Independent head-to-head
Buffer vs Zoho Social
Both are on our shortlist, and most people only need one. Here is where each genuinely wins.
At what roster size does Zoho Social's client-based pricing beat Buffer's per-channel pricing?
Buffer stays simple and cheap for a handful of accounts: a free plan, then $5 per channel per month on Essentials. Zoho Social's Agency tiers price by client instead — $320/month for 10 clients with a client portal and agency-branded reports. As an illustration, assuming 3 channels per client, 10 clients is 30 channels: about $150/month on Buffer Essentials or $300 on Team ($10 per channel), against Zoho Agency's $320.
Buffer
Social Media Scheduling ToolsThe simplest scheduler that still scales to client work.
Zoho Social
Social Media Scheduling ToolsBuilt for agencies managing many clients from one login.
Decision view
Compare what changes the answer
| Decision factor | Buffer$5/mo | Zoho Social$15/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | None | None |
| Best for | Agencies and freelancers managing a handful of client accounts who want simple, predictable per-channel pricing. | Agencies running enough local-service clients that per-channel pricing elsewhere stops making sense — the Agency tiers price by client, not by channel. |
| Not for | Agencies managing many clients at once — per-channel pricing that's clean at 5 channels gets expensive fast at 30. | A single brand or solo operator — the free and Standard tiers work, but you're paying for agency infrastructure you'll never touch. |
Shared answers are dimmed so trade-offs stay visible.
Plan comparison
Published plans as recorded on each vendor’s pricing page on its verification date. Limits and add-ons differ between vendors, so compare at your own volume.
Buffer
| Plan | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel |
| Essentials | $5 | Per channel/month — unlimited scheduled posts, advanced analytics |
| Team | $10 | Per channel/month — unlimited team members, approval workflows |
Zoho Social
| Plan | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 1 brand, 6 channels, 1 user |
| Standard | $15 | 1 brand, 12 channels |
| Professional | $40 | Adds livestream, bulk scheduling, monitoring dashboard |
| Premium | $65 | Adds inbox management, content approvals, CRM/Desk integrations — this figure is less consistently reported than the surrounding tiers |
| Agency | $320 | 10 clients, agency-branded reports, client portal |
| Agency Plus | $460 | 20 clients |
Where Buffer wins
- Interface is the cleanest of the schedulers in this category — genuinely fast to onboard a new client on
- Approval workflows on Team make client sign-off a built-in step, not a workaround
- Per-channel pricing is transparent — no seat games or hidden tiers to explain to a client
Where Zoho Social wins
- Agency and Agency Plus tiers price by client count, which scales better than per-channel pricing once a roster grows past a handful of accounts
- Client portal and agency-branded reports are a real time-save over building reports by hand
- Native CRM/Desk integration matters if a client is already in the Zoho ecosystem, which local-service businesses using Zoho Books or Zoho CRM often are
Buffer or Zoho Social?
Buffer stays simple and cheap for a handful of accounts: a free plan, then $5 per channel per month on Essentials. Zoho Social's Agency tiers price by client instead — $320/month for 10 clients with a client portal and agency-branded reports. As an illustration, assuming 3 channels per client, 10 clients is 30 channels: about $150/month on Buffer Essentials or $300 on Team ($10 per channel), against Zoho Agency's $320.
Agencies and freelancers managing a handful of client accounts who want simple, predictable per-channel pricing.
Agencies running enough local-service clients that per-channel pricing elsewhere stops making sense — the Agency tiers price by client, not by channel.
What decides it
- Pricing model
- Buffer: per channel. Zoho Social: the Free and Standard plans cover one brand, while Agency ($320 for 10 clients) and Agency Plus ($460 for 20) price by client.
- Free options
- Both have a free plan: Buffer up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel; Zoho Social 1 brand, 6 channels and 1 user.
- Client reporting
- Zoho Agency includes a client portal and agency-branded reports. Buffer lists branded client-ready analytics reports, and approval workflows on Team.
- Plan complexity
- Buffer has three plans. Zoho Social has six named plans with overlapping features, which is more to explain to a client.
- Ecosystem
- Zoho Social integrates natively with Zoho CRM and Desk, which matters if clients already use Zoho.
Common questions
Do Buffer and Zoho Social both have free plans?
Yes. Buffer's covers 3 channels; Zoho Social's covers 1 brand with 6 channels and a single user.
Which is better for more than 10 clients?
Zoho Social lists Agency Plus at $460/month for 20 clients. Buffer has no volume pricing or dedicated agency tier, so cost grows with every channel.
Which is simpler to run?
Buffer: three plans and one pricing rule. Zoho Social's six-plan structure is more flexible for agencies but takes longer to explain.