Published by the Zolyp team ·
Buffer vs Later at a glance
Figures from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on 14 October 2026:
| Buffer | Later | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per connected channel | Per plan, with profiles grouped into social sets |
| Free plan | Yes: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each at a time | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Essentials, $5 per channel a month billed yearly ($6 monthly) | Starter, $18.75 a month billed yearly (8 profiles, 1 user) |
| Posting limits on paid plans | Unlimited (fair use cap of 5,000 per channel) | 30 per profile a month on Starter, 180 on Growth, unlimited on Scale |
| Team members | 1 on Free and Essentials; unlimited on Team | 1 on Starter, 2 on Growth, 4 on Scale; extra users $3.75 a month each billed yearly |
| Approvals | Team plan ($10 per channel a month billed yearly) | Growth plan ($37.50 a month billed yearly) |
| Inbox | Community inbox for comments on every plan | Social inbox for Instagram, Facebook and TikTok conversations from Growth |
| AI | AI Assistant, unlimited use on every plan | 5, 50 or 100 AI credits a month by plan |
| Free trial | 14 days on paid plans | 14 days |
Sources: Buffer pricing, checked 14 October 2026; Buffer pricing (machine-readable version, with volume rates and FAQ), checked 14 October 2026; Later pricing, checked 14 October 2026
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Later?
It depends on how many platforms each brand uses. Buffer's price rises with every channel; Later's covers one profile on each of its 8 platforms per social set. Some examples at yearly billing:
Later says yearly billing saves 25% against monthly; Buffer says yearly saves about two months. Buffer also gets cheaper per channel above 10 channels.
- 1 person, 3 channels: Buffer Essentials $15 a month; Later Starter $18.75 a month.
- 1 person, 6 channels for one brand: Buffer Essentials $30 a month; Later Starter $18.75 a month.
- 2 people, 6 channels, with approvals: Buffer Team $60 a month; Later Growth $37.50 a month.
- 3 brands with Instagram, Facebook and TikTok each (9 channels), 2 people, with approvals: Buffer Team $90 a month; Later Growth plus one extra social set, $48.75 a month.
Sources: Buffer pricing (machine-readable version, with volume rates and FAQ), checked 14 October 2026; Later pricing, checked 14 October 2026
Which platforms does each support?
This is often the deciding factor. Later supports Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Snapchat, and its social sets include one profile from each. X and Google Business Profile aren't on its list.
Buffer publishes automatically to Instagram business and creator accounts, Facebook Pages, LinkedIn pages and profiles, TikTok business profiles, YouTube (Shorts), Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profiles, X, Bluesky and Mastodon. Facebook groups and Instagram personal profiles get reminder notifications instead.
Later offers notification publishing for Instagram and TikTok too: you get a push notification at the scheduled time, then finish the post in the app, which lets you add music and stickers.
Sources: Buffer pricing (machine-readable version, with volume rates and FAQ), checked 14 October 2026; Later pricing, checked 14 October 2026
Where Buffer is stronger
- A permanent free plan for 3 channels, with the AI Assistant and 30 days of insights.
- Unlimited scheduled posts on paid plans, where Later Starter caps you at 30 per profile a month.
- Unlimited team members and approvals on Team, so adding people doesn't add cost.
- X, Google Business Profile, Bluesky and Mastodon publishing.
- Unlimited AI Assistant use, where Later meters AI by credits.
- First comment scheduling on Instagram and LinkedIn from Essentials, and API access on every plan.
Source: Buffer pricing (machine-readable version, with volume rates and FAQ), checked 14 October 2026
Where Later is stronger
- A flat price for 8 profiles on Starter, which is cheaper than Buffer Essentials once you connect more than 3 channels.
- Instagram-focused tools on every plan: a visual planner, Instagram best time to post, first comment, auto hashtag suggestions and Reels audio.
- Link in Bio on every plan, with linked posts, email collection and Google Analytics tracking.
- Snapchat publishing, which Buffer doesn't list.
- A social inbox for Instagram DMs, comments and mentions, Facebook messages and TikTok comments from Growth.
- Competitive benchmarking, Brand Mentions and Brand Health on Scale.
Source: Later pricing, checked 14 October 2026
How do analytics compare?
Both include analytics on every plan; the difference is history and reporting:
- Buffer Free: insights with 30 days of history. Essentials and Team: unlimited history, a performance overview, reports and custom UTM parameters. Team adds branded reports.
- Later Starter: platform analytics for up to 3 months. Growth: up to 1 year. Scale: up to 2 years, plus custom analytics across profiles and Meta ads analytics.
- Both have limits by platform: Buffer gives advanced analytics only for Instagram, Facebook Pages, LinkedIn pages and X, and Later's Pinterest analytics cover up to 3 months on every plan.
Sources: Buffer pricing (machine-readable version, with volume rates and FAQ), checked 14 October 2026; Later pricing, checked 14 October 2026
Choose Buffer or Later?
- Choose Buffer if you run a handful of channels, want a free plan, or post to X or Google Business Profile.
- Choose Buffer if several people need access on a small budget, or you schedule a lot of posts per channel.
- Choose Later if Instagram is your main channel and you want a visual planner and Link in Bio built in.
- Choose Later if each brand posts to many platforms, where one social set covers 8 profiles for one price.
Where Zolyp fits (disclosed: it's our product)
Buffer and Later both publish posts you've already made. Zolyp, which we make, makes them: it plans the week, writes and designs each post against your Brand Brain, and publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads after you approve. It has no social inbox or link-in-bio page, so Later is the better pick if those matter, and Buffer's free plan is hard to beat for a simple queue. Lite is $9 a month per brand for scheduling posts you make yourself; the plans that create the posts start at $29 a month, with team members included and a 3-day free trial, no card required.
Common questions
Is Buffer cheaper than Later?
For up to 3 channels, yes: Buffer Essentials is $5 per channel a month billed yearly. Later Starter is $18.75 a month billed yearly for up to 8 profiles, one per platform, so it's cheaper from 4 channels on one brand.
Does Later have a free plan like Buffer?
No. Later offers a 14-day free trial. Buffer has a permanent free plan for 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time.
Can Later post to X (Twitter)?
X isn't among the platforms on Later's pricing page, which lists Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Snapchat. Buffer supports X.
Which has a social inbox, Buffer or Later?
Both. Buffer's community inbox for replying to comments is on every plan. Later's social inbox, covering Instagram and Facebook messages and comments and TikTok comments, starts on Growth.
Which is better for a team, Buffer or Later?
Buffer Team includes unlimited members and approvals at $10 per channel a month billed yearly. Later includes 2 users and approvals on Growth at $37.50 a month, with extra users at $3.75 a month each billed yearly.
Which is better for Instagram?
Later has more Instagram-specific tools on every plan, such as a visual planner, Link in Bio and Instagram best time to post. Buffer covers Instagram scheduling and first comments well for less if you run few channels.