Late vs Buffer
API-First vs Traditional
Buffer pioneered simple social media scheduling, but Late brings it into the API era. Compare the old guard's UI-first approach with our developer-centric solution.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Late | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | 10 posts/month, 2 profiles | 10 posts/queue, 3 accounts |
| API Access | ✓ Instant, all plans | ✗ NO PUBLIC API |
| Multi-platform Posting | One API call → all platforms | Separate calls per platform |
| Rate Limits | 600+ requests/minute | 60 requests/minute |
| 50 Profiles Cost | $49/month | $250+/month |
| Usage Options | API + UI both supported | UI only - NO API |
Buffer's Traditional UI Approach
Buffer's homepage showcases their "social media workspace" with manual scheduling and UI-focused workflow
Buffer's Approach: UI-first design with 194k active users managing manual posting workflows
Overview – Old Guard vs API-First Upstart
Buffer is a household name in social media scheduling – a pioneer loved for its simplicity and clean interface. However, Buffer does NOT offer a public API for developers. Late (often just 'Late') is the new kid on the block, and it's API-first by design. In other words, Late was built for developers from the ground up, while Buffer is exclusively a manual UI tool with no API access.
In this comparison, we'll see how an API-centric platform stacks up against a UI-only scheduler in terms of features, pricing, and developer-friendliness. If you're searching for a social media scheduling API solution (Buffer cannot be used programmatically), read on – this showdown is for you.
Features and Platform Support
Pricing Comparison
Buffer: Freemium with Linear Scaling
When it comes to pricing, Buffer uses a freemium model with paid upgrades based on the number of social channels. Buffer's Free plan lets you connect 3 social accounts with 10 posts queued per account at a time. This is great for light usage and trying out the basics.
Paid plans are quite affordable for small needs – the Essentials plan is about $5 per month per social channel (billed annually). That means you can mix-and-match how many profiles you need and pay accordingly. For example, managing 5 channels would run ~$25/month on Essentials.
However, if you manage more than 10 social profiles, Buffer pushes you into custom 'get in touch' territory – essentially an enterprise deal. Buffer is very budget-friendly for individuals or small teams, but costs can add up linearly if you're an agency with dozens of profiles.
Late: Flat-Rate Simplicity
Late keeps pricing simple with fixed tiers that include a generous number of profiles. All plans (even free) support all 10 platforms and full API access – the difference is in usage limits. The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 posts per month and 2 social profiles, which is enough for testing or a small project.
As you scale up, Build is $19/month for 120 posts and 10 profiles, and the popular Accelerate plan is $49/month for unlimited posts and up to 50 connected profiles.
Value Comparison: 50 social accounts with unlimited scheduling costs $49 on Late, whereas with Buffer that many accounts would require a custom high-tier plan (easily several hundred dollars) or multiple team subscriptions.
API and Integration Capabilities
Here's where the rubber meets the road for developers. Buffer does NOT have a public API. Period. There is no API access available to developers - new or old. Buffer is exclusively a manual, UI-based tool.
Buffer Has NO API
Buffer shut down its public API and has not provided any API access since. As of 2025, there is no API, no developer access, and no programmatic way to use Buffer. If you need to automate social media posting, integrate with applications, or build on top of a scheduling platform, Buffer cannot help you.
This makes Buffer completely unsuitable for any development project, SaaS integration, automation workflow, or programmatic use case. You must use the UI manually - there is no other option.
Late: API-First with UI Flexibility
Late takes a different approach entirely. While the API is the core strength of the platform, it's not exclusively for developers. The entire service is designed as a multi-platform scheduling engine that works both programmatically (via REST API) and manually (via web interface). You can sign up and get an API key within minutes, OR simply use the web dashboard to upload content manually.
The API is uniform across all nine platforms, abstracting away the differences. Whether you're posting via API or the web interface, you don't have to worry about the specific media upload steps for each network – just specify the platforms (or use "platforms": ["all"] to broadcast everywhere), and Late handles the rest.
Flexible Usage:
API: "Here's my post text and image, send it to Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram at 5pm" – one payload, one call. UI: Upload the same content through a simple web form with the same multi-platform power.
Buffer vs Late: API Reality
Buffer: NO API. Zero programmatic access. No rate limits to discuss because there is no API at all.
Late: Full API access on all plans with generous rate limits (600+ requests/minute on Accelerate plan, up to 1200/minute on higher tiers). Built for automation, integration, and programmatic use from day one.
Developer Experience Showdown
Late: Built for Developers
- ✓⚡ Setup time: 15 minutes
- ✓📚 Clear documentation with examples
- ✓🔧 SDKs for popular languages
- ✓🚀 99.97% uptime, <50ms response time
- ✓🎯 Modern REST API design
Buffer: UI-Only Platform
- •🚫 NO API - Zero developer access
- •🖱️ Manual UI posting only
- •❌ Cannot integrate with applications
- •❌ No automation capabilities
- •❌ No programmatic scheduling
Pricing Reality Check
👥 Small Team (5 accounts)
🏢 Growing Agency (20 accounts)
🏢 Enterprise or SaaS Platform
Summary: When to choose Late over Buffer
Buffer is a good tool if you only need manual UI-based scheduling for a handful of social accounts. However, Buffer has NO API access whatsoever - it cannot be used for automation, integration, or programmatic posting.
Late combines the power of a unified API with a modern, lightweight interface for manual use. Whether you're building a social media automation SaaS or need to manage hundreds of profiles with code, Late offers scalability, speed, and simplicity. If you need ANY form of automation or API access, Buffer simply cannot help you.
For developers, SaaS platforms, agencies, and automation-first teams, Late is the only choice. Buffer's lack of API access makes it unsuitable for any programmatic use case.
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