Is Buffer or Runway better?

Neither clearly leads. Buffer starts at Free and Runway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Buffer or Runway?

Buffer starts at Free and Runway at Free.

Does Buffer or Runway run on more platforms?

Buffer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Runway runs on Web.

Can I use Buffer for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Buffer best used for?

Buffer is most often used for social media scheduling, content planning, performance analytics, team collaboration. Of those, social media scheduling and content planning are not what Runway is typically brought in for.

What can Buffer do that Runway cannot?

Buffer covers Post scheduling, Content calendar, Analytics dashboard, Link shortening. Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

Software · head to head

Buffer vs Runway

Buffer

Software

Build your audience organically on social media

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Runway

Software

AI-powered creative tools for video and images

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Buffer the free plan allows 3 connected channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel; Runway the free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill
They diverge on capability: Buffer covers Post scheduling, Runway covers Gen-2 video generation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buffer and Runway actually diverge.

Attributes where Buffer and Runway differ
Attribute	Buffer	Runway
Pricing model	Unknown	subscription
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web
Founded	2010	2018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Buffer

Post scheduling
Content calendar
Analytics dashboard
Link shortening
Hashtag manager
First comment
Instagram Stories
Shop Grid

Only in Runway

Gen-2 video generation
Green screen
Inpainting
Super resolution
Motion tracking
Adobe Premiere
Final Cut Pro
API access

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buffer

Social media schedulingnot Runway
Content planningnot Runway
Performance analyticsnot Runway
Team collaborationnot Runway
Client managementnot Runway

Runway

Generating video clips from text or image promptsnot Buffer
Extending or editing existing footage with generative modelsnot Buffer
Removing objects and backgrounds from videonot Buffer
Storyboarding and previsualisation for productionnot Buffer

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buffer

The free plan allows 3 connected channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel
Essentials at $5 a month covers a single user; team members need the Team plan at $10 a month
Approval workflows and custom permissions are Team tier only
API access is rationed by plan, from 3,000 monthly requests on free to 15,000 on Team
Content ideas are capped at 100 on the free plan

Runway

The free tier is 125 one-time credits rather than a monthly allowance, so it runs out and does not refill
Outputs carry a watermark until the Standard plan at $12 a month
Everything is metered in credits, and Gen-4.5 video costs 60 credits per 5 seconds, so a Standard plan covers roughly 125 short videos a year
Only the Max plan at $76 a month rolls unused credits over, and only for one month
The free tier gives a selection of models rather than the full set

Pricing, plan by plan

Buffer

Free

FreeFree
- 3 connected accounts
- 10 scheduled posts per channel per month
- 100 content ideas
Essentials$5/month
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- Per-channel pricing
- Advanced analytics
Team$10/month
- Unlimited team members
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- Content approval workflows

Runway

Free

FreeFree
- 125 credits
- Basic tools
- 720p exports
Standard$12/month
- 625 credits/month
- Gen-2 access
- 4K exports
Pro$28/month
- 2250 credits/month
- All tools
- Priority processing
Unlimited$76/month
- Unlimited generations
- Custom models
- API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Buffer if

You need post scheduling.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want content calendar.

Buffer review

Choose Runway if

You need gen-2 video generation.
You want to start without paying.
You also want green screen.

Runway review

Questions people ask

Is Buffer or Runway better?: Neither clearly leads. Buffer starts at Free and Runway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Runway?: Buffer starts at Free and Runway at Free.
Does Buffer or Runway run on more platforms?: Buffer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Runway runs on Web.
Can I use Buffer for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Buffer best used for?: Buffer is most often used for social media scheduling, content planning, performance analytics, team collaboration. Of those, social media scheduling and content planning are not what Runway is typically brought in for.
What can Buffer do that Runway cannot?: Buffer covers Post scheduling, Content calendar, Analytics dashboard, Link shortening. Runway covers Gen-2 video generation, Green screen, Inpainting, Super resolution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buffer: Does Buffer's free plan include all social media platforms?

The free plan supports 3 connected accounts across any of Buffer's 11 supported platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon) with up to 10 scheduled posts per channel per month.

Source

Buffer: Can I schedule Instagram Stories with Buffer?

No. Instagram Stories cannot be auto-published. Buffer sends a mobile notification to manually post stories, as Instagram does not provide an API for automated Story scheduling.

Source

Buffer: What is Buffer's per-channel pricing model?

Buffer charges per social media account (channel) rather than per user. Channels 1-10 cost standard rates ($5 Essentials or $10 Team), with additional channels beyond 10 discounted per channel.

Source

Buffer: Does Buffer have a mobile app and what platforms does it support?

Yes, Buffer offers iOS and Android apps for mobile management. The iOS app supports Mastodon and YouTube comment features, while Android support for these features is in development. Android community access works on the six most recent major Android versions.

Source

Buffer: What discount does Buffer offer for annual billing?

Buffer offers a 20% discount for annual billing across all paid plans, plus an additional 50% discount on paid plans for nonprofit organizations.

Source

Buffer: Can Buffer integrate with content creation and storage tools?

Yes. Buffer integrates with 24 tools including Canva, Google Drive, Dropbox, Unsplash for media, Zapier and Make for automation, WordPress for publishing, and Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for AI-assisted content creation.

Source

Buffer vs Runway

Buffer

Runway

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Buffer

Only in Runway

What people use each for

Buffer

Runway

Where each one falls short

Buffer

Runway

Pricing, plan by plan

Buffer

Runway

Which should you pick?

Choose Buffer if

Choose Runway if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Buffer

More on Runway

Keep looking

Other head to heads