Alternatives · last checked Oct 2026
Buffer is simple and has a free plan, but it charges per channel and its AI writes text only. People look for alternatives when they add channels and teammates, or when they want the posts themselves made, not just queued.
How we chose: We picked tools people compare with Buffer, read each vendor’s pricing and feature pages in October 2026, and list what each is best at, including where it beats Hookbird. We make Hookbird, so it is listed first; judge the table for yourself.
| Tool | Entry paid plan (monthly billing) | Channels on the entry plan | AI video | AI UGC presenters (talking heads) | MCP server (Claude, ChatGPT…) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hookbird | $23/mo Starter ($19/mo yearly) · 300 credits | 5 (5 / 10 / 30 / 100 by plan) | 5 s / 10 s clips, animated stories (◆ 45 / 90) | 15 s / 30 s talking heads (◆ 120 / 230) | 31 tools; Claude, ChatGPT, OpenClaw, Hermes, Grok |
| Buffer | $5/mo per channel (Essentials) | Priced per channel | Not listed | Not listed | Official, since June 2026 (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity) |
| Postiz | $29/mo Standard ($23/mo yearly) | 5 (5 / 10 / 30 / 100 by plan) | 3 / 10 / 30 / 60 AI videos per month; AI clipping of long videos | Not listed | Every plan (OAuth; Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Grok) |
| Publer | From $5/mo per account (Professional) | Priced per account | Not listed | Not listed | Beta: Enterprise and eligible Business |
| Metricool | $25/mo Starter, 5 brands ($20/mo yearly) | 5 brands; X is a $10/mo add-on per account | Not listed | Not listed | Official, every plan incl. Free |
| SocialBee | $29/mo Bootstrap ($24/mo yearly) | 5 profiles, 1 user | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Later | $18.75/mo Starter, billed yearly (monthly not listed) | 1 social set (8 profiles), 30 posts per profile/mo | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Hootsuite | $99/user/mo Standard (billed annually; monthly not listed) | 10 social accounts | Not listed | Not listed | Official: publishing, inbox, listening, advocacy |
| Sprout Social | $99/seat/mo Essentials ($79/seat/mo yearly) | 5 profiles | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed (third-party only) |
Best for: Hook-first content plus scheduling to 30+ networks.
Flat $23/mo for 5 channels and $33/mo for 10 with unlimited seats (Buffer Team: $100 for 10). Generates slideshows, video and AI UGC talking heads, and scores hooks.
Best for: Developers who want to self-host an open-source scheduler.
Open source with 30+ networks, MCP, API and monthly AI video quotas; self-host for free or use the cloud from $29/mo.
Best for: Bulk scheduling on a tight budget.
Also per account but from $5, with a free plan, AI images and large CSV imports.
Best for: Agencies reporting on many brands and their own ads.
A free plan plus deeper analytics, competitor tracking and an MCP server on every plan.
Best for: Recycling evergreen content by category.
Evergreen recycling by category with unlimited AI captions and images, from $29/mo.
Best for: Visual planning for Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
Visual planning for Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, from $18.75/mo billed yearly.
Best for: Large teams that need listening, inbox and governance.
When you outgrow scheduling and need inbox, listening and governance.
Best for: Mid-size teams that need reporting, inbox and CRM ties.
For reporting-heavy teams with CRM ties, from $99 per seat.
FAQ
For 5+ channels and content generation, Hookbird. For a free open-source option, Postiz self-hosted. For the cheapest per-account queue with bulk CSV, Publer.
Yes. Hookbird generates 5–10 s clips, animated stories and AI UGC talking heads. Postiz includes 3–60 AI videos a month depending on plan.
Among those with public flat prices: Hookbird Team at $33/mo (unlimited seats) and Postiz Team at $39/mo. Buffer Team is $10 per channel, $100 for 10.
Publer, Metricool and Creatify have free plans; Postiz is free to self-host. Hookbird has a 7-day trial with ◆ 50 credits instead.
Main pricing source for each tool; each comparison page lists all of its sources.
7 days free. ◆ 50 credits. No card.