Buffer alternative
The Buffer alternative that doesn't charge per channel.
Buffer bills every channel you connect, and doubles the rate once you add a teammate. Zilfu is flat from $19/month for 10 accounts, with teammates, approvals and webhooks included.
Buffer meters channels. Zilfu sells plans.
That one difference is most of this page.
On Buffer every new client account is another $5 to $10 a month, and the first teammate moves every channel to the pricier plan. Zilfu is flat from $19. Bring the whole team, route posts through approvals, send clients branded reports and drive it all from the API and webhooks. Ten accounts or one, the bill stays the same.
Zilfu vs Buffer, line by line.
Buffer takes channels and the free tier. Zilfu takes pricing, teams and webhooks.
Pricing & limits
Zilfu wins 3 of 5
Pricing model
- Zilfu
- Flat tiers (ahead)
- Buffer
- Per channel, per tier
10 channels
- Zilfu
- $19 / month (ahead)
- Buffer
- $50 to $100 / month
Free plan
- Zilfu
- None
- Buffer
- 3 channels, 1 user (ahead)
Extra teammates
- Zilfu
- Never charged (ahead)
- Buffer
- Team plan, double the rate
Trying it out
- Zilfu
- Monthly, cancel anytime
- Buffer
- 14-day trial
Team & approvals
Zilfu wins 4 of 4
Team members
- Zilfu
- Unlimited, every plan (ahead)
- Buffer
- Team plan only
Approval workflow
- Zilfu
- Every plan (ahead)
- Buffer
- Team plan only
Client reviewers
- Zilfu
- Unlimited, free (ahead)
- Buffer
- Team plan only
Branded client reports
- Zilfu
- Every plan (ahead)
- Buffer
- Team plan only
Channels
Buffer wins 2 of 4
Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook
- Zilfu
- Yes
- Buffer
- Yes
Threads, Pinterest, X
- Zilfu
- Yes
- Buffer
- Yes
YouTube
- Zilfu
- Coming soon
- Buffer
- Yes (ahead)
Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business, Substack
- Zilfu
- Not yet
- Buffer
- Yes (ahead)
Engagement & analytics
Buffer wins 1 of 3
Comment inbox
- Zilfu
- Threads, Instagram, Facebook
- Buffer
- Every plan
AI reply suggestions
- Zilfu
- None
- Buffer
- Yes (ahead)
Per-account analytics
- Zilfu
- Every plan
- Buffer
- Every plan
Automation & API
Zilfu wins 1 of 3
API
- Zilfu
- REST, every plan
- Buffer
- GraphQL, every plan
MCP server for AI agents
- Zilfu
- Hosted, included
- Buffer
- Hosted, included
Webhooks
- Zilfu
- Every plan (ahead)
- Buffer
- None
Published rates as of October 2026. Buffer Essentials is $5 and Team $10 per channel/month, billed annually; channels above ten get an unpublished discount. Accurate to the best of our knowledge; verify on each provider's pricing page.
What the same team costs.
Four common setups, priced on both at October 2026 rates.
Solo creator
1 person, 6 channels
- Buffer Essentials
- $30/mo
- Zilfu Pro
- $19/mo
- You keep
- $132/yr
Busy creator
1 person, 10 channels
- Buffer Essentials
- $50/mo
- Zilfu Pro
- $19/mo
- You keep
- $372/yr
Small team
3 people, 7 channels
- Buffer Team
- $70/mo
- Zilfu Pro
- $19/mo
- You keep
- $612/yr
Agency
4 teammates and a client reviewer, 10 channels, approvals
- Buffer Team
- $100/mo
- Zilfu Pro
- $19/mo
- You keep
- $972/yr
Why teams leave. On the record.
Pricing
Billed per channel
Ten channels on the Team plan come to $100 a month. Every new client account raises the bill.
Source: buffer.com/pricing, October 2026
Free plan
10 posts per channel
The free queue holds ten posts per channel. Anything beyond that waits until one publishes.
Source: buffer.com/pricing, October 2026
Legacy API
Retires February 2027
Integrations on Buffer's old REST API must be rebuilt on its new GraphQL API before then.
Source: developers.buffer.com, 2026
Switch before lunch. No export needed.
Let Buffer publish what's queued, or rebuild the queue in Zilfu in minutes.
- ~20 seconds
Create your account
Pick the plan that fits your account count.
- ~30 seconds each
Connect your accounts
Each network's official sign-in. No export or CSV.
- ~1 minute
Cancel Buffer
Downgrade from Buffer's billing page once your first week is scheduled.
Leaving Buffer, answered.
How much does Buffer cost per channel in 2026?
Buffer bills per connected channel. As of October 2026, Essentials is $5 per channel per month and Team is $10 per channel per month at Buffer's annual rates, so ten channels on Team come to $100 a month. Channels above ten get a lower rate Buffer doesn't publish. Zilfu is flat: $19/month for 10 accounts, $79 for 100, $179 for 300.
Does Buffer charge for extra team members?
Not per seat, but Free and Essentials are single-user. Inviting anyone means moving every channel to the Team plan, which doubles the per-channel rate. Zilfu includes unlimited team members on every plan.
Which Buffer plan has approval workflows?
Only Team. Free and Essentials have no approvals because they have no second user to approve. On Zilfu, approvals are included on every plan, along with approve-only client reviewers who never need a paid seat.
Is Buffer's free plan enough?
For up to three channels and one person, often yes. It caps each channel at 10 queued posts and keeps 30 days of analytics history. Zilfu has no free plan; it starts at $19/month, so if Buffer Free covers you, it's the cheaper choice.
Does Buffer have an API and an MCP server?
Yes. Buffer launched a GraphQL API in May 2026, available on every plan with monthly request quotas, and an MCP server in June 2026. Its legacy REST API is closed to new apps and retires on 1 February 2027. Zilfu also includes a REST API and a hosted MCP server on every plan.
Does Buffer support webhooks?
No. Buffer's developer docs don't offer webhooks, so tools have to poll for changes. Zilfu sends webhooks when posts publish, fail or get scheduled, on every plan.
Will I lose my scheduled posts when I leave Buffer?
Anything Buffer hasn't published yet stays inside Buffer until you cancel. You can let those posts go out and switch fresh, or rebuild the queue in Zilfu in a few minutes. Already-published posts keep living on each social platform either way.
Does Zilfu support every network Buffer does?
Not yet, honestly. Zilfu covers Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, Facebook, and X, with YouTube in development. Buffer additionally supports YouTube, Bluesky, Mastodon, Google Business Profile, and Substack. If those are core to your workflow, Buffer is the better fit.
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