Comparison

Hootsuite vs Buffer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hootsuite

Manage all your social media accounts from one app. Schedule posts, monitor activity, and respond to messages on the go. Create engaging content and grow your brand with this comprehensive social media management tool.

Highlights
  • Schedule and publish posts
  • Monitor social media activity
  • Manage messages and comments
  • Create and edit content
  • Cross-platform social media management
  • Dark mode
Read full description

The ideal companion app for Hootsuite to better manage your social media, engage new audiences, and grow your brand. You must have a Hootsuite account to use this app. This app includes in-app purchases and subscriptions. Stay connected across all your social accounts with Hootsuite! Create scroll-stopping content, schedule and publish posts, monitor activity and mentions, and manage comments and messages—anywhere, anytime, and all in one app. Plus, make those long workdays a little easier on the eyes with dark mode. COMPOSE Upload photos, videos, and GIFs directly from your phone. Create and schedule posts to all your Instagram (including carousels), TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter profiles in advance, and publish automatically from the palm of your hand. PLANNER Review and edit drafts, see your content calendar at a glance, customize the frequency of your posts, and approve content from anywhere. STREAMS Monitor likes, mentions, and conversations related to topics that matter to you. INBOX Review, manage, and respond to incoming messages from different social networks in one feed. Filter messages, reply, and assign messages to your team. What are people saying: "The best social media scheduling app" - Will H (G2 Reviewer) "With the Hootsuite App, I don’t need to be in my office to do my job. If someone messages, I can go to Inbox right on my phone and answer. Plus I have access to the composer, publisher and streams. I’m on the mobile app more than I’m on the desktop” - Evan D., Social Media Manager "I love Hootsuite for the ease of posting to social networks automatically...If you do not have a desktop computer and need to quickly publish the mobile application, you can solve that problem."- Bruno B (G2 Reviewer) "The mobile application of Hootsuite is very practical, and has helped us a lot to work on the platform from anywhere during weekends."- Feastre L (G2 Reviewer) "I love Hootsuite because it's a complete program… We can also use Hootsuite from the browser or mobile application, which we think is very comfortable and allows us to keep up with the work no matter where it is located." - Cate R (G2 Reviewer) Questions? Twitter: @Hootsuite_Help Facebook: http://facebook.com/hootsuite Terms of service: https://hootsuite.com/legal/terms Privacy policy: https://www.hootsuite.com/legal/privacy

About

Buffer

Streamline your social media presence by planning, scheduling, and publishing content across multiple platforms from one app. Engage with your audience and track performance with insightful analytics. Ideal for creators looking to grow their online presence efficiently.

Highlights
  • Cross-platform posting
  • Content scheduling
  • Idea organization
  • Performance analytics
  • Calendar view
  • Apple Watch app
Features
Read full description

Post to every social platform with a single app — simple, flexible, and powerful. Buffer helps creators stay consistent without the busywork. Plan and publish your posts automatically, engage with your audience, and keep track of what’s working, all from your phone. Whether you’re sharing your first TikTok, building an audience on LinkedIn, or running multiple accounts, Buffer gives you the tools to grow without feeling overwhelmed. What’s new in v15.0 • Fresh new design with Apple’s Liquid Glass system • Brand-new Apple Watch app (queues, goals, streaks, ideas) • Capture ideas instantly with the iOS Shortcut, Action Button, or on your wrist • New calendar day view across all channels WHY CREATORS LOVE BUFFER PLAN, SCHEDULE, AND PUBLISH • Share to Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, and more. • Schedule YouTube Shorts, TikToks, Instagram Reels, and Stories. • Cross-post content across platforms with a single tap KEEP YOUR IDEAS ORGANIZED • Save inspiration in a central content library • Use tags to keep ideas organized by theme or campaign • Move ideas straight to your schedule when ready SEE WHAT WORKS • Simple analytics and reports show your top-performing posts • Track growth, clicks, and engagement A CALENDAR BUILT FOR CREATORS • Get an at-a-glance view of your upcoming posts • Drill down from a monthly to weekly view NEED HELP? Our friendly team is here for you with world-class support via email and social. Email: hello@buffer.com Twitter: @buffer Facebook: http://facebook.com/bufferapp Instagram: @buffer Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bufferapp/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bufferapp Privacy Policy: https://buffer.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://buffer.com/legal/terms-of-use/year/2023

Screenshots

Hootsuite4 screens
Buffer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Buffer at #138 against Hootsuite's unranked. Buffer also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 46%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hootsuite sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $149.00 per month and Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Hootsuite against 4.7 for Buffer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34K and 34K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of Hootsuite's written reviews are positive against 54% of Buffer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hootsuite ships an update every 2 weeks, Buffer weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Hootsuite versus Buffer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHootsuiteBuffer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (34K ratings)4.7 (34K ratings)
Positive reviews45.8% of reviews54.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34K34K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#138 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB229 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperHootsuite Inc.Buffer, Inc.

Customer experience

Hootsuite

All ratings34,293 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews565 reviews
Positive45.8%
Neutral10.3%
Negative43.9%

Buffer

All ratings34,393 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews571 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral10.2%
Negative35.4%

User reviews

Hootsuite

From 34K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Very good
  • 🚀 Makes social media life so easy!!
  • 👍 Lifesaver
  • 👍 Wonderful
  • 👍 Great app to keep on top of social media

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Don't give them your credit card information
  • 💰 Charged annual fee unknowingly
  • 💰 Expensive Help
  • 🔒 Unable to cancel subscription
  • 🐛 Crashes when editing a draft and scrambles the text

Buffer

From 34K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Easy to use
  • 🕰️ Convenient scheduling
  • 🔍 Helpful for social media management
  • 🤖 Automated posting
  • 📈 Improved engagement and growth

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Stability issues and bugs
  • 🔗 Unreliable platform integrations
  • 📸 Limited image/video handling capabilities
  • 🔒 Frustrating login/authentication problems
  • 💰 Expensive paid plans

Bugs and requests

Hootsuite

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Unable to sign in
  • Crashes when editing a draft
  • Scrambles text in drafts
  • Fails to post scheduled content
  • Disconnects social media accounts
Show 2 more
  • Difficult to delete account
  • Charges for cancelled subscriptions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to post to TikTok
  • Ability to save drafts
  • Ability to post hashtags in comments on Instagram
  • Ability to post multiple images/videos to Instagram
  • Ability to choose location when posting
Show 1 more
  • Ability to separate @mentions between platforms

Buffer

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Drafts not registering in visual calendar
  • Inability to reorder scheduled posts
  • Inconsistent behavior between mobile and desktop versions
  • Automatic posting not working as expected
  • Issues with image/video quality and formatting

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Twitter threads
  • Improve visual planning and calendar view
  • Integrate with more platforms like Slack and Discord
  • Allow more customization and control over posts
  • Provide better analytics and performance insights

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hootsuite

Subscriptions1
  • Mobile7 Days trial$149.001 Month
11 purchases

Buffer

Subscriptions11
  • Essentials - 1 Channel$5.991 Month
  • Essentials+Team: 1 Channel$11.991 Month
  • Essentials - 2 Channels$11.991 Month
Show 8 more
  • Pro for 1 Month2 variants$14.991 Month
  • Essentials - 3 Channels$17.991 Month
  • Essentials - 4 Channels$23.991 Month
  • Essentials - 5 Channels$29.991 Month
  • Essentials - 6 Channels$35.991 Month
  • Small Business$99.991 Month
  • Small Business for 1 Month$99.991 Month
  • Pro for 1 Year$144.991 Year

Questions

Is Hootsuite free?
Hootsuite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Buffer free?
Buffer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hootsuite or Buffer?
Hootsuite and Buffer are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 34K and 34K ratings respectively.
Do Hootsuite or Buffer have ads?
Neither Hootsuite nor Buffer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hootsuite or Buffer?
Hootsuite ships an update every 2 weeks, and Buffer weekly. Most recently, Hootsuite was updated on September 24, 2026 and Buffer on September 24, 2026.

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