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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

    Social Blade

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ASocial Blade was founded in 2008 originally as a resource for Digg users to track their success on the Social News site, but has expanded to YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and Instagram as well. Now their priority is to provide YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram Users with a way to track their channels statistics and compare themselves with others.N/A

    Zoho Social

    Score9.1 out of 10
    N/AZoho 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
    BufferSocial BladeZoho 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
    BufferSocial BladeZoho Social
    Free Trial
    YesNoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    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
    BufferSocial BladeZoho 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.
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Social Blade LLC
    No answer on this topic
    Zoho
    Chose Zoho Social
    Zoho is the best
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Social
    I've found Zoho Social provides a much wider range of options and some are to a much more detailed level.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Social
    Zoho Social is easy to use and provides all analytics compared to other social media tools.
    Incentivized
    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, …
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Social
    Zoho [Social] doesn't require you to use their scheduling function in order to collect data on posts.
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    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 …
    Incentivized
    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.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Social
    Zoho Social just has a lot more features and A LOT better price point than the other guys.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    91%
    Would buy again
    30 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Would buy again
    370 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    28 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    343 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    85%
    Happy with the feature set
    28 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    365 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    26 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    327 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    29 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    352 Answers
    Features
    BufferSocial BladeZoho Social
    Publishing
    Comparison of Publishing features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    7.8
    77 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    8.7
    519 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Content planning and scheduling8.677 Ratings00 Ratings9.4517 Ratings
    Content optimization7.370 Ratings00 Ratings8.5430 Ratings
    Workflow management7.666 Ratings00 Ratings8.755 Ratings
    Audience targeting00 Ratings00 Ratings8.4368 Ratings
    Reporting/analytics
    Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    7.0
    70 Ratings
    10% below category average
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    8.4
    416 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Campaign success analytics7.070 Ratings00 Ratings8.8412 Ratings
    Real-time tracking00 Ratings00 Ratings9.047 Ratings
    Competitor analysis00 Ratings00 Ratings7.4256 Ratings
    Account management
    Comparison of Account management features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    8.1
    72 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    9.1
    456 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Role-based user permissions & privileges8.359 Ratings00 Ratings9.1361 Ratings
    Mobile access7.968 Ratings00 Ratings9.2433 Ratings
    Listening/monitoring
    Comparison of Listening/monitoring features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    8.8
    442 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Sentiment analysis00 Ratings00 Ratings8.4315 Ratings
    Broad channel coverage00 Ratings00 Ratings9.1437 Ratings
    Engagement
    Comparison of Engagement features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    8.4
    423 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Automated routing and prioritization00 Ratings00 Ratings8.0357 Ratings
    Customer interaction histories00 Ratings00 Ratings8.3396 Ratings
    Bulk actions00 Ratings00 Ratings9.046 Ratings
    Marketing
    Comparison of Marketing features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    8.3
    370 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Lead generation00 Ratings00 Ratings8.0283 Ratings
    Content marketing00 Ratings00 Ratings8.5358 Ratings
    Channel coverage/integration
    Comparison of Channel coverage/integration features of Buffer and Social Blade and Zoho Social
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Social Blade
    -
    Ratings
    Zoho Social
    9.2
    508 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Twitter00 Ratings00 Ratings9.2454 Ratings
    Facebook00 Ratings00 Ratings9.3495 Ratings
    LinkedIn00 Ratings00 Ratings9.3447 Ratings
    Google+00 Ratings00 Ratings9.0290 Ratings
    Instagram00 Ratings00 Ratings9.2426 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BufferSocial BladeZoho Social
    Small Businesses
    Sendible
    Score7.2 out of 10
    Talkwalker by Hootsuite
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Sendible
    Score7.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Emplifi
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Talkwalker by Hootsuite
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Emplifi
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud Social Studio (discontinued)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    1-Social
    Score5.1 out of 10
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud Social Studio (discontinued)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BufferSocial BladeZoho Social
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.5
    (97 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.2
    (523 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (15 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (15 ratings)
    Usability
    8.4
    (33 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (351 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)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.3
    (220 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 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
    BufferSocial BladeZoho 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
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    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
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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
    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
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Social Blade LLC
    No answers on this topic
    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

    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.