vs
Sprout Social vs Buffer
Both sit in social media. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Buffer starts $74 a month cheaper than Sprout Social ($5 against $79, 94% less) on its Essentials tier. Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Sprout Social
sproutsocial.com
Publishing, a unified social inbox, listening and analytics with polished reporting for agencies and brands.
Social Media
Visit Sprout SocialBuffer
buffer.com
Queue-based publishing across the major networks with a clean interface, basic analytics and a free tier for three channels.
Free planSocial Media
Visit Buffer| Sprout Social | Buffer | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $79/mo | $5/mo |
| Entry plan | Essentials | Essentials |
| Paid annually | — | $5/mo |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free plan |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Category | Social Media | Social Media |
| Around since | 2010 | 2010 |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Sprout Social vs Buffer, answered
- Is Sprout Social cheaper than Buffer?
- No — Buffer is the cheaper entry point, at $5 a month against Sprout Social's $79, 94% less. Buffer's figure is its annual rate — the vendor publishes no month-to-month price we could read.
- Do Sprout Social or Buffer have a free plan?
- Buffer publishes an ongoing free plan; Sprout Social does not.
- What is the difference between Sprout Social and Buffer?
- Sprout Social: Publishing, a unified social inbox, listening and analytics with polished reporting for agencies and brands. Buffer: Queue-based publishing across the major networks with a clean interface, basic analytics and a free tier for three channels.
