Buffer vs Sprout Social: Pricing Comparison (2026)
Buffer starts at $6/mo. Sprout Social starts at $249/mo. Buffer is $243/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Sprout Social.
See price history: Buffer · Sprout Social
Social media scheduling and analytics from a fully-remote 80-person company known for radical transparency (publishes salaries, revenue publicly). Positioned as the alternative to Hootsuite for small businesses and creators. Distinctive for its calm, no-upsell culture. Priced $6-$120/mo across four tiers. Losing ground to Hootsuite (enterprise) and Later (Instagram-first) but still profitable and cash-generative.
Social media management platform positioned as the modern, marketer-friendly alternative to Hootsuite — known for its polished UI + better analytics + Salesforce/Zendesk-tier support integrations. Distinctive for its Smart Inbox (unified message queue) and best-in-class reporting used by 34,000+ brands. Priced $199-$499/user/mo across Standard/Professional/Advanced tiers plus custom Enterprise. Public since 2019 (NASDAQ: SPT), $1.5B market cap. Acquired Tagger (influencer marketing) in 2023 and Repustate (AI/sentiment analysis) in 2022.
All plans compared
| # | Plan | Buffer monthly | Buffer annual | Sprout Social monthly | Sprout Social annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free / Standard | 0 | 0 | 249 | 199 |
| 2 | Essentials / Professional | 6 | 5 | 399 | 299 |
| 3 | Team / Advanced | 12 | 10 | 599 | 499 |
| 4 | Enterprise | — | — | custom | custom |
What each is best for
Social media scheduling and analytics from a fully-remote 80-person company known for radical transparency (publishes salaries, revenue publicly). Positioned as the alternative to Hootsuite for small businesses and creators. Distinctive for its calm, no-upsell culture. Priced $6-$120/mo across four tiers. Losing ground to Hootsuite (enterprise) and Later (Instagram-first) but still profitable and cash-generative.
Social media management platform positioned as the modern, marketer-friendly alternative to Hootsuite — known for its polished UI + better analytics + Salesforce/Zendesk-tier support integrations. Distinctive for its Smart Inbox (unified message queue) and best-in-class reporting used by 34,000+ brands. Priced $199-$499/user/mo across Standard/Professional/Advanced tiers plus custom Enterprise. Public since 2019 (NASDAQ: SPT), $1.5B market cap. Acquired Tagger (influencer marketing) in 2023 and Repustate (AI/sentiment analysis) in 2022.
At a glance
| Buffer | Sprout Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Entry price | $6/mo | $249/mo |
| Enterprise available | — | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | — |
| Last verified | August 12, 2026 | August 12, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified August 12, 2026. Tracked daily.