Buffer and Sprout Social solve the same problem for two very different buyers. Buffer is the budget-friendly pick: a clean, per-channel workspace with a free-forever plan, built for creators and small businesses. Sprout Social is the premium one: an enterprise social intelligence platform with a unified inbox, social listening, and employee advocacy, listed at $79–$399 per seat per month on annual-billing terms (as of June 2026). This page compares the two honestly — pricing, platforms, and team features — and shows where a third option, SocialKit, undercuts them both with one flat EUR plan.
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All three tools side by side, grouped by category. Pricing and feature availability as of June 2026.
| Feature | Buffer | Sprout Social | SocialKit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | |||
| Platforms supported | All 11 | 10 of 11Also supports: Reddit, Snapchat | All 11 |
| Bluesky | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mastodon | Yes | No | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Google Business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Pricing & trial | |||
| Entry price | $5/mo per channel (Essentials)Free plan: up to 3 channels | $79/seat/mo (Essentials, annual billing)$99/seat/mo billed monthly · as of June 2026 | €29/mo flat (€17.40/mo billed annually) |
| Pricing model | Per channel — each connected account billed separately | Per seat — every user billed $79–$399/mo at annual rates | Flat plans — all 11 platforms included, no per-network pricing |
| Social accounts included | Pay per channelChannels beyond 10 cost less per channel | 5 profiles on Essentials & StandardUnlimited profiles from Professional ($299/seat/mo) | 15 on Solo · 30 on Team |
| Free trial | 14 days (paid plans) + free plan | 30 days, no credit card required | 7 days — €0.00 due today |
| Money-back guarantee | NoNone listed on buffer.com/pricing (June 2026) | NoNone listed on sproutsocial.com/pricing (June 2026) | 7 days |
| Publishing & scheduling | |||
| Scheduled posts | Unlimited on paid plans · 10/channel on Free | No cap listedPost limits not shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Best-time auto-posting | Via analytics recommendationsAdvanced analytics on paid plans | Optimal send timesListed from the Essentials plan | Yes |
| Per-platform customization | Yes | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| First-comment scheduling | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Calendar view | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Content & AI | |||
| AI assistant | AI Assistant on all plans | AI Assist from Professional ($299/seat/mo)AI alt text on Standard · AI reply enhancement on Advanced | Every plan (metered credits) |
| Post templates | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Content library | Ideas library (100 on Free, unlimited on paid) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Thread posts (X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon) | Not listedNot shown on the Buffer pricing page (June 2026) | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Hashtag manager | Paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Yes |
| Collaboration | |||
| Team seats | Unlimited on Team plan$10/mo per channel | Per seat — each user adds $79–$399/mo | 2 on Team · unlimited on Enterprise |
| Approval workflow | Team plan only$10/mo per channel | Not listed by planApproval details not broken out on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Comments on posts | Internal notes on paid plans | Not listedNot shown on Sprout’s pricing page (June 2026) | Team & Enterprise plans |
| Integrations & support | |||
| Analytics | 30-day history on Free · advanced on paid plans | Profile- & post-level reporting from EssentialsPremium Analytics is a paid add-on (price not published) | Included on every plan |
| API + webhooks | API access on all plansFree plan limited to 1 key, 3,000 requests/mo | Advanced plan ($399/seat/mo)API access listed on Advanced and up (June 2026) | Every plan, incl. Solo |
| Support | Help center + email | Priority support on Enterprise plan | Email · priority on Enterprise |
| Verdict | |||
| Best for | Solo users with 1–3 channels who want a free plan | Enterprise teams needing listening, inbox & advocacy suites | Posting to many platforms on one flat EUR plan |
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer figures per their public pricing page; Sprout Social figures per their public pricing page. Both may change. SocialKit facts per our own pricing page.
Entry plans compared. SocialKit prices are in EUR; all 11 platforms included — no per-network pricing.
About $55/month with all 11 networks connected (channels beyond 10 cost less per channel). Team plan: $10/month per channel. As of June 2026.
$99/seat/month billed monthly. Standard $199, Professional $299, Advanced $399 per seat/month at annual rates. As of June 2026.
billed annually · €29/month billed monthly
€0.00 due today · cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
Pricing as of June 2026. Buffer and Sprout Social prices are taken from their public pricing pages (linked above) and may change. Full SocialKit plan details on our pricing page.
Each tool genuinely wins somewhere. Here is the honest split.
Bottom line
Pick by budget and team size, not by brand. Buffer is the better of the two for solo users and small budgets — its free plan, $5-per-channel entry, and full 11-platform coverage (including Mastodon) are honest value at small scale. Sprout Social is the better of the two for mid-market and enterprise teams that genuinely need a unified inbox, listening, and advocacy — and can budget $79–$399 per seat on annual terms. In between sits the case most creators and small teams actually have: posting to many networks with a small team and a real budget. That is what SocialKit is built for — all 11 platforms on one flat EUR plan, approvals on a €49/month Team plan, AI and API + webhooks on every tier, cancel anytime, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on top of the trial.
FAQ
Still weighing it up? These are the answers people look for before they switch.
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Every SocialKit plan includes all 11 platforms, analytics, AI, and API + webhooks — no per-channel meters, no per-seat pricing. Try it free for 7 days.
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