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Software · head to head

Apple News vs Buffer

Apple News logo

Apple News

Software

All the news you want. From sources you trust.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buffer logo

Buffer

Software

Build your audience organically on social media

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apple News apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle; Buffer the free plan allows 3 connected channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel
  • They diverge on capability: Apple News covers Curated news feed, Buffer covers Post scheduling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple News and Buffer actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple News and Buffer differ
AttributeApple NewsBuffer
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsIos, MacosWeb, iOS, Android
Founded19762010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apple News

  • Curated news feed
  • Premium magazines
  • Audio stories
  • Personalization
  • Offline reading
  • iCloud
  • Apple One bundle
  • Siri

Only in Buffer

  • Post scheduling
  • Content calendar
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Link shortening
  • Hashtag manager
  • First comment
  • Instagram Stories
  • Shop Grid

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple News

  • Daily news readingnot Buffer
  • Magazine subscriptionnot Buffer
  • News discoverynot Buffer
  • Staying informednot Buffer

Buffer

  • Social media schedulingnot Apple News
  • Content planningnot Apple News
  • Performance analyticsnot Apple News
  • Team collaborationnot Apple News
  • Client managementnot Apple News

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple News

  • Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle

Buffer

  • The free plan allows 3 connected channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel
  • Essentials at $5 a month covers a single user; team members need the Team plan at $10 a month
  • Approval workflows and custom permissions are Team tier only
  • API access is rationed by plan, from 3,000 monthly requests on free to 15,000 on Team
  • Content ideas are capped at 100 on the free plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple News

Free
  • Apple NewsFree
    • Free news articles
    • Personalized feed
    • Topic following
  • Apple News+$12.99/month
    • Premium magazines
    • Major newspapers
    • Audio stories

Buffer

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 connected accounts
    • 10 scheduled posts per channel per month
    • 100 content ideas
  • Essentials$5/month
    • Unlimited scheduled posts
    • Per-channel pricing
    • Advanced analytics
  • Team$10/month
    • Unlimited team members
    • Unlimited scheduled posts
    • Content approval workflows

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple News if

  • You need curated news feed.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Macos.
  • You also want premium magazines.
Apple News review

Choose Buffer if

  • You need post scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want content calendar.
Buffer review

Questions people ask

Is Apple News or Buffer better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple News starts at Free and Buffer at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple News or Buffer?
Apple News starts at Free and Buffer at Free.
Does Apple News or Buffer run on more platforms?
Apple News runs on Ios, Macos. Buffer runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Apple News for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Apple News best used for?
Apple News is most often used for daily news reading, magazine subscription, news discovery, staying informed. Of those, daily news reading and magazine subscription are not what Buffer is typically brought in for.
What can Apple News do that Buffer cannot?
Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. Buffer covers Post scheduling, Content calendar, Analytics dashboard, Link shortening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buffer: Does Buffer's free plan include all social media platforms?

The free plan supports 3 connected accounts across any of Buffer's 11 supported platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Bluesky, Mastodon) with up to 10 scheduled posts per channel per month.

Source
Buffer: Can I schedule Instagram Stories with Buffer?

No. Instagram Stories cannot be auto-published. Buffer sends a mobile notification to manually post stories, as Instagram does not provide an API for automated Story scheduling.

Source
Buffer: What is Buffer's per-channel pricing model?

Buffer charges per social media account (channel) rather than per user. Channels 1-10 cost standard rates ($5 Essentials or $10 Team), with additional channels beyond 10 discounted per channel.

Source
Buffer: Does Buffer have a mobile app and what platforms does it support?

Yes, Buffer offers iOS and Android apps for mobile management. The iOS app supports Mastodon and YouTube comment features, while Android support for these features is in development. Android community access works on the six most recent major Android versions.

Source
Buffer: What discount does Buffer offer for annual billing?

Buffer offers a 20% discount for annual billing across all paid plans, plus an additional 50% discount on paid plans for nonprofit organizations.

Source
Buffer: Can Buffer integrate with content creation and storage tools?

Yes. Buffer integrates with 24 tools including Canva, Google Drive, Dropbox, Unsplash for media, Zapier and Make for automation, WordPress for publishing, and Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for AI-assisted content creation.

Source
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