Buffer vs MailerLite
Side-by-side plans, pricing, and feature gates for Buffer and MailerLite, verified . Buffer is primarily social media management; MailerLite is primarily email marketing.
Plans side by side
Every published plan from each vendor, with the headline monthly anchor price. Some prices scale with subscriber count or seats; full detail lives on each tool's page.
Buffer
- Free
Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel
Free - Essentials
Most popular: $5/month per channel
$5/mo - Team
Unlimited team members and approval workflows
$10/mo - Agency
Custom package for agencies managing many clients
Custom
MailerLite
- Free
Up to 500 subscribers, 12,000 sends/month
Free - Growing Business
Most popular paid tier, starts at 500 subscribers
$10/mo - Advanced
Power features for active senders
$20/mo - Enterprise
100,000+ subscribers, custom contracting
Custom
Limits at the entry paid tier
Compares Essentials (Buffer) against Growing Business (MailerLite). Both are the lowest-priced non-free, non-custom plan on each side.
| Limit | Buffer | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | · | 500 subscribers (anchor; scales up) |
| Emails / month | · | Unlimited |
| Team seats | 1 | 3 |
When Buffer wins
- Solopreneurs and small brands publishing to a handful of networks
- Content creators who want a clean, fast scheduling UI
- Small agencies on a budget that can live with the Team plan
Where Buffer is the wrong fit
- Enterprise brands managing 20+ channels (Hootsuite or Sprout Social fit better)
- Teams whose primary need is social listening; Buffer's listening is thin
- Organizations needing deep approval and governance workflows across hundreds of accounts
When MailerLite wins
- Solo creators and small businesses replacing Mailchimp
- Teams that want one tool for emails, landing pages, and a small website
- Nonprofits (30% discount on paid plans)
Where MailerLite is the wrong fit
- B2B teams needing deep CRM and pipeline workflows (use HubSpot or ActiveCampaign)
- Operators wanting native ad network or paid subscriptions (use beehiiv)
- API-first transactional senders (use Postmark or Resend)
Common questions
- Is Buffer cheaper than MailerLite?
- Both Buffer and MailerLite have free or custom entry pricing, so a direct entry-tier price comparison is not meaningful.
- Does Buffer or MailerLite have a free plan?
- Both have free plans. Buffer: Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel. MailerLite: Up to 500 subscribers, 12,000 sends/month.
- Are Buffer and MailerLite in the same category?
- No. Buffer is primarily a social media management tool; MailerLite is primarily a email marketing tool. They overlap on use case but sit in different primary categories, so the comparison is between adjacent tools rather than direct competitors.
- Which has more plans, Buffer or MailerLite?
- Both Buffer and MailerLite ship 4 plans. Tier counts match; the differentiation is in features and pricing structure rather than tier ladder depth.
- Where can I see alternatives to Buffer or MailerLite?
- Each tool has a dedicated alternatives page on TierGauge with ranked options and verified pricing: /alternatives/buffer for Buffer and /alternatives/mailerlite for MailerLite. Alternatives are derived from each tool's editor-flagged competitors plus same-category tools we track.
Buffer: https://buffer.com/pricing · MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing
Last verified . Pricing changes between refreshes; confirm at the vendor before purchasing.