Buffer
Schedule and track posts across major social channels, with an API and MCP for AI agents
Buffer is a social media scheduling and analytics workspace. It publishes to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Mastodon and Substack, and includes an AI Assistant for drafting and repurposing posts. Since 2026 it has also exposed a GraphQL API and an MCP server, so external AI agents can read performance data and queue posts.
- 1 creator using
- Freemium pricing
- Easy learning curve
What Buffer can do
- Infinite canvas No
- AI agent Partial
- Node / flow builder No
- Public API Yes
- MCP server Yes
7 of 26 capabilities confirmed
| Capability | Supported | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Text to image | No | |
| Image editing | No | Image editor added September 2026 covers crop, rotate, flip, zoom and alt text. It is not generative. |
| Text to video | No | |
| Image to video | No | |
| Video to video | No | |
| Native audio in video | No | |
| Lip-sync | No | |
| Voice / TTS | No | |
| Music & SFX | No | Adds existing Instagram Reel sounds to posts; does not generate music. |
| Upscaling | No | |
| Character consistency | No | |
| Camera control | No | |
| Custom training | No | |
| Third-party models | No |
| Capability | Supported | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Infinite canvas | No | |
| Node / flow builder | No | |
| AI agent | Partial | External agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity) drive Buffer through the MCP server since June 2026. The in-app AI Assistant drafts and repurposes single posts; it does not run multi-step campaigns on its own. |
| Chat assistant | Yes | Buffer AI Assistant: drafts, refines and repurposes platform-specific posts. Free plan limited to 5 AI replies per week. |
| Team collaboration | Yes | Team plan: unlimited members, approval workflows, access levels and custom permissions. |
| Capability | Supported | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Public API | Yes | GraphQL Public API (launched May 2026) on all plans; Free allows 3,000 requests/month. |
| MCP server | Yes | Buffer MCP server (June 2026) for Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity. |
| Mobile app | Yes | iOS and Android apps. |
| Desktop / local | No | Browser extension and web app only; no desktop client found. |
| Open source | No |
| Capability | Supported | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes | Free forever: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel. |
| Commercial use | Not confirmed |
Yes Partial No Not confirmed by the vendor
What makes Buffer different
- 01
Per-channel pricing: Essentials is $5/month per channel on annual billing, so one channel costs less than most flat plans.
- 02
A free tier that stays usable: 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel, with the API and AI Assistant included.
- 03
Covers a wide set of networks, including YouTube Shorts, Pinterest and Substack Notes.
- 04
Official GraphQL API and MCP server available on every plan, so agents can queue and read posts without a third-party bridge.
- 05
Team plan adds unlimited members, approval workflows and access levels at $10/month per channel.
About Buffer
Buffer's 2026 work has centred on a rebuilt analytics product called Insights (launched April 14, 2026), which gives an all-channels overview with per-channel detail, and on opening the account to outside tools. In June 2026 Buffer added an MCP connection so Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity can manage an account. Its GraphQL Public API launched in May 2026 and is available on every plan, including Free.
For filmmakers and small production companies the job is distribution: scheduling trailers, festival announcements, behind-the-scenes clips and cutdowns across several channels from one queue. Video scheduling covers Reels, Shorts and TikTok, and since September 2026 images and video can sit in the same post. Buffer does not edit or generate video.
It competes with Metricool on breadth and reporting, and with X-only tools such as Typefully and Hypefury on depth for a single network. Buffer's per-channel pricing makes it cheap for one or two channels and more expensive than a flat plan once a team runs many accounts.
What's new in Buffer
-
Instagram music, collaborators and tagging in Buffer
Reel sounds, collaborator invites and tagging can now be set in Buffer rather than only in the Instagram app.
Source: buffer.com ↗ -
Images and video in one post
A single Buffer post can now carry images and video together, and a new image editor adds crop, rotate, zoom and alt text.
Source: buffer.com ↗ -
Legacy REST API retirement announced
The legacy REST API stops returning data on February 1, 2027; the GraphQL Public API replaces it.
Source: buffer.com ↗ -
Talk to your agent via MCP
Buffer connects to Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity through the Model Context Protocol to manage a Buffer account from those tools.
Source: buffer.com ↗ -
AI alt text for images
Buffer automatically writes image alt text for screen-reader accessibility.
Source: buffer.com ↗ -
Insights rebuilt
Analytics was rebuilt with an all-channels overview and per-channel detail, and Community added TikTok, YouTube, Google Business Profile and Mastodon.
Source: buffer.com ↗
Key Features
- Scheduling to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Mastodon and Substack
- Insights analytics rebuilt April 2026, with all-channels overview, per-channel detail and multi-channel takeaways
- AI Assistant for drafting, refining and repurposing posts, plus AI alt text for images
- Community inbox to filter and reply to comments and X mentions across accounts
- Start Page link-in-bio hub
- Content idea library and custom post templates (July 2026)
- Bulk CSV upload for scheduling batches, on every plan including Free
- GraphQL Public API and MCP server for agents
- Images and video in one post (September 2026)
- Team approval workflows and admin permissions
When to reach for it — and when to skip
Reach for it when…
- Cheapest serious option for one or two channels: $5/month per channel on annual billing
- Clean queue and calendar; easy for a producer who posts for a film across several networks
- API and MCP are included on every plan, including Free
- Covers most major networks in one queue, including YouTube Shorts and TikTok
Skip it when…
- Per-channel pricing scales quickly for a team managing many film or client accounts
- No video editing, captioning or generation; you still need an editor and a clip maker
- Analytics depth is gated: 30-day history and no performance overview on Free
- The legacy REST API retires on February 1, 2027
- Pricing changed several times in early 2026, so older guides and reviews quote outdated numbers
Best For
✓ Ideal for
- Scheduling trailer drops, festival announcements and screening dates across Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube Shorts
- A producer or agency queuing cutdowns and behind-the-scenes clips for several client channels
- Filmmakers who want an agent (Claude or ChatGPT) to draft and queue posts through the MCP server
- Reviewing post performance across channels once a month without building a spreadsheet
✗ Not built for
- Generating or editing video; use Premiere, Resolve or CapCut and bring finished clips to Buffer
- X-only power users who want threads, scheduling and analytics for one network; Typefully or Hypefury fit better
- Teams that need a full social listening or paid ads suite
Working Tips from Filmmakers Using Buffer
- 01 Use the 3-channel Free plan to test a release cadence for a month before paying; upgrading charges for every connected channel, including the free ones.
- 02 Set the Insights view to a single channel when comparing trailer performance; the all-channels view averages out Shorts and LinkedIn results.
- 03 Export your cutdowns at the platform's native aspect ratio before uploading; Buffer does not reframe video for you.
- 04 If you run an agent against the API, move to the GraphQL API now; the legacy REST endpoints stop returning data on February 1, 2027.
Buffer pricing in 2026
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 monthly |
|
| Essentials | $5 per channel monthly ($60 per channel per year) |
|
| Team | $10 per channel monthly ($120 per channel per year) |
|
Prices checked against Buffer's pricing page on 9 Oct 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you buy.
Buffer vs Metricool vs Hypefury
| Buffer | Metricool | Hypefury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (3 channels) / Essentials from $5/mo per channel ($60/yr); Team $10/mo per channel | Free (1 brand); Starter from $20/mo billed annually ($25 monthly, up to 10 brands); Advanced from $53/mo annually ($67 monthly), up to $159-$210/mo at 50 brands | From $6/mo for one channel; $19/mo for all channels. 7-day trial, no free plan. |
| Node / flow builder | No | Partial | Partial |
| AI agent | Partial | Partial | No |
| Chat assistant | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Team collaboration | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Public API | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Mobile app | Yes | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free tier | Yes: 3 channels, 10 posts each | Yes: 1 brand, 20 posts/month | No; 7-day free trial |
| Starting paid price | $5/mo per channel (annual) | From $20/mo annual, 5 brands ($25 monthly) | $6/mo Flexible (1 channel) |
| X / Twitter | Yes | Yes; full X analytics on Advanced | Not supported |
| AI features | AI Assistant on all plans; 5 replies/week on Free | AI assistant, 5 credits/brand/month on Free | AI trained on your posts (Full plan only) |
| API / MCP | GraphQL API and MCP on all plans | MCP on all plans; API on Advanced | Not listed |
| Scale | Per channel; Team unlimited members | 1 to 50 brands by tier | 1 channel (Flexible) or all channels (Full) |
Each column comes from that tool's own researched page. "Not confirmed" means the vendor doesn't say.
Open the full Buffer vs Metricool vs Hypefury comparison →Use Cases
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Creators Using Buffer
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against Buffer's own pricing, product and changelog pages on , then cross-checked with independent coverage where vendor pages were silent. Anything we couldn't confirm is marked "Not confirmed" rather than guessed.
- Buffer pricing page buffer.com
- Buffer homepage buffer.com
- Buffer changelog (Apr to Oct 2026) buffer.com
- Buffer legacy REST API retirement announcement (July 27, 2026) buffer.com
- Metricool pricing page (comparison) metricool.com
- Hypefury pricing page (comparison) hypefury.com
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
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