API/MCPPricing
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Ampli vs Buffer: features, pricing and channels

Why creators and small teams pick Ampli over Buffer: what each costs, where it publishes and what it does for you.

Last checked October 2026

Scheduler + AI agents

Ampli is your agentic social media scheduler

Plan and publish to every channel from one calendar, or let Claude and ChatGPT schedule for you through our MCP server and API.

Start for $0
Works withClaudeChatGPTCursor

At a glance

Ampli

Your agentic social media scheduler: plan and publish to every channel from one calendar, or let your AI agent schedule for you.

Ampli is your agentic social media scheduler built for creators and small teams. Schedule and publish to TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, YouTube and X, from one calendar and queue. Write once and tailor the caption for each channel, bulk-schedule a week of posts in one go, publish now or save drafts, and post every format that matters: Reels, Stories, carousels, Shorts, Instagram trial reels, TikTok drafts and long posts for X Premium accounts. When the queue runs low, Ampli can fill it with slideshows, carousels and pins built on templates modeled after posts that went viral.

What sets Ampli apart is that it is built for AI agents. Its MCP server and REST API let Claude, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf and any MCP client schedule and publish for you on autopilot: upload your photos and videos, post them across every channel on a schedule you describe in plain words, or run one of the preset viral templates to create the post first. Agent access is included on every plan, and posts your agent writes use no Ampli credits.

Best for: Creators, founders and small teams who want one calendar for every channel, run by hand or by their AI agent

  • Schedule to 8 networks
  • Bulk scheduling + calendar
  • MCP + API on every plan
  • 7-day free trial
Start free

Buffer

A simple scheduler priced per channel, with a free plan, an ideas board, analytics and a comment inbox.

Buffer is a long-standing social media scheduler known for a clean interface and transparent pricing. You pay per connected channel, with a free plan for up to 3 channels and paid plans from $5 to $12 per channel a month. It covers publishing, analytics, comment replies, a Start Page link in bio and an AI assistant, plus an API and MCP server on every plan.

Best for: Solo creators and small businesses who want simple, low-cost scheduling

Pricing and plans

Ampli

  • Pro$25/mo

    8 channels, unlimited posts, 400 AI credits a month, 7-day free trial

  • Premium$39/mo

    15 channels, unlimited posts, 1,000 AI credits a month, priority support, 7-day free trial

  • Agency$99/mo

    100 channels (+$1/mo each beyond), unlimited posts, 1,500 AI credits a month

No free plan. Billed monthly; Pro and Premium start with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. Agency is set up by contacting us.

Buffer

  • Free$0

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

  • Essentials$5/channel/mo

    Billed yearly ($6 month to month). Unlimited posts, advanced analytics, 1 user

  • Team$10/channel/mo

    Billed yearly ($12 month to month). Unlimited users, approvals, access levels

Paid plans are priced per connected channel, with lower per-channel rates above 10 channels. Yearly billing saves about two months. 14-day free trial on paid plans; the free plan needs no card.

Channels

ChannelsAmpliBuffer
InstagramYesYes
FacebookYesYes
TikTokYesYes
X (Twitter)Yes1Yes
LinkedInYesYes
PinterestYesYes
YouTubeYesYes
ThreadsYesYes
BlueskyNoYes
Google Business ProfileNoYes
RedditNoNo
MastodonNoYes
TelegramNoNo
  1. 1.Ampli, X (Twitter): Plain posts on every plan; posts with a link are capped at 90 a month on Pro and 150 on Premium.

Publishing

PublishingAmpliBuffer
Schedule postsYesYes
Publish nowYesYes
Calendar viewYesYes
DraftsYesYes
One post to many channelsYesYes
Per-channel captionsYesYes
Carousels / multi-image postsYesYes
Video posts (Reels, TikTok, Shorts)YesYes
Instagram StoriesYes1Yes2
Bulk schedulingYesYes3
Recurring / evergreen queueNoNo4
  1. 1.Ampli, Instagram Stories: Instagram Stories, plus Instagram trial reels and TikTok send-to-drafts.
  2. 2.Buffer, Instagram Stories: Auto-publishes Stories for Instagram Business/Creator accounts; stickers/music use notification publishing.
  3. 3.Buffer, Bulk scheduling: CSV bulk upload on all plans (10 posts per channel on Free, 100 on paid); not for YouTube.
  4. 4.Buffer, Recurring / evergreen queue: Time-slot queue, but no evergreen recycling.

Features

FeaturesAmpliBuffer
Post from Claude / ChatGPT (MCP)Yes1Yes2
Public APIYes3Yes
AI caption & post writingYesYes
AI-designed carousels & graphicsYes4No
Viral post templatesYes5No6
AnalyticsNoYes
Social inbox (comments & DMs)NoLimited7
Team approvalsNoLimited8
Link in bioNoYes9
Free planNo10Yes
Free trialYes11Yes
Mobile appNo12Yes
Self-hostable / open sourceNoNo
  1. 1.Ampli, Post from Claude / ChatGPT (MCP): Every plan: up to 10 API keys on Pro, unlimited on Premium.
  2. 2.Buffer, Post from Claude / ChatGPT (MCP): Official MCP server with Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Raycast and Perplexity connections.
  3. 3.Ampli, Public API: Same API keys as the MCP server, on every plan.
  4. 4.Ampli, AI-designed carousels & graphics: Slideshows, carousels and Pinterest pins from a link, topic or text; uses AI credits (slideshow 4, pin 1).
  5. 5.Ampli, Viral post templates: Templates modeled after posts that went viral.
  6. 6.Buffer, Viral post templates: "Templates" are post-idea prompts, not viral design templates.
  7. 7.Buffer, Social inbox (comments & DMs): Community inbox handles comments only, no DMs.
  8. 8.Buffer, Team approvals: Approval workflows on the Team plan only.
  9. 9.Buffer, Link in bio: Start Page, all plans.
  10. 10.Ampli, Free plan: No free plan.
  11. 11.Ampli, Free trial: 7-day free trial of Pro or Premium for first-time subscribers.
  12. 12.Ampli, Mobile app: Works in the mobile browser.

Yes Limited: higher plans only, a paid add-on, or restricted (see the numbered notes) No: not offered, or not documented anywhere we checked

Which one should you choose?

Choose Ampli if…

  • You schedule to three or more channels. Ampli Starter covers 3 for $12 a month, Pro covers 8 for $29 and Premium covers 15 for $39, while Buffer Essentials costs $6 per channel month to month, or $48 for 8 channels.
  • You publish blog posts as well as social posts. Ampli schedules WordPress blog posts in the same calendar as your TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest posts; Buffer's WordPress integration shares content into Buffer and does not publish to WordPress.
  • Your AI agent runs the schedule. Both tools connect to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor over MCP; with Ampli, your agent can upload photos and videos and schedule or publish them across every channel from a plain-language request, and posts it writes use no Ampli credits.
  • When you need posts to schedule, Ampli makes them. It generates TikTok and Instagram slideshows, carousels and Pinterest pins from a link, topic or pasted text, on templates modeled after posts that went viral, where Buffer's AI Assistant helps with the text.

Buffer may suit you if…

  • You post to Bluesky, Mastodon or Google Business Profile, which Ampli does not support.
  • You want analytics and comment replies in the same tool. Buffer includes both, with 30 days of insights even on the free plan.
  • You need unlimited posts on just one or two channels at the lowest price: Buffer Essentials is $6 a channel a month, or $5 billed yearly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ampli better than Buffer?

For creators and small teams running three or more channels, yes. Ampli schedules to eight networks plus WordPress from one calendar and costs less than Buffer's paid plans from three channels up: 8 channels are $29 a month, versus $48 month to month on Buffer Essentials. It can also make slideshows and pins when your queue runs low. Buffer fits better if you need Bluesky or Mastodon, or analytics in the same tool.

Is Ampli cheaper than Buffer?

Yes, once you run three or more channels on a paid plan. Ampli charges per plan: $12 a month for 3 channels, $29 for 8 and $39 for 15, with AI credits included. Buffer charges per channel: $6 a month each on Essentials, or $5 with yearly billing, so 8 channels cost $48 a month. For one or two channels on a paid plan, Buffer costs the same or less.

How do the free plans compare?

Neither needs a credit card. Ampli's free plan connects 2 channels, publishes 50 posts a month and includes 20 one-time AI credits to generate slideshows and pins. Buffer's free plan connects up to 3 channels and keeps 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, with basic insights and comment replies.

Can Buffer design carousels or slideshows with AI?

No. Buffer's AI Assistant helps you write, refine and repurpose text, and Buffer connects to Canva for design. Ampli builds TikTok and Instagram slideshows, carousels and Pinterest pins on viral templates, and you can edit slides, colors and fonts before scheduling.

Do both work with Claude and ChatGPT?

Yes. Ampli's MCP server and REST API let Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline and other MCP clients upload media and schedule or publish across every channel from a plain-language request, and your agent can also generate a finished post on a Ampli template first. Buffer offers an API and an MCP server on all plans, including Free, with connections for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor.

Which networks does each tool support?

Both publish to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Threads. Ampli also publishes blog posts to WordPress. Buffer adds Bluesky, Mastodon and Google Business Profile.

How we compared

We read each tool's public pricing page, feature pages and help center and recorded what every plan includes. Yes means the feature is available as described. Limited means it is only on higher plans, sold as an add-on, or restricted in a way the numbered note explains. No means it is not offered, or we found no documentation of it. Ampli's column lists only features that are live in production today.

Buffer sources · checked October 9, 2026

  1. buffer.com/pricing
  2. buffer.com/pricing.md
  3. buffer.com/api
  4. support.buffer.com/articles/how-to-upload-posts-in-bulk-to-buffer-cTIhl4mv6H
  5. support.buffer.com/articles/scheduling-instagram-posts-reels-stories-and-notifications-3XA98S9Q5p

Ampli sources

  1. myviral.farm/pricing
  2. myviral.farm/mcp

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