Octopost vs Buffer
Buffer is a mature scheduler for people: a calendar, analytics and 12 networks, priced per channel with a free plan. Octopost is a smaller tool built for agents: an MCP server and REST API with no monthly request cap, native X threads and an approval queue for agent-written posts. Octopost is live on X only today.
Buffer facts from buffer.com/pricing, checked October 9, 2026. They change; confirm before you buy.
| Feature | Octopost | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 / $79 / $199 a month (3 / 10 / unlimited accounts) | Free (3 channels), Essentials $5 and Team $10 per channel a month |
| Free plan | No (7 days for $1) | Yes: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel |
| X | Yes | Yes |
| Threads | Waiting on Meta | Yes |
| Bluesky, LinkedIn, Mastodon | In testing | Yes |
| Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest | No | Yes |
| MCP server for agents | Yes, every plan (16 tools) | Yes (Buffer lists a Social Media MCP page) |
| API request caps | Per-minute rate limits only; monthly X post allowance | 250-500 requests a day, 3,000-15,000 a month by plan |
| Approval before publish | Yes, every plan (approval queue) | Team plan only |
| Native X threads | Yes | Yes (Free plan: 1 threaded post) |
| Analytics and reports | No | Yes (Essentials and up) |
| Visual calendar | Partial (dashboard calendar) | Yes |
Choose Buffer if
- A person on your team schedules the posts and wants a calendar, analytics and reports.
- You need Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook or Google Business Profile today.
- You post to one to five channels and the free plan or $5 a channel covers you.
Choose Octopost if
- Your coding agent or a script writes the posts and you want to approve them before they go out, on every plan.
- Your automation would hit a daily API cap: Octopost has no monthly request cap, only per-minute limits and a monthly X post allowance.
- You mostly post X threads and want one MCP call to publish the whole thread.
Switching from Buffer
- Moving from Buffer for X: connect the same X account in Octopost, point your agent at the MCP server, and keep Buffer for the networks Octopost does not support yet.
- Your Buffer queue does not import; recreate recurring posts with queue_post or the REST API (/openapi.json).
Try Octopost on your own X account: 7 days for $1, then $29 a month. Cancel from the billing page before day 8 and you pay nothing more.