Buffer vs. Mailchimp

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Buffer
Score 8.2 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.
$15
per month
Mailchimp
Score 7.9 out of 10
N/A
Mailchimp is the email marketing and marketing automation platform. Most email marketing platforms tell you how your campaigns perform, but Mailchimp goes a step beyond and tells you why by analyzing the data from half a billion emails sent through the platform every day to offer personalized recommendations for improving content, targeting, automations, and driving revenue using emails
$0
per month
Pricing
BufferMailchimp
Editions & Modules
Publish Pro
$15
per month
Analyze Pro
$35
per month
Analyze Premium
$50
per month
Publish Premium
$65
per month
Publish Business
$99
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BufferMailchimp
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsHere are the prices of our various plans: Pro: $15/month Small Business: $99/month Medium Business: $199/month Large Business: $399/month Enterprise: Feel free to get in touch with us at onboarding@buffer.com. All plans can be paid on either a monthly or yearly basis. If you choose to pay yearly, you would receive a 15% discount, which works out to be approximately two months free per year.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BufferMailchimp
Considered Both Products
Buffer
Chose Buffer
I've used Sprout Social for two clients now and find it somewhat difficult to use. I'm sure there are ways to circumvent the issues, but I've even tried talking to/working with customer service and one issue just couldn't be worked out.
Buffer is easy. I've maybe had to contact …
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 …
Chose Buffer
I prefer buffer over Hootsuite and prefer Agorapulse over Buffer. The reason I would recommend Agorapulse over Buffer is that when using more platforms Buffer becomes too expensive.
Chose Buffer
I've previously used Sprout Social and while I think that is a more robust product overall (including its reporting/tracking capabilities), the cost is much more manageable with Buffer. As compared to Hootsuite, Buffer has a far more intuitive interface and makes it simpler to …
Chose Buffer
I used Hootsuite before and it was a good tool, but the UI and overall UX wasn't that great. Hootsuite did the job, but it wasn't as enjoyable to use it as it's with Buffer. So the main reason I selected Buffer is the user experience and it being an easy-to-use product.
Mailchimp
Chose Mailchimp
I really haven't tried any others...I started out with Mailchimp and it's been so easy to use and met all my needs. I wouldn't have a need to go with any others unless/until my list grows much larger. I might consider it then. Emma is one I've heard about that I might look at.
Chose Mailchimp
HubSpot CRM is first and foremost a CRM system whilst MailChimp is a specialised email marketing tool so it's no surprise MailChimp is a clear winner in this category. Had HubSpot been a decent CRM too, we might have stuck with that single solution because it would have …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
BufferMailchimp
Publishing
Comparison of Publishing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.6
64 Ratings
4% below category average
Mailchimp
-
Ratings
Content planning and scheduling9.364 Ratings00 Ratings
Content optimization6.457 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow management7.053 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting/analytics
Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
7.8
59 Ratings
1% below category average
Mailchimp
-
Ratings
Campaign success analytics7.859 Ratings00 Ratings
Account management
Comparison of Account management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
8.4
61 Ratings
3% above category average
Mailchimp
-
Ratings
Role-based user permissions & privileges7.649 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile access9.159 Ratings00 Ratings
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
8.0
472 Ratings
3% above category average
WYSIWYG email editor00 Ratings8.1437 Ratings
Dynamic content00 Ratings7.8420 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings7.9401 Ratings
Landing pages00 Ratings7.5325 Ratings
A/B testing00 Ratings8.0356 Ratings
Mobile optimization00 Ratings8.1431 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting00 Ratings8.5459 Ratings
List management00 Ratings8.1459 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences00 Ratings7.7317 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
9.1
2 Ratings
17% above category average
Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings6.22 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Data quality management00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
8.1
48 Ratings
6% above category average
Calendaring00 Ratings8.443 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings7.734 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
8.2
42 Ratings
9% above category average
Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings8.340 Ratings
Social profile integration00 Ratings8.134 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
7.5
457 Ratings
0% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings7.7120 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.0455 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings6.948 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Buffer
-
Ratings
Mailchimp
7.3
41 Ratings
4% below category average
API00 Ratings7.831 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals00 Ratings6.26 Ratings
Customizability00 Ratings5.62 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com00 Ratings8.320 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM00 Ratings7.517 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM00 Ratings8.12 Ratings
Third-party software integrations00 Ratings7.636 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BufferMailchimp
Small Businesses
Publer
Publer
Score 9.8 out of 10
Vbout
Vbout
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.3 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Social Suite by Reputation.com
Score 9.3 out of 10
PFL Direct Mail Platform
PFL Direct Mail Platform
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BufferMailchimp
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(84 ratings)
8.1
(496 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(14 ratings)
8.5
(51 ratings)
Usability
8.1
(23 ratings)
8.4
(373 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(2 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Performance
8.0
(2 ratings)
9.0
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
6.3
(23 ratings)
7.8
(14 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(2 ratings)
7.5
(22 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.6
(2 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
BufferMailchimp
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
Mailchimp
With Mailchimp we are able to revive and enhance our personal connect with the customers. The easy-to-use tools allows us to personalize the email content, segregate and target important leads & send relevant messages. Also, it offers interactive analysis on the performance of a particular campaign. We can judge the effectiveness of our mailers in real time.
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
Mailchimp
  • Mailchimp allows you to manage your mailing list really well. You can subscribe people, unsubscribe people manage the mailing list directly into segments, and what not.
  • Mailchimp has features where you can create campaigns based on your mailing lists and send out newsletters to your subscribers based on a multitude of parameters that you can setup. Such as send email daily, weekly, monthly and they also have event based mails that you can send out.
  • Mailchimp also has a feature where you can design your emails. The look and aesthetics are very important when sending emails to your subscribers and all those needs are addressed here.
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
Mailchimp
  • The interface remains a cluttered, non-intuitive mess. That's true from the haphazard way features are organized to the actual email layout.
  • Analytics have never been a priority, and I don't see that changing with Intuit's new ownership. I'm very frustrated over the limited choices for reporting, even when using third-party solutions. If I needed that function, I would not use MailChimp.
  • I would love to develop a workflow screen that lets me focus on the things that I use all the time. Customizing the interface where the content actually goes into the software would help.
  • I never understood why we couldn't import a document into a MC template. At best, we're spending time copying-and-pasting from one app into MC.
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
Mailchimp
We've had Mailchimp for about ten years, I want to say. I started with the company about four years ago, and I don't see us ever diverting to another source. It's easy for us to use, and we have all our clients already built into the database. I imagine we'll use them for as long as we have the company.
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
Mailchimp
Our team use Mailchimp almost every week. Overall UI is simple for anyone to get started with it. The resource library around using particular features is also there, so we don't have to train our team on this product. We also used a lot of other features as well.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Buffer
Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
Read full review
Mailchimp
I have, in the 4+ years that I've used Mailchimp, never seen an issue that restricted the use of their software/tools. I don't know of a single time when they're system crashed or went down. I could be wrong, but I honestly haven't experienced any issues with outages, errors or unplanned downtime
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
Read full review
Mailchimp
I haven't noticed any slow speeds from Mailchimp or their tools. I think the landing pages load quickly and look nice. The email reports and editing operates smoothly and doesn't take time to load. Additionally, when I use Mailchimp in conjunction with Zapier + Hubspot I don't notice any drag between any of these tools
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.
Read full review
Mailchimp
Website tools were easy to use and understand so a novice can easily meet or exceed their client's expectations! Loved that we were able to totally customize so that the e-mail we created conveyed our client's overall messaging consistent with their branding! Client love that we can provide turnkey services to support their sales and marketing teams!
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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
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Mailchimp
It's pretty easy to get up and running! There's a slight learning curve on a few things, but once you find where everything is located, you can import your list and send your first email. It really makes our clients feel great to see how quickly they can get that first email out.
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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.
Read full review
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a means to an end and a way to stay within GDPR laws. We may not use it if this wasn't a requirement. Other platforms are better for design or management of contacts, but Mailchimp offers that secure storage of data that is required. I have not tried other bulk mail applications, so am unable to compare these.
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
Mailchimp
Mailchimp over the years I've used it has grown in leaps and bounds. They have added so many additional features than were previously available. They are truly an all-in-one marketing platform now. If you're a small operation and just want to add email to your marketing efforts, they're there for you. If you're a larger operation and want to start sending postcard advertisements, they can do that. If you'd good with that and want to kick up your marketing by going social, you can do that on their platform. They are truly able to be as small as you need, but also get quite large in whatever it is you'd like to do through their system.
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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
Read full review
Mailchimp
  • Mailchimp has allowed us to communicate effectively with thousands of customers with ease.
  • Mailchimp's use during our second year of business helped us expand our list of brands considerably (almost 30% YTD) because of regular interactions that we've launched.
  • Mailchimp ramp-up time is minimal for new users so I can turn things over to junior staff - saving me time and money.
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

Mailchimp Screenshots

Screenshot of Mailchimp's advanced analytics and reporting tools. These are used to monitor trends, track performance, and get actionable insights that help users to create better campaigns and drive customer engagement.Screenshot of Mailchimp's precise audience segmentation. Its AI simplifies the workflow by generating complex customer segments for highly personalized campaigns.Screenshot of omnichannel marketing. Campaigns can be built across multiple channels, and then managed from one convenient place.Screenshot of marketing automations with the Customer Journey Builder. This is used to reach the right people with the right message at exactly the right time, which helps to drive more repeat business, increase customer retention, and see more orders.Screenshot of Mailchimp's SMS marketing. SMS can be integrated into email, automations, and social campaigns.Screenshot of Mailchimp's AI, used to deliver relevant content faster. It can generate professionally written, on-brand marketing emails with the press of a button. The user only needs to review, edit, and send.