Mellow Hub, Metricool, Buffer and Postiz: compare the way you work
Compare Mellow Hub, Metricool, Buffer and Postiz by brand profiles, channel costs, MCP and AI creation, with a worked example and current pricing sources.
By Mellow · UpdatedA capacity example: three brands, fifteen accounts
One operator manages Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn for each of three brands. Twelve original posts per brand, each sent to five accounts, means 180 destination publications per month. This compares published account and posting capacity in USD, billed monthly, before tax and optional extras. Reporting, client approvals, AI allowances and isolation features differ.
| Service and plan | Monthly cost | How the scenario fits |
|---|---|---|
| Mellow Hub Studio | $49 | 3 profiles and 600 publications per month; the 180-delivery example fits. |
| Metricool Starter | $25 | The 5-brand package covers 3 brands. X is excluded from this scenario; team/API conditions need separate checking. |
| Buffer Essentials | $80 | 10 channels × $6 + 5 channels × $4. One user; Team approvals require a different plan. |
| Postiz Pro, hosted | $49 | 30-channel capacity covers 15 accounts. This does not establish equivalent brand isolation. |
Sources checked September 21, 2026. Competitors advertise unlimited paid posting subject to their conditions; Hub has a fixed destination allowance. For basic capacity alone, Metricool is cheaper in this scenario. Choose Hub when its profile workflow, creative handoff and delegated agent controls fit the job. Recheck the linked prices before buying.
Start with brands, channels and actual output
A brand is a group of social accounts that belong together. A channel is one account on one network. A publication is a delivery to one account. Twelve original posts sent to five accounts produce 60 publications; three brands doing that produce 180. Comparing only a plan’s headline price hides these differences.
Assume one operator, five channels per brand and twelve original posts per month. Then compare the account capacity, publication limits, workflow and extras you need. This is a comparison of published conditions, not a claim that the products have identical capabilities.
What makes the price grow?
| Service | Main unit | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Mellow Hub | Profiles plus a shared publication allowance | MCP permissions, per-destination usage and optional AI credits. |
| Metricool | Brand packages | X and advanced analytics add-ons; team and API features by plan. |
| Buffer | Paid social channels | Channel volume tiers and whether you need Team approvals. |
| Postiz | Hosted plans with channel capacity | Hosted subscription versus running the open-source product yourself. |
Metricool: strong when reporting is central
Metricool groups one account per network into a Brand. Another Instagram needs another Brand, but does not add a charge while it fits inside the package. Its paid publishing allowance is advertised as unlimited with fair use. X is an extra; advanced analytics and team features also affect the comparison. Metricool already lists MCP, so MCP availability alone is not an exclusive Hub advantage.
Choose by the actual reporting and publishing flow you need. For an analytics-heavy agency, inspect Metricool’s reports and approval system before paying for a different tool. See its plan and API conditions.
Buffer: count every connected account
Buffer’s paid plans price channel slots, with volume discounts. Three brands with five channels each require fifteen paid channel slots. Essentials and Team serve different collaboration needs. Buffer’s publishing limits and fair-use rules also differ from Hub’s fixed monthly destination allowance. Use the current pricing and feature breakdown rather than multiplying the first channel price indefinitely.
Postiz: decide hosted or self-hosted first
Postiz offers a hosted subscription and an open-source project. A self-hosted software license is not the total operating cost: hosting, maintenance and provider credentials still need an owner. Compare the hosted channel limits if you want a managed service. Check its current plans and deployment documentation for the route you intend to use.
Where Hub fits
Hub brings a profile’s accounts, saved creative projects and publishing actions into one agent-accessible workflow. The same profile owns a carousel draft, its images and its publication history. Agents operate under scoped, revocable access; each destination returns its own delivery status. A successful tool call is not presented as proof of a successful social publication.
| Hub plan | Profiles | Publications/month | Monthly / annual total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1 | 150 | $19 / $190 |
| Studio | 3 | 600 | $49 / $490 |
| Scale | 10 | 1500 | $99 / $990 |
Use the live plan calculator for your profile and publication counts. Prices exclude applicable taxes. Annual billing is paid upfront; publication and included AI allowances refresh monthly. Purchased credit packs are optional. Hub does not claim to be the lowest-priced option for every agency or to replace every competitor’s reporting features.
Try the decision on one real workflow
- Connect one eligible account in one profile.
- Prepare one real caption and media set; validate the network requirements.
- Check how approval, scheduling and a failed destination are handled.
- Then compare the full price for all brands, including any reporting, collaboration or AI extras.
Connect your agent · Keep brands separate · Create a carousel