Facts checked October 2026
Illumipost vs Buffer
Buffer is a simple scheduler priced per connected channel, with a free plan and an AI assistant on every plan.
Illumipost is an AI-assisted scheduler for solo creators, consultants and small teams. Its AI drafts from a prompt or URL, writes a native version for each network, and repurposes one piece into a week of posts. You approve everything before it publishes.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Illumipost | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing basis | Per subscription, billed monthly | Per channel per month |
| Plans | Free $0, Creator $12, Pro $29, Team $59 | Free $0 (up to 3 channels), Essentials $6 per channel ($5 billed annually), Team $12 per channel ($10 billed annually) |
| Free plan | Yes: 3 accounts, 15 scheduled posts and 30 AI credits a month | Yes: 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time |
| Free trial | Not needed: the Free plan has no time limit | 14 days on paid plans |
| Social accounts on the entry plan | 3 (Free), 8 (Creator, $12/mo) | Pay per channel (1 or more) |
| Users | 1 (Free, Creator), 3 (Pro), 10 (Team) | 1 (Free, Essentials), unlimited (Team) |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes, any server | Yes |
| Threads | Coming soon (waiting on Meta review) | Yes |
| Personal profiles. Company Pages planned. | Profiles and Pages | |
| X (Twitter) | Yes, within a monthly X allowance on paid plans | Yes |
| Coming soon (waiting on Meta review) | Yes (Business and Creator; personal accounts get reminders) | |
| Pages, coming soon (waiting on Meta review) | Pages | |
| TikTok | Not yet (planned) | Yes |
| YouTube | Not yet (planned) | Shorts |
| AI writing | Draft from a prompt or URL, adapt per network, repurpose into a week of posts, brand voice. 30 to 5,000 credits a month by plan. | AI Assistant on every plan, including Free |
| Approval workflow | Yes, on plans with more than one user (contributors submit drafts for approval) | Team plan |
| Open source | No | No |
Buffer's per-channel price drops for channels 11 and up. Ten channels cost $60/mo on Essentials or $120/mo on Team, billed monthly.
Choose Buffer if
- You want the simplest scheduler and you're happy to write each network's version yourself.
- You publish to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Pinterest or Google Business Profile today.
- You need unlimited team members on one plan.
Choose Illumipost if
- You want the AI to write a native version for each network, not just help you edit one.
- You want to turn one article or URL into a week of scheduled drafts in one step.
- You connect more than a few accounts: Creator is $12/mo for 8 accounts, where per-channel pricing adds up.
Sources
- Buffer pricing (checked 2026-10-23)
- Buffer pricing (machine-readable) (checked 2026-10-23)
- Illumipost pricing and integrations
Prices are list prices in US dollars before tax. Vendors change plans often; check their pages before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is Illumipost cheaper than Buffer?
Illumipost has a Free plan and paid plans at $12, $29 and $59 a month. Buffer's pricing: Free $0 (up to 3 channels); Essentials $6 per channel ($5 billed annually); Team $12 per channel ($10 billed annually) (per channel per month). Which is cheaper depends on how many accounts and people you have.
Can I move from Buffer to Illumipost?
Yes. Connect your accounts in Illumipost and schedule new posts there. There's no import of scheduled posts from other tools yet; bulk CSV import is planned.
Where do these facts come from?
From Buffer's official pricing and help pages, checked on 2026-10-23. Sources are linked on this page. If something has changed, email privacy@illumipost.com and we'll correct it.
Try Illumipost alongside Buffer
Write once, let AI draft a native version for each network, approve it, and Illumipost publishes on time. The Free plan covers 3 accounts, no card required.
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