Buffer vs Later
Buffer
- Platform: 10+ major channels including emerging ones
- Best For: Creators and small businesses needing simple management
- Strength: Intuitive interface and generous free plan
- Users: 70,000+ creators and businesses
Starting at $5/month per channel
Later
- Platform: 8 major platforms with visual emphasis
- Best For: Brands running influencer campaigns and visual scheduling
- Strength: AI-powered insights and UGC discovery
- Users: 2,000+ brands and agencies
Starting at $18.75/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Platform Support
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook & Instagram | ✓ Full support with threaded posts and first comments | ✓ Visual scheduling optimized for Instagram and Facebook |
| TikTok & YouTube | ✓ Supports TikTok and YouTube Shorts | ✓ Includes TikTok with best-time recommendations |
| LinkedIn & Pinterest | ✓ Standard support across both | ✓ Full integration for professional and visual content |
| Emerging Platforms (Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Snapchat) | ✓ Supports Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Google Business Profile | ✓ Includes Threads and Snapchat, but no Bluesky or Mastodon |
| X (Twitter) | ✓ Full support via X integration | ✗ Not supported |
Content Creation & AI Tools
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| AI Assistant for Content | ✓ Unlimited AI credits on paid plans for ideas and drafts | ✓ AI Caption Writer and Ideas with monthly credits (5-100) |
| Visual Calendar & Queue | ✓ Visual content calendar, queue, and channel groups | ✓ Drag-and-drop visual calendar with auto-publish |
| Hashtag Manager & Templates | ✓ Built-in hashtag manager and templates | ✗ No dedicated hashtag tool; relies on AI suggestions |
| Unlimited Media Storage | ✗ Standard storage limits | ✓ Unlimited with Canva integration |
| Board View & Drafts | ✓ Workspace with ideas, drafts, templates, and board view | ✗ No board view; focuses on linear calendar |
Scheduling & Publishing
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Posts & Queue | ✓ Unlimited on paid; queue and reminder notifications | ✓ Up to 30- unlimited posts; smart scheduling with trends |
| Best Time to Post | ✓ Included in advanced analytics | ✓ Recommendations for Instagram and TikTok |
| Threaded Posts & First Comment | ✓ Supports threaded posts and first comment scheduling | ✗ Basic scheduling; no threaded support |
| Multi-Profile Scheduling | ✓ Per-channel flexibility | ✓ Social sets (up to 48 profiles on Scale) |
| Custom Video Covers | ✓ Included on paid plans | ✗ No specific video cover tool |
Engagement & Community
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Unified Inbox | ✓ Community inbox with AI replies and saved replies | ✓ Social inbox on Growth+ for conversations |
| AI Replies & Insights | ✓ AI-assisted replies and comment insights | ✗ No AI replies; basic management |
| UGC Discovery | ✗ No UGC tools | ✓ Search by profile, hashtag, tags, mentions |
| Link in Bio Builder | ✓ Start Page with analytics | ✓ Link in Bio with location insights and analytics |
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Analytics | ✓ Performance overview and basic metrics | ✓ Platform analytics with 3 months data on Starter |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ Best time, demographics, custom UTM, branded reports | ✓ Up to 2 years historical data, custom reports on Scale |
| Competitive Benchmarking | ✗ No benchmarking | ✓ Up to 20 competitors on Scale |
| Audience Demographics | ✓ Included in advanced analytics | ✗ Location insights via Link in Bio only |
| Future Insights & Trends | ✗ No predictive trends | ✓ Upcoming hashtags and topics on Scale |
Collaboration & Agency Features
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Team Access & Permissions | ✓ Custom access on Team plan; notes and approvals | ✓ Access groups, roles on Growth+ |
| Approval Workflows | ✓ Workflows on Team plan | ✓ Internal/external approvals with notifications on Growth+ |
| Unlimited Users | ✓ Unlimited on Team plan | ✗ Limited to 1-4 users; extra costs |
| Influencer Workflows | ✗ No influencer-specific tools | ✓ UGC discovery and Mavely integration for affiliates |
Integrations & Mobile
| Feature | Buffer | Later |
|---|---|---|
| Canva & Unsplash | ✓ Direct integrations | ✓ Canva integration with unlimited storage |
| Zapier & IFTTT | ✓ Full Zapier and IFTTT support | ✗ No Zapier; Chrome extension for capture |
| Mobile Apps | ✓ iOS and Android apps | ✓ iOS and Android with visual planning |
| Browser Extension | ✓ For managing from anywhere | ✓ Chrome extension for media capture |
| WordPress & Feedly | ✓ Integrations for content import | ✗ No RSS or WordPress support |
Pricing Comparison
Buffer's per-channel pricing starts at $5/month with a robust free plan, making it ideal for scaling affordably. Later's flat-rate tiers begin at $18.75/month, offering more profiles but with limits on posts and AI credits, better suited for visual-heavy teams.
Buffer
Free
$0/month
Solo users testing core features
- Connect up to 3 channels
- 10 scheduled posts per channel (refill anytime)
- 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
Individuals or small teams expanding channels
- 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
Agencies and teams needing collaboration
- 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
Later
Starter
$18.75/month
Solo creators starting with visuals
- 1 Social Set (8 profiles total, 1 of each supported platform)
- 1 user account
- Schedule up to 30 posts per profile per month
- AI content tools with 5 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 3 months of data
- Link in Bio functionality
- Basic customer support
- Support for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat
Growth
$37.50/month
Small teams with collaboration needs
- 2 Social Sets (16 profiles total, 2 of each supported platform)
- 2 user accounts
- Everything in Starter
- Smart Scheduling with Future Trends in the calendar
- Internal collaboration and approvals with roles, feedback, and notifications
- External workflow and approvals for reviewers without Later logins
- Social inbox for managing conversations
- Schedule up to 180 posts per profile per month
- AI content tools with 50 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 1 year of data
Scale
$82.50/month
Brands and agencies with advanced analytics
- 6 Social Sets (48 profiles total, 6 of each supported platform)
- 4 user accounts
- Everything in Growth
- Custom analytics across all connected social profiles with filters and shareable reports
- Competitive benchmarking for up to 20 competitors
- Future industry insights including upcoming hashtags and trending topics
- Unlimited scheduled posts
- AI content tools with 100 AI credits per month
- Platform analytics with up to 2 years of data
- Priority customer support
Feature Deep Dive
Content Creation Capabilities
Buffer
Strengths
- Unified workspace with ideas, drafts, templates, and board view
- Unlimited AI Assistant credits on paid plans for generation and editing
- Hashtag manager, custom video covers, and channel groups for organization
- Integrations with Canva, Unsplash for easy asset import
- Focus on structured creation without overwhelming options
Workflow
Brainstorm ideas with AI → Create drafts in board view → Add hashtags and schedule via queue → Refine with templates
Later
Strengths
- AI Caption Writer and Ideas tools with monthly credits for quick generation
- Unlimited media storage and Canva integration for visual focus
- Chrome extension for capturing UGC and ideas on-the-go
- Smart suggestions tied to trends and best times
- Emphasis on visual, influencer-ready content
Workflow
Capture media via extension → Generate captions with AI → Plan visually in calendar → Auto-schedule with trends
Buffer offers a balanced, unlimited AI workspace for structured content across channels, ideal for consistent posting. Later excels in visual, AI-assisted captioning and media handling, better for Instagram/TikTok-focused creators needing quick, trend-aligned ideas. Buffer wins for versatility; Later for visual depth.
Scheduling & Automation
Buffer
Strengths
- Visual calendar, queue, and reminder notifications for reliable publishing
- Threaded posts, first comment scheduling, and channel groups
- Unlimited posts on paid plans with per-channel flexibility
- Mobile apps for on-the-go management
- Simple automation without complex sets
Limitations
- No predictive trends or auto-optimization beyond best time
- Queue-based; less visual drag-and-drop emphasis
Later
Strengths
- Drag-and-drop visual calendar with auto-publish and future trends
- Smart scheduling and best-time recommendations for key platforms
- Social sets for multi-profile management (up to 48 on Scale)
- Unlimited posts on higher tiers with post limits scaling up
- Integration with Link in Bio for seamless flow
Limitations
- Post limits on Starter/Growth; no support for X or Bluesky
- Less flexible for non-visual channels
Both provide strong scheduling, but Buffer's queue and threaded support suit multi-channel consistency, while Later's visual calendar and trends excel for Instagram-centric planning. Buffer is simpler for broad use; Later better for automated visual workflows.
Engagement & Community Management
Buffer
Strengths
- Unified community inbox across platforms with AI replies and saved replies
- Comment insights and centralized replying
- Start Page link-in-bio for engagement hubs
- Mobile and extension for quick responses
- Focus on human-AI hybrid for replies
Workflow
Monitor inbox → Use AI/saved replies → Gain insights on comments → Track engagement in analytics
Later
Strengths
- Social inbox on Growth+ for conversation management
- UGC discovery via search tools for influencer content
- Link in Bio with analytics to drive traffic and engagement
- External approvals for reviewer feedback
- Tied to influencer strategy for ROI
Limitations
- Inbox starts on higher tier; no AI replies
- Less emphasis on cross-platform commenting
Buffer's inbox with AI assistance centralizes engagement effectively for multi-channel users. Later's tools lean toward UGC and influencer discovery, suiting campaign-driven teams. Buffer wins for everyday engagement; Later for discovery and approvals.
Analytics & Reporting
Buffer
Strengths
- Advanced suite with best time, demographics, custom UTM, and branded reports
- Performance overview and audience insights
- Basic on free; deep on paid without historical limits
- Transparent metrics for small teams
Limitations
- No competitive benchmarking or predictive trends
- Less historical depth than Later's Scale
Later
Strengths
- Platform analytics with 3 months to 2 years historical data
- Custom reports, competitive benchmarking (20 competitors), and future insights on Scale
- Location and trend analytics via Link in Bio
- ROI focus for influencer campaigns
Limitations
- Advanced features locked to Scale; basic on Starter
- No demographics beyond locations
Buffer provides accessible, multi-channel analytics with demographics for operational insights. Later offers deeper historical and competitive data for strategic planning, especially influencer ROI. Buffer suits casual users; Later enterprise-level analysis.
Influencer Marketing & UGC
Buffer
Limitations
- No dedicated influencer or UGC tools
- Focus on general management, not campaigns
Later
Strengths
- UGC discovery by profile, hashtag, tags, mentions
- Mavely integration for affiliate monetization
- Competitive benchmarking and ROI tracking
- Curated creator network for campaigns
- EdgeAI for strategy insights
Workflow
Search UGC → Identify influencers → Track performance → Measure ROI with analytics
Later dominates with integrated influencer tools, UGC search, and benchmarking for brands proving ROI. Buffer lacks these, focusing on core posting. Choose Later for marketing campaigns; Buffer for standard management.
Use Case Comparison
Solo Content Creator
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Generous free plan, unlimited AI on paid, and simple interface suit independent creators managing multiple channels without complexity.
Best Plan: Free or Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Later
Good
Visual calendar and AI captions help, but post limits and higher price may constrain solos on a budget.
Best Plan: Starter ($18.75/month)
Score: 7/10
Small Business for Consistent Posting
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Affordable per-channel scaling, queue, and basic analytics ensure steady presence across platforms.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Later
Good
Visual planning aids branding, but lacks X support and has post caps on lower tiers.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 7/10
Agency Managing Multiple Clients
Buffer
Good
Team plan with approvals and unlimited users works, but per-channel pricing scales costs for many accounts.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 8/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Social sets, external approvals, and collaboration tools handle clients efficiently; benchmarking adds value.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Brand Running Influencer Campaigns
Buffer
Poor
No UGC or influencer tools; general engagement inbox insufficient for ROI tracking.
Best Plan: Not ideal
Score: 4/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
UGC discovery, Mavely affiliates, and competitive insights provide full campaign management and measurement.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 10/10
Team Focused on Visual Content (Instagram/TikTok)
Buffer
Good
Supports visuals with integrations, but less emphasis on drag-and-drop planning.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 7/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Visual calendar, unlimited storage, and AI for captions optimize Instagram/TikTok workflows.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Budget-Conscious Starter User
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Free plan with 3 channels and core tools; low entry to paid without commitments.
Best Plan: Free
Score: 10/10
Later
Fair
Starter at $18.75 with limits; free plan lacks depth compared to Buffer.
Best Plan: Starter ($18.75/month)
Score: 6/10
Marketing Team Needing Deep Analytics
Buffer
Good
Advanced analytics with demographics and reports, but no benchmarking.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 7/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Historical data, custom reports, and competitive insights drive data-backed decisions.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 9/10
Creator Building Link-in-Bio Hubs
Buffer
Good
Start Page included with basic analytics; integrates with posting.
Best Plan: Free
Score: 7/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Advanced Link in Bio with location insights and traffic analytics.
Best Plan: Starter ($18.75/month)
Score: 8/10
Agency with Heavy Collaboration Needs
Buffer
Good
Unlimited users and approvals on Team, but per-channel costs vary.
Best Plan: Team ($10/channel)
Score: 8/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Roles, notifications, and external reviewers streamline team/client workflows.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 9/10
User Managing Emerging Platforms
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Supports Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, and more for broad reach.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Later
Fair
Threads and Snapchat yes, but misses Bluesky, Mastodon, X.
Best Plan: Growth ($37.50/month)
Score: 6/10
AI-Heavy Content Generation User
Buffer 🏆
Excellent
Unlimited AI credits on paid; integrated into workspace without caps.
Best Plan: Essentials ($5/channel)
Score: 9/10
Later
Good
AI tools strong but limited credits (5-100/month); extras cost more.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 7/10
ROI-Focused Influencer Marketer
Buffer
Poor
Basic engagement; no UGC or benchmarking for campaigns.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
Later 🏆
Excellent
Full suite for discovery, tracking, and insights proves influencer value.
Best Plan: Scale ($82.50/month)
Score: 10/10
Pros and Cons
Buffer
Pros
- Clean, intuitive interface approachable for non-technical users
- Generous free plan with up to 3 channels and core features
- Strong multi-channel publishing with visual calendar, queue, and threaded posts
- Robust analytics on paid plans, including best time and demographics
- Community inbox centralizes engagement with AI-assisted replies
- Unlimited AI credits on paid plans; flexible per-channel pricing
- Broad platform support including emerging networks like Bluesky and Mastodon
- Mobile apps and browser extension for seamless management
Cons
- Not optimized for ultra-fast, AI-only content generation compared to dedicated tools
- Per-channel pricing can become expensive for many profiles
- Advanced collaboration features locked behind Team plan
- Learning curve for users needing only simple post creation
- Analytics depth may overwhelm very small or casual users
- No UGC discovery or influencer-specific tools
- Limited historical data compared to enterprise options
Later
Pros
- Unified platform for influencer marketing, scheduling, and link in bio
- Strong analytics with extended historical data and custom reporting on Scale
- AI-powered features like Caption Writer and EdgeAI for strategy
- Support for major visual platforms including Snapchat and Threads
- Robust collaboration with approvals and access groups
- Unlimited media storage and visual calendar for planning
- UGC discovery and competitive benchmarking for ROI
- Mavely integration for creator monetization
Cons
- Advanced analytics and benchmarking locked to Scale plan
- Influencer marketing pricing not transparent; requires sales contact
- AI features limited by monthly credits, restrictive for heavy users
- Breadth of features introduces learning curve for small teams
- Additional costs for extra users, sets, and credits increase spend
- No support for X, Bluesky, or Mastodon
- Post limits on lower tiers hinder high-volume users
Final Verdict
Buffer and Later both streamline social media but differ in focus: Buffer emphasizes simple, scalable management across many channels with AI assistance and engagement tools, ideal for creators and small teams. Later integrates visual scheduling, influencer discovery, and advanced analytics for brands proving marketing ROI, suiting visual and campaign-driven users.
Opt for Buffer if simplicity, cost, and broad channel management are key—its free tier and scaling make it accessible. Choose Later for visual planning, influencer strategy, and data depth, especially if Instagram drives your efforts. For hybrid needs, use Buffer for daily ops and Later for campaigns.
Overall Scores
Buffer
Value: 9/10
Later
Value: 8/10
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