Buffer vs Planoly

Planoly vs Buffer : Pricing Comparison

Pricing plays a critical role in deciding which social media management tool aligns best with your needs. Here’s how Planoly and Buffer compare in terms of cost and value for money:

Planoly: Planoly offers a budget-friendly pricing structure, starting with a free plan that allows one user to manage two social media profiles, with 30 uploads per profile per month. Its paid plans begin at $14 per month, making it an affordable option for solo entrepreneurs or small businesses focusing on Instagram and Pinterest. However, advanced features like team collaboration or additional social profiles often come at an extra cost, which can increase the overall expense as your needs grow.

Buffer: Buffer offers a free plan that supports up to three social media channels with 10 scheduled posts per channel. For more advanced features, their Essentials plan is priced at $5 per month per channel when billed annually. This plan includes unlimited scheduled posts, advanced analytics, and support for multiple users. While the monthly cost is slightly higher, the comprehensive features make it a strong choice for teams or businesses managing multiple accounts and platforms.

Which is Better?

• Planoly is more attractive for individuals or small businesses looking for an affordable plan focused on visual platforms.
• Buffer offers greater long-term value for those needing broader social media channel support, unlimited scheduled posts, and better scalability for teams.

Buffer vs Planoly: Scheduling & Publishing

When it comes to scheduling and publishing, both Planoly and Buffer bring useful features to the table, but their strengths cater to different needs.

Planoly: Planoly focuses heavily on visual content planning, especially for Instagram and Pinterest. Its drag-and-drop content calendar allows you to preview your posts exactly as they’ll appear on your feed. This feature makes it a great choice for users who prioritize aesthetics and want to ensure their social profiles look cohesive. However, it supports fewer platforms compared to Buffer, which can be limiting if you’re managing multiple social media channels beyond Instagram and Pinterest.

Buffer: Buffer, on the other hand, supports a wider range of social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Its scheduling feature is straightforward and efficient, enabling you to queue posts easily across all your connected social profiles. While it doesn’t offer the same drag-and-drop visual preview as Planoly, its flexibility in supporting multiple platforms makes it a more versatile option.

Which is Better?

• Planoly is the better choice if your primary focus is visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, thanks to its intuitive visual planning tools.
• Buffer works best if you’re managing multiple social media platforms and need flexibility across various social networks, offering broader support and ease of use.

Buffer vs Planoly: Analytics & Reporting

When evaluating the analytics and reporting features of Planoly and Buffer, it’s essential to consider how each tool aligns with your social media management (SMM) needs.

Planoly:

• Instagram and Pinterest Focus: Planoly offers detailed analytics primarily for Instagram and Pinterest, providing insights into engagement rates, follower demographics, and content performance. This makes it particularly beneficial for users concentrating on these platforms.

Buffer:

• Multi-Platform Analytics: Buffer delivers comprehensive analytics across various social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. It offers in-depth metrics such as engagement rates, reach, clicks, and follower growth, catering to users managing multiple platforms.

Which is Better?

• For Multi-Platform Management: If you’re overseeing multiple social media accounts and require robust analytics across various platforms, Buffer is the more suitable choice.
• For Instagram and Pinterest Focus: If your primary focus is on Instagram and Pinterest, Planoly provides specialized analytics tailored to these platforms.

Additional Features

Team Collaboration: Buffer’s paid plans include team collaboration features, enabling multiple users to manage social media accounts with varying levels of access. Planoly allows for team collaboration, but the number of users depends on the chosen plan, with additional users incurring extra costs.

Integrations: Buffer integrates with various third-party applications, enhancing its functionality and allowing seamless content sharing. Planoly offers integrations primarily with Instagram and Pinterest, with limited third-party app support.

Channel Support: Buffer supports a wide range of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Planoly focuses on Instagram and Pinterest, making it ideal if these are your primary channels.

Social Listening: Buffer does not offer built-in social listening features. Planoly also lacks social listening capabilities, so if this is crucial for your strategy, you might need to consider additional tools.

Social Inbox: Buffer provides a separate app, Buffer Reply, for managing social media conversations, though it comes at an additional cost. Planoly includes a “comments” feature that allows you to view and respond to comments on your posts directly within the platform.

Buffer vs Planoly: Customer Support

When considering customer support, both Planoly and Buffer offer different approaches, and user reviews reveal key differences in satisfaction and effectiveness.

Planoly:

• Support Channels: Planoly provides email support and a comprehensive help center with articles addressing various questions. However, users have noted that response times can be slow, especially during peak times or for more complex issues. There is no live chat or phone support available, which has led some users to feel the need for more direct assistance in urgent situations.
• User Feedback: Some users report that while Planoly offers helpful resources, the overall customer support experience is inconsistent. For basic queries, the help center is adequate, but more complex issues may take longer to resolve. There is a sense of frustration among some users when it comes to waiting for support responses.

Buffer:

• Support Channels: Buffer offers a more robust support system. In addition to email support, it provides a well-documented help center, a community forum, and more detailed articles. Users have noted that Buffer’s support team is responsive, with faster response times compared to Planoly. Additionally, Buffer offers an active social media presence where users can get quick answers to simple questions or updates on platform changes.
• User Feedback: Buffer generally receives positive feedback regarding its customer support, especially for its timely responses and helpfulness in resolving issues. Many users appreciate the clear communication and informative support guides. The community forum adds an extra layer of assistance, allowing users to help each other with troubleshooting. However, some users have expressed a desire for live chat or phone support, which Buffer does not currently offer.

If you require a tool with broad platform support, comprehensive analytics, and robust team collaboration features, Buffer is a strong choice. If your focus is primarily on visual planning for Instagram and Pinterest, and you value a user-friendly interface, Planoly may be more aligned with your needs.

Final Thoughts: Planoly or Buffer

Both Planoly and Buffer excel in their own ways, catering to different user needs and budgets. If your goal is to create visually stunning content for Instagram and Pinterest, Planoly is an excellent choice. However, if you’re managing multiple social media channels and need advanced analytics and team collaboration features, Buffer is the more comprehensive option.

But what if you want a more flexible and affordable solution with advanced automation, powerful analytics, and easy team collaboration? That’s where RecurPost shines.