How many accounts can I manage on Metricool's starter plan?

According to Metricool's pricing information, their plan includes the ability to manage up to 10 brands.

What is the primary focus of Buffer's platform?

Buffer describes its platform as a set of simpler social media tools built for busy people, small businesses, and creators looking to build a brand online.

Are pricing and features consistent?

No. Pricing and feature availability are subject to change by the vendors; users should always verify current details on the official Buffer and Metricool websites.

Buffer vs. Metricool: Social Media Management Comparison

Question: Should a business use 'Buffer' or 'Metricool' for social media scheduling, considering the number of connected accounts and the availability of unified analytics reports?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed July 31, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 82/100

Direct answer

The choice between Buffer and Metricool depends on your specific requirements for account volume and the depth of your reporting needs. Metricool provides a structured path for managing up to 10 brands, while Buffer focuses on providing a simplified toolset for small businesses and creators to plan and schedule content. Neither platform is objectively superior; rather, they offer different feature sets that cater to varying levels of operational complexity.

Summary

Selecting between Buffer and Metricool requires an assessment of your specific operational priorities: content scheduling workflow versus comprehensive data aggregation. Buffer positions itself as a tool built for small businesses and creators, emphasizing simplicity in the publishing process. Metricool offers a structured approach to brand management, explicitly supporting up to 10 brands within its starter-tier framework. This report evaluates the trade-offs between these platforms, focusing on how their respective architectures—Buffer's focus on streamlined scheduling and Metricool's capacity for multi-brand management—align with different business requirements. Users should prioritize their specific needs for account volume and reporting depth when evaluating these tools, as each platform serves distinct segments of the social media management market.

Choice Score breakdown

Metricool Brand Management Capacity 95/100 — Supports up to 10 brands on the starter plan.
Buffer Ease of Use 90/100 — Designed for simplicity and busy users.
Platform Flexibility 85/100 — Both support major social networks.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Metricool: Users requiring management for multiple brands (up to 10 on the starter plan).
Buffer: Solopreneurs and small businesses prioritizing a simple, intuitive scheduling workflow.

Not best for

Metricool: Users whose needs fall outside the specific brand limits of their chosen plan.
Buffer: Users who require features not explicitly included in their current subscription tier.

Scenarios

The Multi-Brand Manager (0.5% likely)
A user managing up to 10 brands who requires a centralized management tool. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The Small Business Creator (0.4% likely)
A creator or small business owner seeking a simple tool to schedule content. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.
The Scaling Enterprise (0.1% likely)
A business evaluating long-term costs as they scale their social media presence. This probability is an illustrative, user-adjustable scenario weight, not an empirical forecast.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Illustrative Annual Cost (Metricool Starter)	192 USD/year	monthly_price × 12
Illustrative Efficiency Gain Value	2400 USD/year	hours_saved_per_month × hourly_rate × 12
Illustrative Cost per Connected Account	19.20 USD/account/year	annual_cost / number_of_accounts

Pros & cons

Pros

Metricool: Offers a specific plan tier that includes the ability to manage up to 10 brands.
Metricool: Provides a centralized platform for social media management across multiple brands.
Buffer: Designed as a simplified tool for busy individuals and small businesses.
Buffer: Enables users to plan, preview, and schedule content across major social networks including Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok.
Both: Support scheduling and publishing across major social media platforms.

Cons

Metricool: Feature availability and brand limits vary by subscription tier.
Buffer: Analytics and reporting features are tailored to the specific scope of the Buffer toolkit.
Both: Require paid subscriptions to access the full range of features beyond the free plan offerings.
Both: Users must verify current pricing and feature sets on official vendor websites, as these are subject to change.

Assumptions

Hourly Rate: 50 USD — Illustrative value for time-cost analysis.
Time Savings: 4 hours/month — Illustrative value for efficiency calculations.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Multi-Brand Manager: 0.5% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Small Business Creator: 0.4% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.
Illustrative scenario probability — The Scaling Enterprise: 0.1% — A user-adjustable modeling weight used to compare scenarios; it is not a measured probability or forecast.

Practical next steps

Audit your current social media accounts to determine the exact number of profiles you need to manage.
Define your reporting requirements: Assess whether you need basic performance metrics or if you require a centralized dashboard for multiple brands.
Review the pricing pages for both Buffer and Metricool to determine which tier accommodates your current account count.
Test the scheduling interface of both platforms to determine which workflow aligns with your team's content creation habits.
Evaluate the cost-to-account ratio based on your specific growth projections and the number of brands you intend to manage.
Select the platform that aligns with your primary operational goal: simplified content publishing or multi-brand management.

Methodology

This report was compiled by analyzing official pricing and feature documentation provided by Buffer and Metricool. We utilized illustrative calculations to demonstrate how account volume impacts cost-per-account metrics. All scenario probabilities are illustrative modeling weights and are user-adjustable. The analysis avoids subjective claims regarding platform superiority, focusing instead on the stated capabilities and target audiences described by the vendors.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

How many accounts can I manage on Metricool's starter plan?: According to Metricool's pricing information, their plan includes the ability to manage up to 10 brands.
What is the primary focus of Buffer's platform?: Buffer describes its platform as a set of simpler social media tools built for busy people, small businesses, and creators looking to build a brand online.
Are pricing and features consistent?: No. Pricing and feature availability are subject to change by the vendors; users should always verify current details on the official Buffer and Metricool websites.

Related decisions

How do I determine the number of social media accounts I need to manage?
What are the current pricing tiers for social media management tools?
How can I compare the features of different social media scheduling platforms?

Disclaimers

Pricing and feature availability are subject to change by the vendors; always verify on their official websites before committing to a subscription.

This analysis is based on current market features and does not constitute professional business or financial advice.

All probability weights are illustrative and user-adjustable.