Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Buffer · 🐦 social media
Buffer vs Postiz
The broadest open scheduler here; free means running PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal and your own platform credentials. Here is how Postiz ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Buffer ($6/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Buffer vs Postiz Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Buffer (Paid) | Postiz (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $6 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $72 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $72) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $360 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $360) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $720 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $720) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source AGPL-3.0+ |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hostedcliself-host, real ops |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 34k (active aug 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Buffer to Postiz
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
The software is broad, but self-hosting its PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal, storage, and OAuth stack is far more operational work than paying Buffer.
How to deploy Postiz
Hosted signup, or the official Docker Compose stack
What it takes to run
Self-hosting is a substantial stack: the docs call for PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal, persistent storage, a public domain, and each network's OAuth credentials, with 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM recommended.
Where your data lives
Self-hosted data spans PostgreSQL, Redis, and Temporal; uploads use local persistent storage or configured object storage such as Cloudflare R2. Hosted data lives in Postiz's cloud.
Why fork Postiz instead of vibe-coding a Buffer clone?
Posting to one or two APIs is easy, but maintaining social platform auth, queues, previews, analytics, and API-policy compliance is real ongoing work.
Buffer vs Postiz FAQ
Is Postiz a good free alternative to Buffer?+
Yes. Postiz is a verified open-source (AGPL-3.0+) replacement for Buffer. The broadest open scheduler here; free means running PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal and your own platform credentials.
What is the catch when switching from Buffer to Postiz?+
The software is broad, but self-hosting its PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal, storage, and OAuth stack is far more operational work than paying Buffer.
How much do you save switching from Buffer to Postiz?+
Buffer costs $6/mo ($72/yr) per seat, whereas Postiz is $0/mo. Switching saves $72/yr for a solo user, $360/yr for a 5-person team, and $720/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Postiz instead of Buffer?+
Install: Hosted signup, or the official Docker Compose stack. Setup: Self-hosting is a substantial stack: the docs call for PostgreSQL, Redis, Temporal, persistent storage, a public domain, and each network's OAuth credentials, with 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM recommended.
