Log in
Blog 11 Buffer Alternatives of 2024: Tried, Tested & Reviewed

11 Buffer Alternatives of 2024: Tried, Tested & Reviewed

Buffer is a solid social media management platform that caters to diverse needs. Well-known for its entry-level affordability and long time presence on the market, it helps users to manage multiple social media accounts efficiently, but it also has its shortcomings compared to the multitude of Buffer alternatives available.

This article will go through the top alternatives to Buffer in 2024 — I went through all of them, so you don’t have to. I’ll show you what each tool is best suited for, its disadvantages, and stack it up against Buffer to see which is the better fit for you.

Why you should consider a Buffer alternative

Buffer calendar | Buffer collaboration | Buffer approval | Buffer takeaway

Buffer homepage displaying a CTA with text "Grow your audience on social and beyond" and visual analytics of social media posts.

Buffer is an all-in-one social media management solution for small and medium-sized businesses. The platform handles social media scheduling, analytics, and engagement tools through an easy-to-grasp interface.

Buffer supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business), Mastodon, and Shopify.

Aside from its social media management features, you can also use Buffer to quickly set up landing pages and ease the content creation process via its AI-powered assistant — ideal for creating basic sales funnels and enhancing your marketing strategy.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive a little deeper into Buffer’s social media scheduling tool and collaboration features — the cornerstones to managing your social accounts.

Calendar

You’ll find Buffer’s content calendar in the Publishing dashboard. This functionality allows you to view your posting schedule and plan social posts across various platforms within a couple of clicks.

Content calendar in Buffer showing multiple posts with image and title, in a simple monthly table.

Buffer’s content calendar

Most notably, Buffer allows you to create posts directly within the calendar, sparing you from going back and forth between multiple tabs. You can also upload media files through the platform’s integrations with Canva, Dropbox, Google Drive, Unsplash, Giphy, and more.

The calendar view allows you to sift through planned posts via the following filters: Drafts, scheduled posts, sent posts, pending approval, and all posts. You can view planned content weekly or monthly and rearrange posts by dragging and dropping them across the calendar.

Buffer calendar takeaway: The interface is intuitive, but I find it rather bleak — a splash of color would make the platform significantly more pleasant to look at. The calendar also lacks the ability to leave notes.

Collaboration

Buffer’s team collaboration tools are highly straightforward. You can invite team members to your workspace via email and assign them specific social media channels. You can also set various permission levels (full posting access, approval required, and administrator access).

Note: You can only add team members with Buffer’s Team and Agency plans, starting at $10/channel/month (paid annually).

There’s also the Ideas functionality, where social media teams can quickly leave notes, create, collaborate, and save concepts for upcoming posts.

Buffer collaboration takeaway: The platform’s collaboration tools don’t go much further than that — you can’t mention team members, leave comments, or add internal notes.

Approvals

Approvals in Buffer are also a walk in the park. You can select which members can approve posts and which ones need to request approvals before publishing. Users with administrator or full posting access can view to-be-approved posts under the Awaiting approvals tab.

From there, users can either delete, edit, approve, or send the content back to the original creator. Again, this functionality is only available in the Team and Agency plans.

Overall, I noticed that Buffer’s collaboration and approval tools are relatively shallow. For instance, if you handle approvals and wish to send a post back to the original creator for further editing, you can’t leave feedback. It also lacks the option to invite clients to your workspace.

Buffer approvals takeaway: You’ll need to rely on external tools to communicate effectively, which can leave you prone to communication errors and lost information.

Final Buffer takeaway

When it comes to limitations, some users report occasional performance issues and crashes. Others say that the platform has limited analytics capabilities. Its social media analytics tool can only generate reports for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Shopify.

A major drawback is also the platform’s pricing structure. Most pricing plans (except the Free and Agency packages) include a single social media channel — you’ll have to pay extra if you want to manage multiple social media accounts. The free plan supports up to three channels, while paid packages start at $5/month/1 channel/1 user (when paid annually). All paid plans offer a 14-day free trial.

Here’s why social media managers should consider a Buffer alternative in 2024

  • Buffer’s per-social channel pricing structure can make the platform pricey for those who manage multiple social accounts. The platform’s Free and Essentials plans are only available to individual users.
  • Although Buffer offers a broad feature set, most functionalities are rather limited (lacks calendar notes, comments in context, ideal posting time suggestions only available for Instagram, etc.).
  • The platform requires external tools for effective communication.

Buffer alternative #1: Planable. The best Buffer alternative for collaboration & approval.

Planable is a content collaboration and social media management tool for agencies that allows you to effectively collaborate and create any type of written content you want — be it social media posts, content briefs, emails, newsletters, or blogs.

The platform does this through its extensive team collaboration options. You can leave comments next to each draft, mention team members, add internal notes, assign custom users roles and permissions, and much more.

Team collaboration happening right next to social media post in Planable

 

Planable shines through its in-depth approval workflows. You can choose between multiple approval options: none, optional, required, and multi-level.

As for social media management, the platform includes a highly visual social media calendar where you can leave notes and approve content directly. The calendar also allows you to organize content through a drag-and-drop interface and color-coded labels.

Planable also comes with an Analytics add-on, which allows you to easily follow content performance and generate reports for your clients and stakeholders. Other notable features include version control, various views (feed, calendar, grid), media libraries, and more.

Drawbacks: Planable doesn’t include social listening or monitoring.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business Profile.

Pricing: You can schedule up to 50 posts for free. Paid plans start at $33/workspace. Pricing depends on the number of desired workspaces.

Planable vs Buffer

Calendar

Both tools have rather similar UIs in terms of ease of use. They offer a drag-and-drop interface and give you quick access to all necessary calendar features, like filtering options and the ability to view planned content weekly or monthly.

Drag-and-dropping posts to be scheduled in Planable’s social media calendar

 

However, I found that Planable brings more quality-of-life improvements. For one, its social media calendar is more aesthetic — it’s colorful and generally has more going on to it without making it feel cluttered. You’ll find all your social accounts above the calendar. Clicking the icons corresponding to your social media accounts will either hide or reveal the content specific to each channel.

Then there are the features. Unlike Buffer, Planable’s content calendar allows you to leave notes and organize posts via color-coded labels. These labels are excellent for categorizing posts by topic or team. You also have more filtering options, like approval status, post type, feedback (comments, internal notes, resolved comments), and more.

See an interactive comparison of Planable vs Buffer’s calendar by sliding the divider across

Collaboration

Since Planable is a content collaboration solution, the platform outdoes Buffer in this department. You can easily mention team members, leave comments next to each upcoming post, and collaborate on content in real time.

Instagram post in Planable with comments and a text annotation with options to add as internal note and notify several memebers of the team or client.

The platform also allows you to leave internal notes (comments which cannot be seen by your clients) — ideal for discussing posts behind the scenes. Speaking of clients, you can invite them to your workspace. From there, they can leave feedback, approve content, and more.

Approvals

Approvals are one of Planable’s strong suits. You can streamline approval processes by selecting which type of approval workflow suits you the best. No approvals are excellent if you’re a one-man army — it spares you the trouble of clicking a few extra buttons before publishing content.

Planable approval options and specific team members who can be selected to approve content.

Meanwhile, you can use multi-level approvals to ensure that you deliver highly polished content to your clients. For instance, a post first needs to get approved by the team leader, then by the marketing manager, while your client does the final sign-off.

You can approve content directly within the calendar. If you’re not happy with a post, simply leave feedback via comments and notify the original creator — Buffer lacks this functionality.

Multiple layer approval process for a social media post in Planable

 

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Planable
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Free to test
✅ Unlimited features available for first 50 posts
✅ Always free plan, 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, limited features included
For agencies

$49/month for:

  • 10 social media pages
  • approval workflow on 3 different levels
  • 50GB media library
  • tagging team members in comments for each post
  • 10 labels/ tags for posts
  • no social inbox & monitoring

$100/month for:

  • 10 channels
  • approval workflow tools
  • build a simple landing page
  • 250 tags
  • Downloadable branded reports with cover page
For small businesses

$33/month per workspace for:

  • unlimited users
  • 4 social media pages
  • calendar & feed view
  • approval workflow on 2 different levels
  • 10GB content library
  • 5 labels/tags for posts
  • analytics add–on available

$5/month per channel for:

  • one user
  • hashtag manager
  • no approval workflow
  • 250 tags
  • analytics included
Verdict
Flexible pricing based on the number of users and workspaces, which easily allows both agencies and brands to add/remove users and not overpay for something they don’t use.
Cheaper plans offer good value for creators and small teams that only need 1-2 channels, but pricing scales rapidly, and an approval workflow is only available on the more expensive plans.
Planable
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Planable
Free to test
✅ Unlimited features available for first 50 posts
Buffer
Free to test
✅ Always free plan, 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, limited features included
Planable
For agencies

$49/month for:

  • 10 social media pages
  • approval workflow on 3 different levels
  • 50GB media library
  • tagging team members in comments for each post
  • 10 labels/ tags for posts
  • no social inbox & monitoring
Buffer
For agencies
(3 users & 10 social media accounts)

$100/month for:

  • 10 channels
  • approval workflow tools
  • build a simple landing page
  • 250 tags
  • Downloadable branded reports with cover page
Planable
For small businesses

$33/month per workspace for:

  • unlimited users
  • 4 social media pages
  • calendar & feed view
  • approval workflow on 2 different levels
  • 10GB content library
  • 5 labels/tags for posts
  • analytics add–on available
Buffer
For small businesses

$5/month per channel for:

  • one user
  • hashtag manager
  • no approval workflow
  • 250 tags
  • analytics included
Planable
Verdict
Flexible pricing based on the number of users and workspaces, which easily allows both agencies and brands to add/remove users and not overpay for something they don’t use.
Buffer
Verdict
Cheaper plans offer good value for creators and small teams that only need 1-2 channels, but pricing scales rapidly, and an approval workflow is only available on the more expensive plans.

Planable vs. Buffer final takeaway: the best Buffer Alternative

Planable is the best Buffer alternative for content collaboration and approval. The platform offers extensive approval options, while the ability to leave feedback, store files in the media library, and collaborate on posts in real time can do wonders for your content creation process.

In other words, it fills in most of Buffer’s gaps. You can schedule up to 50 posts for free, so it’s definitely worth a shot!

Buffer alternative #2: Hootsuite. The alternative for large companies.

Hootsuite homepage showing a stylised social media post with recommended posting times, number of reactions, and buttons to generate copy or download.

Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media marketing platform designed to help businesses take their social media game to the next level. Some of its key features include bulk scheduling, content curation, campaign management, advanced analytics, social listening, and social media advertising.

Hootsuite is best suited for large businesses due to its advanced team management capabilities. You can set up an Organization (a group of teams), which gives you easy access to each specific team. From there, you can assign tasks and route messages to a specific team or team member. The platform also covers employee productivity reports and advocacy tools.

Drawbacks: The platform is pricey. Users report a clunky UI and a steep learning curve for newcomers.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.

Pricing: Pricing starts at $99/user/month (annually, one user and 10 social accounts included) with a 30-day free trial available. If Hootsuite didn’t quite fit the bill, consider going thorough this list of Hootsuite alternatives for a better match.

Hootsuite vs Buffer

  • Features: Hootsuite is significantly more in-depth. The platform includes social media advertising, bulk scheduling, team productivity reports, content suggestions, social listening tools, and much more — something which Buffer lacks.
  • Analytics: Hootsuite offers more advanced analytics capabilities. Unlike Buffer, Hootsuite covers TikTok analytics, competitive benchmarking (automatically analyzes your competitors’ performance and compares it to your content strategy), and social ROI analysis.
  • Ease of use: Due to its simplicity, Buffer is significantly easier to use. Hootsuite is complex and has a steep learning curve.
  • Pricing: With prices starting at $99/month (annually), Hootsuite is considerably more expensive. Buffer offers a free plan, while paid packages start at $5/channel/month (annually).

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Hootsuite
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 10 social media accounts

$99/month

  • 1 user
  • unlimited scheduled posts
  • recommended publishing time
  • competitive benchmarketing tool
  • social inbox

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Hootsuite
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Hootsuite
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Hootsuite
For 10 social media accounts

$99/month

  • 1 user
  • unlimited scheduled posts
  • recommended publishing time
  • competitive benchmarketing tool
  • social inbox
Buffer
For 10 social media accounts

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Hootsuite is a good alternative to Buffer for large organizations. Its team management, employee advocacy tools, and in-depth reports, along with its content curation, social listening, and social advertising tools, are perfect for managing a company’s social media presence at scale.

Buffer alternative #3: Sprout Social. An alternative for social customer relationship management.

Sprout Social homescreen showing a screenshot with reports such as sentiment summary and sentiment trends.

Sprout Social is another in-depth all-in-one social media management software solution. The platform covers content scheduling, social media engagement, advertising tools, and more.

One of Sprout Social’s key features is its built-in social media Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution — you can easily monitor previous conversations, as well as store and access all the customer information necessary to address support issues and turn leads into loyal customers.

You can leave notes next to each customer profile, like the best time to contact a specific customer or additional contact info. Your team can also communicate with leads directly within the dashboard.

Drawbacks: Users report a steep learning curve and occasional bugs (scheduled content failing to post, linked profiles disconnecting, etc.). Sprout Social also comes at a steep price tag.

Supported platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube.

Pricing: Pricing starts at $249/month (1 user). Each additional user costs $199, $299, or $349/month based on your selected plan. There’s a 30-day free trial available.

Sprout Social vs Buffer

  • Features: Sprout Social is more comprehensive — it includes a social CRM, paid advertising, and review management tools.
  • Analytics: Sprout Social covers TikTok analytics, unlike Buffer. Additionally, Sprout Social’s reports reveal slightly more information (competitor performance, team, and task reports). However, Sprout Social puts additional reporting capabilities behind a paywall.
  • Ease of use: Sprout Social is more complex, and users mention a steep learning curve.
  • Pricing: Buffer is significantly more affordable.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Sprout Social
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 5 social media accounts

$199/month

  • 10 brand keywords to monitor
  • up to 200,000 followers
  • paid promotion for Facebook & Instagram
  • social inbox

$25/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Sprout Social
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Sprout Social
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Sprout Social
For 5 social media accounts

$199/month

  • 10 brand keywords to monitor
  • up to 200,000 followers
  • paid promotion for Facebook & Instagram
  • social inbox
Buffer
For 5 social media accounts

$25/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Sprout Social is among the best Buffer alternatives for marketing agencies seeking to improve customer relationships. Its powerful social CRM and inbox management capabilities ensure that social media marketers maintain maximum engagement with prospects at all times.

Buffer alternative #4: Sendible. An alternative for managing multiple social media accounts.

Sendible homescreen showing a screenshot of a new message composer window with send to options, twitter mentions monitor and reports for number of post impressions and engagement.

Sendible and Buffer are rather similar. Both are straightforward social media management tools catering to small businesses. However, Sendible is the better choice for social media marketers seeking to manage multiple accounts.

Sendible’s Traction plan costs $76/month (annually) and includes up to 24 social profiles. In contrast, Buffer’s top-tier plan costs $100/month (annually) and allows for up to 10 profiles. That said, Sendible offers better value for money in this regard. Other notable features include social media monitoring, client and team collaboration, custom approval workflows, and more.

Drawbacks: Sendible does not support Pinterest. There’s no 24/7 support available in any of its pricing plans.

Supported platforms: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google My Business, YouTube, WordPress.

Pricing: Plans start at $25/month (annually, for one user and 6 social profiles). There’s also a 14-day free trial available.

Sendible vs Buffer

  • Features: Sendible includes slightly more collaboration tools (client dashboards and the ability to leave comments under tasks). However, unlike Sendible, Buffer also features an AI-powered assistant (currently in Beta).
  • Analytics: Buffer is more comprehensive in analytics and reports. The platform leverages Machine Learning (for Instagram only) for suggestions like best time to post or ideal posting frequency. Custom reports are also available in Buffer’s entry-level paid plan. This option is only available in Sendible’s top-tier package.
  • Ease of use: Both platforms are highly easy to use, but Buffer scores slightly higher on G2 in this department.
  • Pricing: Buffer is more affordable, but considering its per-social channel pricing structure, Sendible brings better value for money. For instance, Buffer’s Essential plan costs $30/month (annually, for one user and six channels). In contrast, Sendible’s Creator plan costs $25/month (annually, for one user and six channels).

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Sendible
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business Profile, WordPress
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 6 social media accounts

$25/month for:

  • 1 user
  • unlimited scheduling
  • Comment monitoring for Facebook pages, Instagram business profiles, and LinkedIn company pages
  • priority inbox
  • RSS/blog feeds

$30/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Sendible
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business Profile, WordPress
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Sendible
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Sendible
For 6 social media accounts

$25/month for:

  • 1 user
  • unlimited scheduling
  • Comment monitoring for Facebook pages, Instagram business profiles, and LinkedIn company pages
  • priority inbox
  • RSS/blog feeds
Buffer
For 6 social media accounts

$30/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Sendible is a good Buffer alternative for small businesses seeking to boost their social media presence across multiple social networks.

Buffer alternative #5: Agorapulse. An alternative for social inbox management.

Agorapulse homescreen showing the motto "Take control of your social media".

Agorapulse is a social media management tool that handles social media monitoring, scheduling, reporting, and more. The platform allows you to easily schedule the same post across multiple social media platforms and optimize it for each channel before publishing.

One of Agorapulse’s key features is its inbox management system. The platform’s Inbox Assistant will automatically organize and label incoming messages based on specified criteria and assign these messages to the appropriate team member. Other notable features include team performance reports, approval workflows, and calendar notes.

Drawbacks: Lacks Pinterest support. Some essential features (like collaboration and bulk publishing) are reserved for upper-tier plans.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Google My Profile.

Pricing: There’s a free plan available to one user. Paid plans start at $49/user/month (annually).

Agorapulse vs Buffer

  • Features: Agorapulse’s features are more extensive — it covers bulk scheduling and approvals, Google My Business review management, spam management, and more.
  • Analytics: Both platforms deliver in-depth information on the performance of your social media strategy (engagement, impressions, boosted post performance). However, Agorapulse also includes team performance reports. In contrast, Buffer provides Shopify analytics, unlike Agorapulse.
  • Ease of use: Both platforms are easy to use. They have a roughly similar rating in this department, with Buffer winning by a small margin.
  • Pricing: Buffer is significantly more affordable.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Agorapulse
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 10 social media accounts

$49/month for:

  • 1 user
  • unlimited posts
  • content library for 10 images / 2 videos
  • manage Google reviews
  • social inbox

$50/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Agorapulse
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Agorapulse
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Agorapulse
For 10 social media accounts

$49/month for:

  • 1 user
  • unlimited posts
  • content library for 10 images / 2 videos
  • manage Google reviews
  • social inbox
Buffer
For 10 social media accounts

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Agorapulse is among the best Buffer alternatives in terms of inbox management. The platform’s automated Inbox Assistant, large variety of available inbox filters, and labels, allow social media marketing teams to easily organize messages and promptly respond to inquiries.

Buffer alternative #6: CoSchedule. An alternative for content planning and marketing.

CoSchedule homepage showing a weekly planner checklists and assets such as website, email, blog post, and printed collateral.

CoSchedule is a straightforward marketing tool that allows you to easily plan and publish content across the most popular social media platforms through its intuitive calendar.

The platform also includes numerous work management capabilities — you can assign tasks to team members, define task priorities, set up recurring tasks, and more. Other notable features include an email subject line tester, a headline generator, color-coded calendar labels, and an AI-powered writing assistant.

Drawbacks: The free version only supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest.

Pricing: There’s a free version available to one user and two social profiles. Paid plans start at $29/user/month (annually, for up to ten users and ten profiles).

CoSchedule vs Buffer

  • Features: Buffer is better for managing social media management processes — it supports more social media platforms and includes engagement tools (like AI-powered comment detection), as well other social media-specific tools. CoSchedule’s email subject line tester, headline generator, and writing assistant make it more suitable for blogs and email marketing.
  • Analytics: CoSchedule covers limited analytics compared to Buffer (it lacks hashtag and audience demographics reports, for example). However, CoSchedule does include team performance reports.
  • Ease of use: Both platforms are praised for their ease of use.
  • Pricing: Buffer’s paid plans are more affordable.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

CoSchedule
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube (Shorts only), Google Business Profile, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 5 social media accounts

$19/month for:

  • 1 user (up to 3 users at $19/user each)
  • unlimited social media publishing
  • bulk scheduling
  • best time to publish suggestions
  • AI image generation

$25/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • save draft posts
Both include
  • calendar view
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
CoSchedule
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube (Shorts only), Google Business Profile, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
CoSchedule
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
CoSchedule
For 5 social media accounts

$19/month for:

  • 1 user (up to 3 users at $19/user each)
  • unlimited social media publishing
  • bulk scheduling
  • best time to publish suggestions
  • AI image generation
Buffer
For 5 social media accounts

$25/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • save draft posts
Both include
  • calendar view
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: CoSchedule is one of the best Buffer alternatives for those who focus on a broader content marketing strategy that goes beyond social media posts. For instance, the platform is also suitable for planning and creating blogs, then promoting them across multiple channels, like social media and emails.

Buffer alternative #7: Zoho Social. An alternative for analytics.

Zoho Social homepage showing the motto "The easiest way to manage your brands on social media".

Zoho Social is a social media management solution catered towards solopreneurs and small businesses. The platform allows you to collaborate on and schedule posts, monitor and respond to comments from multiple platforms, and gather in-depth analytics — Zoho’s main strength.

Zoho allows marketers to track social media performance across multiple platforms. It reveals information specific to each channel, like review trends for Google Business Profile listings or your LinkedIn followers’ job titles, seniority levels, or industries.

Drawbacks: Limited post customization options across social channels (no option to tweak image/video size).

Supported platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, Google Business Profile.

Pricing: There’s a free version available for one user and 7 social channels. Paid plans start at $10/month (annually).

Zoho Social vs Buffer

  • Features: Zoho includes more collaboration tools (built-in messaging and discussion threads). It also offers bulk scheduling. However, Buffer gives you more options for customizing posts across different social channels.
  • Analytics: Unlike Buffer, Zoho also generates reports for YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.
  • Ease of use: Both tools share similar scores in terms of ease of use.
  • Pricing: Zoho’s paid plans are more expensive. However, the paid entry-level package includes up to nine channels.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Zoho Social
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Mastodon, (YouTube only available on Premium plan)
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 10 social media accounts

$10.80/month* for:

    • 1 user
    • 1 brand
    • bulk scheduling
    • video optimization
    • 15 day channel summary report
    • no post analytics on Standard plan
    • no collaboration features on Standard plan

*price converted from 10 EUR

$50/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • channel & post analytics
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Zoho Social
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Mastodon, (YouTube only available on Premium plan)
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Zoho Social
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Zoho Social
For 10 social media accounts

$10.80/month* for:

    • 1 user
    • 1 brand
    • bulk scheduling
    • video optimization
    • 15 day channel summary report
    • no post analytics on Standard plan
    • no collaboration features on Standard plan

*price converted from 10 EUR

Buffer
For 10 social media accounts

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • channel & post analytics
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Given its versatile reports and in-depth platform-specific analytics, Zoho is among the top alternatives to Buffer for small agencies seeking to keep a close eye on their social media campaigns.

Buffer alternative #8: Loomly. An alternative social media content creation.

Loomly homescreen showing the motto "Save time. Improve quality. Collaborate effectively".

Loomly is a social media management tool that allows small and mid-sized agencies to boost their social media efforts through the platform’s audience targeting tools (available for Facebook and LinkedIn), approval workflows, automated publishing, and more.

Loomly is among the top Buffer alternatives for content creation and social media scheduling. For one, the software’s entry-level plan, which costs $26/month (annually), allows for up to 10 social channels. Loomly also includes a media library, post mockups, and automatic post optimization tips — something which Buffer lacks.

Drawbacks: Users report that creating and scheduling social media posts can be slightly cumbersome — you can’t drag and drop photos or videos into a post. Post creation is divided into a step-by-step process.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok.

Pricing: Loomly starts at $26/month (annually, for two users). There’s a 15-day free trial available.

Loomly vs Buffer

  • Features: Loomly includes more collaboration and post creation functionalities (comments, mockups, content libraries). However, Buffer includes AI-powered comment detection and integrates with Canva.
  • Analytics: Unlike Buffer, Loomly lacks custom reports. Buffer also covers demographics reports. However, Loomly does allow you to automatically schedule reports — not possible with Buffer.
  • Ease of use: Both share a roughly similar score on G2, with Loomly winning by a small margin.
  • Pricing: Loomly is more expensive and doesn’t offer a free version. However, considering that the entry-level plan is available for up to two users and ten social profiles, Loomly may bring better value for money.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Loomly
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Snapchat, Threads
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 10 social media accounts

$32/month for:

  • 2 users
  • unlimited scheduling
  • reply to interactions on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn
  • unlimited media storage
  • approval workflows

$50/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • custom reports
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • post analytics
Loomly
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Snapchat, Threads
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Loomly
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Loomly
For 10 social media accounts

$32/month for:

  • 2 users
  • unlimited scheduling
  • reply to interactions on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn
  • unlimited media storage
  • approval workflows
Buffer
For 10 social media accounts

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • custom reports
Both include
  • calendar view
  • save draft posts
  • post analytics

Takeaway: Due to its large selection of supported networks and post creation functionalities, Loomly is among the top Buffer alternatives for small and mid-sized businesses seeking to enhance brand awareness through content.

Buffer alternative #9: Later. An alternative for Instagram and TikTok.

Later homescreen showing a content calendar, posts and several social media accounts.

Later is an easy-to-use social media tool that handles planning, scheduling, content creation, and more.

Although this tool supports various major social media platforms, most of its functionalities focus on Instagram and TikTok — you can analyze Instagram Stories performance, get insights on TikTok demographics, and manage Linkin.bio pages across both platforms.

Drawbacks: Support for other networks outside TikTok and Instagram is rather limited — the social inbox is only available for Instagram and TikTok, for instance.

Supported platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest.

Pricing: Later starts at $33.33/month (annually, for three users and three social accounts per platform). There’s a 14-day free trial available.

Later vs Buffer

  • Features: Later allows you to search and share user-generated content, unlike Buffer. Later offers ideal posting time suggestions for TikTok and Instagram — Buffer only offers this functionality for Instagram. Buffer offers AI-powered tools for all channels, while Later’s AI caption writer is only available for Instagram.
  • Analytics: Buffer includes customizable reports as well as LinkedIn reports and boosted post analytics (for Facebook and Instagram), unlike Later. Later makes up for it with TikTok analytics.
  • Ease of use: Both platforms share the same score in terms of setup and ease of use.
  • Pricing: Buffer is more affordable and includes a free version, unlike Later.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Later
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 7 social media accounts

$16.67/month for:

  • 1 user
  • 1 social profile for each of the 7 supported platforms
  • 30 posts per social profile
  • 5 AI credits
  • Limited analytics (3 months of data)
  • 5 tags

$35/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • save draft posts
  • channel & post analytics
  • 250 tags
Both include
  • calendar view
  • link in bio landing page
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Later
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Later
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Later
For 7 social media accounts

$16.67/month for:

  • 1 user
  • 1 social profile for each of the 7 supported platforms
  • 30 posts per social profile
  • 5 AI credits
  • Limited analytics (3 months of data)
  • 5 tags
Buffer
For 7 social media accounts

$35/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • save draft posts
  • channel & post analytics
  • 250 tags
Both include
  • calendar view
  • link in bio landing page
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Later is one of the best Buffer alternatives for agencies focusing their social media marketing campaigns on TikTok and Instagram.

Buffer alternative #10: Sked Social. An alternative for user-generated content.

Sked Social homepage promoting social media management with flexible pricing, featuring dashboard previews and a 'Start free trial' button.

Sked Social is an Instagram-first social media management platform for teams and agencies with a focus on visual and user-generated content. It helps users plan, create, curate, publish, and analyze their social media posts.

I like that each plan allows unlimited team members, but the limited number of social accounts you get feels restrictive. If you need additional social profiles, each one costs extra. This can add up pretty quickly.

Drawbacks: Pricing tiers make Sked Social unsuitable for smaller teams on tighter budgets. Some users have historically reported technical issues with posts that include tags.

Supported platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile

Pricing: Sked Social starts at $59/month for the Essentials plan (when billed annually) and there’s a 7-day free trial available.

Sked Social vs Buffer

  • Features: Sked Social’s media library is a neat feature that combines with a Google Chrome plugin. You can use this to save images from around the web which then become available to use in your posts on the Sked platform. There’s also a hashtag search function to identify user-generated content. Buffer allows you to save content ideas with images and videos, but doesn’t have a media library for reusable assets.
  • Analytics: Both tools provide analytics for Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok – while Sked also covers Google Business Profile. Sked also offers more advanced features, such as competitor analysis and the ability to compare custom periods, but these are restricted to the Enterprise plan.
  • Ease of use: Both share a similar score on G2 for ease of us, but Buffer wins more clearly when it comes to ease of setup.
  • Pricing: Buffer is more affordable, even with pricing per social channel. Sked’s Essentials plan grants unlimited users but only includes 3 social accounts, extra social accounts come in at $10 each or you can opt for a higher pricing tier.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

Sked Social
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 3 social media accounts

$59/month* for:

  • unlimited users
  • add extra accounts for $10/month each
  • unlimited post scheduling
  • media library
  • repurpose UGC

$15/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • draft posts
  • link in bio landing page
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
Sked Social
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Sked Social
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
Sked Social
For 3 social media accounts

$59/month* for:

  • unlimited users
  • add extra accounts for $10/month each
  • unlimited post scheduling
  • media library
  • repurpose UGC
Buffer
For 3 social media accounts

$15/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
Both include
  • calendar view
  • draft posts
  • link in bio landing page
  • reporting
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: Marketing teams and agencies who prioritize Instagram as a channel, and work primarily on visual content, will most likely find Sked Social to be an upgrade on what Buffer has to offer. Smaller teams and solo creators will find the pricing too steep.

Buffer alternative #11: SocialPilot. An alternative for established agencies.

SocialPilot homepage highlighting scalable social media scheduling with trial offer, featuring a smiling woman and user message bubbles.

SocialPilot is a solid social media management platform with dedicated agency client management features. For example, the dashboard makes it easy to add new clients and manage existing clients. Custom roles and permissions can be set up for each stakeholder and you’re able to build separate internal and external approval workflows. However, these agency-centered features are only available on certain plans.

On the basic level, the Professional plan gets you social media publishing features, such as a calendar view, post scheduling, and an AI assistant. But you don’t get any collaboration features included and the analytics package is limited.

Drawbacks: SocialPilot’s collaboration tools, more advanced analytics, and agency-specific features are only available on more expensive plans.

Supported platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads

Pricing: SocialPilot starts at $25.50/month for the Professional plan (billed yearly) and there’s a 14-day free trial available for all pricing plans.

SocialPilot vs Buffer

  • Features: SocialPilot allows you to bulk schedule social media posts, which is something Buffer currently does not support. The platform’s social inbox (available on the Small Team plan and up) lets you respond to direct messages, comments, stories, and reviews – again, something Buffer doesn’t offer. But unlike Buffer, SocialPilot does not have a hashtag manager.
  • Analytics: Both platforms provide analytics for Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. Buffer lacks Google Business Profile reports, while SocialPilot lacks TikTok insights.
  • Ease of use: Both share a roughly similar score on G2, with SocialPilot winning by a small margin.
  • Pricing: Buffer is more affordable for those who only need a few channels covered. Once you’re managing more than five social accounts, SocialPilot starts to become better value for money.

Pricing

All pricing options are calculated based on the pricing of the annual subscription.

SocialPilot
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Per social media account
For 10 social media accounts

$25.50/month for:

  • 1 user
  • bulk scheduling
  • schedule 5 posts from RSS feeds
  • no collaboration features
  • limited analytics

$50/month ($5 per social media account) for:

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • hashtag manager
Both include
  • calendar view
  • draft posts
  • channel & post analytics
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans
SocialPilot
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads
Buffer
Platforms
Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon
SocialPilot
Pricing model
Predefined packages
Buffer
Pricing model
Per social media account
SocialPilot
For 10 social media accounts

$25.50/month for:

  • 1 user
  • bulk scheduling
  • schedule 5 posts from RSS feeds
  • no collaboration features
  • limited analytics
Buffer
For 10 social media accounts

$50/month ($5 per social media account):

  • 1 user
  • 2,000 scheduled posts per social media account
  • scheduling posts on predefined time slots
  • hashtag manager
Both include
  • calendar view
  • draft posts
  • channel & post analytics
  • approval workflows restricted to more expensive plans

Takeaway: SocialPilot is a good alternative to Buffer for marketing teams and established social media agencies. The most valuable features are restricted to more expensive plans, which may make the platform less appealing to solo creators or smaller teams on a tight budget.

FAQs about Buffer

Which one is better Buffer or Hootsuite?

It depends. Buffer is a solid choice for freelancers and small business owners — it offers a free version, while paid plans are rather affordable and cover all the key features (campaign analysis, post scheduling, post optimization).

In contrast, Hootsuite’s functionalities are more advanced (includes paid social advertising, bulk scheduling) and cover in-depth team management capabilities — perfect for large organizations.

Is Buffer really free?

Yes. Buffer offers a free version available to one user and three social media profiles. However, the free plan is rather limited in features. Planable’s free version gives you access to all of the platform’s features (except Twitter publishing) and allows you to schedule up to 50 total posts.

Is Buffer a good platform?

Yes, it’s a solid entry-level platform. Its main issue is that although it offers many functionalities, they are relatively shallow. For instance, you can invite team members to your workspace, but the platform lacks the option to leave comments next to each draft. For that, consider other Buffer alternatives like Planable.

Horea Matei

Digital marketing enthusiast, language nerd, and content writer. Horea loves writing about SaaS and anything that involves boosting online presence – from SEO to social media, web design, and more. His content is allergic to fluff and eats research for breakfast.

Try Planable for free

I want to know more, Schedule a demo

image