# Buffer vs Cara

The clearest difference is rating: Buffer at 4.7 against Cara's 4.2. Buffer also leads on ratings volume (34K vs 762) and chart position (#153 vs unranked). Cara's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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 Cara sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 762, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 64% of Cara's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Cara |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews)** | [4.2 (762 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cara-art-and-social/id6450934458/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 762 |
| Positive reviews | 54.6% of reviews | **64.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Cara Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1695797368) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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


### Cara

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cara-art-and-social/id6450934458)

A social platform for artists to share their work, connect with peers, and discover job opportunities. Features an AI image detector and Glaze integration to protect original art. Users can customize their feed and organize references.

**Highlights:** Share images, GIFs, videos, and Sketchfab links, AI image detector for non-AI art, Customizable home feed, Glaze integration for image protection, QR code event networking, Job listings from top studios, Direct messaging and user profiles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Happy Supporter | $5.00 | per month |
| Cheering Supporter | $10.00 | per month |
| Mega Supporter | $20.00 | per month |
| Patron of Cara | $50.00 | per month |
| Buy the dev team a coffee | $5.00 | one-time |
| Buy the dev team 3 coffees | $15.00 | one-time |
| Buy the dev team 5 coffees | $25.00 | one-time |
| Buy the dev team 10 coffees | $50.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and easy to use
- 🔒 Anti-AI platform that respects artists
- 👍 Great community of artists
- 💡 Innovative features like portfolio and timeline sections
- 🎨 Dedicated to showcasing human-created art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow loading times and performance issues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and connecting with other users
- 🤔 Unclear guidelines around NSFW content
- 🔧 Buggy and unstable at times

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete account
- Issues with editing user profile and bio
- Inconsistent behavior when posting and uploading content

**Requested features**

- Add video upload and sharing capabilities
- Improve search and discovery features
- Provide more customization options for profiles
- Implement a more robust notification system
- Allow users to organize their likes and posts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Cara free?

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

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

Buffer is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Cara averages 4.2 from 762 ratings.

### Do Buffer or Cara have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Cara shows ads.

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

Buffer ships an update weekly, and Cara weekly. Most recently, Buffer was updated on September 27, 2026 and Cara on September 25, 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.*