# Buffer vs Circle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Circle at 100% against Buffer's 54%. Circle also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Buffer's advantage is ratings volume (35K vs 2) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). 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 Circle sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Circle 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Buffer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Circle's.

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, Circle weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer | Circle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-plan-and-schedule-posts/id490474324/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-stay-in-touch/id6767965766/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#114** | — |
| Size | 148 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buffer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/490474327) | [Andrew Orton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896525816) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer

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

**Currently charting:** #114 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #176 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


### Circle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circle-stay-in-touch/id6767965766)

This app helps you maintain meaningful connections with important people in your life. It sends smart reminders for check-ins and birthdays, offers AI-powered conversation starters, and tracks relationship health. Start for free and upgrade for advanced features.

**Highlights:** Smart check-in reminders, Birthday and event alerts, AI conversation suggestions, Relationship health indicators, Pre and post meeting notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Circle Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Circle Pro | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer free?

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

### Is Circle free?

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

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

Circle is rated higher. Buffer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Circle averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Buffer or Circle have ads?

Neither Buffer nor Circle shows ads.

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

Buffer ships an update every 5 days, and Circle weekly. Most recently, Buffer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Circle on October 9, 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.*