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Marketing · head to head

Buffer vs Sprout Social

Buffer logo

Buffer

Marketing

Build your audience organically on social media

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sprout Social logo

Sprout Social

Influencer Marketing

Social media management with influencer insights

From
$79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Buffer has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Buffer the free plan allows 3 connected channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel; Sprout Social pricing shown is per-seat/month for annual billing; monthly billing for Essentials plan is $99/month per seat, representing a 25% premium over annual rates.
  • They diverge on capability: Buffer covers Post scheduling, Sprout Social covers Social publishing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buffer and Sprout Social actually diverge.

Attributes where Buffer and Sprout Social differ
AttributeBufferSprout Social
Starting priceFree$79/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryMarketingInfluencer Marketing

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2010).

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 Buffer

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

Only in Sprout Social

  • Social publishing
  • Social inbox
  • Analytics
  • Social listening
  • Influencer identification
  • Competitor analysis
  • Report builder
  • Salesforce

Both cover

  • Content calendar
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Buffer

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

Sprout Social

  • Discovering and vetting creators with brand safety reporting and Brand Fit Scoresnot Buffer
  • Centralising creator outreach, contracting, approvals and paymentsnot Buffer
  • Measuring creator-driven revenue with first-party analytics and attributionnot Buffer
  • Building a creator pipeline through branded application pagesnot Buffer

Where each one falls short

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

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

Sprout Social

  • Pricing shown is per-seat/month for annual billing; monthly billing for Essentials plan is $99/month per seat, representing a 25% premium over annual rates.
  • Monthly billing rates for other plans not specified; only annual billing prices clearly listed.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Sprout Social

$79/month
  • Essentials$79/month
    • Up to 5 social profiles
    • 100 monthly AI agent credits per seat
    • Publishing, engagement, reporting, and mobile app
  • Standard$199/month
    • 5 social profiles
    • Consolidated inbox
    • Keyword monitoring
  • Professional$299/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Unlimited social profiles
    • Extensive competitor and paid insights
  • Advanced$399/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • AI reply assistance
    • Sentiment analysis in inbox and reviews

Which should you pick?

Choose Buffer if

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

Choose Sprout Social if

  • You need social publishing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want social inbox.
Sprout Social review

Questions people ask

Is Buffer or Sprout Social better?
Neither clearly leads. Buffer starts at Free and Sprout Social at $79/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buffer or Sprout Social?
Buffer has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Buffer and $79/month for Sprout Social.
Does Buffer or Sprout Social run on more platforms?
Buffer runs on Web, iOS, Android. Sprout Social runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Buffer for free?
Yes. Buffer has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sprout Social starts at $79/month.
What is Buffer best used for?
Buffer is most often used for social media scheduling, content planning, performance analytics, team collaboration. Of those, social media scheduling and content planning are not what Sprout Social is typically brought in for.
What can Buffer do that Sprout Social cannot?
Buffer covers Post scheduling, Analytics dashboard, Link shortening, Hashtag manager. Sprout Social covers Social publishing, Social inbox, Analytics, Social listening. Both handle Content calendar, GDPR.

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
Sprout Social: What is the least expensive Sprout Social plan?

The Essentials plan is the least expensive at $79 per seat per month with annual billing, or $99 per seat per month with monthly billing. This plan includes up to 5 social profiles, 100 monthly AI agent credits, publishing, engagement, reporting, and mobile app access.

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
Sprout Social: Does Sprout Social offer a free trial?

Yes, Sprout Social provides a 30-day free trial that does not require a credit card to start. This applies to all paid plans.

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
Sprout Social: What is the difference between Sprout Social Standard and Professional plans?

The Standard plan costs $199/month per seat and includes 5 social profiles, consolidated inbox, keyword monitoring, Trellis AI agent, and review management. The Professional plan costs $299/month per seat and adds everything in Standard plus unlimited social profiles, extensive competitor and paid insights, and AI-powered post enhancement.

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
Sprout Social: Does Sprout Social offer add-on solutions beyond the base plans?

Yes, Sprout Social offers Premium Analytics, Listening (social media monitoring), Employee Advocacy, Professional Services (consulting packages), and Influencer Marketing as separate add-on solutions. Influencer Marketing can be used independently without requiring a Sprout Social plan.

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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