Buffer
Buffer
7.9
Overall Score / 10
Later
Later
6.6
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Buffer if:
- —Solopreneurs and small creators managing a few social accounts
- —Teams wanting the simplest possible social scheduling tool
- —Budget-conscious businesses (per-channel pricing is affordable)
Choose Later if:
- —Instagram-focused creators and brands
- —Visual-first social media teams
- —Small businesses wanting scheduled posts with a visual calendar
The biggest difference: Buffer is a clean, affordable scheduling tool with strong analytics and a Start Page link-in-bio feature. Later is more visual-first with a media library, Instagram-focused planning, and Linkin.bio for shoppable feeds.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $6/mo (Essentials)Source: Buffer pricing page → | $25/mo (Starter)Source: Later pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel, 1 user, AI assistant included. | No No free plan (discontinued). 14-day free trial available. |
| Value for Money | 8 | 6 |
| Ease of Use | 9 | 8 |
| Feature Power | 5 | 6 |
| Setup Ease | 9 | 8 |
| Migration Ease | 8 | 7 |
| Transparency | 9 | 6 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | GDPR | GDPR |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
20 features compared · 19 differences
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Best time to post | None | Full |
| Content calendar | Full | None |
| Engagement tools | Full | None |
| Hashtag manager | Full | None |
| Hashtag suggestions (Growth+) | None | Full |
| Instagram Stories scheduling | None | Full |
| Link-in-bio (Linkin.bio) | None | Full |
| Multi-channel publishing | Full | None |
| Multi-platform publishing | None | Full |
| Start Page (link-in-bio) | Full | None |
| User-generated content tools | None | Full |
| Visual content calendar | None | Full |
| Advanced | ||
| AI assistant for content creation | Full | None |
| AI caption writer | None | Full |
| Analytics | None | Full |
| Analytics & reporting | Full | None |
| Approval workflows (Team) | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | None |
| Security | ||
| Custom access permissions (Team) | Full | None |
| Social media scheduling | Full | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Buffer Pricing
3 channels, 10 posts per channel, 1 user, AI assistant
$6/channel/mo ($5 annual). Unlimited posts, engagement tools, 30-day analytics
$12/channel/mo ($10 annual). Unlimited users, approval workflows, custom permissions
Later Pricing
1 social set (1 profile per platform), 1 user, 30 posts/profile/mo, 3-month analytics
3 social sets, 3 users, 150 posts/profile/mo, 1-year analytics
6 social sets, 6 users, unlimited posts, 1-year analytics
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Buffer
Best for
- Solopreneurs and small creators managing a few social accounts
- Teams wanting the simplest possible social scheduling tool
- Budget-conscious businesses (per-channel pricing is affordable)
Avoid if
- You need social listening or brand monitoring
- You need advanced analytics and reporting
- You manage 20+ social accounts (costs add up, and Hootsuite may be better)
Who should choose Later
Best for
- Instagram-focused creators and brands
- Visual-first social media teams
- Small businesses wanting scheduled posts with a visual calendar
Avoid if
- You need social listening (Later doesn't offer it)
- You want a free plan (Buffer still has one)
- You need advanced analytics or competitor analysis (Sprout Social is stronger)
Switching Guidance
Switching from Buffer
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need social listening or monitoring
- •Need advanced analytics or competitor analysis
- •Need team features beyond basic approval workflows
Potential blockers:
- •Scheduled content queue
- •Analytics history
- •Team workflows and permissions
Switching from Later
Common triggers to leave:
- •No free plan
- •30 posts/profile/mo limit on Starter is very low
- •No social listening
- •Post limits feel restrictive
Potential blockers:
- •Linkin.bio page and traffic
- •Visual content calendar with planned posts
- •Analytics history
Try Buffer
Start free — no credit card required
Try Later
Plans from $25/mo