# Buffer vs Hookle

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Buffer at 34K against Hookle's 327. Buffer also leads on chart position (#131 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Hookle's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Hookle sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Buffer against 4.8 for Hookle. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buffer has 34K ratings behind it against 327, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 79% of Hookle's.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Hookle every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Hookle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[4.8 (327 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hookle-social-media-manager/id1330557977/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 327 |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | **78.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#131** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Hookle Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1330557976) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #131 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #200 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


### Hookle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hookle-social-media-manager/id1330557977)

Streamline your social media marketing with an AI-powered app. Create, schedule, and track content across multiple platforms effortlessly. Grow your audience with smart analytics and AI-driven content suggestions.

**Highlights:** AI-powered content creation, Multi-platform posting, Post scheduling, Social media analytics, Effortless marketing, Personalized support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hookle Solo | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium 1 month | $9.99 | per month |
| Plus | $16.99 | per month |
| Hookle Solo | $47.99 | per year |
| Premium 1 year | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and simple
- 🚀 Efficient time-saver
- 💡 AI content suggestion tool
- ✨ Great for growing pages
- ✅ Manages multiple accounts

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Limited functionality
- ❌ Cannot connect all account types (creator/business)
- 🚫 No option to add target location
- 🎶 Cannot pick trending music
- 🔄 Inconsistent posting to TikTok

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Cannot connect YouTube accounts
- 🐛 TikTok posting issues
- 🐛 Cannot link Facebook accounts
- 🐛 Posts not appearing on Instagram
- 🐛 Facebook posts missing images

**Requested features**

- Add location targeting for posts
- Allow selection of trending music for videos
- Improve video compression algorithm
- Provide sorting menu in stats and hashtag manager
- Add dark/light mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Hookle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Buffer or Hookle?

Hookle is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Hookle averages 4.8 from 327 ratings.

### Do Buffer or Hookle have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Hookle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buffer or Hookle?

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Hookle every 2 weeks. Most recently, Buffer was updated on September 29, 2026 and Hookle on September 23, 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.*