Iconosquare vs. Buffer: The complete social media management solution
Looking at Buffer and Iconosquare side-by-side? Buffer is great for getting posts out the door. Iconosquare goes further, pairing reliable scheduling with best-in-class analytics, advanced reporting, strong listening features, and a community management suite that help you prove (and improve) ROI.
What does Iconosquare do better than Buffer?
8.9
This is how users rate the quality of Iconosquare's support on G2, where Buffer scores 8.5.
Source: G2 Comparison
8
This is the rating our users give our social listening features, which Buffer does not offer.
Source: G2 Comparison
100+ metrics
Measure your performance across all your socials with 100+ statistics on Iconosquare, where Buffer doesn't allow you to (especially since they don't analyze TikTok and YouTube).
Why is Iconosquare the best Buffer alternative ?
Deeper analytics
Iconosquare delivers deeper analytics, both on your performance, that of your competitors, and that of your strategic hashtags.
Complete reporting
Iconosquare automates complete, branded reporting, while Buffer leaves gaps and manual work.
Built-in listening
Iconosquare includes listening and competitive intelligence (UGC, competitors, hashtags, mentions, trends, etc.). Buffer doesn’t.
Comprehensive engagement suite
In addition to your comments, you can reply to your mentions and DMs on Iconosquare. This is not possible on Buffer.
Iconosquare
From $33/month
Buffer
$5/channel
Restricted free plan available, then custom pricing depending on how many channels you need.
Try Iconosquare with a 14-day free trial
Check out our flexible plans that grow with your business.
4 reasons to choose Iconosquare over Buffer
Deeper analytics that move strategy forward
Iconosquare turns performance data into clear guidance, helping you understand what’s working, why it worked, and how to repeat it. Buffer, by comparison, stays more surface-level, making it harder to turn numbers into next steps. Moreover, Buffer doesn’t offer TikTok analytics and YouTube analytics, unlike Iconosquare.
Complete reporting, automated and on-brand
Iconosquare streamlines reporting, so stakeholders receive polished, consistent updates without manual effort. Create once, reuse, and ship on schedule; freeing your team to focus on insights, not exports. Buffer doesn’t match this level of completeness or automation, which means more work every cycle.
Built-in listening and competitive intelligence
Iconosquare helps you track your competition and your industry, so you can spot trends early. From brand chatter to market movements, you gain the context to pivot faster and prioritize what matters. Buffer doesn’t include native listening or competitive intelligence, leaving a blind spot in strategy.
Community management that covers the full conversation
Iconosquare brings comments, DMs, and mentions into a single, manageable workflow. Your team can respond faster, preserve context, and keep relationships strong at scale. Buffer doesn’t support DMs or robust mentions handling, which limits day-to-day engagement.
“The scheduler is super easy, with just a few steps I can plan my content. But what I find best of all is the entire analytics section & the individual dashboards, which makes any reporting super easy."
“A variety of features that help analyze account performance. The social listening tool is also very useful for monitoring competitor activity. The scheduling tool is also very handy."
“A clear and easy-to-use tool with which to have all the KPIs necessary to improve your social media strategy. Within the Teddy Group we have happily adopted Iconosquare for all our brands."
“The scheduler is super easy, with just a few steps I can plan my content. But what I find best of all is the entire analytics section & the individual dashboards, which makes any reporting super easy."
“A variety of features that help analyze account performance. The social listening tool is also very useful for monitoring competitor activity. The scheduling tool is also very handy."
“A clear and easy-to-use tool with which to have all the KPIs necessary to improve your social media strategy. Within the Teddy Group we have happily adopted Iconosquare for all our brands."
FAQ
Which is better: Iconosquare or Buffer?
If you need more than just post scheduling, Iconosquare is the stronger choice. It combines scheduling with advanced analytics, automated reporting, listening, and full community management, while Buffer focuses mainly on publishing.
What are Buffer's biggest disadvantages?
Buffer lacks :
- Listening tools
- Deep analytics
- Customizable reporting
- Full engagement management (like DMs and mentions)
Is Iconosquare cheaper than Buffer ?
Yes, in most cases. Iconosquare starts at $33/month, while Buffer’s pricing depends on the number of channels you add ($5 per channel). For teams managing several profiles, Iconosquare is often more cost-effective, not to mention the fact that Iconosquare offers more comprehensive features than Buffer.
Does Iconosquare support the same social platforms as Buffer?
Almost. Both support Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, X (Twitter), YouTube, and Threads. Buffer adds Bluesky, Google Business Profile, and Mastodon, while Iconosquare focuses on delivering deeper insights across the core platforms.
Do Iconosquare and Buffer offer free trials?
Both offer 14-day trials. Iconosquare’s trial doesn’t require a credit card, while Buffer’s does.
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