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Buffer

Free / $5–$12/month per channel (annual billing)
4.5/5

Transparent, user-friendly scheduler with freemium model. Best free tier for indie makers.

Why founders use Buffer

Scheduling across 8+ platforms
Community inbox for engagement management
Browser extension for quick posting
AI assistant (paid plans) for captions
Hashtag manager and first comment scheduling
Analytics with 3–12 months data retention

The Good

Generous free tier (3 channels, recurring posts)
Per-channel pricing remains affordable at scale
Industry-leading transparency and company culture
Intuitive interface, minimal learning curve

The Bad

Per-channel fees scale linearly—8 channels costs $40/month
Limited analytics depth on free and lower plans
No AI content generation on basic tiers

The Verdict

Buffer is purpose-built for simplicity and transparency, offering one of the most generous free tiers in the industry: 3 channels with 10 posts per month, plus 100 content ideas and basic analytics—all at no cost. For indie makers just starting, this eliminates barrier to entry entirely. Paid plans ($5–$12 per channel yearly) use per-channel pricing that scales affordably if you stay focused.\n\nThe platform emphasizes a clean interface over feature bloat, making it ideal for solopreneurs who want to schedule posts and get basic engagement metrics without learning a complex dashboard. Buffer's browser extension makes content curation seamless, and their transparency hub earns trust by publishing company metrics openly.

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Buffer Review (2026): Features, Pricing & Alternatives