Buffer starts at $5/mo and Metricool at $20/mo. Buffer is not open source; Metricool is not open source. Below: the two side by side, then what each costs at 5, 10, 50 accounts, with fanout alongside. Every number is from each vendor's own pricing page.
| Buffer | Metricool | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | $20/mo |
| Billing unit | Per channel | Per brand |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source / self-host | No | No |
| Platforms listed | 11: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon | 11: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, X, Twitch, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn |
| Telegram | No | No |
| Gated by plan | Advanced analytics and custom reports above the free plan; Multiple team members and approval workflows on paid plans; First comment scheduling and hashtag manager on paid plans | LinkedIn connection and the X analytics add-on on Starter and up; Team and role management, post approval on Advanced and up; White label and custom AI credits on the Custom plan |
Buffer: Essentials, $6 per channel per month billed monthly ($5 billed yearly).
Metricool: Priced per brand, not per account.
| Connected accounts | Buffer | Metricool | fanout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $30 | — | $29 |
| 10 | $60 | — | $39 |
| 50 | $300 | — | $100 |
Cheapest published plan that covers that many accounts, monthly billing unless marked. “—” means that vendor does not price per connected account, so there is no like-for-like number.
| Feature | Buffer | Metricool | fanout |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI version per network | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, every plan Rewrites hook, length and hashtags per network; live character limits |
| Post ideas from news & feeds | Not listed | Yes, every plan RSS feeds | Yes, every plan Discover: Google News topics, RSS, Telegram and X, ranked by coverage |
| Drafts in your voice | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, every plan Writing styles: instructions, example posts, words to avoid |
| Best time to post | Not listed | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan Heatmap from your own posts’ engagement, one-click best slot |
| Comments inbox | Yes, every plan Community inbox | Yes, every plan Messages from your networks | Yes, every plan X, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and Bluesky |
| Analytics | Yes, every plan Advanced reports on Essentials | Yes, every plan 30 days on Free | Yes, every plan X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Facebook and Pinterest |
| MCP for Claude & ChatGPT | Yes, every plan Claude and ChatGPT connectors | Yes, every plan “Metricool MCP” | Yes, every plan 8 tools: accounts, posts, schedule, analytics, media |
| First comment scheduling | From the Essentials plan | Not listed | Not yet |
“Not listed” means we could not find it on their pages, not that it does not exist. Checked October 2026.
Nothing in the data above favours Buffer over Metricool.
Nothing in the data above favours Metricool over Buffer.
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It depends on the number of accounts. Monthly cost on the cheapest published plan: 5 accounts: Buffer $30, Metricool —, fanout $29; 10 accounts: Buffer $60, Metricool —, fanout $39; 50 accounts: Buffer $300, Metricool —, fanout $100. "—" means that vendor does not price per connected account.
Buffer: a free plan is listed. Metricool: a free plan is listed. Open source: Buffer no, Metricool no.
Buffer lists 11 platforms and Metricool lists 11, per their own pages. Telegram: Buffer no, Metricool no.
fanout is a hosted scheduler for 15 networks, from $29/month for 5 accounts with a 3-day free trial. It is not open source and has no self-hosting, team seats or first-comment scheduling.
Sources: Buffer pricing (checked September 2026) and Metricool pricing (checked September 2026). Tell us if something changed: support@tryfanout.com.
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