Postiz vs Buffer: Pricing, Channels and Self-Hosting
Postiz vs Buffer verdict: Postiz is the better buy when you manage many channels or want to self-host, because its plans cap channels (5, 10, 30 or 100) instead of billing each one; Buffer is the better buy for a solo user with a few channels, because it has a Free plan and costs $6 per channel per month on Essentials. On monthly list prices checked November 10, 2026, 30 channels with a team cost $49 on Postiz Pro versus $195 on Buffer Team.
Pick Postiz if: you run social for clients or brands with 10+ accounts, need unlimited team members without per-seat or per-channel fees, want the public API, CLI and MCP server on every plan, or prefer to run the open-source app on your own server.
Pick Buffer if: you have one to four channels and one user, want a free tier with no card, need approval workflows and access levels for a team, or want a 14-day trial instead of 7.
- Pricing model: Postiz is flat per plan ($29 / $39 / $49 / $99 monthly); Buffer is per channel with volume tiers ($6 then $4, $3 and $1 per channel on Essentials).
- Free access: Buffer Free covers 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel; Postiz Cloud has no free plan, only a 7-day trial with a card, while self-hosted Postiz has no plan gate.
- Refund terms are tight on both: Postiz Terms cap refunds at one month and exclude annual charges; Buffer’s Terms say service fees are not refundable.
By the Unfair Advantage editorial team · Updated November 10, 2026. Method: analysis of Postiz’s pricing page (plan cards, comparison table and pricing FAQ), Terms of Service (last updated October 19, 2026), Postiz Cloud docs (plans, trial, limits, subscription, downgrades, codes and offers, refunds) and self-host docs (installation, system requirements), the Postiz GitHub repository page, and Buffer’s pricing page, its machine-readable pricing file (buffer.com/pricing.md, which states pricing was last updated in November 2025) and its legal page — all fetched November 10, 2026 between 10:04 and 10:05 Europe/Paris. The disclosed Postiz link was checked without logging in: it redirected to gitroom.com with via=unfairadvantage (Gitroom is the company behind Postiz, per the Postiz Terms). We did not create an account, connect a channel or publish a post on either tool.
How do Postiz and Buffer differ at a glance?
Postiz and Buffer both schedule and publish posts to social accounts from one calendar, but they price the same job in opposite ways: Postiz sells channel caps, Buffer sells channels.
| Criterion | Postiz | Buffer | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Flat plan with a channel cap: 5 / 10 / 30 / 100 | Per channel, cheaper per channel after 10, 25 and 50 | Postiz at scale |
| Entry price | $29/month Standard; no free Cloud plan | $0 Free (3 channels); Essentials from $6/channel | Buffer |
| Team members | Unlimited from Team ($39); none on Standard | 1 user on Free and Essentials; unlimited on Team ($12/channel) | Postiz on price |
| Approvals and access levels | Not listed on the pricing cards | Team plan: approval workflows, access levels | Buffer |
| Supported networks | 34 platforms (docs introduction) | 11 networks plus Start Page (pricing channel table) | Postiz |
| Self-host | Yes, open source (AGPL-3.0) | Hosted plans only on the pricing page | Postiz |
| Trial | 7 days, card required, once per organisation | 14 days on paid plans; falls back to Free | Buffer |
Postiz’s supported list includes networks Buffer’s channel table does not name, such as Reddit, Telegram, Discord and Medium. Buffer’s table names channel-level limits Postiz does not publish in one place, for example notification-only publishing for Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups.
Should you choose Postiz or Buffer?
Count your channels and your users first; that count decides the price gap more than any feature.
Postiz fits when…
- You manage 7+ channels as one user, or 4+ channels as a team.
- You serve several clients and want 30 channels for $49 or 100 for $99 per month.
- You script posting through an API, CLI or MCP server — all three are on every Postiz plan.
- You have a server and the time to register each network’s developer app, so self-hosting removes plan caps.
Buffer fits when…
- You run one to four channels alone; Essentials costs $6 per channel monthly and Free costs nothing.
- You need client or manager approval before posts go out (Team plan).
- You want branded analytics reports (Team plan only).
- You want to try paid features for 14 days and drop to Free afterwards.
Which is cheaper per month, Postiz or Buffer?
Buffer is cheaper for small solo setups and Postiz is cheaper for multi-channel teams; the crossover is around seven channels for one user and four for a team, on monthly list prices checked November 10, 2026.
| Channels | Postiz plan (monthly) | Buffer Essentials (1 user) | Buffer Team (unlimited users) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $29 Standard (no team) | $0 Free or $18 | $36 | Buffer |
| 5 | $29 Standard (no team) | $30 | $60 | Tie solo; Postiz Team $39 for teams |
| 10 | $39 Team | $60 | $120 | Postiz |
| 30 | $49 Pro | $135 | $195 | Postiz |
| 100 | $99 Ultimate | $245 | $355 | Postiz |
How the Buffer figures are built: Buffer’s machine-readable pricing lists monthly per-channel rates of $6 (Essentials) and $12 (Team) for channels 1–10, $4 and $4 for 11–25, $3 and $3 for 26–50, and $1 and $2 for 51+. The 3, 5 and 10-channel figures match Buffer’s own examples; 30 channels = 10 × $6 + 15 × $4 + 5 × $3 = $135 on Essentials; 100 channels = $195 for the first 50 + 50 × $1 = $245 on Essentials, and $255 + 50 × $2 = $355 on Team.
Yearly billing: Postiz lists $278, $374, $470 and $950 per year (docs plans table; the pricing FAQ states $23, $31, $39 and $79 per month, “about 20%” off). Buffer’s yearly examples are $5 per channel per month for the first channel on Essentials and $10 on Team, “billed yearly (save 2 months).” Buffer gives nonprofits and charities 50% off paid plans.
Does Postiz have a free plan or trial like Buffer?
No free plan on Postiz Cloud; Buffer has one. Postiz docs state plainly that an organisation without a subscription “cannot use the app” and sees only the plan picker.
- Postiz trial: 7 days, offered per organisation and only once. Starting it requires a payment method; Postiz places a small authorisation that is released immediately. During the trial, video clipping and some AI video generators are unavailable, and reconnecting a previously connected channel is restricted. Cancel before day 7 and you are not charged.
- Buffer Free: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at any one time (a slot frees up when a post publishes), 100 ideas, 1 user, 30 days of insights history and 1 API key.
- Buffer trial: 14 days on paid plans. Without payment details at the end, the account drops to Free and channels beyond three are locked; scheduled posts on unlocked channels still publish.
How do team, AI and API features compare?
Postiz bundles more automation per dollar; Buffer bundles more team governance on its Team plan.
| Feature | Postiz | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Users | Standard: no team; Team, Pro, Ultimate: unlimited members, seats not counted | Free and Essentials: 1 user; Team: unlimited, plus access levels and approval workflows |
| Posts | Effectively unlimited on every paid plan | Free 10 scheduled per channel; paid “unlimited,” capped by fair use at 5,000 posts per channel |
| AI | AI copilot on all plans; image credits 20 / 100 / 300 / 500 and video credits 3 / 10 / 30 / 60 per month; clipping minutes 60 / 120 / 300 / 600 | AI Assistant on all plans, described as unlimited; AI comment replies limited to 5 suggestions per week on Free |
| API and agents | Public API, CLI and MCP on every plan; create-post endpoint limited to 90 requests per hour; webhooks 2 / 10 / 30 / 10,000 | API on every plan: 1 / 3 / 5 keys; 30-day limit 1,000 per channel (up to 3,000) on Free to 10,000 per channel (up to 100,000) on Team |
| Automation extras | RSS auto-posting from Team (docs), repeated posts, posting sets, signatures | Integrations listed include Zapier, Make, n8n, IFTTT, Canva, ChatGPT and Claude |
| Analytics | Analytics listed on every plan card | Insights on Free (30 days); advanced analytics and reports on paid; branded reports on Team |
If you wire either scheduler into a workflow tool, our live n8n review for self-hosted workflow automation and n8n vs Zapier comparison cover the router side; Buffer lists both n8n and Zapier among its integrations.
Can you self-host Postiz to avoid Buffer’s per-channel fees?
Yes, if you can run a small server stack and register developer apps. Postiz is open source under AGPL-3.0, and the Postiz Cloud docs state that a self-hosted install has no plan limits, an effectively unlimited channel cap and behaves as the top tier.
- What you take on: registering a developer app and keys for each network you connect (Postiz says eight platforms need no configuration), bringing your own OpenAI and generator keys for AI features, HTTPS behind a reverse proxy, and upgrades on your schedule.
- Stack: PostgreSQL 14+, Redis 6+ and Temporal (required since v2.12.0), with local or Cloudflare R2 object storage. The official Docker Compose was tested on a 2 GB / 2 vCPU Ubuntu VM; docs recommend 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and 50 GB disk for a team of up to 20 users.
- Support: community Discord with no guaranteed response, versus email and Discord on Cloud.
Buffer’s pricing page and pricing file describe hosted plans only; we found no self-host option on the pages checked.
What happens when you hit a limit or downgrade?
Postiz enforces caps by blocking the action and, on downgrade, by disabling what no longer fits; Buffer enforces its Free limits by locking channels.
- Postiz downgrade: channels over the new cap are disabled (not deleted), and Postiz picks which ones unless you disable them first. Dropping to Standard disables every other team member. Settings tabs the new plan does not include (such as Teams, Webhooks or Auto Post) disappear while their data stays, webhooks above the new allowance stop firing, and RSS feeds stop producing posts.
- Postiz cancellation: the subscription runs to the end of the paid period; after that, publishing stops and scheduled posts are not published, even retroactively if you resubscribe. Data stays.
- Postiz uploads: 10 MB per image and 1 GB per video on every plan.
- Buffer: upgrading from Free means paying for every channel, including the three that were free. Channels above three are locked if a trial ends without payment.
How do billing and refunds compare?
Neither tool offers a generous refund policy, and both publish two versions of it.
- Postiz Terms (last updated October 19, 2026): fees non-refundable except under the Refund Policy — at most one month’s fee per account, only if the last charge was within 120 days, and no refunds of annual charges. The contracting party for paid subscriptions is Gitroom Limited (Hong Kong). The pricing FAQ repeats the 120-day rule.
- Postiz refund docs: one refund per customer ever, through the in-app support chat, for a subscription charge under 60 days old, capped at one month (a yearly charge refunded at one twelfth), with the subscription cancelled.
- Buffer Terms: “Service fees are not refundable,” and fees are “non-refundable unless otherwise specifically provided”; cancelling stops the next billing cycle. Buffer’s pricing FAQ says switching billing frequency applies “any necessary prorations or refunds” automatically.
- Payment: Buffer accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover and Diners Club cards, and says it does not take checks or bank transfers. Postiz Terms name third-party processors such as Stripe, plus Apple and Google for in-app purchases. Postiz offers a retention discount of 50% off for three months to some monthly subscribers who start cancelling; promo codes apply to monthly plans only.
Where do the official pages disagree?
- Postiz refund window: Terms and pricing FAQ say 120 days and no refunds of annual charges; the refunds docs say under 60 days and refund a yearly charge at one twelfth. This page treats the Terms as the contract.
- Postiz RSS on Standard: the Standard pricing card lists “RSS auto-post”; the plans docs mark RSS auto-posting “No” on Standard and “Yes” from Team.
- Postiz AI images on Standard: the plans docs list 20 AI image credits on Standard but “Image generator: No,” and the Standard card shows no AI image allowance.
- Postiz free access: every pricing card button reads “Start for $0,” while the docs state there is no free plan and the trial requires a payment method.
- Buffer yearly discount: the pricing FAQ says annual billing gives “a 20% discount,” while the cards say “save 2 months” and the published examples ($6 to $5, $195 to $163) work out to about 17%.
- Buffer “unlimited” posts: paid plans list unlimited scheduled posts, and the FAQ caps fair use at 5,000 posts per channel.
- Buffer refunds: Terms say service fees are not refundable; the pricing FAQ mentions automatic refunds when switching billing frequency.
Postiz or Buffer: which should you buy?
| Buyer | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo creator, 1–3 channels | Buffer Free or Essentials | $0 or $6 per channel; Postiz starts at $29 |
| Solo user, 7–30 channels | Postiz | $39–$49 flat vs $42–$135 on Buffer Essentials |
| Agency with 30+ client channels | Postiz Pro or Ultimate | $49 for 30 or $99 for 100 channels, unlimited members |
| Team needing approvals and access levels | Buffer Team | Listed on Buffer Team; not on Postiz cards |
| Developer automating posts with agents | Postiz | API, CLI and MCP on every plan |
| Owner with a server and no budget | Self-hosted Postiz | AGPL-3.0, no plan limits; you register the apps |
Key takeaways
- Postiz prices social scheduling by channel cap — $29 for 5, $39 for 10, $49 for 30 and $99 for 100 channels per month — while Buffer charges per channel (pricing pages, November 10, 2026).
- For 30 channels with unlimited team members, Postiz Pro cost $49 per month versus $195 on Buffer Team at monthly list prices checked November 10, 2026.
- Buffer is cheaper than Postiz for one user with up to four channels, because Buffer Essentials costs $6 per channel per month and Buffer Free covers three channels at $0.
- Postiz Cloud has no free plan; its 7-day trial requires a card and is offered once per organisation (Postiz docs, November 10, 2026).
- Self-hosted Postiz is AGPL-3.0 open source and runs without plan limits, but you register each network’s developer app yourself (Postiz docs, November 10, 2026).
- Postiz Terms (October 19, 2026) limit refunds to one month’s fee within 120 days and exclude annual charges, while Postiz’s refund docs state a 60-day window.
Our verdict: choose Postiz when channel count, team size or automation would make Buffer’s per-channel bill grow, and accept a 7-day card-backed trial and strict refunds. Choose Buffer when you are small, solo or need approval workflows, and want a free tier to stay on. Count channels before you compare features.
FAQ
Is Postiz cheaper than Buffer?
It depends on channel count and team size. On monthly list prices checked November 10, 2026, Buffer Essentials is cheaper for one user with up to four channels ($6 each), the two are within $3 at five and six channels, and Postiz is cheaper from seven. For teams, Postiz Team at $39 for 10 channels beats Buffer Team from four channels ($48).
Does Postiz have a free plan like Buffer?
No. Postiz Cloud docs state there is no free plan: an organisation without a subscription sees only the plan picker, and new organisations are normally offered one 7-day trial that requires a card. Buffer has a Free plan for up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, plus a 14-day trial of paid plans (checked November 10, 2026).
How do Postiz and Buffer count channels?
Both count one connected social account as one channel. Buffer bills every channel, with per-channel rates falling after 10, 25 and 50 channels. Postiz bills a flat plan with a channel cap of 5, 10, 30 or 100, and posts per month are effectively unlimited on every paid plan (official pricing pages and docs, November 10, 2026).
Can I self-host Postiz instead of paying?
Yes. Postiz is open source under AGPL-3.0, and its docs say a self-hosted install has no plan limits and behaves as the top tier. You register each social network’s developer app yourself, run PostgreSQL 14+, Redis 6+ and Temporal, and rely on community Discord support with no guaranteed response. Buffer’s pricing page lists hosted plans only.
Which is better for agencies, Postiz or Buffer?
Postiz fits agencies on price: Pro allows 30 channels for $49 per month and Ultimate 100 channels for $99, with unlimited team members. Buffer Team adds approval workflows, access levels and branded reports, but 30 channels cost $195 per month on its tiered rates. Choose Buffer when client approvals matter more than the bill (checked November 10, 2026).
Can I get a refund from Postiz or Buffer?
Rarely. Postiz Terms (last updated October 19, 2026) allow at most one month’s fee per account, within 120 days of the last charge, and no refunds of annual charges; Postiz’s refund docs state a 60-day window instead. Buffer’s Terms say service fees are not refundable, while its pricing FAQ mentions automatic prorations or refunds when you switch billing frequency.
Did Unfair Advantage test Postiz and Buffer?
No. We did not create accounts, connect channels or publish posts on either tool. This comparison uses Postiz’s pricing page, Terms and cloud and self-host docs, and Buffer’s pricing page, its machine-readable pricing file and Terms, all fetched November 10, 2026 (Europe/Paris), plus an unauthenticated redirect check of the disclosed Postiz link.
Sources
Sources are listed as plain URLs, without links, so this page sends no clicks to vendors other than through the disclosed affiliate button. Times are Europe/Paris on November 10, 2026.
- Postiz pricing page, https://postiz.com/pricing (plan cards, comparison table, pricing FAQ; checked 10:04)
- Postiz Terms of Service, https://postiz.com/terms-of-service (Last updated: October 19, 2026; refund policy, contracting entity; checked 10:04)
- Postiz Cloud docs: plans, trial, limits, subscription, downgrades, codes and offers, refunds and support, overview — https://docs.postiz.com/cloud/plans.md and sibling pages (checked 10:04)
- Postiz self-host docs, https://docs.postiz.com/self-host/installation/overview.md and https://docs.postiz.com/self-host/installation/system-requirements.md (checked 10:04)
- Postiz documentation index, https://docs.postiz.com/llms.txt (“34 social platforms”; checked 10:04)
- Postiz GitHub repository, https://github.com/gitroomhq/postiz-app (AGPL-3.0 license; checked 10:04)
- Unauthenticated affiliate redirect check, https://postiz.pro/unfairadvantage → gitroom.com/go?via=unfairadvantage (HTTP 200 after one redirect; 10:04)
- Buffer pricing page, https://buffer.com/pricing (plan cards; checked 10:04)
- Buffer machine-readable pricing, https://buffer.com/pricing.md (volume tiers, examples, feature tables, FAQ; “last updated in November 2025”; checked 10:05)
- Buffer legal page, https://buffer.com/legal (Terms of Use, payment terms; checked 10:04)