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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Buffer

    Score7.6 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    Buffer is a social sharing tool. When browsing content, clicking on the Buffer icon automatically stores the content and schedules posts to social media channels throughout the day.

    $6

    per month per channel

    Canva

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/ACanva is a popular, simple online graphic design tool. Users can import images, use templates to design banners and logos, or pay to use Canva's premium stock images/paid templates (elements starting at $1).

    $12.95

    per month

    Pricing
    BufferCanva
    Editions & Modules
    Free
    $0
    Essentials
    $6
    per month per channel
    Team
    $12
    per month per channel
    Pro
    $12.95
    per month
    Enterprise
    $30.00
    Per Month Per User
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BufferCanva
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BufferCanva
    Considered Both Products
    Buffer
    Chose Buffer
    Buffer's interface when logged in is more beautiful and easier to use than the others I've tried. Especially HighLevel which does a lot of other stuff as well - the difference with Buffer is that it is ONLY for social scheduling so it does that really well and the entire screen …
    Incentivized
    Chose Buffer
    I also used Combin which is easy and free to use. However, Combin only posts when the computer is active and connected to the internet. So, posting while you are not actively using your computer at that moment is not possible, therefore Buffer is much more efficient as you can …
    Incentivized
    Chose Buffer
    Both Hootsuite and Buffer are excellent tools but they both target different users. If you're an individual user, small firm, or non-profit and you want to simplify your social media challenges, then Buffer is likely your best option. Hootsuite on the other hand is more likely …
    Incentivized
    Chose Buffer
    I like Buffer better than Hootsuite or Sprout Social because it's so much easier to use and their customer service is second to none. I love Buffer support and they are constantly improving. I also love the interface the most. It's clean, simple, and easy to use. Hootsuite is …
    Incentivized
    Chose Buffer
    Buffer lets us schedule on Instagram even if we have to do it manually while Hootsuite would not even connect to our Instagram page. So we can't use Hootsuite for Instagram postings. Buffer fills that hole although each post has to be posted manually from the Instagram app to …
    Incentivized
    Canva
    Chose Canva
    As a simple graphic producing app, it works fantastic. If you want to create effects like gradients, drop-shadows, outlines, etc, you'd be better off using Photoshop, however you'd want to be at your computer. It is nice because there a lot of templates and graphic …
    Incentivized
    Chose Canva
    First of all, Canva has a much bigger selection of templates. Also, you can download as many files as you wish from free libraries.
    Incentivized
    Chose Canva
    There is absolutely no match between the others and Canva when it comes to the purpose we hired Canva for i.e. basic designing tasks within the Marketing function. All the other alternatives we tried were either too expensive or, too complex. Canva hits the sweet spot between …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    91%
    Would buy again
    30 Answers
    93%
    Would buy again
    86 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    28 Answers
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    84 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    85%
    Happy with the feature set
    28 Answers
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    88 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    26 Answers
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    75 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    29 Answers
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    80 Answers
    Features
    BufferCanva
    Publishing
    Comparison of Publishing features of Buffer and Canva
    Feature
    Buffer
    7.8
    77 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Canva
    -
    Ratings
    Content planning and scheduling8.677 Ratings00 Ratings
    Content optimization7.370 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow management7.666 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting/analytics
    Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Buffer and Canva
    Feature
    Buffer
    7.0
    70 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Canva
    -
    Ratings
    Campaign success analytics7.070 Ratings00 Ratings
    Account management
    Comparison of Account management features of Buffer and Canva
    Feature
    Buffer
    8.1
    72 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Canva
    -
    Ratings
    Role-based user permissions & privileges8.359 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile access7.968 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BufferCanva
    Small Businesses
    Sendible
    Score7.1 out of 10
    GIMP
    Score8 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Emplifi
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Adobe Illustrator
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud Social Studio (discontinued)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Adobe PhotoShop
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BufferCanva
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.5
    (97 ratings)
    9.4
    (176 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (15 ratings)
    8.0
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    8.4
    (33 ratings)
    9.4
    (16 ratings)
    Availability
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.0
    (24 ratings)
    6.9
    (15 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Configurability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.6
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BufferCanva
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Buffer
    It helps me save hours by devoting only half an hour in a month's worth of posting, in addition to that it is quite simple to use. Buffer for scheduling social posts well in advance, but I have begun using it instead of posting natively on the social apps themselves because it makes it super easy to post the same messages to more than one platform.
    Read full review
    Canva
    They are suited to serve the non-profit space, offering premium features at no charge for up to 50 users. They provide tools for non-graphic designers that help to create appealing and attractive pieces. For those who are unsure about where to start with a project, Canva offers templates that can be edited to suit the current need.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Buffer
    • I can plan and publish content on social channels.
    • Buffer's interface is quite tidy and generates the necessary facilities to save us time in publishing consistent content.
    • It has a special price; it is pretty affordable.
    • It has the possibility of integrating with other tools to improve its functions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    • It helps you find the right design and helps you start with the right template
    • It helps in creating for all platforms, basically you need to create the design only once and Canva takes care of the rest by resizing the design for whichever platform you want to publish it to.
    • It also comes with a content planner which is extremely helpful for obvious reasons. It relieves you from the hassle of posting when the right time hits.
    • There's a Brand feature which is also extremely fascinating as it helps you store all your brand information (even color) at the same place.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Buffer
    • Expensive Analytics: The upgrade you need to access your analytics is quite expensive, and I have come across other tools that provide the same or even more for a lesser priced plan.
    • No Media Library: The one feature I have found on another social media planning tool that I wish Buffer had is a media library. This allows you to upload photos you aren't using right away to have them readily available when you do decide to use them. This is not a feature in Buffer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    • I have a hard time coming up with any improvements, perhaps increase the number of free elements to use in design.
    • Maybe, Canva should check if you start editing a previous document to see if you want to change the current design or create a new one as a clone of the current document (design).
    • I'm sorry, I really can't think of a 3rd. Overall, I really like working in Canva.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Buffer
    I am giving buffer this rating because of a couple issues that it has compared to other platforms. It does not always post to instagram and you will need to go in an manually post. Also, one of the biggest qualms that we have with buffer is the price it costs to have robust analytics
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    The ease of use makes Canva a powerful tool for manipulating images, creating original content, and testing ideas without requiring the involvement of graphic design or more time-intensive image editing software such as Photoshop. While it doesn't have the full functionality of a mature software, such as Photoshop, The speed and simplicity of Canva makes it a necessity in a business of any size
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Buffer
    We use Buffer for certain website content that should be shared on social networks, having this tool helps us to do it faster and easier since we can send the publications from the internet browser and the stack of scheduled messages. It is really fast and easy for all team members who share access to the account, so at the same time that we analyze the information that we can share, the message stack is prepared
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    It is super easy to use, but it could be limiting if you're on a small device. It is easier on a bigger device because you can resize graphics and text easier than with your fingers on a small device. I do think it's perfect and easy for non-designers who don't have any training. As long as you have a good eye for visuals, Canva is a wonderful substitute for graphics programs on-the-go.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Buffer
    Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    I have yet to encounter Canva being offline in at least 6 years of using it regularly. They also announce well in advance if there may be upgrades to the code and the hours during which there may be issues accessing the service.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Buffer
    Buffer performs well on both desktop and mobile platforms. The one area as I have stated before is that it does not always want to automatically push to Instagram and the user will have to go do it manually. Buffer works very well pushing to other platforms. The instagram issue is the only reason buffer does not get a 10 on this section
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    I haven't ever had issues with a slow-loading site and there haven't been any lag issues within the software. There have been maybe a handful of times over the past six years where I have tried to upload a large image and it will slow down as it loads the last megabyte, but I have yet to have the system time out or require any interference by me
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Buffer
    1. It really helped to my business to grow online.
    2. I was able to take actions mindfully as the analytics are damn good.
    3. Also used for managing clients social media accounts and it proved to be a best resource.
    4. Clients were really happy as they got high demand and growth on internet and the secret is Buffer.
    5. The user interface is really easy to understand and manage. Support is 24/7 available to help.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    Overall, Canva is easy to use, easy to train others to use, allows for creativity with a professional look without enormous associated costs. The mobile apps works almost as easily, but at a minimum allows for easy review and downloading in a pinch. Really, anyone can learn to use Canva quickly and will immediately benefit from the results.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Buffer
    We were very satisfied with the implementation of Buffer. We had no issues switching from the platform that we were using over to buffer. Our staff did not even miss a beat when it came to posting content. It was an easy transition and I feel that is something that buffer has really done well. They have an "out of the box" usability platform
    Incentivized
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    Canva
    Remember to download the mobile app onto your phone for easy image manipulation on the go. Adding company colors, logos, and typefaces to your company account is an easy process. When images are uploaded, these can also be shared between accounts within a company, as can canvases you've created for easy editing among teams.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Buffer
    I also used Combin which is easy and free to use. However, Combin only posts when the computer is active and connected to the internet. So, posting while you are not actively using your computer at that moment is not possible, therefore Buffer is much more efficient as you can even post while being on vacation without working.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Canva
    Canva is faster and easy to use. There aren't complex menus like Adobe products and everything is generally intuitive. Menus are mostly open and visible or relatively small. Small changes to the program add to it's usability rather than detract. I also appreciate that Canva helps the user become more creative through use. By giving you editable examples through templates you can choose to re-design something ir create something from scratch w/ a similar concept or feel. Canva often gives me ideas that I can implement into my design or into the entire project even. I also like how Canva is intuitive in it's approach. The program gives you suggestions when it comes to graphics, etc. without getting in your way if you know what you already want
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    Scalability
    Buffer
    Buffer does what it say on tin as they say! you can always count on Buffer. Buffer can be scale to 25 social account with 2,000 scheduled post which is enough for most agencies or businesses
    Incentivized
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    Canva
    Very easy to add accounts and share content between them. Collaboration is also easy to manage and can be done on a project-by-project basis. The cloud-based software means it is incredibly fast to add a coworker and have them editing images within minutes. A live internet connection is required to access Canva so this is something to consider if expecting to use the software while on journeys without access to wifi etc
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Buffer
    • It has saved money by allowing us to automate our social using one person
    • It allows us to connect one channel at a time instead of wasting money on larger account management tools
    • We are making money, because it has already delivered several clients
    Incentivized
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    Canva
    • As far as ROI is concerned, Canva has proven itself time and time again as having a positive impact for business.
    • Just yesterday, I had to prepare an hour-long presentation on the fly; the great reviews of the presentation and the materials (all made in Canva) only served to advertise for Canva and it proves that Canva is a smart investment.
    • I don't think in the time that I have been a Canva pro user that I can say that my ROI has been negatively impacted. Highest recommendation. The software more the casually pays for itself time and time again.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Buffer Screenshots

    Screenshot of The Buffer dashboardScreenshot of Customizable posting scheduleScreenshot of Tailored PostsScreenshot of List or calendar view of scheduled postsScreenshot of Browser extensionScreenshot of Social media analytics