LazyRelay vs Buffer
Buffer is one of the longest-running schedulers out there, with a mature dashboard and a real free plan. Here's an honest look at where it and LazyRelay actually differ.
Where Buffer is genuinely ahead
Buffer has a persistent Ideas feature (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) for saving content ideas over time; LazyRelay's AI idea generator only gives you 5 fresh ideas on demand right now, with nothing saved (a saved backlog is planned, see In the Works). Buffer also already posts to Google Business Profile and X, which LazyRelay doesn't yet (GBP is built and waiting on Google's own approval, also on the In the Works page).
| LazyRelay | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | 12: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, Telegram, Discord, Tumblr | 11: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, X, Google Business Profile |
| Telegram, Discord, Tumblr | Supported | Not supported |
| X (Twitter), Google Business Profile | Not yet — GBP is code-complete, waiting on Google's approval | Supported |
| Pricing shape | Flat per tier, by account count | Per channel — multiplies as you grow |
| Entry paid price | $29.99/mo flat (Starter, 20 accounts) | $5/mo per channel (Essentials) — cheaper only up to ~5 accounts |
| Free tier | $0, 3 accounts, 250MB storage, Proof-of-Publish included, no card required | $0, 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts/channel (refillable), 100 ideas, AI Assistant, Insights |
| Post verification | Proof-of-Publish: independently confirms a post is actually live | Not found — "sent" is the end state |
| AI-agent (MCP) access | 9 tools, included on every plan, including Free | Included on every plan, including Free |
| Content ideas | 5 fresh AI suggestions on demand, nothing saved yet | Persistent Ideas backlog (100 Free, unlimited paid) |
| Approval workflows | Included | Team plan only ($10/mo per channel) |
| First-comment scheduling, hashtag suggestions, browser extension | Included | Included (Essentials and up) |
| Multi-brand / workspace management | Yes, capped brands per tier plus paid add-on brands | Per-channel pricing serves this instead of a brand concept |
Buffer's prices and features checked directly on buffer.com. Rows can go stale as either product changes — if you spot one that's out of date, that's worth telling us.
The gap that actually matters: "sent" isn't "published"
Buffer calls the platform's API, gets a success response, and marks your post published. That response confirms the request was accepted, not that the post is actually visible to anyone. LazyRelay separately re-checks the platform after every post to confirm it's genuinely live — that's Proof-of-Publish, included on every LazyRelay plan including Free. We didn't find an equivalent check anywhere in Buffer's own documentation.
The other real difference: how the bill grows
Running 5 channels? Buffer Essentials is 5 × $5 = $25/month — cheaper than LazyRelay's $29.99/month Starter plan. Running 20? Buffer Essentials is 20 × $5 = $100/month, against LazyRelay's same flat $29.99/month for up to 20 accounts. Buffer's per-channel model is genuinely the better deal at very small scale; it stops being one fast.
Pick Buffer if
- You only run 1-5 channels and want the lowest possible entry price.
- You need X (Twitter) or Google Business Profile posting today, not once it clears approval.
- You want a persistent, saved content-ideas backlog rather than one-off suggestions.
Pick LazyRelay if
- You run more than about 5 accounts — flat pricing stops the bill from climbing per channel.
- You want independent proof a post actually went live, not just "accepted."
- You post to Telegram, Discord, or Tumblr — Buffer supports none of these three.
- You manage more than one brand or client and want that built into the plan rather than paying per channel.
- Approval workflows matter to you and you don't want to pay for Buffer's Team tier just to get them.
Try Proof-of-Publish for free. No card required on LazyRelay's free tier.
See plans and get started freeFrequently asked questions
Is LazyRelay cheaper than Buffer?
It depends on how many accounts you run. Buffer charges per channel ($5/month each on its Essentials plan), so for 1-2 channels Buffer can be cheaper than LazyRelay's $29.99/month Starter plan. Past that it flips fast: 20 channels on Buffer Essentials is $100/month, versus LazyRelay's flat $29.99/month for the same 20 accounts.
Does Buffer verify that a post actually went live, like LazyRelay's Proof-of-Publish?
Not that we found documented on buffer.com. Buffer schedules and publishes reliably, but we didn't find any feature that independently re-checks a platform after publishing to confirm the post is genuinely visible, the way LazyRelay's Proof-of-Publish does on every plan including Free.
Does Buffer have AI-agent (MCP) access on its free plan?
Yes, and so does LazyRelay. Both companies include MCP access on every plan, including Free, at no extra cost.