Hootsuite Vs Buffer
How To Decide?
What is Hootsuite?
Hootsuite is a well-established social media management software that allows you to manage multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard. It offers features such as scheduling posts, monitoring social media activity, and analyzing performance metrics. Hootsuite is used by individuals, small businesses, and large enterprises to streamline their social media efforts.
Hootsuite’s content discovery feature is a unique feature that is useful for finding relevant information for your social media accounts. You can search for material using keywords, hashtags, or subjects, and Hootsuite will return a curated collection of articles, photographs, and videos to share on your social media accounts. This tool makes it easier to identify and share engaging information with your audience.
Additionally, Hootsuite’s scheduling tool allows you to plan and schedule your posts in advance, ensuring that you can share information at the most opportune times for your audience. Hootsuite’s analytics function provides you with valuable insights into your social media accounts, including data on follower growth and engagement rates.
If you’re looking for Hootsuite alternatives, there are several other social media management platforms to consider that may align better with your specific needs and preferences.
What is Buffer?
Buffer is another popular social media management tool that focuses on simplifying the process of scheduling and publishing social media content. It offers features such as post-scheduling, analytics, and team collaboration. Buffer is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use, making it a preferred choice for many content creators and marketers.
Buffer’s success lies in its straightforward scheduling and publishing functions. Users may quickly arrange and plan content, including adding images or videos and choosing the best times to share. The application’s content calendar feature provides a visual overview of scheduled postings, ensuring a consistent and organized presence across social media channels. Buffer also offers sophisticated analytics and reporting capabilities.
Buffer’s simple approach to social media management is widely praised by users. The scheduling tool, in particular, is appealing because it allows for advanced preparation and a regular online presence. Buffer has limits, particularly in real-time interaction and platform-specific functionalities, despite its virtues.
As a result, some users may find themselves exploring Buffer alternatives that offer different features or more comprehensive solutions tailored to their specific requirements. These alternatives can provide additional functionalities that complement or exceed what Buffer offers, ensuring a well-rounded and effective social media management strategy.
Overview
When it comes to managing your social media presence effectively, it’s important to choose the right social media management software. In this article, we’ll compare two popular options: Hootsuite vs Buffer. As experts in the field, we can provide you with the insights you need to make an informed decision.
Hootsuite vs Buffer: User Rating
| Ratings | Hootsuite | Buffer |
| Star Rating (Out of 5) | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Meets Requirements (Out of 10) | 8.3 | 8.6 |
| Ease of Use (Out of 10) | 8.4 | 9.2 |
| Ease of Setup (Out of 10) | 8.4 | 9.2 |
| Ease of Admin (Out of 10) | 8.5 | 9.1 |
| Quality of Support (Out of 10) | 7.9 | 8.5 |
| Has the product been a good partner in doing business? (Out of 10) | 8.3 | 8.8 |
| Product Direction (% positive) (Out of 10) | 7.3 | 8.8 |
According to user ratings, Hootsuite and Buffer both have strong overall performance. However, Buffer tends to score slightly higher in categories such as ease of use, ease of setup, and ease of administration. Hootsuite, on the other hand, receives positive feedback for its quality of support.
Hootsuite vs Buffer: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hootsuite | Buffer |
| Pricing (per month in USD, pricing is set for the baseline of managing 5 social media accounts) | $99 | $30 |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms supported | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Youtube, TikTok | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Youtube, TikTok, Shopify, Mastodon |
| Bulk scheduling | Yes | Yes |
| RSS feeds | No | No |
| Recurring posts | No | No |
| Social inbox | Yes | No |
| AI content generation | No | Yes |
| Hashtag storage | No | Yes |
| Caption Customization | No | No |
| AI images | No | No |
| Advanced analytics | Yes | Yes |
| White label reports | No | Yes |
| URL shortener | No | Yes |
| Unlimited workspaces | No | Yes |
| Team management | No | Yes |
Pricing
Hootsuite offers a pricing plan starting at $99 per month, while Buffer’s baseline plan costs $30 per month. It’s important to note that Hootsuite’s plan includes managing multiple social media accounts, while Buffer’s pricing is set for the baseline of managing 5 social media accounts.
Bulk scheduling
Both Hootsuite and Buffer allow you to schedule multiple posts in advance, saving you time and effort. With bulk scheduling, you can plan and organize your social media content efficiently.
Recurring posts
Unfortunately, neither Buffer nor Hootsuite are meant for evergreen content. If you would like to share your evergreen content multiple times, you will need to upload it every time separately.
Social inbox
Hootsuite provides a social inbox feature, allowing you to monitor and engage with your social media conversations from a single dashboard. Buffer, on the other hand, does not offer this feature.
AI content generation
Buffer incorporates AI content generation, which can assist you in creating engaging social media posts. Hootsuite does not currently have this feature.
Pros and Cons of Using Hootsuite:
Pros
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- Comprehensive social media management features.
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- Quality customer support.
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- Advanced analytics for performance tracking.
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- Social inbox for efficient engagement.
Cons
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- Higher pricing compared to most hootsuite alternatives.
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- Lacks features like recurring posts and AI content generation.
Pros and Cons of Using Buffer
Pros
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- User-friendly interface and ease of use.
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- Affordable pricing plans.
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- Supports multiple social media platforms.
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- AI content generation for streamlined content creation.
Cons
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- No social inbox feature for managing conversations.
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- Limited team management capabilities.
Hootsuite vs Buffer – The Bottom Line
Both Hootsuite and Buffer have their strengths and weaknesses. Hootsuite is a solid option for those seeking comprehensive social media management with excellent customer support, while Buffer offers a user-friendly interface and affordable pricing. Your choice depends on your specific needs and priorities.
Hootsuite is infamous for raising their price as much as 10X even on existing users. Buffer recommends RecurPost as a tool if you need evergreen content recycling.
RecurPost as an Alternative to Hootsuite and Buffer
RecurPost is a social media management software that provides an array of powerful features for content creators and marketers. It offers an intuitive user interface, extensive platform support, bulk scheduling, recurring posts, AI content generation, and advanced analytics.
With RecurPost, you can effectively manage your social media presence, save time, and drive engagement.
Comparison: Hootsuite vs Buffer vs RecurPost
| Feature | Hootsuite | Buffer | RecurPost |
| Pricing | $99 | $30 | $25 |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk scheduling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring posts | No | Yes | Yes |
| Social inbox | Yes | No | Yes |
| AI content generation | No | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Team management | No | Yes | Yes |
| Platform support | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Youtube, TikTok | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, Youtube, TikTok, Shopify, Mastodon | Facebook (including personal profile), Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, YouTube, TikTok |
Why RecurPost Is Better Than Hootsuite and Buffer
When it comes to social media management, RecurPost emerges as a versatile and feature-rich alternative to both Hootsuite and Buffer.
With its customizable plans, advanced features, and user-friendly interface, RecurPost empowers content creators to effectively manage their social media presence and drive meaningful engagement. Give RecurPost a try and experience the difference it can make in simplifying your social media workflows.
Check out what Jeremy has to say about RecurPost after checking out other social media management tools including Hootsuite.