Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Buffer · 🐦 social media
Buffer vs Publer Free
Three non-X accounts and ten queued posts each; yesterday's history disappears tomorrow. Here is how Publer Free ($0/mo free) stacks up against Buffer ($6/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Buffer vs Publer Free Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Buffer (Paid) | Publer Free (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $6 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $72 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $72) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $360 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $360) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $720 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $720) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | free proprietary, free |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Hosted (their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | mobilewebextensionthey host it |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ $0 forever |
Deep Dive: Switching from Buffer to Publer Free
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
The free plan excludes X and retains published-post history for only 24 hours, which makes meaningful review and reuse markedly worse than Buffer.
How to deploy Publer Free
Hosted signup plus social-account connections
Where your data lives
Posts, media, drafts, history, and connected-account metadata live in Publer's cloud; the internal storage format is not disclosed.
Why fork Publer Free instead of vibe-coding a Buffer clone?
Posting to one or two APIs is easy, but maintaining social platform auth, queues, previews, analytics, and API-policy compliance is real ongoing work.
Buffer vs Publer Free FAQ
Is Publer Free a good free alternative to Buffer?+
Yes. Publer Free is a verified free replacement for Buffer. Three non-X accounts and ten queued posts each; yesterday's history disappears tomorrow.
What is the catch when switching from Buffer to Publer Free?+
The free plan excludes X and retains published-post history for only 24 hours, which makes meaningful review and reuse markedly worse than Buffer.
How much do you save switching from Buffer to Publer Free?+
Buffer costs $6/mo ($72/yr) per seat, whereas Publer Free is $0/mo. Switching saves $72/yr for a solo user, $360/yr for a 5-person team, and $720/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Publer Free instead of Buffer?+
Install: Hosted signup plus social-account connections.