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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Buffer

    Score8.4 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    Buffer is a social sharing tool. When browsing content, clicking on the Buffer icon automatically stores the content and schedules posts to social media channels throughout the day.

    $6

    per month per channel

    Meta Business Manager

    Score7.8 out of 10
    N/AMeta Business Manager (formerly Facebook Business Manager, or Pages Manager) is a mobile app that supports management of up to 50 Facebook pages from a smart phone or tablet, allowing social media managers to see activity, post updates, and respond immediately to customers.N/A
    Pricing
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Editions & Modules
    Free
    $0
    Essentials
    $6
    per month per channel
    Team
    $12
    per month per channel
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsA discount is offered for annual billing.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Considered Both Products
    Buffer
    Chose Buffer
    Buffer is way easier to use and setup than Hubspot and Meta. You'd think Meta would make it easy to post on both Facebook and Instagram, but I have consistently run into issues when uploading files. I've never had an issue with Buffer.
    Incentivized
    Chose Buffer
    Buffer has a clear, easy to use interface and a reliable scheduling calendar.
    Incentivized
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    90%
    Would buy again
    27 Answers
    78%
    Would buy again
    21 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    25 Answers
    83%
    Delivers good value for the price
    20 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    83%
    Happy with the feature set
    25 Answers
    78%
    Happy with the feature set
    21 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    23 Answers
    77%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    17 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    26 Answers
    74%
    Implementation went as expected
    17 Answers
    Features
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Publishing
    Comparison of Publishing features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    8.6
    68 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Meta Business Manager
    5.9
    49 Ratings
    31% below category average
    Content planning and scheduling9.068 Ratings7.149 Ratings
    Content optimization8.061 Ratings5.844 Ratings
    Workflow management8.857 Ratings4.738 Ratings
    Audience targeting00 Ratings6.046 Ratings
    Reporting/analytics
    Comparison of Reporting/analytics features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    8.3
    63 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Meta Business Manager
    5.6
    47 Ratings
    34% below category average
    Campaign success analytics8.363 Ratings7.246 Ratings
    Real-time tracking00 Ratings5.843 Ratings
    Competitor analysis00 Ratings3.827 Ratings
    Account management
    Comparison of Account management features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    9.0
    65 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Meta Business Manager
    6.1
    49 Ratings
    27% below category average
    Role-based user permissions & privileges9.052 Ratings5.346 Ratings
    Mobile access9.062 Ratings7.047 Ratings
    Listening/monitoring
    Comparison of Listening/monitoring features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Meta Business Manager
    6.1
    35 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Boolean keyword searches00 Ratings5.920 Ratings
    Filtering out noise/spam00 Ratings5.326 Ratings
    Sentiment analysis00 Ratings7.322 Ratings
    Broad channel coverage00 Ratings6.025 Ratings
    Engagement
    Comparison of Engagement features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Meta Business Manager
    5.9
    42 Ratings
    29% below category average
    Automated routing and prioritization00 Ratings5.334 Ratings
    Customer interaction histories00 Ratings4.638 Ratings
    Bulk actions00 Ratings7.825 Ratings
    Marketing
    Comparison of Marketing features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Meta Business Manager
    6.1
    47 Ratings
    24% below category average
    Lead generation00 Ratings4.838 Ratings
    Content marketing00 Ratings5.642 Ratings
    Paid media management00 Ratings6.239 Ratings
    Campaigns and promotions00 Ratings7.643 Ratings
    Channel coverage/integration
    Comparison of Channel coverage/integration features of Buffer and Meta Business Manager
    Feature
    Buffer
    -
    Ratings
    Meta Business Manager
    6.3
    49 Ratings
    29% below category average
    Twitter00 Ratings4.010 Ratings
    Facebook00 Ratings8.148 Ratings
    LinkedIn00 Ratings5.98 Ratings
    Google+00 Ratings7.33 Ratings
    Instagram00 Ratings7.334 Ratings
    Pinterest00 Ratings6.05 Ratings
    YouTube00 Ratings5.612 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Small Businesses
    Sendible
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Sendible
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Vista Social
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Vista Social
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud Social Studio (discontinued)
    Score7.3 out of 10
    Salesforce Marketing Cloud Social Studio (discontinued)
    Score7.3 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.8
    (88 ratings)
    10.0
    (49 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (14 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (24 ratings)
    7.6
    (15 ratings)
    Availability
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.1
    (23 ratings)
    6.1
    (14 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.6
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BufferMeta Business Manager
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Buffer
    It helps me save hours by devoting only half an hour in a month's worth of posting, in addition to that it is quite simple to use. Buffer for scheduling social posts well in advance, but I have begun using it instead of posting natively on the social apps themselves because it makes it super easy to post the same messages to more than one platform.
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    Meta Business Manger is well suited for large/medium and small organisations with single or multiple stake holders and products. It works very efficiently. Cases where app events are defined for android and iOS, it work wonders for campaign measurement and campaign level targeting. Meta Business Manager is very appropriate for running financial, educational, real estate, e-commerce related ads. Meta Business Manager is not appropriate if you have are into enterprise sales.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Buffer
    • I can plan and publish content on social channels.
    • Buffer's interface is quite tidy and generates the necessary facilities to save us time in publishing consistent content.
    • It has a special price; it is pretty affordable.
    • It has the possibility of integrating with other tools to improve its functions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    • Helps drive more efficient CPCs and CPMs than other social channels
    • Targets users outside of working hours
    • Helps grow Retargeting pools to use on other channels
    • Meta Business Manager's AI does a great job in identifying our ICP based off intent signals
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Buffer
    • Expensive Analytics: The upgrade you need to access your analytics is quite expensive, and I have come across other tools that provide the same or even more for a lesser priced plan.
    • No Media Library: The one feature I have found on another social media planning tool that I wish Buffer had is a media library. This allows you to upload photos you aren't using right away to have them readily available when you do decide to use them. This is not a feature in Buffer.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    • You have to look in multiple places for a full range of analytics
    • The way it handles ad spend can be unpredictable, so if you're on a budget, you have to make sure you're really watching your ad spend
    • For as much as Meta Business Manager pushes stories, reels, etc., the editing tools for this kind of content are limited or nonexistent.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Buffer
    I am giving buffer this rating because of a couple issues that it has compared to other platforms. It does not always post to instagram and you will need to go in an manually post. Also, one of the biggest qualms that we have with buffer is the price it costs to have robust analytics
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Buffer
    We use Buffer for certain website content that should be shared on social networks, having this tool helps us to do it faster and easier since we can send the publications from the internet browser and the stack of scheduled messages. It is really fast and easy for all team members who share access to the account, so at the same time that we analyze the information that we can share, the message stack is prepared
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    The UI is easy and intuitive for any beginner, but it also has a lot of depth for more advanced users. There have been very few cases where I could not do something I wanted to do regarding media buying. However, there are big limitations regarding account management, admin settings, and user appeals.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Buffer
    Buffer is always on hand and very reliable, their software suite rarely has outages
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Buffer
    Buffer performs well on both desktop and mobile platforms. The one area as I have stated before is that it does not always want to automatically push to Instagram and the user will have to go do it manually. Buffer works very well pushing to other platforms. The instagram issue is the only reason buffer does not get a 10 on this section
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Buffer
    1. It really helped to my business to grow online.
    2. I was able to take actions mindfully as the analytics are damn good.
    3. Also used for managing clients social media accounts and it proved to be a best resource.
    4. Clients were really happy as they got high demand and growth on internet and the secret is Buffer.
    5. The user interface is really easy to understand and manage. Support is 24/7 available to help.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    Facebook is notoriously difficult to access for help and FBM is no exception. Only the chat feature will get someone in touch with you and then there is very limited help. The most they do is send links from their 'help section' without really offering much help at all. Business owners and directors need a person on the phone that can understand the problem and help fix it, not 'helpful links that have already been tried.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Buffer
    We were very satisfied with the implementation of Buffer. We had no issues switching from the platform that we were using over to buffer. Our staff did not even miss a beat when it came to posting content. It was an easy transition and I feel that is something that buffer has really done well. They have an "out of the box" usability platform
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Buffer
    I also used Combin which is easy and free to use. However, Combin only posts when the computer is active and connected to the internet. So, posting while you are not actively using your computer at that moment is not possible, therefore Buffer is much more efficient as you can even post while being on vacation without working.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    Facebook is a well-known platform that has to be utilized. It allows us to reach so many new customers and potential patients for our clients. As well as allows us to interact with them consistently and keep them informed or advertise to a new niche of people. The best part about Facebook Business Manager is its usability and reach!
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Buffer
    Buffer does what it say on tin as they say! you can always count on Buffer. Buffer can be scale to 25 social account with 2,000 scheduled post which is enough for most agencies or businesses
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Buffer
    • It has saved money by allowing us to automate our social using one person
    • It allows us to connect one channel at a time instead of wasting money on larger account management tools
    • We are making money, because it has already delivered several clients
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Meta Platforms Inc
    • Pro: It gives me a central place to manage my Page.
    • Pro: There are a lot of options to take advantage of, like Ads, available, which I hope to use more in the future.
    • Pro: The pixel has allowed me to connect Facebook data with my website, and has been a good referral source.
    • Con: There is so much I don't use because it is so complicated. I know I could get more use of it, but it's not going to happen anytime soon, and probably without help.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Buffer Screenshots

    Screenshot of The Buffer dashboardScreenshot of Customizable posting scheduleScreenshot of Tailored PostsScreenshot of List or calendar view of scheduled postsScreenshot of Browser extensionScreenshot of Social media analytics