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Buffer vs X Beast

Two fact sheets from our own research, side by side — pricing, platforms, API access and status re-checked by us rather than quoted from the vendors.

The short answer

Cheaper paid plan
Buffer — $5/mo vs $12/mo for X Beast
Free plan
Both have one
Public API
Buffer has one; not confirmed by us for X Beast
Higher Trust score
Buffer — 82 vs 61 for X Beast
Best fit
Buffer: Solo creators and small businesses posting to a handful of networks · X Beast: Solo builders keeping an X presence alive without daily effort

From our own records as of each tool's last check. Anything we have not confirmed is left out rather than guessed. How we verify

BufferSchedules, publishes and analyzes social posts across 12 networks, with an AI assistant for drafting and repurposing included on every plan.X BeastTrains on your old tweets, drafts a week of X posts, then schedules and auto-replies for you.

Side by side

FactBufferX Beast
CategorySocial Media ManagementSocial Media Management
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starts at$5/mo$12/mo
Public APIYesNot confirmed
Trust score82 / 10061 / 100
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, APIWeb
CompanyBuffer, Inc.—
Launched2010—
Last verifiedOct 29, 2026Oct 15, 2026

What our research says

Buffer

Buffer fits solo creators, small businesses and lean agencies who want simple scheduling and analytics with AI help on drafts and no add-on fee. Brands that need social listening, paid-ads management or deep enterprise reporting will outgrow it.

Pros

  • AI Assistant included on every plan, including free
  • Per-channel pricing lets you pay only for the networks you use
  • Covers newer networks such as Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon and Substack
  • Public GraphQL API and CLI with documented rate limits

Cons

  • Costs scale with channel count, so many accounts get expensive on Team
  • Free plan caps the queue at 10 posts per channel and keeps 30 days of insights
  • No social listening or ad management

X Beast

XBeast is deliberately narrow: one network, trained on your own timeline, with a weekly batch-approval loop that fits how most solo posters actually work. At $12 a month it is priced for individuals rather than agencies. The trade-offs are that automated replies and retweets are the part most likely to embarrass you, and the operator is anonymous.

Pros

  • Trains on your existing tweets so drafts match your usual voice
  • Weekly batch approval rather than post-by-post babysitting
  • Auto-replies, auto-retweets and auto-plugs handled on schedule
  • Multi-account support from $24 (3 accounts) up to $72 (10 accounts)
  • Seven-day trial without a card

Cons

  • X only - no other network is supported
  • Credits, not posts, are the unit and the site does not explain the conversion clearly
  • No company name, entity or country disclosed
  • Automated replying on your account risks X's platform-manipulation rules

Which one fits

Choose Buffer if you need

  • Solo creators and small businesses posting to a handful of networks
  • Agencies that add and drop client channels and want to pay per channel
  • Teams that want AI drafting without a separate subscription

Choose X Beast if you need

  • Solo builders keeping an X presence alive without daily effort
  • Ghostwriters running a handful of client accounts
  • People who prefer approving a week's posts in one sitting

Buffer vs X Beast: the questions people ask

Is Buffer cheaper than X Beast?

On published entry prices, Buffer starts lower — $5/mo against $12/mo for X Beast. Entry price is the lowest paid plan as we last verified it; what each plan includes differs.

Does Buffer or X Beast have a free tier?

Both: Buffer has a free tier, and X Beast has a free tier.

Which has a public API, Buffer or X Beast?

Buffer ships a public API, as of our last verification. A public API for X Beast is not confirmed by us — check its developer docs before you plan an integration.

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