Metricool vs Buffer: Which Tool Is Right for you in 2025?

Choosing the right social media management tool could feel like trying to pick a winning lottery ticket.

Should you go with the popular kid, Buffer, or the up-and-comer, Metricool?

Both promise to make your life easier, but which one actually delivers?

In this post, we’ll break down the key differences between Metricool vs Buffer, digging into their features, pricing, and ease of use.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which tool is the perfect fit for your needs.

Overview

To give you the most accurate comparison, we’ve spent weeks testing both Metricool and Buffer.

We scheduled posts, dug into their analytics, and explored all the features each tool offers.

This hands-on experience gives you a real-world view of how these platforms stack up.

What is Metricool?

Ever feel like you’re flying blind with your social media?

Metricool gives you a clear view of what’s working and what’s not.

It’s a one-stop shop for scheduling posts, tracking performance, and understanding your audience.

Plus, you can even spy on your competitors!

Also, explore our favorite Metricool alternatives…

What is Buffer?

Need a simple way to manage your social media?

Buffer is your friend. Think of it as your assistant for scheduling posts across all your channels.

It keeps your content flowing and your audience engaged.

Plus, it has some cool tools for growing your followers.

Also, explore our favorite Buffer alternatives…

Feature Comparison

Metricool and Buffer are both excellent social media management tools, but they appeal to different types of users.

Metricool is a data-driven powerhouse with a focus on analytics and advertising, while Buffer is celebrated for its simplicity and user-friendly scheduling.

1. Pricing and Plans

• Metricool: Metricool offers a generous free account that allows you to manage multiple social channels, with a limited number of scheduled posts per month. The tiered paid plans are based on the number of “brands” you manage, with a starter plan and advanced plan that are cost-effective for agencies and businesses.
• Buffer: Buffer’s free plan allows up to three channels, with a monthly limit of ten posts per channel. Its paid plans are priced on a per-channel basis, which can become expensive for marketing agencies or businesses that manage many accounts. Buffer offers an Essentials plan and a Team plan.

2. Analytics and Reporting

• Metricool: This is a major area of strength. Metricool provides unlimited historical data and comprehensive analytics that matters. You can download custom reports and track performance across all your social media channels. It’s also a digital swiss army knife for paid ads, providing deep insights into Google Ads and TikTok Ads.
• Buffer: Buffer offers detailed analytics, especially with its Buffer Analyze tool, but it’s not as in-depth as Metricool’s. Buffer’s reporting is more focused on individual post analytics and a performance overview, and it lacks the comprehensive ad campaign data that Metricool provides.

3. Content Creation and Publishing

• Metricool: Offers robust publishing tools, including a video editor and a content library. It also has a built-in AI assistant to generate ideas for new content. With its auto posting feature, it’s an excellent tool to save time and streamline your workflow.
• Buffer: Known for its simple and effective publishing tools. It’s easy to create and schedule content, and the platform has a visual calendar that helps you plan your social media content strategy. Buffer also offers the ability to schedule posts to Google Business Profiles and to manage your Pinterest boards.

4. Social Inbox and Engagement

• Metricool: Provides a single inbox to manage all your social messages from your various networks. This allows a social media manager to easily navigate and stay engaged with followers and customers.
• Buffer: Buffer Publish includes engagement tools that allow you to manage social conversations. Its social inbox is a standout feature for many users, as it helps you manage messages and comments from all your social accounts in one place.

5. Supported Social Platforms

• Metricool: Supports all your social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, with a key differentiator being its deep integration with ad platforms and Google Business Profile.
• Buffer: Connects with all the major social media platforms and has a strong reputation for being reliable. While it doesn’t support as many niche platforms, its support for all the major social accounts is a core part of its offering.

6. Team Collaboration and Client Management

• Metricool: Offers team collaboration on its paid plans, allowing multiple brands to be managed by different users with custom access. You can also set up post approval workflows on the advanced plan.
• Buffer: Buffer offers unlimited users on its team plan, and you can create different access levels for each channel team. It’s designed for collaboration, making it a good choice for mid-stage startup teams and marketing agencies.

7. User Interface and Ease of Use

• Metricool: A Metricool review often praises its clean and intuitive user interface. Its focus on simplicity and accessibility makes it an excellent tool to win time for a social media manager.
• Buffer: Buffer is renowned for its simplicity and a user-friendly interface. It’s easy for even a beginner to simply scroll through and schedule content. For many users, this makes it the more appealing choice.

8. Integrations and Add-ons

• Metricool: Offers integrations with other tools like Zapier and Looker Studio. Its main draw is the deep integration with ad platforms, a key feature for social media marketing professionals.
• Buffer: Integrates with a wide range of other tools to help you manage all your tools from a single platform. A buffer review will often mention its browser extension, which is a great way to save time.

9. Target Audience

• Metricool: Best for data-driven marketers, freelancers, and small businesses that want to analyze their social media performance and ad campaigns from one platform. It’s a great tool for those who want to use data to create a stronger social media strategy.
• Buffer: The ideal choice for small businesses and individuals who want a straightforward and reliable social media scheduling tool without the added complexity of advanced analytics and ad management. It’s known for its basic publishing tools and is a good option for those who want to manage a simple social media strategy.

10. Core Features

• Metricool: The main differences between Metricool and Buffer are their core focuses. Metricool focuses on data and analytics, providing a “digital swiss army knife” for marketers who want to track their digital presence and ad campaigns.
• Buffer: Buffer offers robust scheduling features with a great user experience. Its focus is on providing a simple and reliable tool to schedule content and manage a posting schedule.

11. Customer Support

• Metricool: Offers live chat support and a comprehensive help center page to assist customers. Support is generally responsive and reliable for all its paid plans.
• Buffer: Known for its responsive customer support. A buffer review often highlights the quality of Buffer’s support team, which can be reached via email and is a key part of the platform’s positive user experience.

What to Look for When Choosing a Social Media Management Tool?

• Analytics and Reporting: A great social media tool provides easy analytics that matters. Look for the ability to download custom reports, track post performance, and access data extracted from your social media accounts. Some platforms, like Metricool, even offer a Looker Studio connector and let you analyze data that matters.
• Content Creation & Publishing: The social media scheduling tool you choose should help you win time and save time. Look for powerful scheduling features like an auto posting feature and the ability to schedule multiple posts. It should also be easy to manage and publish content from all your social sites, whether you’re working on a personal account or managing multiple brands for a business. A video editor and a content library are also great features for a content creator.
• Collaboration and Team Management: For social media teams and agencies, look for robust features like an in-app approvals system, the ability to assign posts to team members, and customizable dashboards. A Sprout Social review will often highlight its strong client management and custom branding features. A great platform should make it easy to manage your social media accounts and stay organized.
• Supported Platforms: Ensure the social platform works with all your social networks, from a Twitter account to a YouTube account and Instagram Professional Profiles. It’s a key feature for a social media manager that needs to manage all your tools and social feeds from a single place. The more platforms supported, the better.
• Social Inbox and Engagement: A unified inbox for all your social messages is a must. The platform should make it easy to monitor brand mentions, direct messages, and comments from all your social sites. This ability is crucial for building a strong community and for proactive customer service.
• User Interface & Experience: The dashboard should be intuitive and user friendly. It should be easy to navigate, allowing you to simply scroll and find the information you need. A quick review of the user interface can tell you a lot about the tool’s user-friendliness.
• Integrations: Check for integrations with other platforms and services. A Zapier integration is a great feature that lets you connect your social media marketing to other tools you use. This helps you manage all your tools from a single place and streamlines your workflow.
• Value and Pricing: Consider the cost and the features offered. A free plan or a starter plan might be enough, but if you need advanced features, a paid plan may be necessary. Read reviews to find out the main differences and to get a sense of which tool offers the best value for your needs.
• Customer Support: Look for a tool that offers reliable customer support, such as live chat support, a help center page, or a dedicated customer success onboarding team. A Sprout Social review will often highlight its excellent support.
• Overall Functionality: Beyond the specific features, you want a social media tool that provides a seamless experience for your entire digital presence. Look for a mobile app to manage your social media accounts on the go, a feature to track your followers, and a smart system that understands your needs.

Final Verdict

So, which tool comes out on top? For us, it’s Metricool.

Its in-depth analytics, competitor analysis, and a wider range of supported platforms give it the edge.

While Buffer is a great tool for simplifying social media management, Metricool offers a more complete package, especially if you’re serious about tracking your performance and maximizing your results.

Remember it, the best tool for you depends on your specific needs & priorities.

We’ve given you the information; now it’s time to make the choice!

And hey, with free trials available for both Metricool and Buffer, you can always test them out for yourself.

More of Metricool

More of Buffer

• Buffer vs Sprout Social: Sprout Social is a comprehensive platform with advanced social CRM and detailed analytics and reporting.
• Buffer vs Metricool: Buffer – easy scheduling. Metricool – stronger analytics, competitor info.
• Buffer vs Socialpilot: Buffer – basic scheduling. Socialpilot – more features for the price.
• Buffer vs Sendible: Buffer – simple, clean design. Sendible – wider features (listening, analytics).
• Buffer vs Content Studio: Buffer – simple scheduling. Content Studio – content discovery, AI.
• Buffer vs Heropost: Buffer – straightforward scheduling. Heropost – AI content, competitor intel.
• Buffer vs Agorapulse: Buffer – simple scheduling. Agorapulse – unified inbox, listening.
• Buffer vs Zoho Social: Buffer offers simple scheduling. Zoho Social offers more features and is cost-effective (Zoho).
• Buffer vs Sprinklr: Buffer – basic scheduling (small biz). Sprinklr – enterprise-level.
• Buffer vs Later: Buffer – scheduling for many platforms. Later – visual content (Instagram).
• Buffer vs Loomly: Buffer – simple scheduling calendar. Loomly – content calendar, teamwork.
• Buffer vs Blaze: (Info limited – Buffer’s strength is simplicity for scheduling).
• Buffer vs Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a long-standing tool known for its comprehensive, multi-platform dashboard view.
• Buffer vs Planable: Planable is a collaboration-first tool with a focus on visual content approval and client feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions