Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Buffer
Score 7.6 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
Emplifi
Score 8.9 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
Emplifi offers a platform that enables brands to manage social marketing, commerce, and care. At the core of this platform is Emplifi Fuel — the outcome and enablement layer that connects all modules across marketing, commerce, and care. Fuel empowers brands to optimize the customer journey, unifying data, automation, and AI-driven insights to ensure every interaction drives meaningful business outcomes. The platform's core capabilities include:…N/A
Zoho Social
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Zoho Social is a comprehensive social media management platform designed for businesses of all sizes and agencies. It is used to schedule and publish posts, manage conversations—including direct messages, comments, and mentions—across multiple platforms, track keywords, competitors, and hashtags, and generate reports from one dashboard. Supported platforms: Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads), Google Business Profile, YouTube, Pinterest, Mastodon, X (formerly Twitter),…
$15
per month
Pricing
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Editions & Modules
Free
$0
Essentials
$6
per month per channel
Team
$12
per month per channel
No answers on this topic
Free
$0
per month per user
Standard
$15
per month per user
Professional
$40
per month per user
Premium
$65
per month 3 users
Agency
$320
per month 5 users
Agency Plus
$460
per month 5 users
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Free Trial
YesNoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.Add Ons Users at $10 / user / month Brands $10 / brand / month Discount available for annual pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Considered Multiple Products
Buffer
Chose Buffer
Buffer had the best free version, but Zoho Social had the most social media channels available in the price range.
Hootsuite was the tool we first wanted, but the price was considerably more, for tools we are not sure if we need at this time.
Chose Buffer
Buffer is comparable to those mentioned. Not as great as Hootsuite and Meltwater, but it holds its own and gets the job done. Buffer comes off more like the budget friendly option and lacks some of the overall bells and whistles Hootsuite and Meltwater offers. Buffer is really …
Chose Buffer
I would recommend Buffer for ease of use, social media intergration and costs, also Buffer rarely has any issues or downtime. If they do they warn you well in advance.
Emplifi

No answer on this topic

Zoho Social
Chose Zoho Social
Each tool had strengths, but Zoho Social stood out for its streamlined publishing workflow, cross-platform reliability, intuitive calendar, and overall stability. It’s the one I ultimately stuck with for daily multi-brand posting.
Chose Zoho Social
I've found Zoho Social provides a much wider range of options and some are to a much more detailed level.
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho Social has much more featured in one place. Also have more advanced AI assistance per channel as well as option to schedule comments for each social post which helps a lot.
Chose Zoho Social
I find Buffer's interface more difficult to use and the reports do not have as many features as Zoho Social and are not customizable. I also don't find their engagement tab useful.
Chose Zoho Social
One product that wasn't listed here is Plannthat.com That's actually where all of my other clients' brands are located. I like that plan gives you content creation ideas, keeps you on top of trends, and shows you a calendar (weekly and monthly) on what you've posted already, …
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho Social is similar to Buffer in price but you get more channels for the costs, while Buffer allows for Pinterest. Zoho is more difficult to customize posts based on social media channels than Buffer, but easier to schedule posts for all channels at once. Zoho is cheaper …
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho easily is a better bet compared to other applications not just in terms of the pricing but also in terms of usability. Most applications charge you separately for managing different social accounts of the company. Zoho gives you access to all your accounts under one …
Chose Zoho Social
[Zoho Social is] very simple, fast, and easy to use. All platforms have their own pros and cons, but Zoho Social is better for linkedin due the social network penalize when you are hosting content in another platform. Zoho Social upload the content directly to linkedin. It also …
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho [Social] doesn't require you to use their scheduling function in order to collect data on posts.
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho Social is so much easier to use than all the other platforms I've used.
Chose Zoho Social
Compared to all 3 of the options listed above, which are good pieces of software in their own right, Zoho Social makes it much easier to actually respond and engage with people on social media. This creates better sentiment towards our brand, has surfaced leads, and business …
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho is around the price range of basic packages of these two softwares, but, in my opinion, has better reporting. It's way faster than Hootsuite, and mobile. Featurewise, Zoho Social lacks some features, and Hootsuite has the best learning support, and certification.
Chose Zoho Social
Zoho Social just has a lot more features and A LOT better price point than the other guys.
Features
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Publishing
Comparison of Publishing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.8
77 Ratings
4% below category average
Emplifi
7.3
8 Ratings
11% below category average
Zoho Social
8.7
517 Ratings
7% above category average
Content planning and scheduling8.677 Ratings7.38 Ratings9.3515 Ratings
Content optimization7.370 Ratings7.38 Ratings8.5429 Ratings
Workflow management7.666 Ratings7.67 Ratings8.753 Ratings
Audience targeting00 Ratings7.07 Ratings8.4367 Ratings
Reporting/analytics
Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.0
70 Ratings
10% below category average
Emplifi
6.4
8 Ratings
19% below category average
Zoho Social
8.4
415 Ratings
8% above category average
Campaign success analytics7.070 Ratings7.07 Ratings8.8412 Ratings
Real-time tracking00 Ratings6.78 Ratings9.046 Ratings
Competitor analysis00 Ratings5.57 Ratings7.5256 Ratings
Account management
Comparison of Account management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
8.1
72 Ratings
2% above category average
Emplifi
6.7
8 Ratings
16% below category average
Zoho Social
9.1
455 Ratings
14% above category average
Role-based user permissions & privileges8.359 Ratings7.38 Ratings9.0360 Ratings
Mobile access8.068 Ratings6.15 Ratings9.2433 Ratings
Listening/monitoring
Comparison of Listening/monitoring features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Emplifi
6.4
7 Ratings
18% below category average
Zoho Social
8.7
440 Ratings
13% above category average
Boolean keyword searches00 Ratings6.75 Ratings00 Ratings
Filtering out noise/spam00 Ratings6.46 Ratings00 Ratings
Sentiment analysis00 Ratings5.55 Ratings8.4314 Ratings
Broad channel coverage00 Ratings7.07 Ratings9.1435 Ratings
Engagement
Comparison of Engagement features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Emplifi
7.3
7 Ratings
11% below category average
Zoho Social
8.4
422 Ratings
3% above category average
Automated routing and prioritization00 Ratings7.37 Ratings8.0357 Ratings
Customer interaction histories00 Ratings8.25 Ratings8.3395 Ratings
Bulk actions00 Ratings6.46 Ratings9.045 Ratings
Marketing
Comparison of Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Emplifi
7.6
6 Ratings
1% below category average
Zoho Social
8.3
369 Ratings
8% above category average
Lead generation00 Ratings8.01 Ratings8.0283 Ratings
Content marketing00 Ratings7.66 Ratings8.5357 Ratings
Paid media management00 Ratings7.74 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaigns and promotions00 Ratings7.34 Ratings00 Ratings
Channel coverage/integration
Comparison of Channel coverage/integration features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Emplifi
5.8
8 Ratings
36% below category average
Zoho Social
9.2
507 Ratings
10% above category average
Twitter00 Ratings6.18 Ratings9.2454 Ratings
Facebook00 Ratings7.98 Ratings9.3494 Ratings
LinkedIn00 Ratings4.17 Ratings9.3446 Ratings
Google+00 Ratings8.01 Ratings8.9289 Ratings
Instagram00 Ratings7.38 Ratings9.2426 Ratings
Pinterest00 Ratings3.25 Ratings00 Ratings
YouTube00 Ratings3.95 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Small Businesses
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.4 out of 10
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.4 out of 10
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.4 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
Likelihood to Recommend
7.5
(97 ratings)
9.2
(110 ratings)
9.2
(521 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(15 ratings)
9.1
(6 ratings)
9.3
(15 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(33 ratings)
8.3
(36 ratings)
9.3
(349 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(24 ratings)
7.9
(43 ratings)
9.3
(220 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
8.4
(5 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(2 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
3.6
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
BufferEmplifiZoho Social
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
Emplifi Inc
- Very well suited to grabbing top-level and more in-depth social performance data, across campaigns and BAU activity. - Not as well suited for moments where you need benchmarking or context of your performance compared with a previous time frame. This can be a bit clunky to go back and forth with as it requires multiple dashboards or consistent manual time-frame changes.
Read full review
Zoho
Zoho Social excels at multi-channel social media management with intuitive scheduling and analytics. The platform integrates seamlessly with CRM, enabling personalized customer engagement. Best suited for small-to-medium businesses managing multiple social accounts. However, advanced AI-driven insights and competitor analysis features could be enhanced. The reporting dashboard is comprehensive but could use more customization options for enterprise teams.
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.
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
  • Helps us prioritize requests based on urgency and tone
  • Helps us divide work between several teams
  • Helps us keep an eye on how our posts are being recieved and are performing
  • Helps us stay in contact with customers, and helps us understand particular customers needs
  • Helps us separate the chaff from the wheat
Read full review
Zoho
  • Professional precision needed to align our content strategy with specific target groups.
  • The process of ensuring content is consumed by the right audience at the right time is key to our growth.
  • Platform is a vital tool for scaling our mission.
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.
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
  • Would love more robust search parameters for labels. ex. search for tickets labeled 'Availability' AND 'United States' but excluding any that are only one of those labels
  • Ability to break conversations into multiple tickets; so labels can be more accurate if the same person reaches out again after 3 months with a totally different question
  • The social account quick view doesn't always load the follower count for people reaching out to us. it makes it slower to manager messages from high level creators
Read full review
Zoho
  • I wanted to use the ability to have Zoho queue the posts, but I wanted to choose the start time of the first post for a few days in the future and I did not find an easy way to set that.
  • I wish there were a box with a cheat sheet of the sizes that each social media platform allows for it's video and pictures in the dialogue box for posting so I can be sure to choose appropriate content.
  • I do think it's a bit expensive, especially for my needs, but I like the ease of use. I will continue to do what I can to get this service discounted until I can no longer afford it.
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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
the balance between quality and price si perfectperfect for agency that have many client to manage, because it helps us to save time (we don't have to plan content from every single account, only one click to look at different community and moderate...)it also help the team works: senior can review content direcly from emplifi; labeling DM/comments as done help us to track where a collegue stop and we have to startIt makes the content approval from clients very easy
Read full review
Zoho
Zoho Social is the BEST! I have found the perfect solution to social media marketing! It is extremely affordable and I highly recommend it! Create a post once and post it to 5 or more social media platforms! LOVE IT!! :)
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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
Since the main use of the Live Advisor is on the website that doesn't have e-commerce capabilities, it has been challenging to attach an specific metric to Emplifi's solutions and their usability in our websites. The Live Advisor is helping us to deliver our unique sale proposition in digital channels, which is great, but it is difficult to assign a higher mark in usability due to the limitation just explained.
Read full review
Zoho
It logs you in directly to the screen you need to use, and our use reason of this software is to share posts on our social media accounts at one place. It also warns you about platform specific issues as you prepare your post. Its integration interfaces are great, easy to use, and have clear and helpful instructions.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Buffer
Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
No answers on this topic
Zoho
No answers on this topic
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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
No answers on this topic
Zoho
No answers on this topic
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.
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
We have a dedicated Customer Success manager, and that is very helpful. Anytime we have questions or need support, they are always there to answer. If thety do not know the solution, they always go around the bend to find one and provide it to us. They are always very kind.
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Zoho
I rate the customer support as outstanding. The assistance provided by the support team has been consistently prompt, knowledgeable, and attentive to our needs. Whenever we've encountered issues or had questions, they have swiftly addressed them, guiding us through solutions and ensuring a smooth experience. Their dedication to resolving concerns reflects their commitment to customer satisfaction, and I am thoroughly impressed with the level of support we have received.
Read full review
Online Training
Buffer
No answers on this topic
Emplifi Inc
The online training was fine but, in the end, the best way to learn any product is by actually using it.
Read full review
Zoho
No answers on this topic
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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
The platform is so easy to understand that no "expensive consulting firm" is necessary to implement it!
Read full review
Zoho
No answers on this topic
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.
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
We have used Sprinklr to source UGC content as well, but found the platform to be much more time intensive when searching for the desired images. Additionally, Emplifi's UGC tool has incremental tools the other platforms do not provide, including the ability to share images on digital screens within the property and put carousels on our websites.
Read full review
Zoho
Zoho Social is a great social media management tool that allows businesses, and individuals, to manage multiple social media accounts, schedule posts, track analytics, and engage with followers. It competes well with other social media management tools such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, Agora Pulse, and Hubspot. Zoho Social stands out for its integration capabilities with other Zoho applications and affordability for small to medium-sized businesses. Each tool has its own strengths and weaknesses, and businesses should evaluate them based on their specific needs and goals. The biggest fallacy for Zoho is its restriction on scheduling tools on the free plan who have social and personal needs. I believe this can be circumvented by Zoho periodically making an advertisement to one's feed.
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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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
No answers on this topic
Zoho
No answers on this topic
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
Read full review
Emplifi Inc
  • reporting - this has massively reduced the time spent on creating reports for social media activities
  • paid ads - has provided detailed analysis of how our ads are performing
  • community - reduced the time taken to respond to social messages, resulting in more leads
Read full review
Zoho
  • Zoho Social allows me to "see" my messaging planning weeks into the future. I can create themes for a week or month and easily see how it performs.
  • Having all my social accounts in one place saves me time.
  • It is too early for any ROI from Zoho but the amount of content I am putting out has increased by at least 400%.
Read full review
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

Emplifi Screenshots

Screenshot of Emplifi Fuel Command CenterScreenshot of Emplifi Fuel ObjectivesScreenshot of Emplifi Unified AnalyticsScreenshot of social listening with AI-Powered Spike Alerts.Screenshot of the integrated social care interface.

Zoho Social Screenshots

Screenshot of the Zoho Social interface, which appears when logging into an account. It provides navigation to switch between brands, monitor follower growth, and analyze post performance across connected channels—offering a unified view of an organization's social media health, posts, and interactions.Screenshot of the interface to publish content across all connected channels at once, or by selecting specific ones individually. It also offers the option to schedule posts for later or use SmartQ to automatically pick the best time for optimal engagement.Screenshot of the interface to manage all social media conversations, including direct messages, comments, and mentions, across all channels in a single unified inbox.Screenshot of the Monitor feature, used to track keywords, relevant accounts, and content, with notifications.Screenshot of an example of Zoho Social's data-driven insights, used to crunch numbers and generate reports.Screenshot of the Social Media Calendar, used to plan and deliver experiences.