9 Best Buffer Alternatives to Boost Your Social Media Strategy

Struggling with Buffer? Here’s the solution you need

Let’s face it—Buffer is a solid tool, but it’s not perfect. Maybe you’ve surpassed its limit, feel frustrated with its steep pricing, or wish it had better analytics and team collaboration tools. Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Many social media managers, small businesses, and agencies are on the hunt for Buffer alternatives—tools that can do more, cost less, and adapt to their growing needs.

That’s why I have created this ultimate guide to the best social media management tools that can replace Buffer and take your strategy to the next level. From advanced scheduling features to better pricing options, I’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in and find the perfect fit for your social media game!

Top Buffer Alternatives at a Glance

Don’t have time to go through all the details? Take a quick glance at the best five picks:

9 Best Buffer Alternatives for Businesses/Agencies

1. SocialPilot

As a social media marketer, I’ve used countless tools, and SocialPilot stands out as a robust Buffer alternative. Its bulk scheduling lets me plan up to 500 posts in advance across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and more—something Buffer lacks. I also appreciate the ability to repeat high-performing posts, a productivity booster.

SocialPilot’s team collaboration tools, like content approval workflows and client management, make teamwork seamless, far outpacing Buffer’s limited collaboration features. The social inbox is another win, consolidating messages and comments into one dashboard—a feature Buffer doesn’t offer.

Pricing is another advantage. SocialPilot’s plans are more affordable, especially for agencies managing multiple accounts. However, Buffer’s free plan and landing page builder (similar to Linktree) give it an edge in accessibility and link management. Morever, Buffer has a slightly interactive UI as compared to SocialPilot, not much of a major differentiator.

Overall, for comprehensive features and cost-effectiveness, SocialPilot is a powerful choice for anyone looking to upgrade their social media management.

Best for:

Marketing agencies, SMB’s, Teams, Professionals, and Multi-Location Brands

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Vincent T. – 5 Stars
Excellent alternative to Hootsuite and other popular ones like Buffer. Started using it about 10 years ago and have been using constantly ever since. We never had any issues of any concern with the tool. It had changed and improved a lot as well over that time. Cut and dry it just works and allows you to connect to a couple more different social websites you could connect to Hootsuite/Buffer other competitors. The client posts approval feature was something they originally had that the other tools didn’t, but am unsure if it’s still like that today.

Key Feature:

• Advanced scheduling and publishing
• Bulk schedule 500 posts
• Social Inbox
• Content approval workflows
• White-label dashboards
• Detailed analytics and reporting features
• AI Pilot for content ideas and captions

Pros:

• The pricing plans are affordable for teams and agencies.
• Offers bulk scheduling up to 500 posts at once.
• Advanced features like content approvals and client management.
• Social Inbox consolidates messages and comments across platforms, which Buffer lacks.

Cons:

• Unlike Buffer, SocialPilot doesn’t offer a Free plan.
• Buffer’s page builder is a unique feature that SocialPilot lacks.

Pricing:

SocialPilot offers four pricing plans: Standard ($50 per month for 3 users), Premium ($100 per month for 6 users), Ultimate ($200 per month for unlimited users, and Enterprise (Custom). There is also a 14-day Free trial.

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2. AgoraPulse

AgoraPulse is another Buffer alternative that has become my favorite, especially because of its versatility. Starting with its Social Inbox, like SocialPilot, it also consolidates messages and comments from social media platforms into one dashboard, streamlining engagement; I wish Buffer had this.

Unlike Buffer, AgoraPulse social listening allows my team to monitor brand mentions and industry keywords, giving me deep insights. One standout feature of the AgoraPulse is it supports social media ads, which means you can run ads across all platforms directly from the tool.

However, Buffer has its strengths. It’s more user-friendly, makes scheduling posts straightforward, and has a free plan benefitting individuals and small teams. Buffer also supports platforms like Mastodon and Pinterest, which AgoraPulse doesn’t currently integrate with. Furthermore, the pricing plans of Agora are costlier as well.

In summary, Buffer is excellent for basic scheduling and ease of use; AgoraPulse offers a more comprehensive suite of features, making it a robust social media tool.

Best for:

Retail, E-commerce, Social media marketing agencies, Large teams, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Vanessa L. – 4.5 Stars

Most helpful about AgoraPulse is in my opinion the publishing and reporting options I as a social media manager have. It is easy to use, all my colleagues got set up in it quickly and we use it everyday.

Key Feature:

• Unified social inbox
• Social media monitoring and listening
• Competitor analysis
• Social media ads management
• Social analytics and reporting features

Pros:

• A unified inbox to engage with messages and comments, which Buffer doesn’t offer.
• Powerful social media listening tool features let marketing teams you track mentions and keywords.
• Task assignments and post approvals streamline team collaboration.
• You can manage and run ads through AgoraPulse.

Cons:

• Agorapulse is more expensive than Buffer, especially for smaller teams or professionals.
• There is no free plan.
• Buffer’s interface is more beginner-friendly.

Pricing:

Agorapulse offers four paid plans: Standard ($99 per month), Professional ($149 per month), Advanced ($199 per month), and Enterprise (Custom). There is also a Free plan.

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3. Sendible

Sendible is another excellent alternative if you’re looking to schedule social media posts and detailed analytics. Talking about the scheduling, you can bulk schedule posts in advance and free up your time. Its AI assist helps you generate post ideas and social media captions.

One feature that sets Sendible apart is its social listening capabilities. This allows me to monitor brand mentions and industry keywords across multiple platforms, providing valuable insights to tailor my content strategy. Buffer, while efficient in scheduling, lacks this depth of monitoring.

Additionally, Sendible’s content curation tools have been invaluable. The ability to source content from RSS feeds and integrate with Canva for graphic creation streamlines my content creation process. Buffer doesn’t offer the same level of integration for content curation.

However, Buffer’s user-friendly interface makes it a breeze to schedule quickly and is ideal for those seeking simplicity. It also offers a free plan, which is a plus for individuals or small teams.

In summary, while Buffer is excellent for straightforward scheduling, Sendible offers a more comprehensive suite of features, making it a robust alternative for those seeking advanced social media management capabilities.

Best for:

Agencies, Social media managers, Teams, and Businesses

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Chris H. – 4.5 Stars

Have used other social media management posting services (Hootsuite, Buffer, SEMRush) – none compare to Sendible. Have used their service for 10 yrs.

Key Feature:

• Social listening
• Customizable reports
• Smart Queues
• Approval workflows
• Content calendar

Pros:

• Sendible tracks brand mentions and keywords.
• Tailored reporting options are more detailed than Buffer’s analytics.
• Better team collaboration.
• Seamlessly manage multiple social media channels.

Cons:

• Pricing plans of Sendible can be slightly expensive, especially for smaller teams or individuals.
• Unlike Buffer, Sendible lacks a free plan.
• Sendible doesn’t offer a page builder feature.

Pricing:

Sendible offers five pricing plans: Creator ($29 per month/user), Traction ($89 per month/4 users), Scale ($199 per month/7 profiles), Advanced ($299 per month/20 users), and Enterprise ($750 per month/80 users). There is a free trial on all plans.

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4. Hootsuite

As a social media marketer, I’ve extensively used Hootsuite, especially while working on large-scale campaigns. Compared to Buffer, Hootsuite is better suited for enterprises or big brands managing multiple social accounts and clients.

Hootsuite’s extensive scheduling tools make it stand out. You can bulk-schedule posts across various platforms and manage a lot more social media accounts as Buffer charges for individual channels. One of Hootsuite’s standout features is its social listening and engagement tools. These let me monitor brand mentions, track competitors, and respond directly from a unified dashboard, saving me time. Buffer, while known for its simplicity and affordability for individuals, doesn’t offer these capabilities.

However, Hootsuite’s higher pricing can be a red flag for smaller teams on a budget, but it’s a strong alternative to Buffer for larger teams.

Best for:

Large enterprises, Marketing Agencies, Brands, and NGO’s

Rating:

Kunjal P. – 4 Stars

Allows you to manage multiple social media platforms easily and does the job fairly. You can select different times to post on all platforms and makes it very easy to schedule content. I’ve been using this tool everyday and for past 2 years. Definitely a must when you have multiple platforms to handle with other digital tasks.

Key Feature:

• Bulk scheduling
• Unified dashboard
• UGC and Influencer campaigns
• Paid social media ads management
• Advanced analytics

Pros:

• Hootsuite’s listening tools help monitor mentions and competitors.
• Bulk schedules multiple posts simultaneously across platforms at custom times, which Buffer lacks.
• Includes task assignments and approval workflows.
• It provides detailed analytics and social media reports on engagement, audience growth, and ROI.

Cons:

• The plans are expensive as compared to Buffer.
• Beginners may find Hootusite’s dashboard overwhelming.
• Hootsuite doesn’t offer a Free plan.

Pricing:

Hootsuite offers three pricing plans: Professional ($99 per month/ 1 user), Team ($249 per month/ 3 users), and Enterprise (Custom). You also get a 30-day free trial.

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5. Post Planner

Post Planner is another social media management tool that is designed to make scheduling social media posts a cakewalk. It lets me schedule posts across all major social platforms with ease.

Post Planner comes with a Content Discovery Engine, which helps me find and share engaging content tailored to my audience. Buffer, while efficient in scheduling, doesn’t offer this feature.

Additionally, the Post Recycling of Post Planner allows me to automatically report evergreen content, ensuring my feed always remains engaging. However, Buffer offers a lot more functionality than just scheduling, overpowering Post Planner. Also, the functionality that Post Planner offers is very shallow compared to Buffer, making it minimally usable in full marketing campaigns.

Best for:

Small businesses, Marketers, Social media managers, Individuals, and Brands

Rating:

3.9/5 (G2)

Poorvaa M. – 3.5 Stars

The Post Planner app is an excellent tool for managing social media content efficiently. With its user friendly With it’s user friendly interface and scheduling features it makes planning and posting content a breeze. It has allowed me to The to schedule posts across multiple platforms simultaneously saves time and ensures a consistent online presence. I would suggest it’s a must have tool for anyone who is into social media marketing.

Key Feature:

• Optimized post scheduling
• Content discovery
• Post recycling
• Integrations with social platforms
• Customizable post templates

Pros:

• With Post Planners’ content discovery feature, finding viral content becomes easy.
• It automates the reposting of evergreen content.
• Cost-effective plans compared to Buffer.

Cons:

• Post Planner supports fewer platforms than Buffer.
• The UI can be less intuitive.
• Its analytics dashboard is very less detailed, missing important metrics.

Pricing:

There are three paid plans: Starter ($12 per month/user), Growth ($49 per month/2 users), and Business ($79 per month/5 users). It also offers a Free plan with limited capabilities.

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6. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is another feature-packed Buffer alternative, especially for advanced marketers and large enterprises. The in-depth analytics are a game changer, making it easy for you to analyze how your socials are performing at a glance. Measure and get reports on content performance, audience behavior, and real-time metrics far beyond Buffer’s basic reporting.

Features like social listening and sentiment analysis help track brand mentions and trends. For scheduling and collaboration, Sprout excels with an advanced planner, a unified social inbox, and seamless team workflows to streamline communication and avoid any bottlenecks, while Buffer feels basic.

The key here is Sprout’s custom reports and influencer collaboration tools, which let you track URLs, manage partnerships, and create custom-branded reports for clients.

Overall, Sprout Social is an all-in-one solution for large teams and enterprises that seek collaboration and deeper insights.

Best for:

Agencies, Large Teams, and Enterprises

Rating:

4.4/5 (G2)

Verified User in Consumer Goods – 5 Stars

I love Sprout Social’s analytics. Their profile + competitor reports are unmatched. I’ve used a few different competitors before (hootsuite, buffer, planoly) and nothing comes close. I’ve used Sprout @ my last 2 jobs, so we just onboarded it for another client.

Key Feature:

Advanced scheduler and planner

Detailed page and post analytics

Competitor analytics and reports

Ad management

Social listening and sentiment analysis

Pros:

• Sprout’s analytics and reports are far more detailed than Buffer’s.
• Tracks brand mentions, share of voice, and trends.
• Generate white-label reports for clients.
• Simplify engagement across platforms with a unified inbox.

Cons:

• Sprout’s pricing plans are more expensive than Buffer’s.
• It poses a steep learning curve, making it less accessible for beginners.

Pricing:

Sprout Social offers four paid plans: Standard ($249 per month/user), Professional ($399 per month/user), Advanced ($499 per month/seat), and Enterprise (Custom). All plans offer a free trial.

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7. Sked Social

All my life, I have been using and testing social media tools, and Sked Social is one of those picks that I would include in the list. Similar to other tools here, Sked can do all that essential social media work, but where it proves its metal is for Instagram-centric campaigns.

Its visual content calendar offers a comprehensive view of all my and my team’s scheduled posts for all our social handles. However costlier than Buffer, it offers deeper insights into post performance and audience engagement, making up for all the difference and enabling you to improve your social media presence.

The user interface felt the same for both tools. However, Buffer made it easy to onboard and get started. In contrast, Buffer is a good option for those who seek simplicity, affordability, essential social media scheduling, and planning features, while Sked Social does all this along with better analytics with custom reports and competitor insights, hence improved social media performance.

Best for:

Influencers, Businesses, Teams, and Brands

Rating:

4.3/5 (G2)

Niamh W. – 4.5 Stars

Sked is a super convenient tool for social scheduling and approvals. I love the calendar and planner features which make organic social planning easier and more aesthetically pleasing. I also love that the sked team is always there and ready to help me with any problems, they are so easy to reach out too and are always able to solve my problems.

Key Feature:

• Advanced planning and scheduling
• AI-writer and insights
• Approval workflows
• Link-in-bio
• Instagram Stories and Carousel scheduling

Pros:

• Focussed tools for Stories, carousels, and hashtag management.
• Visual content calendar and planning.
• Bulk schedule multiple social media posts at once.
• A trackable link-in-bio feature.

Cons:

• There is no free plan.
• Sked does not support platforms like Pinterest and Mastodon.

Pricing:

Sked Social offers three paid plans: Essentials ($59 per month/3 accounts), Professional ($199 per month/6 accounts), and Enterprise (Custom).

 

8. Metricool

During my research, Metricool emerged as a compelling alternative to Buffer, offering unique features that cater to agencies, teams, and businesses requiring detailed analytics and multi-platform support. Metricool shines in comprehensive analytics, allowing users to get a more nuanced understanding of audience engagement. Additionally, Metricool supports a wide range of platforms, including Google My Business and TikTok.

However, Buffer offers a more intuitive and streamlined interface, making it particularly suitable for small businesses or solopreneurs who want ease of use. Metricool, though, possesses a steep learning curve but has rich features that allow businesses to manage all social media tasks with ease.

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Mark B. – 5 Stars

The Planner feature makes it easy to schedule posts across multiple social media channels. The analytics provide vital insights, and the integrated inbox allows you to see and respond to every interaction in one place. It’s easy to set up connections to all your accounts and once linked, they are maintained easily.

Key Feature:

• Advanced analytics
• Multi-support account support
• Automated reporting
• Competitor analysis
• Social media management dashboard

Pros:

• It integrates with paid ad tools, making analyzing social media campaigns easy.
• Unlike Buffer, you can monitor competitors.
• Customizable and scheduled reports for teams and clients.

Cons:

• Metricool pricing is more expensive.
• The rich features can make it slightly overwhelming for beginners.

Pricing:

Metricool offers three paid plans: Starter ($22 per month up to 5 brands), Advanced ($54 per month up to 15 brands), and Enterprise (Custom pricing for more than 50 brands).

9. Iconosquare

At last, we have Iconosquare, an easy-to-use and user-friendly social media marketing tool. This tool offers you all the necessary features, including a scheduler and publisher, analytics, reporting, collaboration, conversation, and social media listening. Iconosquare delves deep into follower growth, engagement rates, and hashtag performance, clarifying what is working and what’s not.

Additionally, Iconosquare’s customizable dashboards and reporting features allow you to tailor insights, which is beneficial for marketing agencies managing multiple clients. Buffer lacks this level of customization.

However, Iconosquare supports major integration, and Buffer offers a lot more integration support. In short, if your social media strategy requires you to emphasize mainly social media scheduling and publishing, broader platform support, and simplicity, Buffer is your go-to option. Conversely, if your emphasis is on all things social media, including analytics, collaboration, or, for instance, listening, Iconosquare is a compelling choice.

Best for:

Marketers, Brands, Agencies, and Businesses

Rating:

4.5/5 (G2)

Karli W. – 5 Stars

The insights available made monthly reporting a breeze at our agency. The format of everything was super intuitive and it not only saved our team time but gave deeper insights than most platforms allow.

Key Feature:

• In-depth analytics
• Customizable dashboards
• Competitor benchmarking
• Hashtag analytics
• Find the best time to post

Pros:

• The comprehensive analytics delves deep into engagement and growth.
• Tailored reports with white-labeling options for agencies.
• Track and benchmark against competitors.

Cons:

• Unlike Buffer, you don’t get a landing page builder.
• There is no free plan.

Pricing:

Iconosquare offers three pricing plans: Launch ($39 per month/1 user), Scale ($83 per month/3 users), and Excel ($139 per month/6 users). There is also a 14-day free trial.

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What To Look for in a Buffer Alternative?

When choosing a Buffer alternative, consider these key factors to address your needs effectively:

Platform Support

Ensure the tool supports all the social platforms you manage, including niche networks like TikTok, Pinterest, or Google My Business.

Scheduling Capabilities

Look for features like bulk scheduling, time zone management, and post-recycling to save time and optimize workflows.

Analytics and Reporting

Look for a Buffer alternative offering advanced analytics and customizable reports, crucial for tracking performance and presenting insights to teams or clients.

Collaboration Features

If you work with a team, choose a tool with robust approval workflows and task assignments for seamless collaboration.

Content Discovery and Curation

Features like hashtag suggestions, content libraries, or a discovery engine can help streamline your content strategy.

Social Listening and Engagement

This is essential for PR agencies and brands that want to monitor brand mentions and engage with their audience.

Budget and Scalability

Find a solution that fits your budget while offering scalability as your needs grow.

By aligning these factors with your specific requirements, you can choose a tool that enhances efficiency and drives better results.

Finding Your Perfect Buffer Alternative

Choosing the right Buffer alternative depends on your specific needs: advanced analytics, robust collaboration tools, extensive platform support, or deeper engagement features. Tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, SocialPilot, Metricool, and others each offer unique strengths tailored to different goals—be it detailed reporting, social listening, or cost-effective solutions.

Before committing to any tool, assess your requirements and prioritize them accordingly. Remember, no single tool fits all. The best alternative is the one that simplifies your workflows, scales with your growth, and enhances your social media strategy. Take advantage of free trials and demos to make an informed decision. The right tool makes managing multiple accounts and driving engagement a breeze!