Zoho Social vs. Buffer: Uncovering the Best Social Media Tool

Zoho Social vs. Buffer: Uncovering the Best Social Media Tool

Overview

Zoho Social is a well-suited software for small to medium-sized businesses, digital marketing agencies, bloggers, and individuals. When armed with the useful features of the software, you can develop a strong social presence and catapult the growth of your business.

Today, businesses opt for Zoho Social as it allows users to schedule posts with ease. The tool offers the feature of automated posting to publish the post at the set time. Another useful feature of Zoho Social is that it enables you to collaborate with team members for the purpose of creating content or simply for approval.

Zoho Social also offers features for social media monitoring and listening. You can easily keep a track on keywords and brand mentions across different social media networks. The tool also offers reporting and analytics tools to check for any areas of improvement and to measure social performance.

You can use Buffer to schedule and publish content across different social media platforms and effectively maintain a solid presence on them. A user can create content in advance and schedule it for posting at a later stage. In all, when you decide to use Buffer, you get to post consistently on different social media platforms. You can even choose the best times for audience engagement while scheduling the posts.

Apart from these features, Buffer provides analytics tools to track social media post performance. You get valuable information on reach, engagement, and much more.

All in all, Buffer is a user-friendly social media management tool that helps individuals and businesses manage their social accounts from a single dashboard, saving loads of effort and time.

Best Suitable for

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Start with $15

Freelancers, Startup Agencies, Growing Agencies

Buffer

Buffer

Start with $60

Freelancer, Small Business, Agency

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Start with $30

SMBs, Agencies, Multi-Location Brands

At a Glance

What users feel about any product sheds a lot of light on its effectiveness. So let’s compare Zoho Social vs. Buffer when it comes to user ratings.

Zoho Social has more overall star ratings than Buffer. The quality of support that Zoho Social offers is also rated more than Buffer. However, both the tools are rated the same in ease of use and ease of setup.

Note: It’s worth mentioning that SocialPilot, a great Buffer and Zoho Social alternative, has received more scores for its quality of support as compared to these two tools.

For a more clear understanding, take a look at the ratings for all three tools in the comparison table down below.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Number of Reviews 2392 962 741
Overall Star Rating
Ease of Use
Quality of Support
Ease of Setup
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Quick Comparison Zoho Social vs. Buffer

When comparing Zoho Social vs. Buffer, it’s essential to consider the main features that differentiate the two social media management tools.

One notable difference between these two tools is the price point. Zoho Social’s agency plan will cost you $200 more per month than Buffer’s plan for agencies.

Despite the difference in price, both platforms offer capabilities such as publishing, analytics, inbox, and collaboration. However, Zoho Social is available in more languages as compared to Buffer. It also offers the important feature of white-labeling, that Buffer lacks.

Note: SocialPilot offers the important feature of white-labeling. It is also priced less than Zoho Social or Buffer when it comes to its plans for agencies, which is $100 per month.

For a quick comparison of the most important features of Zoho Social, Buffer, and SocialPilot, check the below table.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can't Miss to Compare
Minimum Pricing $15/Month $60/Month $30/Month
Number of Accounts 100 10 10
Number of Team Members 5 1 2
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled 350 2000 Unlimited
Core Capabilities
Scheduling & Publishing check check check
Analytics check check check
Inbox check check check
Collaboration check check check
Competitor Tracking check check check
Whitelabel check check check
Localization German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish English & Spanish German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Support Email, FAQs, Webinars, Product Guide, Forum FAQs, How-To-Guides, Video Tutorials, Social Media Support & Email Support Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Review

Positive

  • Buffer provides an optimal solution for managing and scheduling content across multiple social media platforms. With its centralized platform, users are able to efficiently publish their content on all of their social media accounts simultaneously.
  • The cost-effective pricing of Buffer makes it accessible to a diverse group of users, regardless of their budget.
  • Buffer is known for its highly helpful customer support team, who are both quick and responsive in addressing users' inquiries and concerns.

Negative

  • Buffer lacks support for various hashtags and limitations in the analytics capabilities, making it more challenging for users to optimize their social media strategies fully.
  • The absence of advanced post types and features like optimal posting time suggestions and hashtag research in Buffer can negatively impact the effectiveness of users' social media efforts.
  • Buffer lacks aesthetic appearance, as its whole interface is very monochromatic. Some basic design changes and perhaps a dash of color is needed to make the user experience better.

Positive

  • With its competitive pricing, Zoho Social offers an affordable social media management solution for businesses of all sizes.
  • Zoho Social's collaborative features make it easy for team members to work together on social media planning and allow better flexibility and adaptability.
  • Zoho Social includes a feature that analyzes data and suggests the optimal time to post, maximizing the reach and engagement of social media content.

Negative

  • The slight delay in scheduling posts on Zoho Social can be frustrating for users who prioritize efficiency and need to publish content quickly and consistently.
  • Zoho Social's interface requires some refinement to better direct users to the correct sections for editing certain features.
  • Zoho Social sometimes faces issues with account linking, which prevents some users from fully utilizing certain features or services.

Positive

  • SocialPilot can schedule posts in advance on multiple platforms at once while customizing the post for each one of them for the scheduler.
  • SocialPilot's interface is easy to use. Unlike other tools, it doesn't require a learning curve hence users get used to it pretty quickly.
  • You can prevent delays and ensure that everything gets published according to schedule. As a result, with SocialPilot, your consistency on social networks remains uninterrupted.

Negative

  • Users have expressed a desire for the ability to add music from platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to their reels. However, this limitation is not exclusive to SocialPilot and is also present in many other scheduling platforms.
  • SocialPilot does not have a color coding feature which simplifies the interface and makes it easier to navigate.SocialPilot does not have a color coding feature which simplifies the interface and makes it easier to navigate.
  • One disadvantage of SocialPilot not offering a social listening feature is that it may not be the best choice for businesses or individuals who require comprehensive social media monitoring and analysis.

Pricing

Pricing is a vital factor to consider while carrying out a Zoho Social vs. Buffer comparison.

So, which one is less costly? Zoho Social or Buffer?

Zoho Social’s agency plan is priced at $320 per month, allowing you to schedule 350 posts. In contrast, Buffer’s plan for agencies costs $120 per month, allowing you to schedule 2000 posts. So, the latter is less costly than the former and offers a significant amount of more posts to be scheduled.

SocialPilot’s plans for agencies are easier on the pocket as compared to Zoho Social or Buffer plans. The plan cost $100 per month. You can also schedule unlimited posts under this plan.

Let us weigh the plans of Zoho Social vs. Sendible, alongside SocialPilot, for a clearer take on the pricing front:

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Business - Standard
$15/per month
Free
Professional
$30/per month
Business - Professional
$40/per month
Essential
$6/per channel
Small Team
$50/per month
Business - Premium
$65/per month
Team
$12/per channel
Agency
$100/per month
Agency
$320/per month
Agency
$120/per channel
Agency+
$200/per month
Agency plus
$460/per month
- -
15 Days Free Trial
Credit Card Required
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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In-depth Scheduling and Publishing Capabilities Comparison

In our Buffer vs. Zoho Social comparison, it is important that we compare the scheduling and publishing capabilities of both the tools.

Both the tools come with smart and advanced scheduling. They also let you customize posts for each platform. You also get URL shortener and the feature to integrate Canva in both the tools.

But, Zoho Social doesn’t offer post preview, which Buffer does.

Some of Zoho Social’s features, such as content curation and auto publishing from RSS, are not offered by Buffer.

Note: From post preview to content curation, SocialPilot offers a fantastic set of scheduling and publishing capabilities. It is considered a strong contender when it comes to alternatives of Zoho Social or Buffer.

Look at the comparison table below to compare Buffer vs. Zoho Social along with SocialPilot and know in detail about their scheduling and publishing capabilities.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Smart & Advanced Queueing check check check
Customize Post for Each Platform check check check
Post Preview check check check
Canva Integration check check check
Unsplash Integration check check check
Slack Integration check check check
URL Shortener check check check
Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) check check check
UTM Parameters check check check
Cloud Storage check check check
Hashtag Suggestions check check check
Advance Publishing Capabilities
Save Draft Posts check check check
AI Assistant check check check
Watermark on Images check check check
Bulk Scheduling check check check
Content Curation check check check
Auto publishing from RSS check check check
Social media calendar check check check
Mobile App check check check
Browser Extension check check check
Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Support Album Posts check check check
Support Carousel Posts check check check
Alternate Text on Image check check check
Support Facebook First Comment check check check
Audience Targeting check check check
Boost Post Scheduling check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities
Location Tagging check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Support Multiple Image Posts check check check
Threads Scheduling check check check
Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Story Scheduling check check check
Tag Profiles on Images check check check
Location Tagging check check check
Support Instagram First Comment check check check
Instagram Grid check check check
Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities
Audience Targeting check check check
Support LinkedIn First Comment check check check
Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities
#shorts Scheduling check check check
Mention of Other Youtube Accounts check check check
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In-depth Analytics Capability Comparison

Marketers require data and trends to make informed decisions. To gain this information, marketers need access to analytics data.

So, now it’s time we check the analytics and reporting capabilities in our Zoho social vs. Buffer comparison to know which tool scores more.

Both these tools offer custom report builder and whitelabel downloadable reports in PDF format. But, Buffer fails to offer the feature to email PDF reports to clients, and to auto schedule reports with team and client – things that Zoho Social does offer.

Note: You will find SocialPilot as a contender in the list of Buffer alternatives because it offers analytics features that Buffer lacks, such as emailing PDF reports to clients and the ability to auto schedule reports with team and client.

Herein is a comprehensive comparison of all analytics features of both the tools, with SocialPilot as a reference point.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format check check check
Email PDF Report to Client check check check
Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client check check check
Custom Report Builder check check check
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In-depth Inbox/Listening Capability Comparison

Active engagement with your audience and engaging content creation are two of the most important things that social media management tools should help you in. For this, the tool needs to have in-depth listening capability.

Let’s see which one out of the two tools – Zoho Social or Buffer, scores more in regards to their listening capability. Zoho Social clearly wins between the two as it allows you to reply to messages. It also allows you real-time listening while letting you respond to visitor posts, reviews, and questions. Buffer, on the other, lacks all these features.

Note: SocialPilot is an alternative to Buffer you can consider going for as it offers all the essential inboxing and social listening capabilities.

Take a look at the comparison below, and compare Buffer vs. Zoho Social along with SocialPilot to learn all about their inbox and listening capabilities.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can Reply Message check check check
Can Reply Questions and Reviews check check check
Can Reply on Visitor Posts check check check
Real-Time Social Listening check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

In-depth Social Media Collaboration Capability Comparison

Team collaboration is important for sending on-time replies to inquiries and maintaining consistent brand messaging. It even lets you create better content. As checking the collaboration capacity of a social media management tool has become more important than ever, let’s do a Zoho Social vs. Buffer to see which one is better in this regard.

Both Zoho Social and Buffer allow per-post multi-user collaboration and free unlimited client onboarding. Both tools also provide content approval workflows. In all, both Zoho Social and Buffer are equally worthy for providing every important collaborative capability, and SocialPilot matches them in every aspect too.

Refer to the comparison below to check all collaboration capabilities offered by Zoho Social, Buffer, and SocialPilot.

Zoho Social

Zoho Social

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Free Unlimited Client Onboarding check check check
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check check check
Access Management check check check
Content Approval Workflow check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Buffer good for social media?

Buffer is a social media management tool that assists businesses and individuals in scheduling and publishing content across various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This allows them to maintain a consistent social media presence. The tool also provides the feature of analytics. However, you can get a better alternative to Buffer.

If you are an agency looking for a tool that offers more features at a lesser cost, SocialPilot can be your pick.

What is the advantage of Zoho Social?

Zoho Social is a platform that offers crucial capabilities such as publishing, analytics, inbox, and collaboration. It is also a well-known social media management tool that offers important features such as white-labeling. But still, its plan for agencies is at a pricier end. For a less costly alternative, you can think about going for SocialPilot.

What are the disadvantages of Buffer?

Buffer lacks the important feature of white-labeling. The tool also does not offer useful features such as content curation and auto publishing from RSS. Buffer is also available in only two languages i.e. English and Spanish.

How many brands can I have in Zoho Social?

The number of Brands you can have in the Zoho Social tool are:

  • Standard plan: 1 Brand
  • Professional plan: 1 Brand
  • Premium plan: 1 Brand
  • Agency plan: 10 Brands
  • Agency Plus plan: 20 Brands

Except for the Standard plan, all the other plans come with brand add-ons.

How do I use Zoho Social?

To use Zoho Social, you can try it for free (15-day free trial). Once the trial ends, your account will be moved to the Zoho Social free plan. Now, you can choose a suitable paid plan whenever you are ready, right from the dashboard of the tool.

About the Author

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Jimit Bagadiya

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