Marketing · head to head
Buffer vs Sprout Social
Sprout Social
Influencer Marketing
Social media management with influencer insights
- From
- $249/month
- Rated
- -
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 is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the page directs visitors to schedule a demo to discuss pricing
- They diverge on capability: Buffer covers Post scheduling, Sprout Social covers Social publishing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Buffer and Sprout Social actually diverge.
| Attribute | Buffer | Sprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $249/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Ios, Android, Api |
| Category | Marketing | Influencer 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
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 is by quote only, with no rate, tier or minimum published; the page directs visitors to schedule a demo to discuss pricing
- Influencer marketing is sold separately from the main Sprout Social social media management plans
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
$249/month- Standard$249/month
- 5 social profiles
- Social inbox
- Publishing calendar
- Professional$399/month
- Competitive reports
- Optimal send times
- Response rate reports
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.
Choose Sprout Social if
- You need social publishing.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want social inbox.
Questions people ask
- Is Buffer or Sprout Social better?
- Neither clearly leads. Buffer starts at Free and Sprout Social at $249/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 $249/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 $249/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.
SourceBuffer: 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.
SourceBuffer: 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.
SourceBuffer: 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.
SourceBuffer: 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.
SourceBuffer: 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