Buffer vs Later

Buffer and Later both serve the social-media space, but they target different segments of the market and solve fundamentally different problems.

Buffer: Schedule and create social content across channels — Buffer's AI assists with drafting and timing so small teams publish consistently without a dedicated social manager.

Later: Plan and schedule visual-first social content — Later turns reactive posting into strategic content architecture without a full-time social planner.

In our 9-dimension evaluation, Buffer scores 74/100 and Later scores 74/100. The scores are close, reflecting that both tools deliver genuine value — the right choice depends on your specific use case and team context.

Buffer's key advantage: Schedule and create social content across channels — Buffer's AI assists with drafting and timing so

Later's key advantage: Plan and schedule visual-first social content — Later turns reactive posting into strategic content

Our take on Buffer: Our social scheduler. Simple, reliable, and the AI assistant genuinely helps with writer's block. Best value in the category.

Our take on Later: Visual-first social teams will appreciate the calendar interface. Particularly strong for Instagram and TikTok workflows.

Choose Buffer if your team focuses on growth teams, social media workflows. Choose Later if you prioritize growth teams, social media workflows.

Watch out: Buffer — Newer entry — full review in progress. Later — Newer entry — full review in progress.