Comparison

Buffer vs Later: Which Social Media Scheduler Should You Use in 2026?

Buffer starts at $5/month per channel and gives you a free plan for 3 channels. Later starts at $25/month for 1 social set (6 profiles). Buffer is the better general-purpose scheduler. Later is the better visual content planner for Instagram-first brands.

Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 11 min

Quick Verdict

How do Buffer and Later compare at a glance?

This side-by-side breakdown covers the 9 dimensions that matter most when picking a social media scheduler. We use Buffer internally and have managed client accounts on both platforms.

Dimension	Buffer	Later	Winner
Free Plan	3 channels, 10 posts per channel	No free plan (discontinued); 14-day trial only	Buffer
Starting Price	Essentials: $5/mo per channel	Starter: $25/mo (1 social set, 6 profiles)	Buffer
Pricing Model	Per-channel pricing (pay for what you use)	Per-social-set pricing (bundle of 1 profile per platform)	Buffer (more flexible)
Visual Planning	Basic calendar view, no grid preview	Instagram grid preview, drag-and-drop visual calendar	Later
Platforms Supported	Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, Threads	Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube	Buffer (more platforms)
Analytics	Post performance, engagement metrics, best-time recommendations	Performance analytics, limited to 3 months on Starter	Buffer
Team Features	Unlimited users on Team plan ($10/channel/mo)	1 user on Starter; 6 users on Advanced ($80/mo)	Buffer
Link-in-Bio	Start Page (basic landing page builder)	Linkin.bio (customizable, shoppable landing page)	Later
AI Features	AI Assistant for post captions and ideas	5 AI credits on Starter, more on higher plans	Buffer

Our position: Buffer is the better social media scheduler for most businesses. It costs less, supports more platforms, includes unlimited users on the Team plan, and its per-channel pricing means you pay only for the channels you actually use. Later is the better choice for brands that are Instagram-first, need visual grid planning, or rely heavily on a link-in-bio page for driving traffic from social to their website.

Overview

What are Buffer and Later, exactly?

Buffer is a social media management platform founded in 2010. It started as one of the first social media scheduling tools and has grown into a platform covering scheduling, analytics, engagement, and team collaboration. Buffer is a fully remote company with a reputation for transparency (they publicly share revenue numbers and employee salaries). As of 2026, Buffer supports 10 social platforms and serves over 140,000 paying customers. Buffer’s philosophy is simplicity: do fewer things well rather than trying to be everything. Later is a visual social media planning platform founded in 2014, originally as “Latergramme” (an Instagram-only scheduler). It was acquired by Mavrck in 2022, then rebranded under the Later brand. Later’s core strength is visual content planning: its drag-and-drop calendar lets you preview your Instagram grid before posting, ensuring aesthetic consistency. Later also includes influencer marketing tools through its Mavrck integration. The platform discontinued its free plan in 2024 and now starts at $25/month.

Buffer is a cross-platform social scheduler built for efficiency. Later is a visual content planner built for Instagram-centric brands. Buffer charges per channel. Later charges per social set (one profile on each platform bundled together).

Pricing

How much do Buffer and Later cost in 2026?

The pricing models are fundamentally different, which makes direct comparison tricky. Buffer charges per channel. Later charges per social set. Here’s how the math works for common scenarios as of March 2026:

Scenario	Buffer	Later
1 brand, 3 channels (IG, FB, LinkedIn)	Essentials: $15/mo ($12.50/mo annual)	Starter: $25/mo ($16.67/mo annual)
1 brand, 6 channels	Essentials: $30/mo ($25/mo annual)	Starter: $25/mo (1 social set covers 6 platforms)
2 brands, 6 channels each	Essentials: $60/mo ($50/mo annual)	Growth: $50/mo ($33.33/mo annual, 3 social sets)
Team features (5 users)	Team: $10/channel/mo (unlimited users included)	Advanced: $80/mo (up to 6 users)
Free option	3 channels, 10 posts per channel, 1 user	No free plan; 14-day trial only

Buffer’s per-channel pricing is cheaper when you manage fewer than 6 channels. If you only need Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (3 channels), Buffer Essentials costs $15/month versus Later’s minimum of $25/month. Later’s social set model becomes competitive when you use all 6 supported platforms. One social set on Later ($25/month) gives you Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest. The same 6 channels on Buffer Essentials costs $30/month. Buffer’s Team plan ($10/channel/month) includes unlimited users at no extra cost. This is a significant advantage for agencies and teams. A 5-person team managing 6 channels costs $60/month on Buffer Team. Achieving similar team functionality on Later requires the Advanced plan at $80/month. Both platforms offer annual billing discounts. Buffer saves about 20% with annual payment. Later saves approximately 33% on annual billing.

Visual Planning

Which tool is better for visual content planning?

Later wins on visual planning, and this is the feature that justifies its existence for Instagram-heavy brands. Later’s visual content calendar lets you drag and drop media directly onto your publishing schedule. For Instagram, it shows a live preview of your 9-grid (the 3×3 grid visitors see when they land on your profile). You can rearrange upcoming posts to ensure colors, compositions, and content types alternate properly. For brands where Instagram aesthetic matters (fashion, food, design, lifestyle), this grid preview saves hours of manual planning. Buffer’s calendar view is functional but not visual. You see scheduled posts in a list or calendar format, but there’s no Instagram grid preview. You’re working with text and thumbnails, not full-size image previews. For text-heavy platforms like LinkedIn and X, this is fine. For visually-driven platforms, Later’s approach is noticeably better. Later also includes a media library where you can store, organize, and label images and videos. You can filter by label, search by keyword, and drag media directly into posts. Buffer has a simpler media management approach with no labeling or advanced organization features. Verdict: Later for Instagram-first brands that care about grid aesthetics. Buffer for cross-platform publishing where content planning is text-driven.

Platform Support

Which tool handles more platforms better?

Buffer supports 10 social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, and Threads. Later supports 7: Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube. Buffer’s broader platform support includes emerging networks like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads that Later doesn’t cover. For publishing workflows, Buffer treats each platform independently. You can customize the caption, image, and scheduling for each channel. Later’s social set model means one post is adapted across platforms within the set, which is efficient but less granular. Buffer’s analytics cover all connected platforms with consistent metrics: impressions, engagements, clicks, and engagement rate. Later’s analytics on the Starter plan are limited to 3 months of historical data. For teams that need year-over-year comparisons, Buffer’s unlimited analytics history (on paid plans) is a significant advantage. Verdict: Buffer for multi-platform management. Later for focused Instagram/TikTok/Pinterest strategies.

Choose Buffer

When should you choose Buffer?

Choose Buffer when you need a straightforward, cost-effective scheduler across multiple platforms.

You manage fewer than 6 channels. Buffer’s per-channel pricing is cheaper than Later’s minimum $25/month when you only need 3-4 channels.
You have a team. Buffer’s Team plan includes unlimited users at no extra cost. For agencies managing multiple clients, this saves hundreds per month compared to Later’s per-user charges.
You publish to emerging platforms. Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads support gives Buffer an edge if your audience is on decentralized or newer social networks.
You need a free plan. Buffer’s free tier (3 channels, 10 posts each) is adequate for testing and light use. Later no longer offers a free plan.
Your content strategy is text-first. For LinkedIn thought leadership, X commentary, and blog promotion, Buffer’s straightforward scheduling is all you need. Grid previews don’t matter for text platforms.

Choose Later

When should you choose Later?

Choose Later when visual content and Instagram are central to your social strategy.

Instagram is your primary platform. Later’s grid preview lets you plan your visual feed weeks in advance. This matters for fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle brands where profile aesthetics drive follower growth.
You need a link-in-bio page. Later’s Linkin.bio creates a shoppable landing page that mirrors your Instagram feed. Each post links to a product or page. Buffer’s Start Page is simpler and less connected to your Instagram content.
You publish across all major platforms. If you use all 6 of Later’s supported platforms, one social set at $25/month is cheaper than 6 channels on Buffer Essentials at $30/month.
Visual content organization matters. Later’s media library with labels and search is better suited for teams managing large volumes of images and videos.
You’re exploring influencer marketing. Later’s integration with Mavrck provides influencer discovery and campaign management tools that Buffer doesn’t offer.

Our Recommendation

What does ScaleGrowth.Digital recommend?

We use Buffer for our own social media scheduling. It covers all the platforms we publish to (LinkedIn, X, Threads, Instagram), costs $40/month for 4 channels on the Team plan, and lets every team member access the account without extra charges. The scheduling workflow is fast, the analytics are clean, and we don’t need visual grid planning because our social strategy is content-and-insight-driven, not aesthetic-driven. We’ve recommended Later to 5 clients in the past year. All were in visually-driven industries: a fashion DTC brand, two restaurants, a boutique hotel chain, and a beauty brand. Each had Instagram as their primary marketing channel and needed grid planning to maintain brand consistency. For those use cases, Later’s visual tools saved their social media managers 2-3 hours per week.

“Most businesses overthink their social media scheduler. It’s a scheduling tool, not a growth engine. Pick the cheaper one that covers your platforms and move on. Buffer is that tool for 80% of businesses. Later is that tool for Instagram-first brands. The money you save on your scheduler is better spent on content creation, which is what actually drives social media results.”
Hardik Shah, Founder of ScaleGrowth.Digital

One practical test: if your social media manager spends more than 10 minutes per week arranging their Instagram grid, Later will save them time. If they spend less than that, Buffer is the simpler, cheaper choice.

Social Media Calendar Template

A free spreadsheet for planning your content calendar before you load it into Buffer or Later. Get Template →

Social Media Strategy Template

Build your social strategy first, then pick the tool. This template covers goals, platforms, content pillars, and KPIs. Get Template →

Social Media Services

See how we build data-driven social media strategies that go beyond scheduling and into growth. View Services →

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Buffer have a free plan in 2026?

Yes. Buffer’s free plan supports up to 3 social channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel and 1 user. There’s no time limit. It’s sufficient for solopreneurs or small businesses posting a few times per week. Later discontinued its free plan and offers only a 14-day free trial on paid plans.

Can I schedule Instagram Reels and Stories on both tools?

Both Buffer and Later support direct publishing of Instagram Reels. For Instagram Stories, both tools send a mobile notification reminder rather than publishing directly, due to Instagram API limitations. Later’s Reels scheduling includes first-comment and hashtag management. Buffer’s Reels scheduling is more straightforward with fewer advanced options.

Is Later worth $25/month when Buffer starts at $5?

Only if you need Later’s specific strengths: Instagram grid preview, Linkin.bio shoppable landing page, or visual content planning. If you’re scheduling posts across multiple platforms without visual planning needs, Buffer’s $5/channel pricing is better value. For 3 channels, Buffer costs $15/month versus Later’s minimum $25/month.

Which tool has better analytics?

Buffer’s analytics are more accessible. Paid plans include unlimited analytics history, best-time-to-post recommendations, and cross-platform performance comparisons. Later’s Starter plan limits analytics to 3 months of historical data. You need the Growth plan ($50/month) or above for extended analytics. For teams that need quarterly or annual performance reviews, Buffer’s unlimited history is the better choice.

Can agencies use Buffer or Later for multiple clients?

Both work for agencies, but Buffer is generally better value. Buffer’s Team plan ($10/channel/month) includes unlimited users and approval workflows. An agency managing 5 clients with 3 channels each pays $150/month with unlimited team access. Later requires the Advanced plan ($80/month) for up to 6 users and 6 social sets. For agencies managing more than 6 clients, Later’s pricing scales up faster than Buffer’s.