Metricool is the stronger pick for analytics depth and competitor tracking on a budget, while Buffer is the stronger pick for a genuinely simple, permanent free plan and a cleaner AI writing assistant. Metricool's free plan analyzes one brand with real reporting; Buffer's free plan covers three channels but leans lighter on analytics. Past the free tier, Metricool's per-brand pricing usually beats Buffer's per-channel pricing once you connect more than a couple of profiles.
- Both tools have a permanent free plan: Metricool covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month and 30-day analytics; Buffer covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel (Source: metricool.com/pricing, checked September 2026; buffer.com/pricing, checked September 2026).
- Metricool's Starter plan starts at $20 a month ($16 billed annually) for up to 10 brands; Buffer's Essentials plan starts at $5 a month per channel, so cost scales differently depending on how many accounts you run.
- Only Metricool includes built-in competitor analysis and a link-in-bio tool (SmartLinks) from its paid tiers; Buffer's AI Assistant is unlimited on every paid plan, including approval workflows on Team.
- Neither tool generates images or video with AI; both are text-only assistants that pair with outside design tools like Canva.
Quick Verdict by Use Case
Pick Metricool if you manage several brands or client accounts and want deep analytics, competitor tracking and branded reports without paying enterprise prices. Pick Buffer if you run one to three accounts, want the simplest possible interface, and value an AI assistant with no credit limits over deeper reporting.
- Agency or freelancer managing 5 to 50 brands on a budget: Metricool
- Solo creator or small team on one to three channels: Buffer
- Need competitor analysis and a link-in-bio page bundled in: Metricool
- Need unlimited AI drafting credits without a metered cap: Buffer
If you would rather have an AI agent generate the images and video too, not just the captions, our guide to the best AI social media tools in 2026 compares Brandlix against tools like these.
Pricing Compared
Buffer is cheaper if you run very few accounts: its Free plan covers 3 channels at no cost, more than Metricool's single free brand. But Buffer's paid plans price per channel, so cost climbs fast as you add accounts, while Metricool's Starter plan covers up to 10 brands for one flat $20 a month. For agencies or multi-brand teams, Metricool usually wins on total cost; for a single creator with one or two profiles, Buffer can be cheaper.
| Tier | Metricool | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0, 1 brand, 20 posts/mo, 30-day analytics, 5 competitor profiles | $0, up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts/channel, basic 30-day insights |
| Entry paid plan | Starter: $20/mo ($16/mo annual), up to 10 brands, unlimited posting | Essentials: $5/mo per channel ($60/yr annual), unlimited posts, advanced analytics |
| Mid/advanced plan | Advanced: $53/mo ($43/mo annual), up to 50 brands, post approval, API access | Team: $10/mo per channel ($120/yr annual), unlimited users, approval workflows |
| Top plan | Custom: contact sales, white label, dedicated account manager | (Team remains Buffer's top self-serve plan) |
| Free trial on paid tiers | Not required to test; free plan available instead | Not required to test; free plan available instead |
Watch the unit of pricing closely: Metricool charges per brand across a shared plan, while Buffer charges per channel with volume discounts after the first ten. Run the math for your actual account count rather than comparing headline prices directly (Source: metricool.com/pricing and buffer.com/pricing, both checked September 2026).
Publishing and Scheduling
Both tools schedule to the same core networks. Metricool connects to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Pinterest, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Google Business Profile and Twitch, though LinkedIn and X sit behind paid plans. Buffer connects to 11 networks, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Mastodon and Google Business Profile, available from the free plan.
Metricool adds an ads dashboard for Meta, Google and TikTok campaigns and a link-in-bio tool, SmartLinks, that most direct competitors charge separately for. Buffer keeps its scheduler simpler: a shared calendar, an idea bank for saving drafts before scheduling, and first-comment scheduling on paid plans. If you want campaign and organic data in one dashboard, Metricool covers more ground; if you want the simplest possible queue, Buffer's interface has less to learn.
AI Features
Metricool's AI assistant is credit-based: 5 credits per brand on the free plan, 20 on Starter, 35 on Advanced, spent on caption ideas, copy variations for A/B testing, and alt-text generation. Buffer's AI Assistant is included on every plan, including free, with no credit limit on paid tiers, and focuses on drafting, rewriting and repurposing text for different platforms.
Neither tool generates images or video with AI. Metricool integrates with Canva and Adobe Express for design work; Buffer's page does not mention a built-in design integration, so you would bring your own visuals or a separate tool either way. If unlimited AI text credits matter more than deeper analytics, Buffer's model removes the metering question entirely.
Analytics and Reporting
Metricool is the deeper reporting tool: engagement, impressions, reach, follower growth and audience demographics with historical data from the free plan onward, plus custom PDF or PowerPoint reports with branding on Starter and up. Buffer's reporting is lighter by comparison: "advanced analytics" arrives on Essentials, with branded reports reserved for the Team plan.
Competitor tracking is where the gap widens most. Metricool includes monitoring for 5 competitor profiles even on the free plan, rising to 100 on Starter. Buffer's own pages do not describe a competitor analysis feature at all. If client or leadership reporting is a regular part of your job, Metricool's reporting tools go further at a comparable price.
Team and Approval Workflow
Buffer's Team plan, $10 a month per channel, includes unlimited users plus approval workflows and custom access permissions, a straightforward way to add sign-off without a per-seat fee. Metricool's post-approval system sits on its Advanced plan, $53 a month ($43 billed annually), alongside team management tools and API access.
For a small team on a handful of channels, Buffer's per-channel pricing with unlimited users can work out cheaper for approval workflows specifically. For an agency running many brands that also wants approval, Metricool's Advanced plan bundles that in with deeper analytics at the same upgrade.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Metricool if you manage multiple brands, need competitor analysis and branded reports, or want an ads dashboard alongside organic scheduling, all without paying enterprise prices. Choose Buffer if you run a small number of channels, want the simplest interface to learn, and prefer unlimited AI drafting credits over deeper reporting.
If scheduling breadth across a wider field of tools is what you actually need to compare, see our social media scheduler guide for the fuller picture.
A Third Option: Brandlix
Worth considering if the real gap in your stack is content production, not scheduling or reporting: Brandlix. It runs on a chat-based AI agent with more than 100 tools that writes posts, generates images (Google's Gemini "Nano Banana" model, up to 4K) and short videos (5 to 15 seconds), builds carousels, and publishes across 10 platforms, including WordPress auto-posting, something neither Metricool nor Buffer offers as native image or video generation. Its free plan is permanent, not a trial, with no card required, and paid tiers start at $9 a month.
The trade-offs are real. Brandlix's competitor analysis and ads dashboard are lighter than Metricool's dedicated tools, and it does not have Metricool's years of accumulated reporting depth or Buffer's long track record as a simple, trusted scheduler. Its link-in-bio and social listening features are not built out the way Metricool's SmartLinks are. If your job is mainly analytics and client reporting across many brands, Metricool still has the edge; if it is mainly fast, reliable scheduling for a small number of channels, Buffer still does that well. Read the fuller breakdowns at Brandlix vs Metricool and Brandlix vs Buffer, or check current plans on the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Metricool cheaper than Buffer?
It depends on how many accounts you run. Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels versus Metricool's 1, so a single small creator may find Buffer's free tier goes further. But Metricool's Starter plan, $20 a month, covers up to 10 brands for one flat fee, while Buffer charges roughly $5 to $10 a month per channel. Run 5 or more accounts and Metricool is typically the cheaper option; run 1 or 2 and Buffer's free or Essentials plan can cost less overall.
Does Buffer have a free plan like Metricool?
Yes, both have a permanent free plan, not just a trial. Metricool's free plan covers 1 brand with 20 posts a month and 30-day analytics. Buffer's free plan covers up to 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel, an AI Assistant, and basic 30-day insights. Buffer's free tier supports more channels; Metricool's free tier includes more built-in analytics and competitor tracking for the single brand it covers.
Which tool has better analytics, Metricool or Buffer?
Metricool, by a clear margin. It includes competitor profile tracking from its free plan, custom PDF and PowerPoint reports from Starter, and deeper historical data across more metrics. Buffer's analytics are described only as "advanced analytics" on its Essentials plan and do not include a dedicated competitor analysis feature on its own site. If reporting to clients or leadership is a regular task, Metricool's tools go noticeably further for a similar price.
Can I migrate from Metricool or Buffer to another scheduler?
Yes. Neither vendor locks your data behind a wall you cannot leave; you reconnect your social accounts through OAuth on the new tool, usually a few minutes per platform. Scheduled posts typically do not transfer automatically, so plan to let the existing queue finish or recreate near-term posts manually. Testing a new tool costs nothing up front if it also offers a permanent free plan, so you can compare the real workflow before paying for anything.
Metricool and Buffer solve different problems well: one leans into analytics and multi-brand management, the other into simplicity and unlimited AI text credits. Match the choice to how many accounts you actually run and how much reporting your job demands, then revisit it once a year as both vendors keep shipping new AI features.