# Buffer vs Captional

The clearest difference is ads: Buffer at none against Captional's shown. Buffer also leads on ratings volume (35K vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Captional's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Captional sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Captional holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buffer has 35K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Captional every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Captional |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captional-captions-and-bios/id1622020259/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#143** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Alex Linares](https://appshunter.io/developer/1609013150) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #192 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


### Captional

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/captional-captions-and-bios/id1622020259)

Enhance your social media posts with unique fonts, symbols, and kaomojis. This tool helps you maintain formatting, organize hashtags, and create engaging content to capture your audience's attention.

**Highlights:** Unique fonts and symbols, Kaomoji support, Preserve line breaks, Hashtag organization, Easy copy and share

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Captional Pro (1 month) | $3.49 | per month |
| Captional Pro (1 year) | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Captional free?

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

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

Captional is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Captional averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Buffer or Captional have ads?

Captional shows ads; Buffer does not.

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

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Captional every 3 weeks. Most recently, Buffer was updated on October 21, 2026 and Captional on October 7, 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.*