Buffer vs Planable: What are the differences?

Introduction

Buffer and Planable are both social media management platforms that aim to simplify the process of managing and scheduling social media content. While they share some similarities, there are key differences that set them apart.

1. Pricing: Buffer offers various pricing tiers based on the number of social accounts, team members, and features required. Planable, on the other hand, offers a fixed monthly pricing model with different plans based on the number of social accounts. Planable's pricing structure may be more suitable for smaller teams or individuals with fewer social accounts, while Buffer's pricing is more flexible for larger teams or businesses with more complex needs.

2. Collaboration Features: Buffer provides basic collaboration features such as the ability to invite team members and manage user access levels. Planable, on the other hand, offers more advanced collaboration features specifically designed for social media content creation. These features include the ability to leave comments and feedback directly on social media posts, compare different versions of posts, and get approval from team members or clients before scheduling.

3. Content Creation and Scheduling: While both Buffer and Planable allow users to schedule social media posts, there are differences in their content creation and scheduling workflows. Buffer focuses more on content curation and provides features to discover and share content from across the web. Planable, on the other hand, focuses more on visual content creation and provides a drag-and-drop editor for designing social media posts. This difference makes Planable more suitable for users who want to create more visually impactful social media content.

4. Social Media Platforms Supported: Buffer supports a wide range of social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. Planable, on the other hand, currently supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, with plans to add more platforms in the future. Depending on the specific social media platforms that a user wants to manage, this difference in platform support may influence their choice between Buffer and Planable.

5. Analytics and Reporting: Buffer provides in-depth analytics and reporting features that allow users to track the performance of their social media posts, measure engagement, and analyze audience demographics. Planable, on the other hand, currently provides basic analytics features such as post engagement metrics but does not offer as comprehensive analytics and reporting as Buffer. For users who rely heavily on analytics to measure the success of their social media efforts, Buffer may be the preferred choice.

6. Integration with Other Tools: Buffer offers integrations with a wide range of third-party tools and platforms, including content curation platforms, analytics tools, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Planable, on the other hand, currently has more limited integrations. The availability of integrations with other tools and platforms is an important consideration for users who want to streamline their social media management processes and integrate with their existing workflows.

In summary, Buffer and Planable differ in pricing, collaboration features, content creation and scheduling workflows, supported social media platforms, analytics and reporting capabilities, and integration options with other tools.