Buffer for Pinterest is a clean, cheap way to schedule pins you’ve already made: pick the board, add a title, description and link, choose a time. The free plan covers Pinterest plus two other channels. What Buffer doesn’t do is make the pins, research Pinterest keywords or post to board sections. If those are the gaps you feel, SiteToSocial is the alternative we’d pick. It creates keyword-researched pins from your website and posts them daily, from $10 per website a month.
How Buffer works for Pinterest
- Connect Pinterest in Buffer’s channels, after logging into the right Pinterest account.
- Create a post, select the Pinterest channel and upload an image or video.
- Choose the board and add the destination link, pin title and description. Buffer’s AI assistant can draft text.
- Schedule it for a date and time, or add it to your queue.
Buffer’s Pinterest limits
Buffer’s own help center lists a few things it can’t do on Pinterest:
- No posting to board sections or secret boards.
- No changing the image or video once a pin is scheduled; you can still edit date, title, board, description and link.
- No best-time-to-post analytics for Pinterest.
- No tagging other Pinterest profiles, and hashtags aren’t clickable on Pinterest.
And the big one, which isn’t a bug: Buffer is a scheduler. You design every pin, write every title and choose every keyword before Buffer touches it.
What Buffer costs
| Buffer plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, AI assistant |
| Essentials | $5 / channel / month (yearly) | Unlimited scheduled posts, AI assistant |
| Team | $10 / channel / month (yearly) | Unlimited team members |
Per-channel pricing is great when Pinterest is one of several networks. For Pinterest alone, the price is fine. The time is the cost: 10 to 20 minutes to make each pin by hand.
Best Buffer alternatives for Pinterest
Scored on the same five criteria as every tool on this site; Buffer itself scores 2.8, mostly because it leaves every pin and every keyword to you. Each take below answers one question: what do you gain over Buffer?
| Tool | Automates? | Price | Free option | Score | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SiteToSocial Automation | Full automation | $10 per website / month | 14-day free trial, no card; 10 free tools | 4.7 | Visit |
| 2. Tailwind Scheduler + creation | Partial automation | From $17.99 / month | Free start, no card | 3.9 | Visit |
| 3. Pinterest (built-in) Native | Auto-posts new items | Free | Free | 3.4 | Visit |
| 4. Publer Social scheduler | Auto-posts new items | From $4 per account / month | Free plan: 3 accounts, 10 scheduled posts each | 2.9 | Visit |
| 5. Canva Design + scheduling | Scheduling only | Pro $144 / year | Free plan (no scheduling) | 2.8 | Visit |
| 6. SocialPilot Social suite | Auto-posts new items | From $25.50 / month | 14-day trial, no card | 2.7 | Visit |
Best Buffer alternative for Pinterest
SiteToSocial
Hands-off pins from your website Automation
Price
$10 per website / month
$9 billed yearly. AI-image plans $29, $39 and $49.
Free option
14-day free trial, no card; 10 free tools
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Full automation Yes, end to end. SiteToSocial is a Pinterest automation tool that turns every page of your site into a keyword-researched, designed pin and posts it daily, with nothing to do per pin.
Reads your sitemap, picks a keyword for each page from Pinterest search data, writes the title, description and alt text, designs the pin from the page's own photos (or with AI on the higher plans), chooses the board and posts every day through Pinterest's API.
What works
- The whole job happens without you, every day
- Keyword research with Pinterest search data on every plan
- One flat price per website, up to 15 pins a day
- 12-day warm-up for new Pinterest accounts built in
- Writes in 54 languages
What doesn't
- Image pins only: no video or carousel pins
- No drag-and-drop editor for designing pins by hand
- One Pinterest account per website
- AI-image pins cost more ($29 to $49)
- Support by email only
Our take
It removes the part Buffer leaves to you. SiteToSocial reads your website, finds a phrase people search on Pinterest for each page, writes the title and description, designs the pin and posts it to the best board, up to 15 a day, old posts included. It’s Pinterest-only, so plenty of people keep Buffer for their other networks and hand Pinterest to SiteToSocial.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- Sitemap and link import
- Keyword research
- AI titles, descriptions, alt text
- 24 layouts, 47 palettes
- Smart boards
- Analytics
Works with
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Etsy
- Medium
- Any site with a sitemap
Support
How we checked: SiteToSocial's pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026. See the pricing page screenshot
Best Pinterest-first scheduler
Tailwind
The veteran Pinterest scheduler Scheduler + creation
Price
From $17.99 / month
Per Pinterest account, billed yearly ($29.99 monthly). SEO add-on +$11.99; bundle $29.98.
Free option
Free start, no card
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Partial automation Partly. Tailwind is a Pinterest scheduler that also drafts pins from your website each week with SmartPin, but you review and schedule much of what goes out.
Schedules pins at smart times, creates pins from your website each week with SmartPin and Tailwind Create, and sells keyword research and engagement as separate add-ons. 300 credits a month cover 300 scheduled pins.
What works
- Pinterest partner since 2012 with a long track record
- SmartSchedule picks posting times for your audience
- Design tools and a browser extension
- Keyword research add-on with rank tracking
What doesn't
- Keyword research costs extra
- Credits run out: 300 a month, then $10 per 100
- Priced per Pinterest account
- You still review and approve much of what goes out
Our take
SmartSchedule timing, keyword research and board sections, all built for Pinterest. More expensive than Buffer per account and credit-based. See Tailwind alternatives.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- SmartSchedule
- SmartPin
- Tailwind Create
- Ghostwriter AI
- Pinterest SEO add-on
- Browser extension
Works with
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Any website
Support
Email and help center
How we checked: Tailwind's pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026. See the pricing page screenshot
Free
Pinterest (built-in)
Free scheduler and RSS auto-publish Native
Price
Free
Needs a free business account.
Free option
Free
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Auto-posts new items Only for new posts. Pinterest's own tools auto-publish each new blog post from your RSS feed and schedule pins you make, but they never create or improve a pin.
Lets you schedule pins up to 30 days ahead from the pin builder, upload up to 200 pins by CSV, and auto-publish pins from your blog's RSS feed once your website is claimed.
What works
- Costs nothing
- Video and carousel pins
- RSS auto-publish from a claimed site
- Trends and Analytics in the same account
What doesn't
- You make every pin and write every word
- RSS pins reuse the post image and text as they are
- No keyword help inside the scheduler
- Schedules only 30 days ahead
Our take
Pinterest’s own scheduler is free, handles board sections (which Buffer can’t) and plans 30 days ahead.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- Pin scheduler
- RSS auto-publish
- Bulk CSV upload
- Pinterest Trends
- Analytics
Works with
- Any website with RSS
Support
Help center
How we checked: Pinterest (built-in)'s pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026.
Publer
Cheap multi-network scheduler with RSS Social scheduler
Price
From $4 per account / month
Professional, billed yearly ($5 monthly).
Free option
Free plan: 3 accounts, 10 scheduled posts each
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Auto-posts new items Only through RSS. Publer is a social media scheduler that can auto-post new feed items to Pinterest; every other pin is yours to design and write.
Schedules posts to Pinterest and a dozen other networks from one calendar, with unlimited RSS automations on paid plans. On the free plan, Pinterest accounts need 100 followers or a claimed website.
What works
- Very low price per account
- Unlimited RSS automations on paid plans
- Free plan for trying it
- Best-time suggestions on Business
What doesn't
- Pinterest is one network of many
- You design pins elsewhere
- No Pinterest keyword data
Our take
The closest like-for-like swap: a multi-network scheduler, cheaper per account than Buffer, with RSS automations on paid plans.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- Calendar
- RSS automations
- AI assist
- Analytics (Business)
Works with
- TikTok
- WordPress
Support
Chat and email
How we checked: Publer's pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026. See the pricing page screenshot
Canva
Design pins, then schedule them Design + scheduling
Price
Pro $144 / year
About $12 a month; scheduling is a Pro feature.
Free option
Free plan (no scheduling)
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Scheduling only No. Canva is a design tool that can schedule a finished pin to one board; every pin is designed, written and scheduled by you.
The design tool most pinners already use: thousands of Pinterest templates, brand kits and AI resizing, plus a Content Planner that schedules a finished design to one Pinterest board.
What works
- Best design tools and templates
- Brand kits keep pins consistent
- Scheduling included in Pro
- Free plan for design
What doesn't
- Every pin designed and written by you
- One platform per scheduled design
- No keyword research or automation
Our take
If you design pins in Canva anyway, Pro schedules them to a board directly, one less tool to pay for.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- Pinterest templates
- Brand kits
- AI tools
- Content Planner
Works with
Support
Help center; priority on Business
How we checked: Canva's pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026. See the pricing page screenshot
SocialPilot
Agency scheduler with bulk upload Social suite
Price
From $25.50 / month
Essentials, billed yearly ($30 monthly), 7 accounts.
Free option
14-day trial, no card
Does it actually automate Pinterest?
Auto-posts new items Only for feed items and uploads. SocialPilot is an agency social media scheduler that can post new RSS items and bulk-schedule CSVs on Premium, but it creates no pins.
Schedules pins to several boards at once, imports from RSS feeds and, on Premium, bulk-schedules up to 500 posts from a CSV. Built for agencies managing many clients.
What works
- Post to several boards at once
- RSS feeds on every plan
- Bulk CSV scheduling on Premium
- Client approvals and white-label reports
What doesn't
- Bulk scheduling only from $85 a month
- No Pinterest keyword data
- You design every pin
Our take
For agencies: posts to several boards at once, with approvals and client reports that Buffer’s plans don’t match.
Score breakdown, features and integrations
Main features
- Board selection
- RSS
- Bulk CSV
- Approvals
- Reports
Works with
- TikTok
- Canva
Support
Chat and email
How we checked: SocialPilot's pricing page, feature pages and help documentation, 22 October 2026. See the pricing page screenshot
Metricool is worth a look too if analytics across networks matter more to you than Pinterest features; its free plan is generous. Our best Pinterest scheduler guide compares ten schedulers in more depth.
Buffer or SiteToSocial?
| If you… | Use |
|---|---|
| post to five networks and make each pin by hand | Buffer |
| want Pinterest traffic without making pins | SiteToSocial |
| want both | Buffer for the other networks, SiteToSocial for Pinterest |
For the complete picture, see our ranking of the best Pinterest automation tools, where Buffer is the best simple scheduler and SiteToSocial the best tool overall.
Frequently asked questions
Does Buffer support Pinterest?
Yes. Buffer schedules pins to Pinterest: you upload the image or video, choose the board, add the title, description and link, and pick a time. Its free plan includes Pinterest.
Is Buffer free for Pinterest?
Buffer's free plan covers up to 3 channels, Pinterest included, with 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time. Essentials costs $5 per channel a month on yearly billing for unlimited scheduled posts.
Can Buffer post to Pinterest board sections?
No. According to Buffer's help center, it can't publish to board sections or secret boards, and you can't change a scheduled pin's image after scheduling.
Does Buffer create Pinterest pins?
No. Buffer has an AI assistant for writing text, but you design the pin image and choose the keywords yourself. Tools like SiteToSocial create the pins from your website.
What is the best Buffer alternative for Pinterest?
SiteToSocial, if you want the pins created as well as scheduled, from $10 per website a month. Tailwind if you want a Pinterest-first scheduler with keyword tools. Publer or Metricool if you need many networks on a free plan.
