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 | ā Instant, all plans | ā Closed to new developers |
| Multi-platform Posting | One API call ā 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-first, limited 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 ā Old Guard vs API-First Upstart
Buffer is a household name in social media scheduling ā a pioneer loved for its simplicity and clean interface. 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 started as a user-facing tool with an API as an afterthought.
In this comparison, we'll see how an API-centric platform stacks up against a traditional scheduler in terms of features, pricing, integrations, ease of use, and developer-friendliness. If you're searching for the ultimate social media scheduling API solution (perhaps a Buffer API alternative), read on ā 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 ā 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 ā 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 ā 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 have an API for scheduling and managing posts ā but with a big caveat: new developers currently cannot obtain API keys as freely as in the past.
Buffer's API Roadblock
Buffer shut down new developer access to its public API back in 2019, citing the need to rebuild it for a better dev experience. As of 2025, they have an early-access waitlist for a revamped API, but unless you were grandfathered in, using Buffer's API is not straightforward.
Even if you do get access, Buffer's API has some limitations: it's rate-limited to 60 requests per user per minute and each request generally handles one profile at a time. This means if you want to post the same update to 5 social accounts via Buffer's API, you'd likely need to loop through 5 separate calls (one per profile), each counting against the rate limit.
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 ā 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" ā one payload, one call. UI: Upload the same content through a simple web form with the same multi-platform power.
Rate Limits and Throughput
For developers concerned with rate limits and throughput, Late's API is built to scale. Depending on your plan, you get generous rate limits (e.g. 600 requests/minute on the Accelerate plan, up to 1200/minute on higher tiers).
Compare that to Buffer's flat 60/min limit for everyone ā a heavy-duty application would hit Buffer's ceiling pretty fast, whereas Late can handle spikes of traffic for bulk scheduling or high-frequency posting in a more accommodating way.
Developer Experience Showdown
Late: Built for Developers
- ā” Setup time: 15 minutes
- š Clear documentation with examples
- š§ SDKs for popular languages
- š 99.97% uptime, <50ms response time
- šÆ Modern REST API design
Buffer: UI-First Approach
- ā° Setup time: Days/weeks
- š Complex authentication flow
- š« API access currently restricted
- š Rate-limited for bulk operations
- š§ Designed for UI automation, not integration
Pricing Reality Check
š„ Small Team (5 accounts)
š¢ Growing Agency (20 accounts)
š¢ Enterprise or SaaS Platform
Summary: When to choose Late over Buffer
Buffer is still a fantastic tool if you value a familiar UI, simple scheduling, and you're managing a handful of social accounts manually. But for developers, SaaS platforms, agencies, and automation-first teams, Late is purpose-built for API-first, multi-platform 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're ready to move beyond Buffer's limitations and embrace a future-proof social media scheduling API, Late is the clear choice.
Ready to switch to an API-first scheduling platform?
Sign up in minutes. Connect 10 platforms. Post everywhere with one call.