Buffer vs Canva
Buffer and Canva are both social media management tools. Buffer is aimed at creators and small businesses, while Canva is aimed at small businesses and creators. Buffer costs less, from $6/mo versus $18/mo for Canva. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Freemium · $6 | Freemium · $18 |
| Starting price | $6/mo | $18/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Built for | Creators, Small businesses | Small businesses, Creators |
| Platforms | web, ios, android | web, ios, android, macos, windows |
| Country | US · 2010 | AU · 2013 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Buffer if
Individuals, creators and small businesses with a handful of channels.
- Simplest scheduler to learn
- Broad network coverage
- Transparent company and clear pricing
Look elsewhere if: Agencies and enterprises needing listening, approvals at scale and deep reporting.
Choose Canva if
Small businesses, marketers, educators and creators who need volume and speed over pixel precision.
- Anyone can produce decent-looking assets fast
- Massive template and stock library
- Team branding and approvals
Look elsewhere if: UI/UX design (Figma) or print production requiring color management (Affinity, Adobe).
Buffer vs Canva pricing
Buffer
- Free$0Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user
- Essentials$6/channel/mo$5/mo billed yearly; unlimited posts, 1 user
- Team$12/channel/mo$10/mo billed yearly; unlimited team members
Canva
- Free$0Templates, basic editing, 5 GB storage
- Pro$18/moOne person; $180/yr billed annually; premium assets, AI tools
- Business$25/user/mo$250/yr per person; team brand kits and controls
- EnterpriseCustomSSO, advanced governance
Buffer · Key features
- Queue-based scheduling with per-network customization
- Support for 10+ networks including Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
- AI Assistant for drafts, rewrites and repurposing
- Analytics with best-time recommendations and reports
- Engagement inbox for comments
- Start Page link-in-bio and Canva integration
Cons
- Per-channel pricing adds up for agencies
- No social listening
- Inbox lacks DMs on several networks
Canva · Key features
- Hundreds of thousands of templates across formats
- Magic Studio AI: text-to-image, Magic Edit, Magic Write, background remover
- Brand Kit with fonts, colors, logos and locked templates
- Video editor, presentations with presenter view, Docs and Sheets
- Content planner for scheduling social posts
- Print service and website publishing
Cons
- Designs can look generic without effort
- Limited precision compared with professional tools
- Export and typography controls are basic
Buffer vs Canva: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Canva?
Buffer starts at $6/mo and Canva at $18/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Buffer and Canva have a free plan?
Yes, both Buffer and Canva have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.