What is the best free Buffer alternative?
Schedulely is free during early access, with every built feature included, from posting to 14 networks to the labelled Instagram inbox, and paid plans from $9 a month will start later. If you need a plan that stays free for good, Buffer's own free plan, Metricool and Publer are the safer long term picks.
Free means different things on different sites, so this page sets out exactly what each free option gives and what it costs once you outgrow it.
Free during early access.
Last checked
| Tool | What free gives you | Stays free? |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Yes, free forever: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user, 100 ideas, 30 day analytics history, 5 AI reply suggestions per week | Yes, a permanent free plan |
| Schedulely | Every built feature, 14 networks, Instagram inbox, approval links, link in bio | Free during early access; paid plans from $9 a month start later |
| Metricool | Yes, free forever: 1 brand, all networks except LinkedIn and X, 20 scheduled posts per month, 30 days analytics, 5 AI credits per brand/month | Yes, a permanent free plan |
| Publer | Yes, free forever: 1 user, 1 workspace, 3 social accounts (no X), 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 drafts, 24 hour post history | Yes, a permanent free plan |
| Hootsuite | Free 14 day trial on Standard, Professional, Advanced; no credit card required | No free plan |
| Later | 14 day free trial on every plan | No free plan |
Competitor facts come from each company's own website, checked on 29 October 2026. Schedulely prices apply once early access ends; nothing is charged today.
What does free mean on Schedulely?
Schedulely is in early access, and during early access nothing is charged and every feature that is built is available. That is different from a permanent free plan. Paid plans start later at $9, $39 or $99 a month, and terms will be set out before any plan is charged.
Early access means you can use the full product today: the planner and week calendar, bulk scheduling from spreadsheet rows, the Instagram grid preview, the comments and DMs inbox with labels, approval links, connect links, client logins, outreach lists and link in bio pages.
It does not mean free forever. Once plans start, Starter covers up to 3 channels, Pro up to 10 and Agency up to 30, with yearly billing giving 2 months free. Posting to X is free during early access and then becomes a separate $10 a month add on, because X charges apps for every post.
Schedulely has not announced a permanent free plan, and we would rather say so plainly than let you find out later. Terms for paid plans will be set out before anything is charged, and a person answers questions at contact@suresocial.agency. Subscriptions will be bought on the web, never inside an app store.
What does Buffer's free plan include?
Buffer's free plan is permanent and suits one person with a few accounts. Its own pricing page lists the limits on channels, scheduled posts, users and analytics history. If those limits fit you, staying on Buffer's free plan is a perfectly sensible choice rather than a problem to solve.
Buffer describes its free plan as Yes, free forever: up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user, 100 ideas, 30 day analytics history, 5 AI reply suggestions per week. It supports Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube (Shorts), Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon, Substack, and its analytics are described as Yes; Free has 30 day history, Essentials and Team unlimited history plus custom analytics and reports.
People usually look for a free alternative to Buffer for one of three reasons:
- Limits. They hit the cap on channels or scheduled posts and do not want to pay per channel yet.
- Missing pieces. They need something the free plan does not focus on, such as sorting Instagram comments into leads and complaints, or client approval links.
- Networks. They post to Telegram, Discord or Tumblr, which are not in Buffer's list.
If your reason is the first one, any tool with a bigger free allowance helps. If it is the second or third, look at what each free option actually includes, not just its price. The table at the top of this page sets that out side by side.
Which free Buffer alternatives stay free for good?
Metricool and Publer both have permanent free plans, each with limits. Metricool's free plan includes analytics and an inbox for one brand, and Publer's covers a few accounts with a short post history. Hootsuite and Later offer trials rather than free plans, so they are not free alternatives in the long run.
Metricool offers Yes, free forever: 1 brand, all networks except LinkedIn and X, 20 scheduled posts per month, 30 days analytics, 5 AI credits per brand/month. Its inbox on the free plan covers Yes; Free: Instagram, Facebook, Google Business Profile, TikTok, YouTube; paid adds LinkedIn; X via add on. It is a good free choice if you want analytics alongside scheduling for one brand.
Publer offers Yes, free forever: 1 user, 1 workspace, 3 social accounts (no X), 10 scheduled posts per account, 25 drafts, 24 hour post history. It supports Facebook, Instagram, X (paid only), LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, YouTube, WordPress, TikTok, Telegram, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky. It is a good free choice for a creator with a handful of accounts who mostly needs a calendar.
Hootsuite lists no free plan; it offers Free 14 day trial on Standard, Professional, Advanced; no credit card required. Later also lists no free plan; it offers 14 day free trial on every plan. Both are worth a trial if you expect to pay, but neither is a free alternative.
Each permanent free plan has limits on channels, posts or history. Before you move, count the accounts you post to and the posts you schedule each month, then check them against each free plan's own pricing page. A free plan that fits today can stop fitting after one new client.
When is Schedulely the right free choice?
Schedulely is the right free choice when you want to use the whole product now and are comfortable that paid plans start later. It suits Instagram led brands and agencies that need a labelled comments and DMs inbox, approval links without a login, or posting to Telegram, Discord and Tumblr.
During early access you get features that Buffer's free plan does not focus on:
- An Instagram inbox where comments, DMs and mentions are labelled by simple word rules as Complaint, Lead, Question, Praise, Promotions, or Scam and spam, with private replies, saved replies and keyword automations.
- Client work: approval links clients swipe through without logging in, connect links so nobody shares a password, and a calendar row per client in their own time zone.
- More networks: Instagram, Facebook Pages, X, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business, Bluesky, Mastodon, Tumblr, Telegram and Discord.
- Link in bio pages with visits and taps counted without cookies.
Be clear on the gaps. Schedulely has no Instagram analytics, no automatic comment to DM, no first comment, and its App Store and Google Play apps are coming but not live. Buffer includes analytics on its free plan and has apps in both stores, so if those matter more than the inbox, stay with Buffer.
What will Schedulely cost once early access ends?
Once plans start, Schedulely costs $9 a month for up to 3 channels, $39 for up to 10 and $99 for up to 30, with 2 months free on yearly billing. You pay for channels, never for seats. X posting becomes a $10 a month add on.
The table below shows the plans that start after early access. Prices are shown in dollars and come from one setting on this site, so they always match the pricing page.
Pro and Agency include the Complaint, Lead and spam labels in the inbox, client logins and approvals. Agency also includes unlimited team members, which suits agencies that add freelancers for busy months.
Compare this with Buffer's paid model, which is Per channel per month (USD $ sign shown, currency code not stated). With 2 or 3 accounts, a per channel price can be very low. With many clients, a bundle can cost less per account. Work it out on your own channel count rather than trusting any headline price, including ours.
Nothing is charged during early access, and account holders will be told before plans begin. If you have questions about terms, a person answers at contact@suresocial.agency.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $9 a month | $90 a year ($7.50 a month) | Up to 3 |
| Pro | $39 a month | $390 a year ($32.50 a month) | Up to 10 |
| Agency | $99 a month | $990 a year ($82.50 a month) | Up to 30 |
| X add on | $10 a month | Not stated | For any plan |
Free during early access. Subscriptions are bought on the web at app.tryschedulely.com, never in an app store.
Who it's for, and who it isn't
A good fit if you
- Buffer free plan users who have outgrown its limits and want to try a full product at no cost
- Instagram led brands that need comments and DMs sorted into leads, questions and complaints
- Freelancers and agencies that want client approval links without paying for extra seats
- Anyone posting to Telegram, Discord or Tumblr alongside the major networks
Not the right fit if you
- Anyone who needs a plan that is guaranteed to stay free for good
- People who rely on Buffer's analytics, which Schedulely does not offer
- Users who need App Store or Google Play apps today
Questions people ask
Is there a free alternative to Buffer?
Yes. Metricool and Publer both have permanent free plans with limits, and Schedulely is free during early access with every built feature included. Buffer also has its own free plan, so compare the limits on channels, posts and users on each pricing page before you move anything.
Is Schedulely really free?
Yes, during early access. Nothing is charged and every built feature is available. Schedulely has not announced a permanent free plan: paid plans start later at $9, $39 and $99 a month, and terms will be set out before any plan is charged. A person answers questions at contact@suresocial.agency.
What happens to my account when early access ends?
Account holders will be told before any plan is charged, and the terms will be set out first. Plans are priced by channel: Starter for up to 3, Pro for up to 10 and Agency for up to 30. Nothing is charged automatically during early access, and subscriptions are bought on the web only.
Does Buffer's free plan have analytics?
Buffer lists analytics as Yes; Free has 30 day history, Essentials and Team unlimited history plus custom analytics and reports. Schedulely does not offer Instagram analytics or insights at all, so if post performance numbers are why you use Buffer, its free plan or Metricool's free plan will serve you better than Schedulely. Schedulely does count link in bio visits and taps without cookies.
Can I move my scheduled Buffer posts to Schedulely for free?
There is no automatic import from Buffer. You can copy your planned posts into a spreadsheet and paste the rows into Schedulely's bulk schedule, with a Google Drive link as the fourth column for media. Each row becomes a post you can save as a draft or schedule, at no cost during early access.
Is posting to X free on Schedulely?
Posting to X is free during early access. After that it becomes a separate $10 a month add on for any plan, because X charges apps for every post and every reply read. Posting to the other networks is covered by whichever plan you choose.
Sources
Every outside fact on this page comes from the source listed here, checked on 30 October 2026. Prices and features change, so check the source before you decide.
- Buffer pricing buffer.com/pricing
- Metricool pricing metricool.com/pricing/
- Publer plans and pricing publer.com/help/en/article/what-are-publers-plans-and-pricing-15h4yqh/
- Publer supported networks publer.com/help/en/article/what-social-networks-are-supported-npoun1/
- Hootsuite plans hootsuite.com/plans
- Later pricing later.com/pricing/
Related pages
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Start free today
Everything that is built today is free during early access. Plans start later, and we will tell you well before anything is charged.
Free during early access.