Last Updated on October 18, 2022 by Alex Birkett
Buffer is a phenomenal tool for social media marketing.
I started using it several years ago, and it helped me produce more content for social media and understand what was working through their great analytics features.
However, in recent years, tons of Buffer alternatives have popped up.
In fact, there are dozens and dozens of social media post schedulers and generators now.
I actually stopped using Buffer and now use a Buffer alternative (the top one on this list – read on to learn more).
In this piece, we’ll cover the 13 best alternatives to Buffer and consider their pros and cons and pricing information.
What is Buffer?
Buffer is a social media management platform. It has a suite of tools to help you grow your social media following, engage with your audience, and measure your results.
Buffer’s main tool is its scheduling feature. With Buffer, you can write and schedule social media posts in advance. This is great if you want to be consistent with your posting or if you write all of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc content at once like I do.
You can link all of your social accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) and manage your social media presence from there. On premium plans, you can also add team members to enable team collaboration.
Buffer was one of the earliest and most popular social media management tools, but it seems to have fallen off in recent years:
In my opinion, this is because of the proliferation of competition as well as their own lack of feature development. Several platforms on this list have outpaced Buffer in innovation and ease of use, so they’ve quickly taken the place of Buffer.
The 13 Best Buffer Alternatives in 2022
- Hypefury
- Hootsuite
- HubSpot
- Sprout Social
- Crowdfire
- MeetEdgar
- SocialPilot
- Loomly
- Content Studio
- Later
- Social Champ
- Sendible
- Metricool
1. Hypefury
The first Buffer alternative is my favorite one: Hypefury.
I use Hypefury. It’s a tool that lets you schedule and automate your social media posts. You can link all of your social accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and manage everything from one place.
Hypefury has a great feature set: you can create “recurring” post templates so that you don’t have to keep creating the same post over and over again. For example, when I write a Tweet that works really well, I set up my Hypefury so it automatically retweets that Tweet and also schedules it for a month out.
You can also easily write threads and add automatic CTAs at the end of your tweets. Love it.
It’s honestly just a fun platform to use as well. It doesn’t feel like a chore to schedule social media posts here.
Pros
– Powerful and intuitive automation features
– Easy to use
– Affordable
– Fun platform
Cons
– For me, not many cons. However, it doesn’t have as many social account connections as other enterprise social scheduling tools
– It’s also not the best for tracking and analytics.
Pricing:
Hypefury offers a free plan, and then the basic paid plan starts at $19/month. This is what I use and it’s great for a solo creator (though I can technically connect 12 accounts with this plan, so probably good for small teams, too).
G2 Score: 4.6/5
2. Hootsuite
The second Buffer alternative on our list is Hootsuite.
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that lets users track all their social media channels in one place. It also allows users to schedule and publish content, as well as measure their results with detailed analytics reports.
Hootsuite is likely the largest dedicated social media platform (maybe Sprout Social, too). They’re focused on the enterprise, meaning they have great features for content calendars and team collaboration.
You can also manage all your paid ads from the platform and use Hootsuite as a social inbox to engage with comments and DMs.
I’ll be honest: I never liked using Hootsuite. The UI was just too clunky and it didn’t feel intuitive or fun.
Pros
– Large platform with lots of features
– Great for enterprise customers
– Detailed analytics reports
– Great team collaboration and content operations features
Cons
– Clunky UI
– Not fun to use (in my humble opinion)
– One of the most expensive Buffer alternatives
Pricing:
Hootsuite has a 30 day free trial, and then their professional plan starts at $49/mo (billed yearly, and they don’t seem to give monthly payment options – at least from what I can tell on their pricing page).
G2 Score: 4.1/5
3. HubSpot
HubSpot is a marketing, sales, and customer support platform. They’ve got tons of tools – like landing page builders, form builders, marketing automation, email newsletter software, live chat software, and more.
One of these features is a social media marketing tool. Their social tool is part of their larger marketing software suite, which is why it’s not as robust as the other social media management tools on this list.
However, if you’re already using HubSpot for your website or sales funnel, then you might want to consider using their social media tool since you’ll already be familiar with the interface.
Pros
– Part of a larger marketing software suite
– Familiar interface if you’re already using HubSpot
Cons
– Not as robust as other social media management tools
– More expensive than other tools
Pricing:
HubSpot has a free plan and then three paid plans that start at $50. I’m not sure that social media comes with the starter tier, though, so you might have to upgrade to professional which is $890/mo.
G2 Score: 4.4/5
4. Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a social media management platform that helps businesses grow their social media presence. It offers a suite of tools to help with tasks like scheduling content, analyzing social media analytics, and more.
I used to use Sprout Social way back in the day. It’s a great tool for managing multiple clients and team collaboration. However, it’s one of the more expensive social media management tools on the market.
Pros:
– Great for team collaboration
– Lots of features
– Detailed analytics reports
Cons:
– Expensive
– Can be overwhelming to use all the features
Pricing:
Sprout Social has a free trial and then paid plans start at $99 per month when paid monthly.
G2 Score: 4.4/5
5. Crowdfire
Crowdfire is a lesser known tool that helps you grow your social media following. It has a suite of features to help with tasks like finding and scheduling content, analyzing your social media analytics, and more.
I haven’t used Crowdfire before, but from what I can tell, it’s a great tool – especially if you’re just starting out with social media marketing. You can publish content directly within the interface to be scheduled on all the major social media platforms. I also like that you can pick topics to follow and learn about your audience.
It’s one of the most affordable social media management tool options here, too. You can actually use it for free up to 10 scheduled posts per month. Though for key features and more content, you’ll need to upgrade (starter plan is just $7.48 /mo).
Pros
– Super affordable
– You can publish content directly within the interface
– Can pick topics to follow and learn about your audience
Cons
– Some features are only available on the paid plan
– Not as many features as some of the other tools on this list
Pricing:
Free to start (schedule posts – 10 of them), and then $7.48 /mo.
G2 Score: 3.9/5
6. MeetEdgar
MeetEdgar has actually been around for quite awhile but never picked up quite the reputation in the social media publishing space as Buffer.
This is actually a really powerful tool for entrepreneurs short on time. You can build a massive backlog of content, organized by category, and automatically schedule it out to keep your social media accounts on fire with activity.
It’s also got A/B testing functionality so you can test the best version of your content.
Edgar starts at $24.91 per month when paid annually, but they offer a 7 day free trial.
Pros
– You can build a massive backlog of content using their recommendations and inspiration
– Automatically schedule content
– A/B testing functionality
Cons
– Bit more expensive than other tools on this list
– Not as many features as some of the other tools
Pricing: $24.91 per month when paid annually, with a free trial available.
G2 Score: 4.3/5
7. Social Pilot
SocialPilot is a social media scheduling tool set up for scale. Even their intro plan ($25.50/mo) gives you the ability to connect 10 social media accounts.
Their interface is perfect for team collaboration as well.
While it might be overkill for the average scrappy entrepreneur, it’s perfect for social media managers running several accounts at once.
Pros
– Perfect for team collaboration
– Great for scaling content production and managing many client accounts
– Solid analytics tools
– Ability to connect multiple social media accounts on the basic plan
Cons
– Not as many features as some of the other tools on this list
– A bit more expensive than other options
Pricing:
SocialPilot has three paid plans that start at $25.50/mo when billed annually. Agency plan (with 50 connected accounts) is $106.25/mo, so this platform scales really well with growth.
G2 Score: 4.5/5
8. Loomly
Loomly bills themselves as a “brand success platform” and really indexes on organization, calendars, and collaboration.
Their main features include a content calendar, post creation tool, and social media analytics. They also have a suite of features for team collaboration, such as assigning tasks, leaving comments on posts, and more.
This platform is a bit more focused on the creation aspects than the scheduling aspects of social media and content marketing. For instance, they have Loomly studio, where you can create content, identify and use hashtags, and make UTM parameters.
They also have Unsplash and Giphy integrations.
Loomly has features not only for organic social media, but also for social media ads (namely, Facebook ads and Instagram ads). They also let you publish to your Google My Business and Pinterest accounts.
Loomly starts at $26 per month when paid annually (or $35/mo monthly) for the “Base” plan that lets you manage up to 10 social media accounts and includes two users.
Pros
– Good for team collaboration
– Content calendar is great for organization
– Post creation tool is really helpful
– Integrates with basically every social media platform, including TikTok, Pinterest, and Google My Business
Cons
– Very feature-rich, and potentially overkill for small creators and one-person teams
– A bit more expensive than some of the other options here
Pricing:
$26 /mo when paid annually (or $35/mo monthly) for the “Base” plan. Premium is $269 /mo (billed annually) and gives you up to 30 users, which would be quite a large social team.
G2 Score: 4.6/5
9. ContentStudio
ContentStudio is a unified social media marketing platform used by small businesses and enterprises alike.
In my opinion, they’re one of the best platforms for social media monitoring and content inspiration. You can create custom topic feeds by keywords, domains, locations, and language. This helps you identify trending topics and influencers to jump into the conversation and curate content.
Of course, they have great scheduling tools as well. But I really like their social listening and social inbox tools. Great for multiple users looking not only for content creation, but also to engage with their audience.
Pros
– Unified platform for small businesses and enterprises
– Great social media monitoring and content inspiration tools
– Social listening and social
Cons
– No ability to post directly to Instagram
– AI features only available on more expensive plans.
Pricing:
Base plan starts at $25/month. Pro plan starts at $49/month and gives you tons of features like automation campaigns for evergreen content, team collaboration, and an AI bot for content generation.
G2 Score: 4.6/5
10. Later
Later is well-known for its Instagram features. These include:
- Visual Planner
- Stories Scheduling
- Best Time to Post
- Analytics
- Auto Publish
- Hashtag Suggestions
- Instagram Reels
Additionally, they have a “link in bio” product, content curation, and even TikTok scheduling (which I haven’t seen much of in other alternatives).
Pros
– Great for Instagram users
– Can even schedule Instagram Reels
– Has a “link in bio” product
– Content curation tool
– TikTok scheduling
Cons
– LinkedIn scheduler is nascent and a bit clunky
– Limited collaboration features compared to other options
– IG stories can’t be scheduled
Pricing: $18/month for the starter plan which includes all of Later’s features, but only 30 posts per social profile per month and limited data access (3 months)
G2 Score: 4.6/5
11. Social Champ
Social Champ is a social media management platform that lets you manage all your social media accounts in one place. It also includes built-in analytics so you can track your progress and measure the success of your campaigns.
They also have a team collaboration feature so you can easily assign tasks and leave comments on posts.
Pros
– One-stop shop for all your social media accounts
– Built-in analytics
– Team collaboration feature
– Scales well as you grow
Cons
– No ability to post directly to Instagram
– There seem to be some bugs that occur (rarely) where posts don’t publish
– Analytics are a bit weak compared to larger platforms like SproutSocial and Hootsuite
Pricing:
They have a pretty generous free account that includes up to three connected accounts and 50 credits for bulk scheduling. The cheapest paid plan starts at $26/mo and includes 2 users.
G2 Score: 4.4/5
12. Sendible
Sendible is an all-in-one social media management platform that lets you manage all your social media accounts in one place.
They’re a platform truly built for scale, supporting integrations for YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Google My Business. They also have integrations with WordPress for content publishing, content suggestions, and a Chrome extension to easily clip content for social sharing.
Other integrations include Google Analytics, Dropbox, Canva, and Google Drive.
So you really can accomplish almost all of your social content creation and scheduling right here on the platform.
They also have a white label solution for agencies. Pretty cool.
It also includes built-in analytics so you can track your progress and measure the success of your campaigns.
They also have a team collaboration feature so you can easily assign tasks and leave comments on posts.
Pros
– One-stop shop for all your social media accounts
– Wonderful selection of integrations, even outside of traditional social media (like WordPress and Google Analytics).
– Built-in analytics dashboards
– Team collaboration features
Cons
– There are a few complaints of API connection issues
– It’s more expensive than other platforms
– Customization options tend to cause some confusion for new users
Pricing:
Starts at $29/mo billed monthly for one user.
G2 Score: 4.5/5
13. Metricool
Metricool is one of the best Buffer alternatives when it comes to analytics.
The platform also lets you post directly to Instagram, which is a huge plus. Additionally, they have a great team collaboration feature so you can easily assign tasks and leave comments on posts.
They also support ad campaign management on all accessible platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google My Business, and many more).
There’s also a great Data Studio connection that I love.
Pros
– Built-in analytics tools – some of the best
– Post to Instagram & TikTok
– Post to Twitch
Cons
– Instagram posting and insights need some work
– Reels not supported
– Bit of a learning curve for new users.
Pricing:
Metricool has a free forever plan that includes 1 user and 1 account for each social media platform.
G2 Score: 4/5
Conclusion
There you have it! Those are 13 of the best Buffer alternatives for social media mastery.
My favorite? Clearly Hypefury. But I’m a very specific user – a solo user that pretty much only uses organic Twitter and LinkedIn.
If I needed something more robust to manage an entire operation? I’d probably use SproutSocial.
If I needed a platform set up for scale with many supported social platforms? Metricool is sick.
Do you have any favorite social media management tools that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments below.