Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Buffer
Score 7.8 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
Later Social
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Later (formerly Latergramme) in Vancouver offers an Instagram focused social media marketing platform, which supports the planning and scheduling of content to Instagram, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
$25
per month
LocaliQ
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
LocaliQ is a marketing platform that helps businesses attract and retain ideal customers with a suite of AI lead management and digital agents, marketing automation, omnichannel campaign management, advanced reporting, and expert-led services.N/A
Pricing
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
Editions & Modules
Free
$0
Essentials
$6
per month per channel
Team
$12
per month per channel
Starter
$25
per month
Growth
$50
per month
Scale
$100
per month
Enterprise
Contact Sales
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
Free Trial
YesYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.33% discount available for annual subscription.LocaliQ offers both self-serve and premium solutions. LocaliQ’s free, self-serve experience provides access to Free Website Grader, Free Inbound Call Recorder, Chatbot (free and $9.99/month options available), Scheduling Technology (free and $9.99/month options available), and Listings solutions ($9.99/month and $14.99/month options available). For LocaliQ's premium solutions, users are partnered with a LocaliQ expert to create the best marketing plan for their businesses that utilizes a full suite of marketing products.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
Considered Multiple Products
Buffer
Chose Buffer
Buffer keeps it simple. It was great for when I worked at smaller companies and also for when I have done freelance social media work. Put it this way, Buffer is an accessible tool. The functionality is basic and intuitive so anyone can learn to use it. They also have a free …
Chose Buffer
Buffer has a clear, easy to use interface and a reliable scheduling calendar.
Chose Buffer
Buffer is much more affordable than some of the other apps we have tried! It also is more user-friendly, the support was quick to help and respond, and we had more success with posts.
Chose Buffer
Buffer keeps things simple. It took a highly sought after feature (social scheduling) and unbundled it from the more complex social tools out there.
Later Social
Chose Later Social
As a social media manager I find that Buffer, Hootsuite and Sproutsocial are superior to all features available on Later.
LocaliQ

No answer on this topic

Features
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
Publishing
Comparison of Publishing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.9
77 Ratings
2% below category average
Later Social
8.7
2 Ratings
7% above category average
LocaliQ
-
Ratings
Content planning and scheduling8.677 Ratings10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Content optimization7.470 Ratings8.22 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow management7.766 Ratings8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting/analytics
Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.1
70 Ratings
8% below category average
Later Social
4.0
1 Ratings
63% below category average
LocaliQ
-
Ratings
Campaign success analytics7.170 Ratings4.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Account management
Comparison of Account management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
8.3
72 Ratings
5% above category average
Later Social
6.8
2 Ratings
15% below category average
LocaliQ
-
Ratings
Role-based user permissions & privileges8.459 Ratings00 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile access8.168 Ratings6.82 Ratings00 Ratings
Channel coverage/integration
Comparison of Channel coverage/integration features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
8.8
2 Ratings
5% above category average
LocaliQ
-
Ratings
Twitter00 Ratings7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Facebook00 Ratings8.62 Ratings00 Ratings
LinkedIn00 Ratings8.22 Ratings00 Ratings
Instagram00 Ratings10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Pinterest00 Ratings10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
YouTube00 Ratings8.82 Ratings00 Ratings
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
7.6
11 Ratings
7% above category average
WYSIWYG email editor00 Ratings00 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Dynamic content00 Ratings00 Ratings6.69 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Landing pages00 Ratings00 Ratings6.78 Ratings
A/B testing00 Ratings00 Ratings8.06 Ratings
Mobile optimization00 Ratings00 Ratings7.311 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting00 Ratings00 Ratings9.06 Ratings
List management00 Ratings00 Ratings7.17 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences00 Ratings00 Ratings8.63 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
7.4
42 Ratings
14% above category average
Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings00 Ratings7.934 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings00 Ratings6.79 Ratings
Data quality management00 Ratings00 Ratings7.838 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings00 Ratings7.224 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
7.8
3 Ratings
5% above category average
Calendaring00 Ratings00 Ratings9.52 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings00 Ratings6.02 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
7.8
10 Ratings
18% above category average
Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings00 Ratings8.19 Ratings
Social profile integration00 Ratings00 Ratings7.69 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
7.6
45 Ratings
15% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings00 Ratings7.544 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings00 Ratings7.744 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings00 Ratings7.734 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Later Social
-
Ratings
LocaliQ
9.0
6 Ratings
50% above category average
Customizability00 Ratings00 Ratings9.06 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
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
Thryv
Thryv
Score 8.7 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
OutboundEngine
OutboundEngine
Score 9.9 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

No answers on this topic

All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(96 ratings)
10.0
(17 ratings)
8.5
(48 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(15 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(33 ratings)
10.0
(4 ratings)
8.2
(35 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.0
(24 ratings)
9.0
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(34 ratings)
User Testimonials
BufferLater SocialLocaliQ
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
Later
The free version is more than enough for personal use. But if you have a small business or if you're trying to grow your brand, it's better to use one of the premium plans. It's worth it. Later is especially useful if you manage multiple accounts for multiple brands/companies because you'll be managing everything with just one tool
Read full review
Gannett
The forms of online marketing continues to grow and LocaliQ's associates have the relevant skills to keep up with this and recommend what is suited for our business. Geo fencing is another area that makes a lot of sense as people use their phones more and more for accessing the web. Through LocaliQ we can pinpoint physicial places where we can market to a group that matches our target audience.
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
Later
  • Later's easy upload feature (drag and drop) is incredibly helpful, especially for multiple images and videos.
  • The drag and drop option for scheduling content is easy, and images and videos load rather quickly depending on size.
  • Captions can be saved if there are posts or common phrases that repeated and shared out from the content.
Read full review
Gannett
  • ThriveHive is a smaller marketing team dedicated to helping small to medium sized businesses perfect their marketing messages. ThriveHive is particularity good at understanding how Google, and other search engines work, and have been instrumental in helping my company to grow and evolve.
  • With ThriveHive, you get a dedicated coach who is matched to your type of business. This experience with similar businesses gives your coach a better understanding of your business and the challenges your company faces.
  • My coach is very good at responding to my needs within 1 to 2 business days. Email contacts are fluent and as often as I need, to discuss ideas or questions. I can only speak of my relationship with my coach, and I am very pleased.
  • I feel that ThriveHive makes every effort to take excellent care of their clients, and makes you feel like you are their most important customer. I definitely believe that this is one of ThriveHives' greatest assets.
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
Later
  • I wish I could edit the look and feel of my pictures within Later a little easier. There are standard filters, but for brand sake, I need everything to be consistent.
  • I wish there was a direct integration with things like Canva and Lightroom to make uploading and editing my images seamless.
  • The biggest thing I wish Later did was allowing a better threshold for the free accounts. All of the helpful and useful features are for paid only (video posts, multi-image posts, analytics, etc). I can't justify the cost for just a few posts a month. I end up doing all of the video and multi-image posts manually, which lately has me questioning the benefit of Later's free version as a small business.
Read full review
Gannett
  • LocaliQ could improve how it tracks and reports on customer journeys across those channels to provide a clearer view of ROI.
  • The pricing structure is not fully transparent, making it hard to understand the true costs associated with campaigns. Breaking down the fees associated with LocaliQ would make budgeting easier.
  • LocaliQ is able to provide basic ad creative, but there tends to be a disconnect between our brand voice and what is expected with creative. It would be nice to be able to get all design work within LocaliQ rather than have to use and outside designer all the time.
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
Later
No answers on this topic
Gannett
No answers on this topic
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
Later
The desktop site is almost perfect, I love it. I love that I can drag and drop, I love that I can easily and quickly switch to analytics and switching profiles... love the ease of link in bio. so great!
Read full review
Gannett
Overall usability pretty good. If we would have gotten better return on our advertising dollar I would have continued with them - their dashboard was very easy to use and the recaps they provided were helpful. They try to put data in bite-sized pieces for the client that are understandable (unlike google's reporting page itself which can be a bit difficult to understand at times). Their team was friendly, semi-responsive, and provided explanations when requested
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Buffer
Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
Read full review
Later
No answers on this topic
Gannett
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
Later
No answers on this topic
Gannett
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
Later
Later are not just a software tool, they also provide marketing advice, tips, and tutorials via their blog. I’ve only had to reach out to them for help a few times and have found them to respond much faster than other tools in their category. I receive weekly emails with updates, marketing tips and invites to online events. I look forward to their emails as I’ve learned a lot of things that I’ve been able to actually implement.
Read full review
Gannett
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
Later
No answers on this topic
Gannett
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
Later
I went with Later for the lower cost subscription. The Hootsuite copy features is missed, but Later has hashtag suggestions which is nice. I really need something to post across multiple platforms. I also needed the ability to schedule more than the 5 free scheduled posts offered by Hootsuite. Later has been working great for what I need it to do to support my small event promotion business.
Read full review
Gannett
I have investigated national services like American Eagle and also small market locally owned business like Red Shoes. Each year, I look into at least one other service provider to evaluate our service value. So far, no other company has come close to providing an all around service
Read full review
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
Later
No answers on this topic
Gannett
There is always the challenge with practices that have multiple locations, trying to target a geographical zone that is sometimes to wide. But we have successfully navigated this issue when needed to target those who need the most added volume.
Read full review
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
Later
  • Increased social media involvement - Since utilizing Later and another social media scheduling tool, we have seen our growth rise as much as 12% in just a few months. This includes followers, likes, and engagement. This is huge for us since social media is a great way to generate new customers and increase brand awareness.
  • Easier reporting - Analytics tools on most of the big three (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) are pretty limited. Later is a great way to take a look at our Analytics, and it makes it easy to understand the numbers.
Read full review
Gannett
  • It's hard to quantify but I know I've had at least 5 to 10 new clients in the last 6 months come from efforts related to my website
  • Not having to work on my website myself also helped free up my time, I don't need to worry!
  • Customer service is good, the team doesn't wait till there is a problem, they schedule check ins regularly
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

LocaliQ Screenshots

Screenshot of the Dash lead management dashboard and engagement centerScreenshot of the Marketing Dashboard, which provides access to reports 24/7, or can be used to listen to phone calls and recordings, and manage a lead inbox. LocaliQ customers receive access to the Marketing Dashboard with the purchase of any other products at no additional cost. Upgrades available for automated lead nurture solutions.Screenshot of LocaliQ’s search ad technology includes expertise from account setup and keyword creation to data analysis and reporting across multiple search engines.Screenshot of Social ads, based on a business's unique goals and budget.Screenshot of LocaliQ listings solutions to get a business accurately listed, with lower cost or premium options.Screenshot of the AI-powered Dash SMS Agent that qualifies leads and convert customers. AI responses are generated using website content to provide a customer experience as good or better than a human interaction.