If you're looking for a social media scheduler, chances are you've come across Buffer. It's been around for years and it's a solid tool. But is it still the best value for your money in 2026?
We've put PostOnce and Buffer side by side so you can make an informed decision. No fluff — just an honest look at what each tool offers and what it'll cost you.
Pricing: per-channel vs flat-rate
This is where the biggest difference lies.
Buffer charges per channel. Their Essentials plan starts from $5 per month per social channel (as of May 2026). That sounds cheap until you connect a few accounts. If you're posting to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, you're looking at roughly $30+ per month just for their basic plan.
PostOnce takes a different approach. The Solo plan gives you 10 social accounts for €12 per month (early bird pricing). That's one flat fee, no matter how many platforms you connect.
PostOnce Solo
- 10 social accounts included
- All 8 platforms
- Unlimited posts (fair use)
- Media optimisation
- Recurring posts
- Analytics dashboard
Buffer Essentials
- 1 channel per fee
- 11 platforms
- 2,000 scheduled posts
- Basic analytics
- Landing page builder
- AI assistant
Platform support
PostOnce supports 8 platforms out of the box: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X (Twitter).
Buffer supports a similar set of platforms, including Bluesky. However, PostOnce's flat-rate pricing means you get all 8 platforms without per-channel costs adding up.
| Platform | PostOnce | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
Instagram | ||
TikTok | ||
YouTube | ||
Facebook | ||
Pinterest | ||
LinkedIn | ||
Bluesky | ||
X (Twitter) |
Features compared
| Feature | PostOnce | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-rate pricing | ||
| 8+ platform support | 8 | 11 |
| Auto media optimisation | ||
| Recurring posts | ||
| Video thumbnail chooser | ||
| Team workspaces | ||
| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Canva integration | ||
| Google Drive import | ||
| AI caption assistant | ||
| Landing page builder | ||
| API access |
Auto media optimisation
One thing that sets PostOnce apart is automatic media optimisation. When you upload a video or image, PostOnce automatically resizes and reformats it for each platform at publish time. Instagram gets a square crop, YouTube gets 1080p, TikTok gets vertical — all handled for you.
Buffer doesn't do this. You'll need to resize and format your media yourself before uploading, or use a separate tool.
Recurring posts
If you've got evergreen content that you want to reshare regularly — say, a popular Reel every Tuesday and Friday — PostOnce has built-in recurring posts. Pick your days, set the time, and it'll keep posting automatically until you tell it to stop.
Buffer offers a post queue you can shuffle and re-arrange, but it doesn't currently offer native evergreen recycling — you can't pick a post and tell Buffer to repeat it every Tuesday and Friday automatically.
Who's Buffer better for?
Buffer does have some features PostOnce doesn't. Their AI assistant can help write captions, and they have a landing page builder (Start Page) that's handy if you need a quick link-in-bio solution.
If you're only posting to one or two channels, Buffer's per-channel pricing can work out cheaper too. Looking at other Buffer alternatives? See our full Buffer alternatives guide.
Who's PostOnce better for?
If you're a creator or small business posting to 3 or more platforms, PostOnce almost certainly saves you money. The flat-rate pricing means you're not punished for being on more platforms — which is the whole point of a scheduler.
The auto media optimisation alone can save you 20–30 minutes per post if you're currently resizing videos manually. PostOnce also supports Bluesky scheduling with the same one-upload-everywhere workflow.
Our verdict
For creators and small businesses posting across multiple platforms, PostOnce offers significantly better value than Buffer. You get more platforms, flat-rate pricing, and automatic media optimisation — all for less than what you'd pay Buffer for 3 channels.
Try PostOnce Free for 7 DaysFor a complete overview of all scheduling tools, see our best social media schedulers guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PostOnce cheaper than Buffer?
Yes, for most users. Buffer charges $5–6 per channel per month, so 6 channels costs $30–36/mo. PostOnce gives you 10 accounts across 8 platforms for €12/mo on the Solo plan. The more platforms you use, the bigger the savings with PostOnce's flat-rate model.
Does Buffer have a free plan?
Yes, Buffer offers a free plan with 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel. It's useful for trying the platform but too limited for regular use. PostOnce offers a 7-day free trial with full access to all features instead.
Can PostOnce do everything Buffer can?
PostOnce covers all the core scheduling features plus auto media optimisation and recurring posts, which Buffer doesn't offer. Buffer has an AI caption assistant and a link-in-bio page (Start Page) that PostOnce doesn't have. For most users focused on multi-platform scheduling, PostOnce offers more value.