Metricool vs Buffer
Both have a free tier and both schedule posts, but they are chosen for opposite reasons. Metricool is chosen for its analytics: competitor benchmarking and paid and organic results in one report. Buffer is chosen for its calm: simple scheduling billed per channel. Teams that report upward pick Metricool; teams that just publish pick Buffer.
Vendors can pay for visibility on this site; it never changes what we say about a product. How that works.
Choose Metricool ifsomeone will ask what social media delivered, you run ads alongside organic posts, and you can live with a denser interface in exchange for the numbers.
Choose Buffer ifyou want the simplest route from draft to scheduled post across many channels and do not need competitor data or combined ad reporting from the same tool.
Metricool and Buffer side by side
| Metricool | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Our social media management rank | #1 of 16 | #2 of 16 |
| Established in | Spain | United States |
| Pricing | Free tier; paid per month, published | Free tier; paid per channel per month, published |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | A team that has to report on organic and paid together | A small team with many channels and no approval process |
| Not for | A large team that needs formal sign-off before posting | An agency with clients who must approve every post |
Both are reviewed in full in our social media management ranking: Metricool and Buffer.
Where they differ
Metricool 2 · Buffer 1 · open 1- 01
Analytics and competitor data
Metricool puts organic and paid reporting side by side and adds competitor benchmarking, at a price the incumbents ask for scheduling alone. Buffer offers no competitive analysis or serious reporting, and a team that must prove impact ends up buying a second tool. On the dimension Metricool is built for, the difference is not close.
Edge: Metricool
- 02
Ease of daily use
Buffer is the reference point here: even Metricool's own weaknesses are described by comparison with it. Buffer's interface is sparse and quick to grasp, while Metricool's is denser and takes a session to learn because there is more on the screen. For someone who only wants to queue posts, Buffer asks less of them.
Edge: Buffer
- 03
Review before posting
Neither is an approval tool. Metricool has a basic workflow that amounts to a single review step, not a chain of approvers. Buffer has no real approval workflow at all. A small team that wants a second pair of eyes on a post gets a little more from Metricool, but a formal sign-off process outgrows both.
Edge: Metricool
- 04
Pricing meter
Both offer a free tier and publish their paid prices. Buffer charges per channel per month, which is fair for a small team but rises with every account connected. Metricool's paid plans are charged per month. Which works out cheaper depends on how many channels you run, so price your own account list on both.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
When posts need formal sign-off from a client or a compliance team, neither fits: Metricool stops at one review step and Buffer has none. Planable is built around client approval in place, and Hootsuite offers roles, approval chains and audit trails.
Metricool or Buffer: questions
3 answersIs Metricool better than Buffer for analytics?
Yes. Metricool reports organic and paid results together and includes competitor tracking, which is unusual at its price.
Buffer's analytics and listening are thin, and it is not designed for competitive analysis. If reporting is the reason you are shopping, Metricool is the stronger of the two.
Which is simpler to use, Metricool or Buffer?
Buffer. It does scheduling cleanly and keeps the interface minimal. Metricool packs a calendar, ad reporting and competitor data into one product, so its interface is busier and takes a session to learn. The trade is simplicity for information.
Do Metricool and Buffer both have free plans?
Both have a free tier according to our data, and both publish their paid pricing. Buffer's paid plans are billed per channel per month and Metricool's per month.
What each free tier includes changes over time, so confirm the current limits on each vendor's pricing page.