# Buffer vs Circle Communities

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Circle Communities at none against Buffer's 12. Circle Communities also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (65% vs 54%). Buffer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ratings volume, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Circle Communities asks for nothing beyond the download.

Circle Communities holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34K and 84K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 65% of Circle Communities's.

Buffer ships an update weekly, Circle Communities fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Circle Communities |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[4.9 (84K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-communities/id1509651625/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 34K | **84K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **64.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | #138 | **#73** |
| Size | 229 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [CircleCo Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509651624) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #138 Top Grossing · 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


### Circle Communities

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-communities/id1509651625)

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Stay connected with your online communities on the go. This app lets you participate in discussions, join live streams, and track events for any Circle.so community you're a part of. Never miss an update from your creators or fellow members.

**Highlights:** Community discussions, Event tracking, Live stream hosting, On-the-go access, Message notifications

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤍 Very Clear
- 💫 Great layout and easy to understand
- 👍 Simple and easy to navigate
- 🤸‍♂️ Great community and networking platform
- 🥰 Supportive and helpful community

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unstable software with crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Non-intuitive and unintuitive design
- 🔒 Limited admin functionality on mobile
- 🤯 Frustrating text editing and cursor issues
- 🤖 Glitchy video playback and freezing issues

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Disappearing messages and notifications
- Inability to access certain communities
- Malformed data errors and login issues
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to save draft posts and comments
- Improved text editing and cursor control
- Better video playback controls and functionality
- Syncing notifications and activity across devices
- More customization and personalization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Circle Communities free?

Circle Communities is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Buffer or Circle Communities?

Circle Communities is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Circle Communities averages 4.9 from 84K ratings.

### Do Buffer or Circle Communities have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Circle Communities shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buffer or Circle Communities?

Buffer ships an update weekly, and Circle Communities fortnightly. Most recently, Buffer was updated on September 24, 2026 and Circle Communities on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Buffer or Circle Communities?

Buffer currently peaks at #138 in the App Store charts, and Circle Communities at #73. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*