November 2026 comparison

Buffer vs Postwise Schedule your posts, or have AI draft them.

Both post to LinkedIn and X through official sign-ins. Buffer is a scheduler for 12 networks, free for 3 channels, with good stats, and its AI reworks text you already wrote. Postwise drafts posts with AI for X, LinkedIn and Threads, from $37 a month with 500 AI posts. I used Postwise for a month and Buffer on 10 November 2026.

Kaustubh KatdareBy Kaustubh Katdare · Founder, Wiral.SocialPrices checked 4 November 2026 · features researched 26 October 2026Read my full Buffer review
Pick Buffer if

you write your own posts and want one cheap place to schedule them across LinkedIn, X, Instagram and more, with good stats and a comments inbox. Free for 3 channels.

Starts at
Free plan
Free trial
14 days
Pick Postwise if

you post on X, LinkedIn and Threads, want AI to draft for all three, and are fine with $37 a month. Read every draft for details you never gave it.

Starts at
From $37 a month
Free trial
7 days, no card

5 differences that matter.

  1. 1

    Who writes the post

    Buffer

    You do. The AI Assistant expands, rephrases and shortens your text. Asked to write a full post from my idea, it asked me to share the idea.

    Postwise

    Postwise’s GhostWriter AI drafts several versions per idea, 500 a month on the $37 plan, with up to 3 custom AI voices.

  2. 2

    Networks

    Buffer

    12, including LinkedIn profiles and pages, X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky. Each connected account is a billed channel.

    Postwise

    Three: X, LinkedIn (company pages included) and Threads. 3 accounts on the $37 plan, 5 on $59.

  3. 3

    Price and trial

    Buffer

    Free for 3 channels. Essentials is $6 a channel a month ($5 yearly). The free plan asked me for no card.

    Postwise

    $37, $59 or $97 a month. A 7-day trial that says no card, but also that you’re subscribed when it ends. The terms say purchases are final.

  4. 4

    Stats and comments

    Buffer

    LinkedIn stats from the day you connect, even on Free, and an inbox of unanswered comments with suggested replies.

    Postwise

    Basic analytics on $37, advanced on $59; how deep they go for LinkedIn isn’t described. Its growth tools are for X.

  5. 5

    Leaving

    Buffer

    Delete Account sits at the bottom of Settings, Profile. Buffer says it permanently deletes your personal data.

    Postwise

    Cancelling deletes your posts and drafts, so save anything you want to keep first.

First-hand

One writes too much, one not at all.

Kaustubh KatdareFounder, Wiral.Social

I came to Postwise after a month on Taplio. Day 1 and day 2, I liked the posts. From day 3 it kept repeating the same pattern and the same style, and some posts came with stories and numbers I never gave it. I cancelled after a month.

Buffer went the other way. Its AI didn’t make anything up, because it barely wrote anything. Asked for a full post from my idea, it asked me to share the idea. It still wants me to do all the thinking and hard work.

Where Buffer wins is everything around the post. Insights showed my last 30 days the moment I connected, and the comments inbox pulled in 11 replies I owed people.

So pick by what you need. A scheduler for many networks: Buffer. AI drafts for X, LinkedIn and Threads: Postwise. Posts in your own voice, with nothing made up, is why I built Wiral.

My own trial

Inside Buffer, screen by screen.

Screenshots I took myself. The numbered notes take turns; tap one to see its part.

Buffer’s AI: share the idea.

My idea was already in the post. It asked for it anyway.

Buffer’s post composer with an idea already written, and its AI Assistant replying: “Absolutely, share the idea you’d like to expand.”
From my own Buffer account, 10 November 2026.

Comments, in one place.

Every unanswered comment on my LinkedIn posts, with suggested replies.

Buffer’s Community inbox: LinkedIn posts on the left, a comment thread with suggested replies and a reply box on the right.
From my own Buffer account, 10 November 2026.

Every feature, side by side.

Side by sideBufferFree planPostwiseFrom $37 a month
Price and trial
Starts atFree planFrom $37 a month
Free trial14 days7 days, no card
How it connects to LinkedInLinkedIn’s own sign-inYou sign in to LinkedIn and authorise Buffer; the help article refers to LinkedIn's API and its limits (no polls, no Groups, 50 posts per 24 hours).LinkedIn’s own sign-inThe LinkedIn button redirects to LinkedIn's own OAuth sign-in asking for member posting (w_member_social) and organisation posting and admin scopes.
Writing
Writes posts with AIYesAI Assistant in the composer generates, rephrases, shortens and expands posts, switches between more casual and more formal, and adapts to each channel.YesAI writer gives several variations per idea, counted as credits (1 credit per generated post).
Learns your voiceNoNo voice setup for posts.Yes3 custom AI voices on Basic; "Custom AI Training" only on Unlimited.
Suggests post ideasYesAI suggestions for writer's block, plus an Ideas board (100 ideas on Free, unlimited on paid).YesLinkedIn page lists content suggestions by industry and trending topics.
Ideas from viral postsNot statedNot stated on the site.Not statedHelp centre has a viral tweet inspiration feature for X; no LinkedIn post library described.
Posting
Schedules postsYesYes
Posting queue or calendarYesYesContent calendar and scheduler; how far ahead you can schedule depends on plan (3 months, 12 months, unlimited).
Adds a first commentYesPaid plans only.Not statedNot stated on the site.
Posts to company pagesYesCompany and Showcase Pages; you must be a Super Admin of the Page to connect it.YesFAQ says you can schedule to and analyse multiple company pages.
Visuals
Makes carouselsYesUploads one LinkedIn PDF document (carousel) per post, up to 100MB and 300 pages, on web; a document title is required.YesFAQ says you can schedule LinkedIn carousels.
Images and videoYesAttach up to 20 images, or one video (up to 30 minutes, 1GB), or one GIF per LinkedIn post.Not statedImage or video attachments are not described for LinkedIn.
Feed previewYesThe composer shows a per-channel preview of how the post will look.Not statedNot stated on the site.
Growth
Post statsYesBasic analytics (post stats, Insights, follower growth) for both LinkedIn profiles and Pages.YesBasic, advanced or "enterprise-grade" dashboard by plan; depth for LinkedIn not described.
Help with commentsYesCommunity inbox to reply to comments, with AI reply suggestions (5 a week on Free, unlimited on paid), saved replies and comment insights.Not statedGrowth tools in the help centre (auto-retweet, plugging successful tweets) are X-only; nothing described for LinkedIn.
Leads and outreachNoNone of the 24 listed integrations is a CRM, and Buffer's own Buffer vs Agorapulse article names HubSpot and Salesforce syncing as an Agorapulse feature.NoPostwise's site is silent; this third-party review says it has no outreach or CRM.
Team and client accountsYesTeam plan: unlimited users, approval workflows, custom access and branded reports.YesLinkedIn page lists "Team Collaboration" and multi-account management with no detail.
Getting set up
Needs a Chrome extensionNoOptional.Not statedNot stated on the site.
Native mobile appYesiOS and Android.Not statedNot stated on the site.
Neither quite right?

Where Wiral.Social fits.

If you want AI to write your LinkedIn posts in your voice, without numbers you never gave it, Wiral.Social is the third option. Type one line and Wiri writes three takes, then checks the post before it goes out, including any fact that wasn’t in your idea. It starts at $9 a month, and the 14-day trial needs no card.

Starts at
From $9 a month
Free trial
14 days, no card

Three posts, from one line.

Every idea comes back as three finished posts in your voice. Keep one, tweak a word, queue it.

Three posts Wiri wrote from one idea, side by side.

Real details, in your voice.

Wiri writes from a page of what it knows about you. You can read every line, change it or delete it.

Wiral’s “What Wiri knows” page: about you, your stories and your topics, with an Edit button.

Where Wiral.Social is behind: Post stats and an automatic first comment are waiting on LinkedIn’s approval. Personal profiles only, no company pages yet. No team accounts or outreach tools. Ask for what you need

Try Wiral.Social with LinkedIn14 days, no card30% off for life until 15 NovemberNever posts without you

Plans and prices.

As listed on Buffer and Postwise’s own pricing pages, 4 November 2026.

Buffer plans

  • FreeFree

    Up to 3 channels, 1 user, 10 scheduled posts per channel

  • Essentials$6/mo

    Per channel. 1 user, unlimited scheduled posts, first comment, full analytics and reports

  • Team$12/mo

    Per channel. Unlimited users, approval workflows, access levels, branded reports

Trial: 14 days. Refund within 7 days of starting a monthly plan, or within 30 days of starting an annual plan

Postwise plans

  • Basic$37/mo

    3 social accounts, 500 AI-generated posts a month, scheduling 3 months ahead, 3 custom AI voices, GhostWriter AI, basic analytics.

  • Boss$59/mo

    5 social accounts, 1,000 AI posts a month, scheduling 12 months ahead, advanced analytics, email and chat support.

  • Unlimited$97/mo

    Unlimited accounts, AI posts and scheduling, custom AI training, priority support.

Trial: 7 days, no card.

What reviewers say.

What people say about Buffer

4.3 on G2 (1041 reviews)4.5 on Capterra (1492 reviews)4.2 on Trustpilot (143 reviews)4.3 on Chrome Web Store (3000 reviews)

“Buffer remains one of the most accessible social media management tools on the market”

Rated 4 out of 5: one of the easiest social tools to use, priced per channel so small teams pay little, though not the most feature-packed.TechRadar (Rob Clymo)

“Buffer's real standout feature is its value for money.”

Picked as the best app for plain social media scheduling, mainly for value for money; the free plan covers about a week of posts for a small business.Zapier (Andrew Kunesh, Tim Brookes)
  • Users praise how easy and intuitive scheduling is; a common wish is for more complete analytics
  • Most negative Capterra reviews are about bugs: posts not going out and channels needing to be reconnected
  • Teams say shared access makes onboarding and working together easy
  • One reviewer reports posts failing to publish every week; another wants an exact per-network preview before posting; another says cost climbs with each added platform

What people say about Postwise

4.5 on Trustpilot (29 reviews)

“Postwise creates social posts with AI for X, LinkedIn, and Meta Threads.”

A quick AI writer and scheduler across X, LinkedIn and Threads, with free hook and hashtag tools as a bonus.ColdIQ (Michel Lieben)

“Drafting and scheduling for X, LinkedIn and Threads”

Listed as a Taplio alternative for drafting and scheduling across X, LinkedIn and Threads; trial only, no free plan.Lilach Bullock
  • Trustpilot users (29 reviews, all from 2023) mostly praise it as an easy AI tweet writer that helped them grow on X
  • One reviewer liked the new LinkedIn feature but found the trial would not let them post to both X and LinkedIn
  • Users say AI drafts still need proofreading, and one notes many features sit behind the paywall
  • A 1-star reviewer called it a scam after weeks of spam emails and no reply from the company
Kaustubh Katdare
About the author

Kaustubh Katdare

Founder, Wiral.Social

I’ve spent 20 years in community, marketing, growth and SEO. I founded CrazyEngineers, built the Jatra Community Platform and Wiral.Social, and I’m a 3x TEDx speaker. I live and work in Nagpur, India, by choice, and I post on LinkedIn 2 to 3 times a day.

Follow on LinkedInAbout Wiral.Social

Questions people ask.

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll check it again.

Report a fact
Is Buffer better than Postwise?

For scheduling across many networks, stats and a free plan, Buffer. For AI drafts on X, LinkedIn and Threads, Postwise. Buffer’s AI only reworks text you’ve written.

Which is cheaper, Buffer or Postwise?

Buffer. It’s free for 3 channels, then $6 a channel a month. Postwise starts at $37 a month for 3 accounts.

Do Buffer and Postwise both post to X and LinkedIn?

Yes. Buffer covers 12 networks, X and LinkedIn among them. Postwise covers X, LinkedIn and Threads.

Do Buffer and Postwise need a card to try?

Buffer’s free plan asked me for no card. Postwise says its 7-day trial needs no card, but also that you’re subscribed to the plan when it ends.

Can Buffer write LinkedIn posts like Postwise?

Not from an idea, in my test. It reworks text you’ve written. Postwise drafts full posts, but mine came with stories and numbers I never gave it.

All comparisons
Postwise alternativesSix tools to try instead of Postwise: who each one suits, what it costs, and where it falls short.Buffer alternativesFive LinkedIn tools I’ve used, for when you want the post written, not just scheduled.Taplio vs PostwiseLinkedIn-only depth against three networks for less. From someone who used each for a month.Postwise vs Wiral.SocialThree networks for $37, or LinkedIn posts that sound like you. From someone who paid for Postwise.Postwise vs AuthoredUpAI drafts for three networks, or an editor where you write every word. I’ve used both.Supergrow vs PostwiseA LinkedIn tool that interviews you, or AI drafts for X, LinkedIn and Threads. I’ve used both.Buffer vs Wiral.SocialA scheduler for 12 networks, or a writer for LinkedIn. With screenshots from my own Buffer account.Buffer vs TaplioA scheduler for 12 networks with a free plan, or a LinkedIn AI writer with a viral library that runs through an extension.Buffer vs AuthoredUpNeither writes your posts. One schedules them for free through LinkedIn’s sign-in, the other polishes them through an extension.Buffer vs SupergrowBoth connect through LinkedIn’s own sign-in. One schedules for free, the other writes from an AI interview for $39 a month.

See if it sounds like you.

Try Wiral.Social with LinkedIn14 days, no card30% off for life until 15 NovemberNever posts without you
Sources: 34 pages. Prices checked on 4 November 2026, features researched on 26 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars, billed monthly unless marked yearly.
Buffer
From someone who posts with Wiri★★★★★
“I’d tell a friend Wiral makes LinkedIn easier to keep up with: I can write from my stories when I have time, then generate and schedule posts in one place. I can’t do without it now, and engagement’s gone 10x.”
Ambarish GaneshMarketing Manager in B2B SaaS · IT