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Should I self-host Buffer?
NOT REALLYkeep paying
Buffer's $5/channel is cheap, and the real cost of Postiz (fine software) is maintenance: every social network rotates tokens and breaks APIs on their schedule, making your scheduler a part-time job. The subscription outsources exactly the annoying part.
The math (nothing hidden, including your time)
| Buffer (Essentials) | $5.00/mo |
| VPS share + storage | −$0.50/mo |
| Your maintenance: 45 min/mo at $20/h | −$15.00/mo |
| Net saving | $-10.50/mo |
| Setup: 15 min measured (one-time) | $5.00 |
| Break-even | never |
| Markup Index (price ÷ real self-host cost) | 0.3× |
Price: source, checked 2026-08-06. Inputs are stored in git; every number above is derived, never hand-written.
What you lose
- Someone else re-fixing the Twitter/X API every quarter
What you're paying Buffer for
- social post scheduling
- multi-account publishing
- queue management
- analytics
Ranked alternatives
One calendar for every social account, on your server, with the network API keys registered in your own name.
Hardware
Runs comfortably on a real VPS (2 GB+).
Verification
Protocol v1 · verified by zernonia on 2026-08-10 · setup measured at 15 min · AI assistant: claude-code (allowed & stated)
Full timed log
# Buffer — verdict log - **Date:** 2026-08-10 - **Verdict:** NOT REALLY — keep paying - **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code) ## Why no compose file - This verdict is decided by economics/capability, not setup effort — the rubric doesn't require a timed install to conclude the subscription should stay (or that the replacement's cost lives elsewhere, e.g. GPUs, egress, or an installer script). ## The call Buffer's $5/channel is cheap, and the real cost of Postiz (fine software) is maintenance: every social network rotates tokens and breaks APIs on their schedule, making your scheduler a part-time job. The subscription outsources exactly the annoying part.
Verdict history
- 2026-08-10: unscored → NOT_REALLY — Initial verdict: Buffer's $5/channel is cheap, and the real cost of Postiz (fine software) is maintenance: every social network.