# Sprout Social vs Buffer

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 (#129 vs unranked). Sprout Social's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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 55% 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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sprout Social | Buffer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprout-social/id475307859/reviews) | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K | **34K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.6% of reviews | **54.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#129** |
| Size | 104 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sprout Social, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/475307862) | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) |

## What reviewers say

### Sprout Social

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprout-social/id475307859)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app, very helpful
- 👍 App works well
- 👍 Overall good
- 👍 Convenient
- 👍 Valuable response for us

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Hootsuite is better
- 😞 Run away! Don't use
- 😞 Long time user, very disappointed
- 😞 Sm biz owner
- 😞 HORRIBLE

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Buffer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324)

**Currently charting:** #129 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #203 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Essentials - 1 Channel | $5.99 | per month |
| Essentials+Team: 1 Channel | $11.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 2 Channels | $11.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Month | $14.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 3 Channels | $17.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 4 Channels | $23.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 5 Channels | $29.99 | per month |
| Essentials - 6 Channels | $35.99 | per month |
| Small Business | $99.99 | per month |
| Small Business for 1 Month | $99.99 | per month |
| Pro for 1 Year | $144.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sprout Social free?

Sprout Social is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Buffer free?

Buffer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sprout Social or Buffer?

Buffer is rated higher. Sprout Social averages 4.2 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Buffer averages 4.7 from 34K ratings.

### Do Sprout Social or Buffer have ads?

Neither Sprout Social nor Buffer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sprout Social or Buffer?

Sprout Social ships an update every 2 weeks, and Buffer weekly. Most recently, Sprout Social was updated on September 21, 2026 and Buffer on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*