The short answer
Buffer is a simple social media scheduler known for its free plan and per-channel pricing. Vista Social is an all-in-one social media platform known for its inbox, DM automations, review management and wide network support.
At 10 channels Buffer costs $50 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Buffer is $29.17 a month cheaper (37% less). Vista Social lists more networks (13 against 12). On the 15 features we track, Buffer has nothing Vista Social lacks, and Vista Social alone has RSS auto post, bulk upload (CSV), white label and client connect link.
Choose Buffer if you want the lower price for 10 channels ($50 against $79.17 a month), you post to Mastodon and Substack and you want a free plan. Choose Vista Social if you post to Reddit, Snapchat and Tumblr, you need RSS auto post, you need bulk upload (CSV), you need white label (Advanced plan and up) and you need client connect link.
Pricing
Buffer charges per connected channel, while Vista Social charges a flat price per plan. Compare them on the exact number of channels and people you have, not on the entry price.
Buffer: Per connected channel, with volume discounts above 10 channels. Yearly billing saves about 2 months. Vista Social: Flat price per plan, set by profiles and users. Yearly billing saves 20%. X is a paid add-on at $29/mo.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer Free | Free | Free |
| Buffer Essentials | $6 | $5 |
| Buffer Team | $12 | $10 |
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Vista Social Professional | $99 | $79.17 |
| Vista Social Advanced | $199 | $159.17 |
| Vista Social Scale | $449 | $359.17 |
| Vista Social Enterprise | Not listed | Not listed |
Cost at 5 and 10 channels
The cheapest listed plan that covers the number of channels. Where a price depends on seats, brands or workspaces, the table says so.
| Buffer | Vista Social | Postozo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 channels | Essentials plan: $30 a month ($25 billed yearly) | Professional plan: $99 a month ($79.17 billed yearly) | Standard plan: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| 10 channels | Essentials plan: $60 a month ($50 billed yearly) | Professional plan: $99 a month ($79.17 billed yearly) | Team plan: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) |
At 5 channels Buffer costs $25 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Buffer is $54.17 a month cheaper (68% less). At 10 channels Buffer costs $50 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Buffer is $29.17 a month cheaper (37% less).
Cost for a solo user, a small team and an agency
Seats, brands and workspaces change the bill as much as channels do. This table picks the cheapest listed plan of each tool for 3 setups.
| Setup | Buffer | Vista Social | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Essentials: $30 a month ($25 billed yearly). Per channel, 1 user | Professional: $99 a month ($79.17 billed yearly). 15 profiles, 2 users | Standard: $19 a month ($15 billed yearly) |
| Small team | Team: $120 a month ($100 billed yearly). Per channel, unlimited users | Advanced: $199 a month ($159.17 billed yearly). 30 profiles, 3 users | Team: $29 a month ($23 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
| Agency | Team: $180 a month. Per channel, unlimited users; the yearly price above 10 channels is not listed | No listed plan fits | Pro: $39 a month ($31 billed yearly). Unlimited team members |
For 5 channels and 1 person, Buffer is the lowest at $25 a month and Vista Social the highest at $79.17. For 10 channels and 3 people, Buffer is the lowest at $100 a month and Vista Social the highest at $159.17.
Trials and free plans
Buffer: 14-day free trial of paid plans. Without payment details the account drops to the Free plan. Free plan: Yes: 3 channels, 1 user, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 100 ideas, 30 days of analytics.
Vista Social: 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. No free plan listed.
Features
| Feature | Buffer | Vista Social | Postozo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client approval | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social inbox | Yes | Yes | No |
| Analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI writing help | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Public API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RSS auto post | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk upload (CSV) | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| White label | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link in bio page | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canva integration | Yes | Yes | No |
| Client connect link | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
Plan limits on key features
- Client approval. Buffer: Content approval workflows are on the Team plan only. Vista Social: Multi-stage approvals are not on Professional.
- Public API. Buffer: Every plan includes API access with monthly request limits (3,000 to 15,000). Vista Social: API access is arranged through your Customer Success Manager.
- White label. Buffer: not confirmed. Vista Social: Advanced plan and up.
- Client reports. Buffer: Reports on Essentials and Team; branded reports on Team only. Vista Social: Download and schedule reports on every plan.
- Link in bio page. Buffer: Start Page, on every plan including Free. Vista Social: Vista Page, on every plan.
- Browser extension. Buffer: Every plan. Vista Social: included.
- Canva integration. Buffer: Every plan, plus Google Drive and Dropbox. Vista Social: Every plan, plus Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox.
Both list client approval, social inbox, analytics, AI writing help, public API, MCP server, mobile app, client reports, link in bio page, browser extension and canva integration.
Area by area
How Buffer and Vista Social handle each part of the job, in the words of their own pages.
Publishing and scheduling
Buffer: Buffer posts to 12 networks, including Substack, Mastodon and Bluesky. The free plan holds 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time; paid plans remove that cap.
Vista Social: Vista Social posts to 13 networks, including Reddit, Snapchat and Tumblr. X is a $29 a month add-on. Bulk scheduling is included.
Team and client approval
Buffer: Essentials is for 1 user. Team adds unlimited users and approval workflows.
Vista Social: Plans include 2 to 4 users before Enterprise. Multi-stage approvals are not on Professional.
Inbox and replies
Buffer: A community inbox for replying to comments is on every plan. We found no direct message inbox on the pricing page.
Vista Social: A social inbox with DM automations and review management is on every plan.
Analytics and reports
Buffer: Reports are on Essentials and Team, and branded reports are on Team only. The free plan keeps 30 days of analytics.
Vista Social: Reports can be downloaded and scheduled, and white label starts on Advanced.
AI help
Buffer: An AI assistant for writing posts is included.
Vista Social: Professional includes 1,000 AI credits a month.
Integrations and apps
Buffer: Every plan, including Free, has Start Page (a link in bio page), the browser extension, Canva, Google Drive and Dropbox. API access is on every plan with 3,000 to 15,000 requests a month, and Buffer lists an MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor.
Vista Social: Vista Page (a link in bio tool), Canva, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, an external profile connection link for clients, browser extensions, and mobile and desktop apps. API access is arranged through a Customer Success Manager, and Vista Social lists an MCP.
Networks
Buffer lists 12 networks and Vista Social lists 13. They share 10 networks: Bluesky, Facebook, Google Business Profile, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, X.
| Networks | |
|---|---|
| Only on Buffer | Mastodon, Substack |
| Only on Vista Social | Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr |
| On Postozo but on neither | Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress, Medium, DEV, Hashnode, Lemmy, Listmonk, Nostr, VK, Farcaster, Dribbble, Twitch, Kick |
Strengths from each side
Buffer
- Has a free plan for up to 3 channels.
- Has iOS and Android apps in the app stores.
- Start Page, Canva, Google Drive and Dropbox on every plan, including Free.
Vista Social
- Social inbox, DM automations and review management on every plan.
- White label on Advanced and up.
- Mobile and desktop apps in the app stores, and browser extensions.
Postozo as a 3rd option
Postozo is a social media scheduler with 30 channel types, client review links, team roles, AI writing help, a public API and an MCP server. Plans are flat: $19, $29, $39, $79 a month for 5, 10, 30, 100 channels, with unlimited posts.
- Postozo costs $29 a month ($23 billed yearly) for 10 channels with team members. At 10 channels Postozo costs $23 a month against $50 for Buffer, so Postozo is $27 a month cheaper (54% less). At 10 channels Postozo costs $23 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Postozo is $56.17 a month cheaper (71% less).
- Postozo supports Telegram, WhatsApp, SMS, Discord, Slack, WordPress, Medium, DEV and 9 more, which neither Buffer nor Vista Social lists.
What you would give up: social inbox (Buffer and Vista Social have it) and canva integration (Buffer and Vista Social have it).
See Postozo vs Buffer and Postozo vs Vista Social for the full head to head pages.
More about each tool
Buffer review, Buffer alternatives, Vista Social review, Vista Social alternatives, Postozo pricing.
Sources
Is Buffer or Vista Social cheaper?
At 5 channels Buffer costs $25 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Buffer is $54.17 a month cheaper (68% less). At 10 channels Buffer costs $50 a month against $79.17 for Vista Social, so Buffer is $29.17 a month cheaper (37% less). Prices are the lowest listed per month, with yearly billing where offered, checked on 29 September 2026.
Which has more networks, Buffer or Vista Social?
Buffer lists 12 and Vista Social lists 13. Only Buffer: Mastodon, Substack. Only Vista Social: Reddit, Snapchat, Tumblr.
Do Buffer and Vista Social have an API and MCP server?
Buffer: API yes, MCP yes. Vista Social: API yes, MCP yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Is there a cheaper option than Buffer and Vista Social?
Postozo is $19 a month for 5 channels and $29 for 10 with a team. It has no social inbox and canva integration, so check those first.
Which is cheaper for a team of 3 with 10 channels, Buffer or Vista Social?
For 10 channels and 3 people, Buffer is the lowest at $100 a month and Vista Social the highest at $159.17.
Do Buffer and Vista Social have client reports and a link in bio page?
Client reports: Buffer yes (Reports on Essentials and Team; branded reports on Team only), Vista Social yes (Download and schedule reports on every plan). Link in bio: Buffer yes, Vista Social yes. Postozo includes both on every plan.
Can clients connect their own accounts in Buffer or Vista Social?
Buffer: not confirmed. Vista Social: yes, external profile connection link. Postozo has a client connect link on every plan.
Did you test Buffer and Vista Social?
No. This page compares facts from their official pricing and feature pages, checked on 29 September 2026.
Not sure about Buffer or Vista Social?
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