Buffer vs Sprout Social
Two social media tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.
Short version
Buffer costs less for a six-person team.- Buffer fits retail shop, restaurant or café, trades or contractor.
Sprout Social fits agency or studio.- Sprout Social suits teams past ten people.
| Compare | BufferBuffer | Sprout SocialSprout Social |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Simple post scheduling with a free plan | Publishing, inbox, and reporting for teams that run social as a channel |
| Starting price | Free | From $79/person |
| Six-person team | $0/mo | $79/mo |
| Plans | Free (3 channels); Essentials $5/channel/mo; Team $10/channel/mo (unlimited users) | Per seat, billed yearly: Essentials $79 (5 profiles); Standard $199; Professional $299; Advanced $399. Monthly billing $99/$249/$399/$499 |
| Pricing model | Free tier | Free trial |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Users | 1 on free | Per seat |
| Integrations | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Pinterest, Threads | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, YouTube, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk |
| Team size | Just me · 2–10 people | 2–10 people · 11–50 people |
| Available in | US · UK · CA · AU | US · UK · CA · AU |
| Phone support | None listed | Plans not stated |
| Live chat | None listed | Every paid plan |
| Support hours | Not published | Not published |
| Incidents posted | 21 incidents posted on Buffer's status page in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 8 marked major or critical by Buffer. Status page | 7 incidents posted on Sprout Social's status page, which covers all Sprout Social products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Sprout Social. Status page |
| Capterra score | 4.5 / 5 from 1,492 reviews | 4.4 / 5 from 609 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.2 / 5 from 143 reviews | 1.8 / 5 from 88 reviews |
| Fit: Retail shop | 80 | 60 |
| Fit: Restaurant or café | 85 | 55 |
| Fit: Service business | 70 | 70 |
| Fit: Agency or studio | 65 | 88 |
| Fit: Trades or contractor | 55 | 35 |
| Fit: Online store | 80 | 75 |
| Why people pick it |
|
|
| Where it falls short |
|
|
| Visit Buffer | Visit Sprout Social |
Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices
More comparisons with Buffer or Sprout Social
Buffer vs LaterBuffer vs HootsuiteBuffer vs MetricoolBuffer vs Vista SocialBuffer vs RestreamBuffer vs SocialBeeBuffer vs AgorapulseBuffer vs PlanolyBuffer vs LoomlyBuffer vs SendibleBuffer vs Zoho SocialBuffer vs ManychatBuffer vs AdCreative.aiLater vs Sprout SocialHootsuite vs Sprout SocialMetricool vs Sprout SocialVista Social vs Sprout SocialRestream vs Sprout SocialSprout Social vs SocialBeeSprout Social vs AgorapulseSprout Social vs PlanolySprout Social vs LoomlySprout Social vs SendibleSprout Social vs Zoho SocialSprout Social vs ManychatSprout Social vs AdCreative.ai