Metricool vs Buffer vs PostFast: Pricing and Features (2026)

Buffer vs Metricool comes down to two different pricing units, and PostFast adds a third. Metricool charges per brand, where a brand holds one profile per network. Buffer charges per channel, with volume discounts once you pass ten channels. PostFast charges a flat plan price with social accounts, client workspaces and user seats bundled in. Which one is cheapest depends on how many profiles, clients and people you have, so this comparison prices three real setups instead of quoting headline numbers.

Every price below was read on each vendor's own pricing page on September 12, 2026. Buffer's totals use the per-channel tier table Buffer publishes, including the volume discounts. Metricool and PostFast list euro prices, Buffer lists US dollars, and nothing is converted. Taxes and optional add-ons are extra everywhere.

PostFast is in this comparison because we build it. We describe its limits the same way we describe the other two.

How we compared the three

• Prices come from the vendors' own pricing pages, read on September 12, 2026. Buffer's page notes that its prices were last updated in November 2025. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their pages before you buy.
• Monthly and yearly billing are shown separately. A yearly price is quoted as the effective amount per month, with the total per year where it helps.
• Buffer bills are calculated, not multiplied. Channels 1 to 10 cost the standard rate and channels above 10 cost less, so 120 channels cost far less than 120 times the single-channel price.
• No affiliate links, no paid placements.

The short version

Platform support

All three publish to the big networks. The differences sit at the edges, and one of those edges is usually the platform a client can't live without.

The Yes and No cells follow each vendor's own supported-network list on the date checked. A supported network isn't the same as every format publishing automatically. Buffer's own channel table marks Facebook groups and Instagram personal profiles as reminder-only, meaning you get a notification to finish the post in the app. PostFast publishes Instagram feed posts, carousels, Reels and Stories directly on every plan, and it's the only one of the three with Telegram scheduling for channels and groups.

Monthly vs yearly prices

The price you see first on a pricing page is often the yearly one. Here are both, for the plans that matter in this comparison.

Every PostFast plan includes all 11 platforms, the REST API, the MCP server and the Social Inbox. Yearly billing gives you two months free on every tier. The pricing page has the full table, including the X account caps (2, 6, 12, 36 and 45 per plan) and the draft limits.

How Metricool counts brands

A Metricool brand holds one profile per network. A client with an Instagram account, a Facebook Page, a LinkedIn Page and a Pinterest account is one brand with four profiles. Three clients set up the same way are three brands and twelve profiles.

Two accounts on the same network need two brands. Metricool's own help centre uses Google Business Profile as the example: each location gets its own brand. So don't compare a raw count of social accounts with Metricool's brand allowance. Count brands.

Budget for the add-ons too: X costs €10 per connected account per month on top of the plan, LinkedIn needs a paid plan, and Advanced Analytics is a separate add-on.

How Buffer discounts channels

Buffer publishes its per-channel rates on the pricing page. Monthly billing:

Yearly billing works out to ten months of the monthly price. So twelve channels on Team cost 10 × $12 + 2 × $4 = $128 a month, or $106.67 a month on yearly billing. Don't multiply 120 channels by $12. On the tier table, 120 Team channels come to $395 a month, and 120 Essentials channels to $265.

The two plans serve different teams. Essentials has one user. Team has unlimited users, approval workflows and access levels, which is what an agency with client sign-off needs.

How PostFast bundles accounts, workspaces and users

PostFast counts connected social accounts per plan and lets you split clients into workspaces, each with its own calendar, accounts and members. Creator, for example, gives you 12 accounts across up to 4 workspaces, with up to 5 users in each workspace.

Nobody pays per seat, but seats aren't unlimited: 1 user on Starter, 5 on Creator, 8 on Growth, 15 on Pro and 30 on Enterprise, counted per workspace. Scheduled posts are capped on the lower plans too (150 on Starter, 1,500 on Creator, 3,000 on Growth), and X accounts have their own cap.

Three worked bills

All three setups use Instagram, a Facebook Page, a LinkedIn Page and Pinterest: four profiles per brand, no X. The team and agency setups need client approvals. Taxes and optional add-ons aren't included.

Monthly billing:

Yearly billing, per month:

What the numbers say

Solo. Check the free plans first. Metricool Free excludes LinkedIn and X, so this four-profile setup needs Starter. Buffer Free stops at three channels, so it needs Essentials. PostFast Starter fits, but its four-account cap is used up on day one.

Small team. Collaboration is what moves the bill. Metricool Starter has room for three brands, but approvals live on Advanced, so the team pays €54. Buffer's $128 already includes the discount on channels 11 and 12. PostFast Creator covers three client workspaces and twelve accounts, again with no accounts to spare.

Agency. Metricool doesn't need a custom quote for 120 profiles. Thirty brands is more than the 25-brand tier, so the 50-brand Advanced option at €172 covers it. Buffer Team at $395 is the tier table at work. PostFast Pro fits exactly: 30 workspaces and 120 accounts, both fully used. Client number 31 means Enterprise at €239.

The lesson is the same for all three: price the roster you'll have in six months, not the one you have today.

What changes the decision beyond price

Metricool: reporting first

Metricool puts scheduling, analytics, competitor tracking and reports in one place, organized by brand. Free gives you 5 competitor profiles and 30 days of analytics. Starter raises that to 100 competitors, unlimited history, PDF and PPT reports and a LinkedIn connection. Advanced adds team and client management, roles, the post approval system, custom report templates, a Looker Studio connector and the Metricool API with Zapier and Make.

Metricool also connects Meta, Google and TikTok ads accounts inside a brand, so it makes sense if you report on paid and organic activity together. The MCP connection for AI assistants is listed on every plan, including Free, with limits that depend on the plan.

Buffer: the queue, the inbox and unlimited users on Team

Buffer's model is the queue: set posting slots per channel, add posts, and they publish in order. Every plan, including Free, has the AI Assistant, the community inbox for comments, a visual calendar and API access. Free allows 1 API key and 3,000 requests a month, Essentials 3 keys and 7,500, Team 5 keys and 15,000. Paid plans add first-comment scheduling, a hashtag manager and custom video covers.

Team is the plan agencies look at: unlimited team members, approval workflows, access levels per channel and branded reports. Buffer also ships an MCP server, connected from Settings and Integrations, and lists its Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor integrations on every plan. Scheduled posts on paid plans are unlimited, subject to a fair-use cap of 5,000 per channel.

PostFast: flat plans, client workspaces and automation on every tier

PostFast gives every plan the same 11 platforms and the same one-year scheduling window, and separates clients into workspaces. Approvals, roles and per-user permissions are on every plan, including the trial: a post only publishes when it's in the Approved state, and the Client role lets a customer review and sign off without seeing your internal comments or other clients' calendars. Reviewers are invited workspace members who sign in, and each one uses a seat in that workspace. There's no anonymous approval link.

The REST API and MCP server are on every plan too, including the 7-day trial, so an n8n, Make or Zapier workflow, or an AI assistant such as Claude, can create scheduled posts from day one. Bulk CSV import handles up to 200 posts per file. The Social Inbox covers comments on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Pages and Threads (four platforms, with LinkedIn coming soon), and Pro and Enterprise add workspace branding and client-branded PDF reports. It isn't a white-label app: there's no custom domain and no rebranded login.

Which one should you pick?

• Pick Metricool if recurring client reports, competitor analysis and ads data matter as much as publishing. Price it by brands, budget the X add-on, and remember that approvals and the API start at Advanced.
• Pick Buffer if you like a queue, want a real free plan for one to three channels, or need unlimited users on Team. Use the tier table for anything above ten channels.
• Pick PostFast if you want one flat bill for many accounts and client workspaces, you post to Telegram, or you want approvals, an API and an MCP server without upgrading. Check the account, workspace and seat caps against your roster first.

Before you switch anything, run one real workflow on a trial: connect the platforms you use, schedule the format you publish most, have a colleague or client approve it, and check the result. The cheaper plan only counts if that works.

For a two-tool breakdown, see PostFast vs Buffer. If you're leaving one of these tools, the Buffer alternatives and Metricool alternatives pages compare more options, and the best social media schedulers roundup covers eleven tools. Agencies can see how workspaces and seats fit a client roster in the agency guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Metricool cheaper than Buffer?

In the three setups above, yes, on the vendors' listed prices with monthly billing: €20 vs $24 for one brand with four profiles, €54 vs $128 for three clients with approvals, and €172 vs $395 for thirty clients. Buffer wins at the very small end, where its free plan covers three channels and Essentials costs $6 or $12 for one or two channels. The two vendors bill in different currencies, so convert before you decide a close call.

Does Buffer have a free plan and an API?

Yes. Buffer Free covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, one user, the AI Assistant, the community inbox and API access with 1 key and 3,000 requests a month. Essentials raises the API to 3 keys and 7,500 requests, Team to 5 keys and 15,000.

Do I need Metricool Advanced to use its API or MCP?

The Metricool API, including the Zapier and Make integrations, is on Advanced and Custom. The Metricool MCP connection is listed on every plan, including Free, with limits that depend on your plan. Post approvals also start on Advanced.

Which plans include client approvals?

Metricool on Advanced and Custom, Buffer on Team, and PostFast on every plan including the 7-day trial. In PostFast, reviewers are invited workspace members who sign in, and seats are capped per workspace: 1 on Starter, 5 on Creator, 8 on Growth, 15 on Pro and 30 on Enterprise. On Starter you approve your own posts.

Does PostFast offer yearly billing?

Yes. Yearly totals are €120 for Starter, €288 for Creator, €480 for Growth, €990 for Pro and €2,388 for Enterprise, which works out to €10, €24, €40, €82.50 and €199 a month. That's two months free on every plan, and you can switch between monthly and yearly from the billing portal.

Count profiles, clients and reviewers first

Metricool prices brands, Buffer prices channels, PostFast prices plans. Count your profiles, your clients and the people who need to approve, then price all three on the same setup. PostFast gives you 7 days with every platform, approvals and the API switched on.