Buffer vs. Sprout Social: Find the Best Social Media Management Tool for Your Profiles

Social media management tools are essential for businesses, entrepreneurs, and creators looking to grow their social media presence and reach more people. In this blog, we'll compare Buffer and Sprout Social to help you decide which tool is the best fit for your needs.

To kick off, here are seven key differences between the two products that all potential users should be aware of 👇

1. Is there a free plan?

Buffer's free plan lets users to connect three different social channels and schedule up to 30 posts per month. We think this is the most generous free plan on the market. In comparison, Sprout Social doesn't offer a free plan, requiring users to pay for access, which may be a barrier for entrepreneurs, SMBs, and creators with limited budgets.

2. What’s the price difference?

With plans starting at just $6 per month, Buffer provides a budget-friendly option for folks looking to manage their social media without breaking the bank. In contrast, Sprout Social's cheapest “Standard” plan begins at $249 per month.

3. What do you get for the price?

Despite costing an eye-watering $220 more a month than Buffer, Sprout Social ultimately provides a very similar feature set.

Both tools offer unlimited post scheduling, review management, analytics and reporting, engagement features, iOS and Android mobile apps, and paid promotion analytics. Yet, Buffer offers these features for $220 less per month, helping smaller businesses and creators with tighter budgets.

4. How many users?

Buffer's Team plan offers unlimited users for just $12 per month, making it a perfect fit for growing businesses with expanding teams. In comparison, Sprout Social's “Advanced” plan, which is their most expensive offering, only covers one user, with each additional user costing $349 per month, per user. This significant difference in user access can greatly impact a company's ability to scale, so pick your tool wisely.

Buffer supports a wider range of social channels, including Google Business Profiles and Mastodon, two channels that Sprout Social does not offer. Furthermore, Buffer allows users to connect their Shopify account for insightful data analysis, enabling businesses to make more informed decisions based on their e-commerce performance.

6. What’s the price per profile?

Sprout Social's cheapest plan, priced at $249 per month, restricts users to connecting only five social profiles. In contrast, Buffer allows users to connect up to 40 different social profiles at the same price point, along with unlimited users, providing businesses with greater flexibility and control over their social media management.

7. Is AI available?

Buffer's AI Assistant helps users create better content faster than ever before. It’s available to all users (including those on the free plan) and works with every single channel. Sprout Social, however, only offers AI for its chatbots. Thousands of customers use Buffer’s AI Assistant every day to generate ideas in just a click and repurpose …read more

Source:: Buffer Blog