Buffer meters every channel at $7.50/month. Zilfu is flat — $19/month covers 10 accounts, with full REST API, MCP server, and webhooks Buffer doesn't ship. First 2 accounts free, forever.
Three numbers tell most of the story. The rest of this page is the receipts — including where Buffer honestly wins.
cheaper on Zilfu — $19 flat vs $52.50/mo metered per channel on Buffer Essentials.
at 7 channels — before you count the API, webhooks, and MCP server Buffer doesn't ship.
on every Zilfu plan, Free included. Buffer deprecated its public API for new apps.
An honest look at where each Buffer alternative wins — with a scoreboard per section. Buffer takes channels; Zilfu takes the rest.
Pricing reflects published rates as of June 2026. Buffer Essentials is $7.50/channel/mo (monthly billing) or $6/channel/mo (annual billing). Zilfu uses flat plans: Free (2 accounts), Pro $19/mo (10), Business $79/mo (100), Scale $179/mo (300). Information accurate to the best of our knowledge — verify on each provider's pricing page.
Buffer charges $7.50 per channel from the first one. Zilfu's Pro plan covers up to 10 accounts for a flat $19/month — first 2 always free. Same workload, a fraction of the bill.
Drag the slider to your channel count. We'll do the per-channel math Buffer's pricing page makes you do in your head.
Buffer Essentials at $7.50/channel/month (monthly billing; annual billing is $6/channel — still metered). Zilfu picks the cheapest flat plan that fits: Free (2 accounts, 20 posts/mo), Pro $19 (10), Business $79 (100), Scale $179 (300).
It's rarely one thing. It's the slow accumulation of channels, add-ons, and missing developer hooks that turns a $6 plan into a $50 surprise — and sends teams shopping Buffer competitors in the first place.
Buffer charges $7.50 from your very first channel. Zilfu gives you the first 2 accounts free, then one flat plan up to your limit — Pro at $19/mo covers 10 accounts, Business at $79/mo covers 100. No per-channel math.
Every endpoint is documented. Drop the hosted MCP URL into Claude or Cursor and your agent ships posts in minutes.
Webhooks fire on publish, schedule, fail, and account events. Wire them to Slack, your CRM, or your status page.
Unlimited isolated workspaces — perfect for agencies, multi-brand operators, and personal vs. work splits.
The year Buffer deprecated its public API for new applications. Existing tokens kept working; new builders were shut out.
Source: Buffer developer docsWhat 7 channels cost on Buffer Essentials with monthly billing — $630 a year for scheduling alone.
Source: Buffer pricing, June 2026Inviting collaborators means Buffer's Team tier — roughly $12.50/channel/mo, another ~$5 per channel on top of Essentials.
Source: Buffer pricing, June 2026You don't need an export, a CSV, or an import wizard. Connect your accounts, set your slots, and schedule your next posts — you're done.
No credit card required. The Free plan stays free forever — no countdown, no upsell pop-ups.
Authorize Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, X, Pinterest, or Facebook through each platform's official OAuth flow.
Set your slots, schedule a week of content, and downgrade Buffer from inside their billing page. We won't miss them.
Anything Buffer hasn't published yet stays inside Buffer until you cancel — you can let those go out and switch fresh, or pause them and rebuild the queue in Zilfu in a few minutes. Already-published posts keep living on each social platform either way. The same applies if you're migrating from Hootsuite or another scheduler.
Yes — the Zilfu Free plan is a free Buffer alternative with no time limit and no credit card. You get 2 connected accounts, 20 posts per month across all seven channels, full REST API access, and the MCP server. Most Buffer app alternative pages bait-and-switch you onto a paid plan after 14 days; we don't.
Zilfu covers Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, Facebook, and X — the seven channels most creators actually use. YouTube is in development. Mastodon, Bluesky, and Google Business Profile aren't supported yet; if you rely on them, drop us a line and we'll prioritize.
Yes. Every plan — including the Free plan — has full REST API access. Same endpoints, same rate limits. Buffer deprecated public API access for new apps in 2024, so this is a significant difference if you build automations.
MCP is the protocol Claude, Cursor, and other AI agents speak to call tools. Zilfu hosts an MCP server you drop into your agent's config — no servers to run, no glue code. Your AI agent can schedule, edit, and publish posts on its own. No other major scheduler ships this today.
You get 2 connected accounts free, with unlimited workspaces and unlimited teammates on every plan. Paid plans are simple flat tiers — Pro at $19/month for up to 10 accounts, Business at $79/month for up to 100, Scale at $179/month for up to 300. One subscription, one charge, no per-workspace or per-teammate fees. The REST API and MCP server are included from day one.
Absolutely — that's why the Free plan exists. Connect 1–2 accounts, schedule a week of posts, and watch them go out. Once you're happy, cancel Buffer (their cancellation lives under Settings → Billing) and upgrade to a paid plan on Zilfu when you outgrow the free tier.
No. Every Zilfu plan includes unlimited teammates per workspace. Buffer's Team plan charges more per channel for the privilege of inviting collaborators.
Yes. Zilfu authenticates each platform through its official OAuth flow — same standard Buffer uses. We never see your password, and you can revoke access from each social platform's settings any time.
Connect every social account in your stack, schedule the next two weeks, and ship the API automation you've been putting off. Free forever — no credit card.