Buffer vs Zoho Social Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

Buffer pricing Zoho Social pricing
Starts at $5/mo $10/mo
Number of plans 3 6
Free plan
Free trial
Pricing model per-seat flat-rate

Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →

Free

$0/mo
  • 10 scheduled posts per channel - refill anytime
  • 100 ideas
  • 1 user account
  • AI Assistant
  • Insights
  • API access
  • Community inbox
  • World-class customer support

Essentials

Popular
$5/mo
  • Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
  • Unlimited ideas
  • 1 user account
  • AI Assistant
  • Advanced analytics
  • API access
  • Community inbox
  • Hashtag manager
  • First comment scheduling
  • World-class customer support

Team

$10/mo
  • Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
  • Unlimited ideas
  • Unlimited team members
  • AI Assistant
  • Advanced analytics
  • API access
  • Community inbox
  • Hashtag manager
  • First comment scheduling
  • Access levels
  • Content approval workflows
  • World-class customer support

FREE

$0/mo
  • 1 Brand (6 Channels)
  • 1 Team Member
  • 24/5 email support
  • 5 AI credits
  • zShare Browser Extension

STANDARD

$10/mo
  • 1 Brand (12 Channels)
  • 1 Team Member
  • 24/5 email support
  • 40 AI credits
  • Centralized dashboard
  • Recent posts
  • Multi-channel publishing
  • Content scheduling
  • Publishing calendar
  • Published/Scheduled posts
  • zurl link shortner
  • Activity log
  • User tagging
  • Summary Reports
  • Drafts
  • Image Editor
  • Add audio
  • Media Optimization

PROFESSIONAL

$30/mo
  • 1 Brand (12 Channels)
  • 1 Team Member
  • 24/5 email support
  • 40 AI credits
  • Livestream
  • Notifications
  • CustomQ
  • Repeat posting
  • Bulk scheduling
  • Popular posts
  • Post insights
  • Bit.ly link shortner
  • Media library
  • Scheduling reposts
  • RSS feeds
  • Cloudpicker
  • Messages
  • Pause/Resume content
  • Mute & Block accounts
  • Connections
  • Monitoring dashboard
  • Custom video thumbnail
  • Instagram first comment

PREMIUM

Popular
$40/mo
  • 1 Brand (14 Channels)
  • 3 Team Members
  • 24/5 email support
  • 80 AI credits
  • SmartQ
  • Inbox (new)
  • Content approvals & workflow
  • Exporting posts
  • Discussing posts
  • Collaborate
  • Team Member audio/video & chat
  • Reports dashboard
  • Custom reports
  • Share reports
  • Manage custom roles
  • Content targeting
  • UTM parameters
  • Zoho CRM integration
  • Zoho Desk integration
  • CRM leads & contacts
  • Lead generation

Agency

$230/mo
  • 10 Clients (140 Channels)
  • 5 Team Members
  • 24/5 email support
  • 80 AI credits
  • Client invite
  • Portal customization
  • Scheduling/emailing reports
  • Agency-branded reports
  • Custom view for clients
  • Free login for clients

Agency Plus

$330/mo
  • 20 Clients (280 Channels)
  • 5 Team Members
  • 24/5 email support
  • 80 AI credits
  • +10 more Clients (140 social channels)

Buffer vs Zoho Social FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
Buffer starts lower at $5/mo, compared to $10/mo for Zoho Social.
Can I use either one for free?
Both offer free plans, so you can try each without paying. Start with whichever fits your workflow better and upgrade when you hit the limits.
How do they charge?
Different approach here. Buffer uses per-seat pricing, while Zoho Social goes with flat-rate. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. Buffer: At $5/channel, Buffer is clearly the budget play in social scheduling, undercutting Hootsuite and Sprout Social by a wide margin. The target is small businesses, creators, and lean marketing teams who find the enterprise suites bloated and overpriced. Zoho Social: Zoho Social undercuts most established social media management tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite at the low end, making it the budget-friendly pick for SMBs who want core scheduling and monitoring without enterprise pricing. But the Agency tiers at $230-330/mo show they're also chasing agency budgets, competing more directly with pricier platforms once you're managing multiple client accounts.

Still deciding? See the best Buffer alternatives or the best Zoho Social alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.

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