# Buffer vs Inventor Smart Community

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Inventor Smart Community at 100% against Buffer's 55%. Inventor Smart Community also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Buffer's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (34K vs 31). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and Inventor Smart Community sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Inventor Smart Community holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buffer has 34K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Inventor Smart Community's.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Inventor Smart Community every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Inventor Smart Community |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[5.0 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inventor-smart-community/id6448789752/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#127** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Inventor Relations, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686376031) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #127 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #179 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


### Inventor Smart Community

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inventor-smart-community/id6448789752)

Connect with a community of creators to share invention ideas, get expert advice, and gain recognition. Attend events, join discussions, and showcase your projects to foster innovation and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Connect and collaborate in group chats and forums, Access expert advice on patents, licensing, and manufacturing, Attend online and in-person inventor events, Showcase inventions and gain exposure, Receive real-time notifications and announcements

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Inventor Smart Community free?

Inventor Smart Community is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Buffer or Inventor Smart Community?

Inventor Smart Community is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Inventor Smart Community averages 5.0 from 31 ratings.

### Do Buffer or Inventor Smart Community have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Inventor Smart Community shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buffer or Inventor Smart Community?

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Inventor Smart Community every 6 weeks. Most recently, Buffer was updated on October 2, 2026 and Inventor Smart Community on September 27, 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.*