A detailed comparison of Sprout Social and Buffer to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Premium social media management with CRM and listening
Simple, affordable social media scheduling and analytics tool for small businesses and creators.
| Plan | Sprout Social | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✗ No | ✓ 3 channels, 10 posts/channel |
| Lowest Paid | $249/mo | $6/channel/mo |
| Enterprise | $499/mo | $12/channel/mo |
| Feature | Sprout Social | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Inbox | ✓ | — |
| Social CRM | ✓ | — |
| Listening | ✓ | — |
| Publishing | ✓ | — |
| Analytics | ✓ | — |
| Employee Advocacy | ✓ | — |
| Post scheduling | — | ✓ |
| Analytics dashboard | — | ✓ |
| Start Page bio link | — | ✓ |
| AI assistant | — | ✓ |
| Engagement tools | — | ✓ |
| Team collaboration | — | ✓ |
| Content calendar | — | ✓ |
| Instagram first comment | — | ✓ |
| Hashtag manager | — | ✓ |
| Approval workflows | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.4 | ⭐ 4.3 |
Choose Sprout Social if: You need mid-market brands wanting premium social management with crm. Sprout Social excels with its best-in-class ui and excellent reporting.
Choose Buffer if: You need small businesses and solopreneurs wanting simple social scheduling. Buffer stands out with its extremely simple to use and affordable per-channel pricing.
Best free option: Buffer offers a free tier (3 channels, 10 posts/channel).
It depends on your needs. Sprout Social is better for mid-market brands wanting premium social management with crm, while Buffer is better for small businesses and solopreneurs wanting simple social scheduling. Both are excellent tools rated 4.4 and 4.3 respectively.
Sprout Social starts at $249/mo while Buffer starts at $6/channel/mo. Buffer also has a free tier.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Buffer's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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