Comparison · Social listening
SocialBee vs Buffer for social scheduling
The short answer
Buffer is priced per channel, from $5 per channel per month, with a free plan for up to 3 channels and analytics with unlimited history on paid plans. SocialBee is priced per plan by number of profiles, from $29 per month ($24 billed annually), and is built around content categories and recycling evergreen posts. Teams that post a few original updates a week often start with Buffer; teams that want a steady queue of categorised and recycled content look at SocialBee.
On this page 4 sections
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Side by side
| SocialBee | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Per plan, by profiles | Per channel |
| Entry paid plan | Bootstrap $29 per month ($24 billed annually), 5 profiles | Essentials $5 per channel per month |
| Free plan | No; 14-day trial of Pro features, no card | Yes, up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel |
| Content categories and recycling | 10, 50 or unlimited categories; evergreen recycling on all plans | Not the focus |
| Analytics history | 3 months on Bootstrap, 2 years from Accelerate | 30 days on Free, unlimited on paid plans |
| Branded reports | Pro and agency plans | Team plan |
| Agency plans | Pro50, Pro100, Pro150 | Team plan, per channel |
When SocialBee fits better
- You want to keep queues full with categories (tips, promotions, blog posts) and recycle evergreen posts.
- You manage many profiles and per-channel pricing would add up.
- You are an agency and want workspaces per client.
When Buffer fits better
- You manage a handful of channels and the free plan or a few dollars per channel covers you.
- You want a simple scheduler with analytics and custom UTM parameters.
Either way, the social tool's analytics stop at the platform. Add UTMs to every post link so GA4 credits visits and conversions correctly.
More options: best social media analytics tools and Hootsuite alternatives.
Based on each vendor’s published features as of October 2026. We have not tested these products in a live account. Product names are trademarks of their owners.
Questions
- Does Buffer have a free plan?
- Yes. Buffer's Free plan covered up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel and 30 days of analytics history in October 2026.
- What does SocialBee cost?
- SocialBee's Bootstrap plan was $29 per month, or $24 per month billed annually, for 5 social profiles; Accelerate was $49 ($40 annually) for 10 profiles (pricing page, October 2026).