required.
- Inspect a published test link and the native network result; compare reported metrics with the network’s own report.
Sources and review notes
Official documentation reviewed. Plan calculations and recommendations are original editorial analysis; no comparative vendor-account test or performance score is claimed.
- Pricing ↗Checked 2026-11-01
Channel definition, refillable free queue, annual plan charges, supported-network qualifications and 5,000-post paid queue fair-use cap.
- Buffer pricing and features ↗Checked 2026-11-01
Monthly/annual per-channel pricing bands, one-user Essentials and Team approvals. Calculators use only channels 1–10.
- Plans and pricing ↗Checked 2026-11-01
USD monthly and annual 5-brand Starter/15-brand Advanced bundles; Free exclusions, posting quota and approval gates.
- Fair use policy for social media scheduling ↗Checked 2026-11-01
600 posts per brand per month triggers review; this is not a fixed maximum or guaranteed allowance.