Sprout Social vs Buffer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sprout Social
Manage your social media presence on the go with this companion app. It allows you to view messages, reply, schedule posts, and track engagement across multiple platforms from anywhere. Requires an existing account.
- Manage social media anywhere
- View all messages in one place
- Reply and assign tasks
- Post, schedule, or draft messages
- Track post engagement metrics
- Receive notifications for new messages
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The perfect companion app for Sprout Social so you can manage your social media anywhere. You must have a Sprout Social account to use this app. Sprout Social is a social media management and engagement platform that helps you manage your X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and Tripadvisor profiles all in one place. Your favorite Sprout features are now available on the go: • See all of your messages in one place • Easily reply, view conversation history, and assign a task from a message • Quickly post, schedule, queue or draft a new message • View retweets, clicks, shares, replies and more for individual posts • Get notified of new social messages
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.
- Cross-platform posting
- Content scheduling
- Idea organization
- Performance analytics
- Calendar view
- Apple Watch app
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Buffer at 4.7 against Sprout Social's 4.2. Buffer also leads on ratings volume (34K vs 1.3K) and chart position (#139 vs unranked). Sprout Social's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Sprout Social asks for nothing beyond the download.
Buffer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buffer has 34K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Sprout Social's written reviews are positive against 54% of Buffer's.
Sprout Social ships an update every 2 weeks, Buffer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sprout Social | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (1.3K ratings) | 4.7 (34K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.6% of reviews | 54.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | 34K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #139 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 229 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sprout Social, Inc. | Buffer, Inc. |
Customer experience
Sprout Social
Buffer
User reviews
Sprout Social
From 1.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app, very helpful
- 👍 App works well
- 👍 Overall good
- 👍 Convenient
- 👍 Valuable response for us
Room to improve
- 😞 Hootsuite is better
- 😞 Run away! Don't use
- 😞 Long time user, very disappointed
- 😞 Sm biz owner
- 😞 HORRIBLE
Buffer
From 34K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Sprout Social
Reported bugs
9 issues- Scheduled posts not showing up
- Inability to remove posts from the queue
- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Certain messages not showing in Smart Inbox
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- Unable to download the app
- New update broke the app, can't view FB private messages
- Scheduled Instagram posts won't automatically open to their app
- Notifications greyed out and can't be edited
Requested features
8 requests- Ability to macro, translate comments/messages and change sentiment on a post
- More characters allowed, ability to post more than 4 pictures, post videos and pictures in the same post
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to crop from the app on your phone
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- Ability to edit through the app like you can on Instagram
- More robust notification system for Instagram video posting
- Ability to access reports on mobile
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
Sprout Social
No in-app purchases
Buffer
- Essentials - 1 Channel$5.991 Month
- Essentials+Team: 1 Channel$11.991 Month
- Essentials - 2 Channels$11.991 Month
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- 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
