Hopper HQ vs Buffer comparison

Compare prices, channels, and features for Hopper HQ and Buffer.

overview

Platform overview

Read a short summary of Hopper HQ and Buffer. Then compare prices, channels, and features.

Visual-first social scheduler for small businesses since 2014

Hopper HQ is a visual-first social media scheduler for small businesses, creators, and agencies. Plan posts, stories, and reels from a combined calendar, preview your Instagram grid, bulk-upload a month of content, and auto-publish across major networks — with per-account pricing, unlimited posts, and a 14-day free trial.

Social media toolkit for creators and teams since 2010

Buffer is a social media management suite for individuals, creators, and small teams. It offers queue-based scheduling, an AI assistant, a community inbox, analytics, and a REST API — with per-channel pricing, volume discounts, and a free plan for up to three channels.

pricing

Pricing & plans

Compare the plans and prices for Hopper HQ and Buffer. Prices below assume 1 connected social channels so flat and per-channel plans are comparable.

Connected channels

Set how many social accounts you manage. We scale per-channel list prices to this count.

1

Hopper HQ · 1 channels

  • Grow $6 /mo

    Best for individuals and small businesses scheduling a handful of social accounts

    1 channels × $6/channel / mo · list rate; volume tiers may reduce total

  • Scale $12 /mo

    Best for teams that need unlimited teammates, permissions, and content approvals

    1 channels × $12/channel / mo · list rate; volume tiers may reduce total

Buffer · 1 channels

  • Free $0 /mo

    Best for individuals scheduling on up to three channels

    Up to 3 channels · 10 scheduled posts per channel

  • Essentials $6 /mo

    Best for creators who need unlimited scheduling and analytics per channel

    1 channels × $6/channel / mo · list rate; volume tiers may reduce total

  • Team $12 /mo

    Best for teams that need approvals, access controls, and unlimited members

    1 channels × $12/channel / mo · list rate; volume tiers may reduce total

List price per channel

Native per-channel list rates before volume discounts. OpenQuok flat plans are split across 1 channels for reference.

Hopper HQ

  • Grow $6 /channel /mo

    Per connected account / month (monthly billing) · $5/account on annual · 1 user · 14-day free trial

  • Scale $12 /channel /mo

    Per connected account / month (monthly billing) · $10/account on annual · unlimited users · 14-day free trial

Buffer

  • Free $0 /channel /mo

    Up to 3 channels · 10 scheduled posts per channel

  • Essentials $6 /channel /mo

    From $6/channel / month · lower on annual billing and volume tiers

  • Team $12 /channel /mo

    From $12/channel / month · lower on annual billing and volume tiers

platform coverage

Supported channels

See which social networks each product supports. An hourglass means the channel is on our roadmap.

Hopper HQ

  • > Facebook
  • > Instagram
  • > LinkedIn
  • > X
  • > TikTok
  • > YouTube Shorts
  • > Pinterest
  • > Threads
  • > Bluesky
  • Mastodon
  • Google Business Profile

Buffer

  • > Facebook
  • > Instagram
  • > LinkedIn
  • > X
  • > TikTok
  • > YouTube Shorts
  • > Pinterest
  • > Threads
  • > Bluesky
  • > Mastodon
  • > Google Business Profile

features

Feature comparison

See which features each product includes, limits, or omits.

Features
Hopper HQ Buffer
Agent workspaces
— —
Total channels
Per connected account pricing Per-channel pricing
Posts per month
Unlimited posts 10/channel on Free · unlimited on paid
Team members
1 on Grow · unlimited on Scale 1 on Free/Essentials · unlimited on Team
AI Writer
Unlimited AI assistant —
AI Summarizer
— —
Shareable post previews
Official platform APIs
Public API
— REST API (rate limits by plan)
OAuth apps
— —
MCP server
— —
Cloud media storage
Media library (plan limits apply) Media library (plan limits apply)
Multi-channel publishing
Agent integrations
— —
Analytics
Photo editor
—
Skill builder
— —
Calendar views
Kanban views
— —
Footage File manager
Repeated posts
Reusable templates
Saved captions & notes
Reusable signatures
— —
Smart filters
— —
Post delays
Favourite post times Queue slots
Post comments
Internal plugs
— —
Cross-account plugs
— —
Global plugs
— —
Group management
— Channel groups on paid plans
Dark / light mode
Community features
—

comparisons

visual-first scheduling vs queue-based scheduling

Buffer is for creators and small teams in a browser queue. Hopper HQ keeps scheduling visual with grid previews, bulk upload, link-in-bio pages, and hashtag research for teams that live in the dashboard.

Hopper HQ

  • > Unlimited AI assistant drafts captions, hashtags, and strategy inside the post planner
  • > Entry pricing from $6/account/mo with unlimited posts and a 14-day free trial
  • > Simple calendar for solo operators — no enterprise workspace sprawl
  • > Instagram grid planner, link-in-bio pages, and hashtag explorer for visual creators
  • > Content approvals and post-failure rules on Scale for teams that review in the dashboard

Typical Buffer workflow

  • AI Assistant lives inside Buffer — copy still required for external agent workflows
  • Per-channel pricing that climbs before volume tiers kick in
  • One queue for every brand, client, and channel
  • Free plan caps you at three channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel
  • Approval workflows require the Team plan — not on Free or Essentials

FAQs

Frequently asked, questions

Common questions and answers. Contact us if you need more help.

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