Buffer alternatives: top competitors compared
Named alongside Buffer
HootsuiteBest forTeams and agencies that manage many social accounts, and larger organizations such as enterprise companies and franchises that need approvals, governance, and expert support.85% of Buffer answersSprout SocialBest forMarketing and customer care teams that manage many social profiles and high engagement; the Professional plan is aimed at teams handling a lot of profiles.82% of Buffer answersMetricoolBest forSocial media managers, agencies and teams that manage several brands or client accounts46% of Buffer answersHubSpotBest forStartups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM.43% of Buffer answers
Data from SlateIndex weekly runs
Buffer has a visibility score of 57.6 in Social Media Management, #1 of 51. AI answers that name Buffer most often also name these 4.
What AI answers fault Buffer for
free plan limited to 3 channels and 10 posts per channel, solo use only
Raised in 2 collected answers.
limited analytics and no deep enterprise features
Raised in 2 collected answers.
annual billing savings can be limited or absent
Raised in 1 collected answer.
Quick reference
| Alternative | Best for | Starting price | Visibility | Key differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hootsuite | Teams and agencies that manage many social accounts, and larger organizations such as enterprise companies and franchises that need approvals, governance, and expert support. | $99 per seat / mo | 57.5% | Claims the largest library of integrations of any social media management platform, with over 100 integrations. |
| Sprout Social | Marketing and customer care teams that manage many social profiles and high engagement; the Professional plan is aimed at teams handling a lot of profiles. | $79 per seat / mo | 53.5% | An AI-powered Social Intelligence Platform that combines publishing, engagement, analytics and listening, and moves social insight into wider business decisions. |
| Metricool | Social media managers, agencies and teams that manage several brands or client accounts | Free; paid from $20 / mo | 22% | Planning, analytics, reporting, inbox and ad management in one tool, with a free plan that has no time limit |
| HubSpot | Startups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM. | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo | 73.1% | All hubs share one Smart CRM database, with a free tier that never expires. |
Alternative 1
Hootsuite vs Buffer →Hootsuite
Hootsuite suits teams and agencies that manage many social accounts, and larger organizations such as enterprise companies and franchises that need approvals, governance, and expert support..
Quick facts
- $99 per seat / mo · per seat
- 14-day free trial
- 57.5% visibility score · #2 in Social Media Management
- 100+ native integrations
Key features
- Perch — Content planning and publishing across social networks from one calendar, with bulk scheduling and AI content creation.
- Nest — Messaging and customer care inbox for DMs and comments, formerly called Inbox.
- Lumen — Social listening and insights, including sentiment analysis and trend tracking.
- Parliament — Employee advocacy platform for sharing brand-approved content, formerly called Amplify.
Hootsuite vs Buffer
| Dimension | Hootsuite | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 57.5% | 57.6% |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat |
| Entry price | $99 per seat / mo | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Trial | 14-day free trial | Free plan available |
Pros
- Widely adopted, pioneering social media dashboard
- Comprehensive all-in-one platform with multi-channel scheduling
- Strong for large teams and multi-account management
- Enterprise scale, compliance, and large app ecosystem
- Free trial and annual billing discounts
Cons
- Can feel heavy or expensive for smaller budgets
Alternative 2
Sprout Social vs Buffer →Sprout Social
Sprout Social suits marketing and customer care teams that manage many social profiles and high engagement; the Professional plan is aimed at teams handling a lot of profiles..
Quick facts
- $79 per seat / mo · per seat
- 30-day free trial
- 53.5% visibility score · #3 in Social Media Management
Key features
- Sprout Social — Social media management suite for publishing, engagement, analytics and social listening across networks.
- Trellis — AI agent that answers questions about social data and drafts replies and report summaries.
- Employee Advocacy — Add-on that lets curated on-brand content be shared by employees on their own networks.
- Influencer Marketing — Add-on for discovering creators, running influencer campaigns and tracking conversions.
Sprout Social vs Buffer
| Dimension | Sprout Social | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 53.5% | 57.6% |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat |
| Entry price | $79 per seat / mo | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Trial | 30-day free trial | Free plan available |
Pros
- Strong cross-channel analytics and reporting
- Deep social listening
- Polished user experience and unified smart inbox
- Enterprise-grade social media management for large teams
- Well-regarded by users with a high G2 rating
Cons
- Costly for smaller teams and budgets
Alternative 3
Metricool vs Buffer →Metricool
Metricool suits social media managers, agencies and teams that manage several brands or client accounts.
Quick facts
- Free; paid from $20 / mo · flat tiers
- Free plan available
- 22% visibility score · #4 in Social Media Management
Key features
- Planner — Calendar and scheduler for posting across networks, with best-time suggestions, post approval and an AI social media assistant.
- Analytics — Dashboards for social channel performance, progress over time and competitor tracking.
- Reporting — Automated reports, AI analysis, campaign dashboards and a Data Studio connection.
- Inbox — One place for messages and comments from connected networks.
Metricool vs Buffer
| Dimension | Metricool | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 22% | 57.6% |
| Pricing model | Flat tiers | Per seat |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $20 / mo | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Free plan available | Free plan available |
Pros
- robust social media analytics and reporting
- deep data analytics and ad performance tracking
- good value and affordable pricing
- reliable free tier
- clear, transparent pricing
Cons
Alternative 4
HubSpot vs Buffer →HubSpot
HubSpot suits startups, small and mid-sized businesses and enterprises wanting marketing, sales and service on one CRM..
Quick facts
- Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo · per seat
- Free plan available
- 73.1% visibility score · #1 in Marketing Automation
- 2000+ native integrations
Key features
- Marketing Hub — Marketing automation software for lead generation, campaigns and analytics.
- Sales Hub — Sales software for prospecting, pipeline management, sequences and forecasting.
- Service Hub — Customer service software with help desk workspace, ticketing, knowledge base and customer success tools.
- Content Hub — Content marketing software for websites, landing pages, blogs and podcasts.
HubSpot vs Buffer
| Dimension | HubSpot | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 73.1% | 57.6% |
| Pricing model | Per seat | Per seat |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | Free plan available | Free plan available |
Pros
- intuitive, user-friendly interface
- generous free tier
- all-in-one CRM and marketing platform
- tight CRM integration for live chat and service
- good fit for startups and small businesses
Cons
- higher-tier costs and onboarding fees
- higher month-to-month pricing than annual plans
How to choose
Match the pricing model to your cost driver: headcount, usage or features.
| Platform | Pricing model | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | Per seat | Free; paid from $5 per seat / mo |
| Hootsuite | Per seat | $99 per seat / mo |
| Sprout Social | Per seat | $79 per seat / mo |
| Metricool | Flat tiers | Free; paid from $20 / mo |
| HubSpot | Per seat | Free; paid from $7 per seat / mo |
More alternatives
Ranked by how often AI answers name them alongside Buffer in the latest weekly run.