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Buffer vs Sprout Social
Short answer: Pick Buffer if you want all-in-one social media scheduler; pick Sprout Social if you want all-in-one social media management. Buffer has a free plan, paid from $5/month; Sprout Social starts at $99/month per user.
Which to pick
Pick Buffer if you want…
- All-in-one social media scheduler
- Basic post scheduling
- A free plan to start with
- Integrations with LinkedIn, Threads or Pinterest (on Buffer's list, not Sprout Social's)
Pick Sprout Social if you want…
- All-in-one social media management
- Integrations with Slack (on Sprout Social's list, not Buffer's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Buffer:Buffer is a social media management platform for scheduling, publishing, and analyzing posts across multiple channels.
- Sprout Social:Sprout Social is a social media management platform for publishing, engagement, analytics and influencer marketing.
- Best for
- Buffer:All-in-one social media scheduler
- Sprout Social:All-in-one social media management
- Who it’s for
- Buffer:Marketers, creators, and teams managing social media presence
- Sprout Social:Marketing teams and social media managers of small to enterprise brands.
- Pricing
- Buffer:Freemium
- Sprout Social:Paid
- Starting price
- Buffer:$5/month (Essentials)
- Sprout Social:$99/month per user (Essentials (monthly))
- Free plan or trial
- Buffer:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- Sprout Social:Free trial
- Plans
- Buffer:Free $0 · Essentials $5 per month · Team $10 per month
- Sprout Social:Standard $199 per seat/month annual · Professional $299 per seat/month annual · Advanced $399 per seat/month annual · Essentials $79 per seat/month annual · Essentials (monthly) $99 per seat/month monthly
- Works with
- Buffer:LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, YouTube, X, Google Business Profile, Instagram
- Sprout Social:Slack
Buffer features
- Publish. Schedule and publish posts to 12+ platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more.
- Create. Create, organize, and repurpose content with AI assistance and a browser extension.
- Community. Reply to comments across channels from a single dashboard.
- Insights. Basic analytics and in-depth reporting to track performance.
- Collaboration. Team members can edit, approve, and manage posts with access controls.
- Mobile app. Manage accounts and schedule posts on the go.
Sprout Social features
- Content planning & scheduling. Plan, schedule and publish posts across multiple social profiles from a unified calendar.
- AI-powered engagement. Leverage AI agents like Trellis to draft replies, suggest posts and handle customer messages at scale.
- Analytics & reporting. Access performance dashboards, sentiment analysis and custom reports to measure ROI.
- Influencer marketing tools. Find brand-safe creators, run end-to-end campaigns and track conversions with UTM and pixel support.
- Smart inbox & collaboration. Consolidated inbox with keyword monitoring, tagging and team workflow features.
- Integrations & API. Connect to leading platforms and use the Sprout API for custom integrations and helpdesk tools.
Buffer vs Sprout Social FAQ
What is the difference between Buffer and Sprout Social?+
Buffer: Simpler publishing tool with fewer collaboration and AI features than Sprout.
Should I use Buffer or Sprout Social?+
Pick Buffer if you want all-in-one social media scheduler, basic post scheduling or a free plan to start with. Pick Sprout Social if you want all-in-one social media management or integrations with Slack (on Sprout Social's list, not Buffer's).
Is Buffer or Sprout Social free?+
Buffer has a free plan; paid plans start at $5/month (Essentials). Sprout Social is paid, from $99/month per user (Essentials (monthly)), with a free trial.
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Sprout Social?+
Buffer starts at $5/month (Essentials) and Sprout Social starts at $99/month per user (Essentials (monthly)); the plans are billed differently, so compare what's included.
Do Buffer and Sprout Social integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Buffer lists LinkedIn, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky and 10 more; Sprout Social lists Slack.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.