Metricool vs Buffer
Priced per brand or per channel, and why that decides it
Short answer: Pick Buffer if you post to a handful of channels and want the simplest, cheapest scheduler at $5 a channel. Pick Metricool if you manage several brands and want deeper analytics, competitor tracking and ads reporting in one dashboard.
Pick Metricool if you manage several brands or clients and want one price per brand, not per channel.
Pick Buffer if you post to a few channels and want the cheapest paid scheduler: $5 a channel.
Pick TallyReel if you don't have the videos yet and want them made from an idea, then scheduled.
Metricool and Buffer are two of the most common answers to the question of which social media scheduler to use. Both plan and publish posts across the major networks, both have a free plan, both include an AI assistant and an inbox, and both show analytics. The biggest practical difference is how they charge.
Buffer charges per connected channel. Metricool charges per brand, where one brand can bundle that brand's Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and other profiles. We read both pricing pages on October 18, 2026. Neither tool makes videos; they schedule what you have already made, which is where a third option comes in.
Updated 18 October 2026 · by Danish, who makes TallyReel · prices checked on Metricool's pricing page (18 October 2026) and Buffer's pricing page (18 October 2026)
Metricool vs Buffer, side by side
| Feature | Metricool | Buffer | TallyReel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Starter from $25 a month, or $20 billed yearly, for 5 brands | Essentials $5 a channel a month, or $60 a channel a year | Free plan (1 channel, 10 posts a month); Starter $19 a month with video credits and 5 channels |
| Higher plans | Starter 10 brands $45 ($36 yearly); Advanced from $67 ($53 yearly) for 15 brands, up to $210 for 50 | Team $10 a channel a month, or $120 a year | Plus $39, Pro $79 (10 team seats) |
| Free plan | 1 brand, 20 scheduled posts a month, no LinkedIn or X, 30 days of analytics | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel | 300 free credits once (about 3 videos) and 10 scheduled posts a month |
| Networks | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Bluesky, Google Business Profile, Twitch | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon, Substack | 15: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Pinterest, Reddit, Mastodon, Telegram, Discord, Tumblr, Google Business |
| Analytics | Unlimited history on paid plans; competitor tracking (up to 100); reports | Advanced analytics and reports on paid plans; 30-day history on Free | Basic results only; not an analytics tool |
| Ads | Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads reporting | Not listed | No |
| Team | Team and client management, roles on Advanced | 1 user on Free and Essentials; unlimited users on Team | 10 team seats on Pro |
| Inbox and AI | Inbox for messages and comments; AI assistant with credits per brand | Community inbox; AI assistant; unlimited AI replies on paid plans | No inbox; AI writes the video script |
| Makes videos | No | No | Yes: faceless videos, skits, AI host videos, from one idea |
| Best for | Agencies and multi-brand managers who live in analytics | Solo creators and small teams who want simple scheduling | Creators who want the videos made and posted in one place |
Prices from each tool's pricing page on the dates above, monthly billing unless the row says otherwise. Prices change, so check before you buy.
Pick Metricool if
- You manage several brands or clients and want one price per brand, not per channel.
- You want competitor tracking, ads reporting and long analytics history.
- You want link-in-bio pages and reports in the same tool.
Pick Buffer if
- You post to a few channels and want the cheapest paid scheduler: $5 a channel.
- You want a clean, simple queue and a free plan for 3 channels.
- You post to Mastodon or Substack, which Buffer lists.
Pick TallyReel if
- You don't have the videos yet and want them made from an idea, then scheduled.
- You post the same video to many networks, including Reddit, Telegram or Discord.
- You would rather pay one bill for making and posting than two.
What a year costs for a typical setup
Take one creator with five channels: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. On Buffer Essentials that is 5 channels at $5, so $25 a month or $300 a year on yearly billing. On Metricool those five profiles can sit under one brand, so the Starter plan at $25 a month or $20 billed yearly ($240 a year) covers it with room for four more brands.
For three channels or fewer, Buffer can be free: the free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each, refilled as they go out. Metricool's free plan covers one brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, but leaves out LinkedIn and X. On Metricool's paid plans, X needs an add-on.
For agencies, Metricool's per-brand pricing scales better: 15 brands on Advanced is $67 a month or $53 billed yearly. The same number of client accounts on Buffer, counted per channel, would usually cost more, though Buffer charges less for each channel above 10.
Scheduling, analytics and day-to-day use
Buffer's strength is simplicity. The queue, calendar and AI assistant are easy to learn, and paid plans add unlimited scheduled posts (with a fair-use cap of 5,000 per channel), unlimited analytics history and reports. Team adds unlimited users and branded reports. It lists Mastodon and Substack, which Metricool does not.
Metricool is more of an analytics suite with a planner attached. It tracks up to 100 competitor profiles on paid plans, reports on Facebook, Google and TikTok Ads, keeps unlimited analytics history, and adds SmartLinks link-in-bio pages. It lists Twitch, which Buffer does not. The interface has more in it, which is either the point or a distraction, depending on how much you read your numbers.
Who each one suits
- Solo creator on three channels: Buffer Free.
- Creator or small business on four to ten channels who mostly wants to schedule: Buffer Essentials.
- Social media manager with several clients: Metricool Starter or Advanced.
- Anyone running paid ads alongside organic posts: Metricool.
- Team that needs unlimited users cheaply: Buffer Team.
Where TallyReel fits, and where it doesn't
Buffer and Metricool are better pure schedulers than TallyReel, and Metricool's analytics are far deeper. If you already have your videos, or you post a mix of photos, links and text, use one of them.
TallyReel is relevant when the hard part is making the videos. You type one idea, it writes a script with a hook and planned shots, and once you approve it builds a faceless video with stock footage or AI pictures, voiceover, captions and music, then schedules it to up to 15 networks. Posting is included on every plan, including Free (10 scheduled posts a month), and posting runs from the server, so your laptop can be closed. Plus and Pro can run a series on autopilot. It is a video tool with posting built in, not a social media management suite: no ads reporting, no competitor tracking and only basic results.
Questions
Is Metricool better than Buffer?
For analytics, competitor tracking, ads reporting and multi-brand pricing, Metricool is stronger. For simple, cheap scheduling across a few channels, Buffer is easier and often cheaper.
Which is cheaper, Metricool or Buffer?
It depends on how many channels you have. On October 18, 2026, Buffer Essentials was $5 a channel a month and Metricool Starter was $25 a month ($20 yearly) for 5 brands. Up to about four channels Buffer is usually cheaper; past that Metricool often is.
Do Metricool and Buffer have free plans?
Yes. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each. Metricool's covers 1 brand with 20 scheduled posts a month, without LinkedIn or X.
Can Metricool or Buffer make videos?
No. Both schedule content you have already made. TallyReel makes faceless videos from an idea and schedules them to 15 networks.
Which supports more networks?
They overlap heavily. Buffer adds Mastodon and Substack; Metricool adds Twitch. TallyReel schedules to 15 networks, including Reddit, Telegram, Discord and Tumblr.
Pick one. Make it tonight.
Type the idea into TallyReel, read the script, and it makes the video for you: in the browser, on your phone, or in Studio on your own computer. Start on the free plan.