What will a social scheduling tool actually cost you?
These tools price completely differently — Buffer and Publer charge per social account, Hootsuite charges flat tiers. So the cheapest one flips depending on how many accounts you run. Enter your account count and see the real monthly cost.
Prices from official pricing pages, verified 2026-07-13. Annual-billing rates.
| Plan | Monthly | Per year | Pricing model |
|---|
Why the cheapest tool changes: two pricing models
Most comparisons list monthly prices side by side, but these tools aren't priced the same way at all:
| Tool | Model | Entry price | Best when... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Per channel | $5/channel (Essentials) | you run a few accounts |
| Publer | Per account (base + add-ons) | $4/account (Professional) | you run a few accounts |
| Hootsuite | Flat tier | $99/mo (10 accounts) | you run many accounts |
The rule of thumb: per-channel tools (Buffer, Publer) win while your account count is low — often by a huge margin (6 accounts on Buffer ≈ $30/mo vs Hootsuite's $99). Flat-tier Hootsuite only pays off around 40+ accounts, where per-channel pricing finally adds up past its unlimited plan.
Full pricing
| Plan | Price | Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 3 channels |
| Essentials | $5/channel/mo | unlimited channels |
| Team | $10/channel/mo | unlimited channels + team |
| Plan | Price | Accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $99/mo | 10 accounts |
| Professional | $199/mo | unlimited |
| Advanced | $399/mo | unlimited |
| Plan | Base | Extra accounts |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | $4/mo (1 account) | +$4/account |
| Business | $10/mo (1 account) | +$7/account |
Methodology
Prices read from each tool's official pricing page on 2026-07-13. The calculator computes cost = base + (accounts over the included count) × per-account rate, valid up to each plan's account limit. Annual-billing rates. Spotted a stale number? tell us.