Buffer vs Grammarly
Buffer
- Platform: 10+ social media channels
- Best For: Social media management and scheduling
- Strength: Unified workspace for publishing and engagement
- Users: 70,000+ customers
Starting at $5/month per channel
Grammarly
- Platform: Across apps, browsers, and documents
- Best For: Writing improvement and communication
- Strength: Advanced grammar, tone, and generative AI
- Users: 50 million+ daily users
Starting at €12/member/month (billed annually)
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Platform Support
| Feature | Buffer | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Channels (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) | ✓ Supports 10+ channels including TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube Shorts | ✗ Not applicable; focuses on text input across apps |
| Browser and App Integration | ✓ Mobile apps and browser extension for social management | ✓ Works in 1M+ apps, browsers, desktop, mobile |
| Document Editors (Google Docs, Word) | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Seamless integration for writing in docs |
| Email and Communication Tools | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Integrates with email clients and chat apps |
Content Creation
| Feature | Buffer | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| AI-Powered Generation | ✓ Unlimited AI Assistant credits for ideas, drafts on paid plans | ✓ Generative AI for drafting, rewriting, ideation with prompts |
| Templates and Ideas Storage | ✓ Workspace with ideas, drafts, templates, board view | ✗ No dedicated storage; focuses on real-time editing |
| Visual Content Tools | ✓ Custom video covers, hashtag manager | ✗ Text-only focus |
| Rewriting and Fluency | ✗ Basic AI assistance | ✓ Full-sentence rewrites, clarity, conciseness suggestions |
| Brand Voice Alignment | ✗ Channel groups for organization | ✓ Brand tones and style guides for consistency |
Scheduling & Publishing
| Feature | Buffer | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Post Scheduling | ✓ Scheduled posts, queue, visual calendar, threaded posts | ✗ Not applicable |
| Queue and Automation | ✓ Queue for evergreen posting, reminder notifications | ✗ Not supported |
| First Comment and Hashtags | ✓ First comment scheduling, hashtag manager | ✗ Not applicable |
| Real-Time Editing | ✗ Post-creation focus | ✓ Inline suggestions as you write |
Engagement & Analytics
| Feature | Buffer | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Community Inbox | ✓ Unified inbox for replies, AI replies, saved replies | ✗ Not supported |
| Analytics Suite | ✓ Basic/advanced analytics, best time to post, demographics | ✗ Limited to writing metrics on paid plans |
| Tone Detection | ✗ Not supported | ✓ Analyzes tone for recipient perception |
| Plagiarism Detection | ✗ Not applicable | ✓ Checks against billions of pages |
| Reports and Insights | ✓ Branded reports, custom UTM | ✓ Effective Communication Score, ROI reporting (Enterprise) |
Collaboration & Integrations
| Feature | Buffer | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Team Workflows | ✓ Notes, approval workflows, custom permissions (Team plan) | ✓ Style guides, snippets, analytics for teams |
| Integrations | ✓ Canva, Zapier, Google Drive, WordPress | ✓ Broad app integrations, no social-specific |
| Link-in-Bio Tools | ✓ Start Page builder | ✗ Not supported |
| AI Agents for Workflows | ✗ AI Assistant for content | ✓ AI Agents for multi-step writing tasks |
Pricing Comparison
Buffer starts at $0 with a generous free plan and $5/month per channel for paid tiers, ideal for social media users. Grammarly offers a free plan but paid starts at €12/member/month annually, focusing on individual and team writing needs. Buffer provides better value for social scheduling, while Grammarly justifies costs for advanced writing features.
Buffer
Free
$0/month
Individuals testing core features
- Connect up to 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel
- 100 ideas storage
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant included
- Basic analytics
- Community inbox
- World-class customer support
- Start Page included
- Reply to comments
Essentials
$5/month per channel
Solo users needing unlimited posting
- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- 1 user account
- AI Assistant with unlimited credits
- Advanced analytics
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
- Channel groups
- Custom video covers
Team
$10/month per channel
Teams and agencies
- Unlimited scheduled posts per channel
- Unlimited ideas
- Unlimited user accounts
- AI Assistant with unlimited credits
- Advanced analytics
- Community inbox
- Hashtag manager
- First comment scheduling
- Channel groups
- Custom video covers
Grammarly
Free
€0/month
Basic writing checks
- Basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks
- Tone detection
- Limited AI prompts (100 per month)
- Works across major browsers and apps
- Access to Grammarly’s web editor and browser extensions
Pro (Annual)
€12/member/month
Individuals needing full writing support
- Everything in Free
- Advanced clarity and tone suggestions
- Full-sentence rewrites and fluency improvements
- Inclusive language and citation consistency checks
- Plagiarism detection and AI-generated text detection
- Increased AI usage (2,000 AI prompts per member per month)
- Team features like style guide, brand tones, snippets, and analytics
Pro (Monthly)
€30/member/month
Short-term individual use
- Everything in Free
- Advanced clarity and tone suggestions
- Full-sentence rewrites and fluency improvements
- Inclusive language and citation consistency checks
- Plagiarism detection and AI-generated text detection
- Increased AI usage (2,000 AI prompts per member per month)
- Team features like style guide, brand tones, snippets, and analytics
Enterprise
Custom
Large organizations
- Everything in Pro
- Dedicated support and onboarding
- SAML single sign-on and SCIM provisioning
- Custom roles and permissions with user groups
- Data loss prevention and managed mode
- Application and domain controls with client control options
- Enterprise key management (BYOK) and advanced audit logs
- Cost center visibility and group-level security controls
- Unlimited AI prompts per member per month
- Effective Communication Score and ROI reporting
Education / Institutional Plans (Indicative)
From $25/month (institutional) or $50/year/seat (education)
Educational institutions
- Institution-focused Grammarly subscriptions with seat-based pricing
- Annual tiered plans with volume discounts for larger seat counts
- Options for 7-day free trials on some institutional campaigns
- Access to advanced writing assistance for students and faculty
Feature Deep Dive
Content Creation Capabilities
Buffer
Strengths
- Unified workspace for ideas, drafts, templates, board view
- Unlimited AI Assistant credits for content generation on paid plans
- Publishing tools like queue, threaded posts, hashtag manager
- Integrations with Canva, Unsplash for visuals
- Start Page for link-in-bio hubs
Workflow
Brainstorm ideas with AI → Create drafts/templates → Schedule via queue/calendar → Publish across channels
Grammarly
Strengths
- Generative AI for drafting, rewriting, ideation with prompts
- Advanced grammar, spelling, clarity, conciseness suggestions
- Tone detection and brand tones for alignment
- AI Agents for multi-step workflows
- Style guides for consistent writing
Workflow
Start writing → Get real-time suggestions → Use AI to rewrite/draft → Check tone/plagiarism → Finalize
Buffer is tailored for social media content creation with scheduling integration, ideal for multi-channel posts. Grammarly excels at refining any text for clarity and tone, better for general writing but less focused on social publishing. Choose Buffer for social-specific creation, Grammarly for polished prose across contexts.
Scheduling & Automation
Buffer
Strengths
- Visual content calendar, queue for automated posting
- Scheduled posts, first comment, threaded posts
- Channel groups and reminder notifications
- Best time to post insights from analytics
- Mobile and extension for on-the-go management
Limitations
- Per-channel limits on free plan
- No advanced automation like evergreen recycling
Grammarly
Strengths
- Real-time inline editing in any app
- AI Agents automate multi-step writing tasks
- No scheduling; focuses on content refinement
Limitations
- No publishing or scheduling features
- Automation limited to writing workflows
Buffer dominates scheduling with robust tools for social media automation across platforms. Grammarly offers no scheduling but automates writing processes. For social posting workflows, Buffer is essential; for writing efficiency, Grammarly streamlines creation without publication needs.
Engagement & Analytics
Buffer
Strengths
- Community inbox for centralized replies with AI assistance
- Advanced analytics: performance, demographics, best time to post
- Custom reports, branded exports, UTM parameters
- Comment insights and saved replies
Workflow
Monitor inbox → Reply with AI/saved responses → Analyze performance → Adjust strategy via reports
Grammarly
Strengths
- Tone detection for engagement perception
- Plagiarism and AI text detection for quality control
- Effective Communication Score and ROI reporting (Enterprise)
- Analytics on writing trends for teams
Limitations
- No social engagement tools
- Analytics focused on writing metrics
Buffer provides comprehensive social engagement and analytics for measuring post impact. Grammarly's analytics center on writing quality and tone, useful for content prep but not post-publish tracking. Buffer wins for social metrics; Grammarly for pre-publish refinement.
Collaboration & Integrations
Buffer
Strengths
- Approval workflows, notes, custom permissions on Team plan
- Integrations with Canva, Zapier, Google Drive, WordPress
- Unlimited users on Team plan
- Human support and transparent metrics
Limitations
- Collaboration locked to higher plan
- Social-focused integrations
Grammarly
Strengths
- Team features: style guides, brand tones, snippets, analytics
- Enterprise: SSO, permissions, audit logs, unlimited prompts
- Broad integrations across 1M+ apps
- Knowledge Share for organization standards
Limitations
- Advanced team features on Pro/Enterprise
- No social-specific collaboration
Both offer strong collaboration, but Buffer targets social teams with workflows and approvals, while Grammarly suits writing teams with style enforcement and broad app support. Buffer for social agency needs; Grammarly for cross-app writing consistency.
Use Case Comparison
Solo Social Media Creator
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Generous free plan, AI content, multi-channel scheduling perfect for individuals managing personal brands.
Best Plan: Free or Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Grammarly
Good
Helps polish social captions but lacks scheduling; useful as a supplement.
Best Plan: Free or Pro (€12/month)
Score: 6/10
Small Business Marketing Team
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Consistent posting, basic analytics, simple collaboration for growing businesses.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Grammarly
Fair
Improves email/social copy but no team social management.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 5/10
Freelance Content Writer
Buffer
Fair
Useful for social promotion of content but not core writing tool.
Best Plan: Free
Score: 4/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
AI rewriting, tone, plagiarism checks ideal for professional writing.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 10/10
Social Media Agency
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Approval workflows, multi-user, client access controls for agencies.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 9/10
Grammarly
Good
Brand tones for client consistency but no agency social tools.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 6/10
Student or Academic Writer
Buffer
Poor
Not suited for essays or academic work.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
Plagiarism detection, clarity suggestions, education plans available.
Best Plan: Education ($50/year/seat)
Score: 10/10
Professional Email and Document Writer
Buffer
Poor
Limited to social; no email integration.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
Tone detection, rewrites for confident communication in emails/docs.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 10/10
Content Marketer/Copywriter
Buffer
Good
Social scheduling for distribution, AI for ideas.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 7/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
Brand voice, inclusive language for marketing copy.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 9/10
Customer Support Team
Buffer
Good
Community inbox for social replies, AI assistance.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 7/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
Tone and clarity for support emails/chats.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 9/10
Remote/Distributed Writing Team
Buffer
Fair
Collaboration for social but limited scope.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 5/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
Style guides, snippets for on-brand communication.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 9/10
Budget-Conscious User
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Robust free plan with 3 channels and core features.
Best Plan: Free
Score: 9/10
Grammarly
Good
Free basics, but advanced needs paid.
Best Plan: Free
Score: 7/10
Enterprise with Compliance Needs
Buffer
Good
Team permissions, but no advanced security.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 6/10
Grammarly 🏆
Excellent
SSO, DLP, audit logs, BYOK for secure writing.
Best Plan: Enterprise (Custom)
Score: 10/10
Social Media Influencer
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Scheduling, analytics, Start Page for bios.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Grammarly
Fair
Caption polishing, but no management.
Best Plan: Pro (€12/month)
Score: 5/10
Pros and Cons
Buffer
Pros
- Clean, intuitive interface for non-technical users
- Generous free plan with up to 3 channels and core features
- Strong multi-channel publishing with visual calendar and queue
- Robust analytics including best time to post and demographics
- Community inbox centralizes engagement with AI replies
- Transparent pricing and human support
- Integrations for content sourcing like Canva and Zapier
- Mobile apps for anywhere management
Cons
- Not optimized for ultra-fast AI-only content generation
- Per-channel pricing expensive for many profiles
- Advanced collaboration locked behind Team plan
- Learning curve for full management features
- Analytics may overwhelm casual users
- Limited to social media; no general writing tools
Grammarly
Pros
- Broad coverage across browsers, apps, desktop, mobile
- Strong grammar, spelling, contextual suggestions
- Tone detection and clarity improvements beyond basics
- Integrated generative AI and Agents for drafting/rewriting
- Plagiarism and AI detection for compliance
- Enterprise features like style guides and brand tones
- Real-time editing in millions of apps
- Education plans for students and institutions
Cons
- Advanced features like plagiarism require paid plans
- Pro pricing high for occasional users
- Enterprise pricing opaque, needs sales contact
- Interface heavy for quick social posts
- AI prompt limits on Free/Pro restrict power users
- No social scheduling or publishing tools
Final Verdict
Buffer and Grammarly target different aspects of content workflows: Buffer is a dedicated social media management platform for scheduling, engagement, and analytics, while Grammarly is a versatile writing assistant for error-free, toned communication. They complement each other but serve distinct purposes.
Choose Buffer if your focus is social media operations like scheduling and analytics. Opt for Grammarly if writing quality and communication clarity are core. For full workflows, use both: Grammarly to craft content, Buffer to publish and track on social.
Overall Scores
Buffer
Content Creation: 7/10
Value: 9/10
Grammarly
Content Creation: 9/10
Value: 7/10
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