The price anchor
| PostDock | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $0 — no subscription | $6/channel/mo |
| Annual | $0 after purchase | $360 |
| 5-year total | $129 | $1,800 |
| 10-year total | $129 | $3,600 |
Subscription figures from the vendor's published pricing ($6/channel/mo, ~$360/yr); the PostDock column is the full price, paid once.
Break-even analysis
A five-channel Buffer setup pays for PostDock in about 4 months — even a single channel breaks even in under two years.
- After 1 year: PostDock has cost you $129 total — Buffer has cost $360.
- After 3 years: PostDock is still $129 — the subscription is at $1,080.
- After 5 years: PostDock is still $129 — the subscription is at $1,800.
What you get for $129 once
- 5 pluggable channels. X/Twitter, Facebook Page + Instagram Business, LinkedIn, Mastodon — all with your own API keys, every credential on your box.
- Webhook escape hatch. POSTs the content JSON to Zapier, Make, n8n or your own endpoint with optional HMAC-SHA256 signing — your route to every other network.
- Composer with live previews. Text + up to 4 images, per-network character counters (280/500/2200/3000) and preview cards per channel.
- Timezone-aware scheduling. Pick any IANA timezone; DST handled correctly. Post now or schedule.
- Queue calendar. Month calendar and list view of everything scheduled — edit or delete before it goes out.
- No renewal, ever. The license does not expire and there is no per-seat meter — $129 is the whole price.
Pricing questions
Is it really free on GitHub?
Yes — the full source is MIT at github.com/bensblueprints/social-scheduler-mvp. $129 buys the signed installer, 1-click setup and updates — pure convenience, zero lock-in.
Do I need my own API keys?
Yes — that's the point. Bring-your-own-keys means every credential stays on your box and nobody can throttle or re-price your channels. In-app guides walk you through each network: Mastodon and webhooks in 2 minutes, Meta in about 20.
Does Instagram work from a desktop?
Instagram publishing needs a public URL because Meta's API downloads your images from it — so IG requires the $5 VPS mode with PUBLIC_BASE_URL set. Every other channel works fine from a desktop behind NAT.
What about TikTok, Pinterest or Threads?
No native drivers yet — honestly. The webhook driver plus Zapier/Make/n8n covers them today, and drivers are pluggable (one file in server/channels/) if you build from source.
PostDock — $129, one time
Or get PostDock plus every other app in the suite: the OneTimeSuite bundle is currently $97, one time.