SocialPilot vs Buffer, read from the source
SocialPilot vs Buffer for a small business
A permanent free plan is the clearest split between the two: Buffer keeps three channels free forever, SocialPilot stops at a 14-day trial. Every figure below was read from socialpilot.co/pricing and buffer.com/pricing on 18 September 2026.
The two vendors are priced in different units, so every figure below carries its billing mode, and each one links back to the page it was read from.
On 18 September 2026, Buffer's Essentials plan was $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly, and SocialPilot's Essentials plan was $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month billed yearly.
Pick Buffer for the free plan and the per-channel bill: three channels free forever, then each extra channel adds a small line item.
Pick SocialPilot for the flat tier: one price that bundles accounts and a user, for posts you are still writing yourself, with no permanent free plan after the 14-day trial.
Where every number came from
SocialPilot
- The pricing page opened with the yearly billing toggle already selected and labelled the saving "Save 15%". Billed monthly it listed Essentials at $20 a month, Standard at $40 a month, Premium at $100 a month and Ultimate at $200 a month, with Enterprise listed as "Contact Sales". Billed yearly the same four tiers read $17 a month, $34 a month, $85 a month and $170 a month. socialpilot.co/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The pricing page headline read "Start Your Free 14-Day Trial Now", each plan button read "TRY FOR FREE", and the page stated "No credit card required". No permanent free plan was listed. socialpilot.co/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The plans page listed Essentials at 5 social media accounts and 1 user, Standard at 10 accounts and 3 users, Premium at 20 accounts and 6 users, and Ultimate at 40 accounts with unlimited users. Extra accounts were listed at $4 per month and additional users at $5 per month. socialpilot.co/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- AI was metered as credits: 500 on Essentials, 1000 on Standard, 5000 on Premium and unlimited on Ultimate. The Premium plan card listed "Client Approval", and the feature table carried "Content Approval Workflows", "Client Approval Workflows" and "Manager Approval Workflow" under team and client collaboration. socialpilot.co/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The feature table listed "Detailed Social Media Analytics" on all four tiers, with historic data at up to 3 months on Standard, 12 on Premium and 24 on Ultimate, and "Customer Support" at "24×5" on all four paid tiers, with a self-service knowledge base. socialpilot.co/pricing, read 18 September 2026
Buffer
- The pricing page opened on the yearly toggle under the heading "Only pay for the channels you use" with a saving labelled "save 2 months". Billed monthly it listed Free at $0 a month, Essentials at $6 a month per channel and Team at $12 a month per channel. Billed yearly the same two plans read $5 and $10 a month per channel, which is $60 and $120 a year per channel. buffer.com/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The Free plan was described as "Free forever" for up to 3 channels, with 10 scheduled posts per channel that "refill anytime", 100 ideas, 1 user account, the AI Assistant and Insights, and those caps did not move when the billing toggle did. buffer.com/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The pricing page listed the AI Assistant on all three plans, Free included, described as "Refine and repurpose your content using AI" with "Unlimited credits". The only video feature was "Custom video covers", which picks a frame from a video you supply. buffer.com/pricing, read 18 September 2026
- The feature table put "Approval workflows" and "Custom access and permissions" on the Team plan only. Analytics ran 30-day history on Free and unlimited on paid plans, with advanced analytics and reports on Essentials and Team, and email support plus a self-service knowledge base was listed on every plan. buffer.com/pricing, read 18 September 2026
SocialPilot vs Buffer, side by side
Every cell above was read on 18 September 2026 from socialpilot.co/pricing and buffer.com/pricing, and the full quotations with links sit in the section above. SocialPilot prices a flat tier in two modes, monthly and yearly, and opens on the yearly one; Buffer prices per channel in two modes and opens on the yearly one.
| What to compare | SocialPilot | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Price at one seat | Essentials is $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month billed yearly, a flat plan that includes one user. | Essentials is $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly, with one user included. |
| Number of social accounts | 5 on Essentials, then 10, 20 and 40 up the ladder. | 3 channels free, then channels added one at a time at a per-channel rate. |
| Scheduling limits | Bulk scheduling from Standard up; no published cap on scheduled posts. | 10 scheduled posts per channel on Free, unlimited on paid plans. |
| AI writing | AI credits by tier: 500 on Essentials up to unlimited on Ultimate. | AI Assistant with unlimited credits on every plan, Free included. |
| Approval flow | Client approval on Premium and above. | Approval workflows on the Team plan only. |
| Analytics | Detailed analytics on every plan; historic data up to 3, 12 and 24 months by tier. | 30-day history on Free, advanced analytics and reports on paid. |
| Support | 24×5 on every tier. | Email support and a self-service knowledge base on every plan. |
| Free tier | None, a 14-day trial instead. | Free forever, 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts each. |
Source: socialpilot.co/pricing and buffer.com/pricing, read 18 September 2026
What actually decides the purchase
Price: per channel versus a flat tier
Buffer prices each channel separately. On 18 September 2026 Essentials was $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly, and Team was $12 a month or $10 a month per channel. SocialPilot prices one flat tier: Essentials was $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month billed yearly, and it bundled 5 accounts and 1 user. The cheaper menu depends on how many channels you actually run.
The free tier: Buffer has one, SocialPilot does not
Buffer publishes a permanent free plan, which SocialPilot does not. Buffer's covers up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel and the AI Assistant. SocialPilot opens with a 14-day trial and no card required, then stops. The difference is whether the tool keeps working at $0 a month after the trial.
What the AI writes
Buffer's AI Assistant refines and repurposes words you supply, with unlimited credits on all three plans, Free included. SocialPilot meters its AI as credits per plan, from 500 on Essentials up to unlimited on Ultimate. Neither pricing page claimed its AI generates the image or the video.
Approvals and team features
Buffer puts approval workflows and custom permissions on its Team plan only, so a solo owner on Free or Essentials has none. SocialPilot lists client approval on its Premium plan at $100 a month billed monthly, with content, client and manager approval workflows in its feature table. On the entry plans neither gives you a formal approval queue.
Scheduling caps
Buffer caps the free plan at 10 scheduled posts per channel and lifts the cap on paid plans. SocialPilot lists bulk scheduling from its Standard plan up and prints no cap on scheduled posts. For a single-location shop the caps are close; the gap opens once you run a second or third channel.
Analytics and support
Buffer keeps 30 days of Insights on Free and unlocks advanced analytics and reports on paid plans, with email support on every plan. SocialPilot puts detailed analytics on every tier, with historic data up to 3, 12 and 24 months on Standard, Premium and Ultimate, and lists customer support at 24×5 on all four tiers.
What changed recently
On 18 September 2026 this page re-read socialpilot.co/pricing and buffer.com/pricing from scratch. The figures matched the reads already on this site: SocialPilot still lists Essentials from $20 a month billed monthly or $17 a month billed yearly, and Buffer still lists Essentials at $6 a month per channel billed monthly or $5 a month per channel billed yearly.
Both vendors reprice and reshuffle plan contents without notice. Treat the figures on this page as correct for the date printed, and open the two linked pricing pages before any number decides a purchase.
When neither one makes the posts
Buffer is right when finished posts already exist and all you need is a cheap queue that sends them on schedule. SocialPilot is right when you want one flat tier that bundles accounts and a user. Neither is the obvious fit for the owner with no drafts and no time to make them.
That gap is where SpeedRun Social sits. It reads your website into a brand kit and generates the caption, image and short video for each post, then publishes after you approve. The free plan is 300 credits a month refilled forever, one free campaign a week (3 posts, 1 video, 1 cross-post), no card, watermarked media on free. Paid plans are $49.99, $99.99 and $199.99 a month, flat per workspace and not per user or per channel, with image and video generation included on every tier.
We are new and have very few customers, so treat this as a pricing and feature comparison, not a recommendation backed by a large installed base. The links above exist so you can check both vendors, and the signup link exists so you can check ours.
SocialPilot vs Buffer, answered
SocialPilot vs Buffer: which should a small local business pick?
It depends on who makes the posts. On 18 September 2026 Buffer's Essentials was $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly, and SocialPilot's Essentials was $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month billed yearly. If the posts already exist and you want a free plan and a cheap queue, pick Buffer. If you want one flat tier that bundles accounts and a user, pick SocialPilot. If neither description fits, neither tool makes the posts.
Which is cheaper, SocialPilot or Buffer?
Buffer, at a small roster. Its Essentials plan was $6 a month per channel billed monthly, or $5 a month per channel billed yearly, and its free plan covers 3 channels. SocialPilot's Essentials was $20 a month billed monthly, or $17 a month billed yearly. The two prices buy different units: Buffer's channel price is a queue for content that already exists, SocialPilot's flat tier is a bundle of accounts and a user.
Does Buffer have a free plan?
Yes. On 18 September 2026 Buffer's Free plan was listed as "Free forever" for up to 3 channels, with 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user account and the AI Assistant included.
Does SocialPilot have a free plan?
Not on the pricing page read on 18 September 2026. It offered a 14-day trial with no card required, and each plan button read "TRY FOR FREE". No permanent free tier was listed.
Can SocialPilot or Buffer write my posts for me?
Neither writes the post from your business. Buffer's AI Assistant refines and repurposes words you supply, on every plan with unlimited credits. SocialPilot meters its AI as credits, from 500 on Essentials up to unlimited on Ultimate. Neither pricing page claimed it generates the image or the video, which is the part of the job both leave to you.
How many social accounts do I get with each?
Buffer's free plan covers up to 3 channels, and paid plans add channels one at a time at a per-channel rate, so the roster sets the bill. SocialPilot's Essentials covers 5 accounts, then 10, 20 and 40 up the ladder, with 1, 3, 6 and unlimited users.
Which should I try first?
Start with whichever free plan matches the work you are skipping. If the posts are already written and only need a schedule, start with Buffer's free plan. If you want a flat tier that bundles accounts and a user, start SocialPilot's 14-day trial. If the posts themselves are the missing part, the free plan to test is ours.
How current are the figures on this page?
Every number was read on 18 September 2026 from socialpilot.co/pricing or buffer.com/pricing, and each claim links back to the page it came from. The two vendors reprice on their own schedules, so recheck both pricing pages before a figure here settles your decision.
Check the numbers on your own roster
Count your channels and your profiles, then open both pricing pages. Buffer bills per channel, SocialPilot bills a flat tier, and the two links above are there so you can re-read both before deciding.
Every figure on this page was read on 18 September 2026 from socialpilot.co/pricing and buffer.com/pricing. Prices move; the links exist so you can check theirs and ours.