Overview
What is Zoho Social Used For?
Zoho Social is a popular social media management software offering tools for scheduling posts, keeping a check on brand mentions, examining social media performance, and engaging with your followers. The tool lets you connect multiple social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google Business Profile.
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.
What is Buffer Used For?
Buffer is a social media management tool that is well-suited for businesses, non-profits, mid-stage startup teams, and solopreneurs. The social media platforms that Buffer supports are Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, and Google Business Profile.
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
Start with $15
Freelancers, Startup Agencies, Growing Agencies
Buffer
Start with $6
Professionals and SMBs
SocialPilot
Start with $30
Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals
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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Reviews | 2392 | 1006 | 814 |
| Overall Star Rating | |||
| Ease of Use | |||
| Quality of Support | |||
| Ease of Setup | |||
| Minimum Pricing | $15/Month | $6/Month | $30/Month |
| Number of Social Accounts | 100 | 1 | 10 |
| Number of Team Members | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Scheduling & Publishing |
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| Analytics |
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| Social Inbox |
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| Collaboration |
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| Whitelabel |
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| Best For | Freelancers, Startup Agencies, Growing Agencies | Professionals and SMBs | Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals |
| 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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Can't Miss to Compare | |||
| Minimum Pricing | $15/Month | $6/Month | $30/Month |
| Number of Accounts | 100 | 1 | 10 |
| Number of Team Members | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | 350 | 2000 | Unlimited |
| Core Capabilities | |||
| Scheduling & Publishing |
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| Analytics |
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| Inbox |
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| Collaboration |
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| Competitor Tracking |
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| Whitelabel |
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| 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
- Users have experienced performance issues with Buffer, such as slowing down or crashing, when handling multiple image uploads or managing numerous accounts simultaneously.
- The lack of assistance in handling social media conversations in Buffer could hinder its effectiveness as a complete social media management solution.
- Buffer requires you to have the app installed in order to receive reminders to publish Instagram posts manually at a designated time, as scheduling posts directly on Instagram is not possible.
Positive
- You can quickly review and plan content for multiple social networks using Zoho Social, thanks to its intuitive interface and streamlined workflow.
- Zoho Social provides robust analytics capabilities. Unlike other platforms focusing on ad management, Zoho Social delivers comprehensive data and insights on your organic social media efforts.
- Zoho Social's collaborative features make it easy for team members to work together on social media planning and allow better flexibility and adaptability.
Negative
- Zoho Social's mobile app currently has limited capabilities, which may be frustrating for users who prefer to manage tasks on the go or away from their desktop.
- Zoho Social sometimes faces issues with account linking, which prevents some users from fully utilizing certain features or services.
- Zoho Social's reporting may be comprehensive but is challenging in terms of creating a single display of chosen metrics for all social networks in one place. Even when customized, the page can be cumbersome and difficult to interpret, potentially reducing its usefulness for some users.
Positive
- SocialPilot allows users and clients to collaborate efficiently and save a great deal of time managing social networks.
- 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.
- SocialPilot offers multiple features at a very affordable price. Different pricing plans make it an excellent choice even for small businesses. And it can upgrade the plans anytime as per requirement.
Negative
- Users have expressed a desire for more information on setting up accounts and configurations for approvals. Some have struggled with this aspect and had to face challenges in figuring it out.
- Some users have noted that specific posts require follow-up actions, such as importing them into Instagram and manually posting when they appear in the schedule. While this process may be necessary for particular posts, users find it frustrating.
- 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 |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|---|---|---|
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Business - Standard
$15/per month
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Free
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Professional
$30/per month
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Business - Professional
$40/per month
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Essential
$6/per channel
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Small Team
$50/per month
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Business - Premium
$65/per month
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Team
$12/per channel
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Agency
$100/per month
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Agency
$320/per month
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Agency
$120/per channel
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Agency+
$200/per month
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Agency plus
$460/per month
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15 Days Free Trial
Credit Card Required
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14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
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| Learn More | Learn More | Start Your free Trial |
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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Smart & Advanced Queueing |
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| Customize Post for Each Platform |
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| Post Preview |
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| Canva Integration |
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| Unsplash Integration |
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| Slack Integration |
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| URL Shortener |
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| Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) |
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| UTM Parameters |
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| Cloud Storage |
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| Hashtag Suggestions |
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| Advance Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Save Draft Posts |
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| AI Assistant |
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| Watermark on Images |
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| Bulk Scheduling |
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| Auto publishing from RSS |
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| Social media calendar |
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| Mobile App |
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| Browser Extension |
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| Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Reel Scheduling |
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| Support Album Posts |
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| Support Carousel Posts |
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| Alternate Text on Image |
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| Support Facebook First Comment |
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| Audience Targeting |
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| Boost Post Scheduling |
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| Support Mention and Hashtags |
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| Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Location Tagging |
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| Support Mention and Hashtags |
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| Support Multiple Image Posts |
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| Threads Scheduling |
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| Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Reel Scheduling |
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| Story Scheduling |
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| Tag Profiles on Images |
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| Location Tagging |
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| Support Instagram First Comment |
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| Instagram Grid |
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| Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Audience Targeting |
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| Support LinkedIn First Comment |
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| Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities | |||
| Shorts Scheduling |
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| Mention of Other YouTube Accounts |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial | |
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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format |
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| Email PDF Report to Client |
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| Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client |
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| Custom Report Builder |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Can Reply Message |
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| Can Reply Questions and Reviews |
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| Can Reply on Visitor Posts |
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| 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.
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Zoho Social |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Free Unlimited Client Onboarding |
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| Per Post Multi-User Collaboration |
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| Access Management |
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| Content Approval Workflow |
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| Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
