Overview
What Is Loomly Used For?
Loomly is a social media management tool that integrates all the major social platforms, like Facebook, Google Business Profile, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, Youtube, Tiktok, Pinterest, and even the up-and-coming Snapchat. Users can schedule content and view the whole lot’s analytical data from a single dashboard.
Loomly was founded with the primary objective of simplifying the process of creating and posting content on social media. Initially, it was just a social media calendar, but it has evolved into a full-fledged social media management software.
One of Loomly’s USPs is its neat and streamlined dashboard, which users prefer over other tools’ elaborate but complicated interfaces. Also, it has retained its signature function, the content calendar.
The social media content calendar provides a bird’s eye view of your upcoming social media posts. This calendar makes planning and scheduling your content in advance easy, ensuring you never miss a post or run out of ideas.
What Is Buffer Used For?
Buffer is a multitasking social media management tool that caters to all the needs of solopreneurs and marketing agencies by automating all social media activities. It’s a simple way to efficiently develop your presence online without getting overwhelmed.
Buffer supports multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Google Business, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, and Shopify. Buffer has distinguished itself from Buffer alternatives by integrating the new social platform Mastodon.
It allows users to schedule and publish posts from its dashboard without switching to native platforms. You can access audience insights and content-performance analytics for all platforms from one space. Marketing teams find the tool useful since it streamlines the collaborative workflow of all activities involved and takes virtually no time to get used to.
One of the standout features of Buffer is its Start Page builder, which enables users to create a landing page and share it on their social media. This feature can showcase a brand and its offerings to its target audience without creating an entire website.
So, this was something about the two tools we shall be talking about. Now, first and foremost, let’s compare Buffer and Loomly to see which one of them fits a wider variety of businesses.
Best Suitable For
Loomly
Start with $42
Agency, Small Business
Buffer
Start with $6
Professionals and SMBs
Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals
At a Glance
Let us quickly summarize the results of Loomly vs Buffer based on user ratings after thoroughly using both.
Overall ratings on users’ experience say that Loomly has left Buffer behind by a considerable margin. When rated for their set-up process and ease of using the tool, both got the same results, quite high.
However, when it came to the quality of support among these two tools, Loomly passes with shining accolades, leaving Buffer in the dust.
Here’s a snapshot of the user ratings for Buffer vs Loomly, and how SocialPilot stacks up.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Number of Reviews | 1710 | 1006 | 814 |
Overall Star Rating | |||
Ease of Use | |||
Quality of Support | |||
Ease of Setup | |||
Minimum Pricing | $42/Month | $6/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Social Accounts | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Scheduling & Publishing | |||
Analytics | |||
Social Inbox | |||
Collaboration | |||
Whitelabel | |||
Best For | Agency, Small Business | Professionals and SMBs | Marketing Agencies, SMBs, Multi-Location Brands & Professionals |
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Quick Comparison
Now, we’ll shuffle through all the essential qualities of both social media management tools, which can’t be missed while comparing them. Let us see which one of them, Buffer or Loomly makes a better tool.
Buffer is known to be a very cost-effective tool for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. But upon calculation, it came to light that both tools cost $360 to allow users to connect 50 social accounts. With Buffer, users have to pay per account after the initial 10, and Loomly gives it all at once at a higher rate.
Also, Buffer has a limit to how many posts can be scheduled from one profile, but Loomly has no such restriction. Also, Buffer does not give its users white-label solutions, but Loomly has it available in its higher plans.
Note: It is a notable fact that Loomly charges $360 to provide a white-label solution to its users for a customized branded experience, but SocialPilot delivers the same at less than a fraction of the exact cost. This makes SocialPilot a good choice amongst other Loomly alternatives.
The table below lists all the essential features to compare Loomly and Buffer. Also, we have kept SocialPilot with them for added reference.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Can't Miss to Compare | |||
Minimum Pricing | $42/Month | $6/Month | $30/Month |
Number of Accounts | 10 | 1 | 10 |
Number of Team Members | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Number of Posts that Can Be Scheduled | Unlimited | 2000 | Unlimited |
Core Capabilities | |||
Scheduling & Publishing | |||
Analytics | |||
Inbox | |||
Collaboration | |||
Competitor Tracking | |||
Whitelabel | |||
Localization | English | English & Spanish | German, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish |
Support | Email, FAQs, Chat, Knowledge Base | FAQs, How-To-Guides, Video Tutorials, Social Media Support & Email Support | Email, Chat, Social Media, Phone |
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
Reviews
Positive
- Loomly provides a comprehensive overview of post performance across multiple social networks, allowing for easy analysis of individual post’s success and overall performance.
- Features include scheduling threads and customizing text copies for each social media platform, resulting in more effective reach engagement.
- Loomly's Instagram grid view provides a preview of the final post's appearance on the platform, allowing for easy optimization and curation of a visually-appealing and cohesive social media feed.
Negative
- Loomly's photo size limit can be frustrating as it doesn't allow users to post full pictures or videos. Meeting specific aspect ratios can be challenging and may compromise the quality of the content.
- It lacks the ability to copy and paste post structures, which can be time-consuming for users who want to replicate a post with minor changes.
- Although it is possible to post videos using Loomly, file sizes need to be relatively small, which can, in turn, compromise the quality and length of the content.
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.
- Buffer also offers a convenient feature where users can create a new page with the help of free templates, providing a jumpstart to their content creation process.
- Buffer provides a simple and effective solution for social media collaboration, allowing teams to manage multiple clients' accounts with ease, streamlining their workflow and maximizing productivity.
Negative
- One potential drawback of Buffer is that its analytics capabilities are limited. Users have noted that the platform should offer a more in-depth analysis of each post's performance and engagement levels.
- A feature lacking in Buffer is a quick chat support option, which would be helpful for users seeking immediate assistance with an issue and were unable to find the answer in the help center.
- Buffer lacks aesthetic appearance, as its whole interface is very monochromatic. Some basic design changes and perhaps a dash of color is needed to make the user experience better.
Positive
- SocialPilot constantly keeps updating itself by keeping a keen eye on customer suggestions and dynamic needs of social media channels. This way, the platform, backed by features that users require, is able to fulfill every demand a marketer may have.
- SocialPilot allows users and clients to collaborate efficiently and save a great deal of time managing social networks.
- SocialPilot's tech support is excellent. Whether the user is facing a technical issue or has a general query, the team is quick to respond and help out.
Negative
- Users can post directly using their Instagram business account, but they will get mobile reminders in case of a personal account. This is a common issue on all social media management platforms since there is no available API for Instagram personal accounts.
- Users have reported that accounts may occasionally become disconnected, resulting in failed scheduled posts. However, it is a simple process to reconnect the account and reschedule the post, as all posts get saved.
- SocialPilot does not have a free version available, leaving users with only a 14-day free trial option to test the app. The free trial can be accessed without the need for a credit card, making it a risk-free opportunity for those who want to explore the features and capabilities of the app before making a purchase.
Pricing – Loomly vs Buffer
Now let us compare the pricing plans of both the contenders to see which one of them, gives a better deal to theory clientele.
Buffer has a free plan which requires no veiled payment at all, whereas Loomly’s base price starts at a mere $35 per month. However, we must compare the agency-level plans, which are more used by their client base.
Loomly, at a monthly fee of $360, allows 30 users to connect up to 50 social accounts and posts with no cap on the number. Upon some extrapolation, we find that Buffer allows 50 social accounts to be connected at the same price as Loomly but also has unrestricted team members’ access.
If we compare Buffer to SocialPilot, the latter provides 50 social accounts with unlimited users and clients to be onboarding at just $200. This makes customers consider SocialPilot as a well-matched Buffer alternative.
Look at the table below for a clearer understanding of the pricing plans of Buffer and Loomly compared side by side along with SocialPilot.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
---|---|---|
Basic
$42/per month
|
Free
|
Professional
$30/per month
|
Standard
$80/per month
|
Essential
$6/per channel
|
Small Team
$50/per month
|
Advanced
$175/per month
|
Team
$12/per channel
|
Agency
$100/per month
|
Premium
$369/per month
|
Agency
$120/per channel
|
Agency+
$200/per month
|
Enterprise
Custom
|
- | - |
15 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
|
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
|
14 Days Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
|
Learn More | Learn More | Start Your free Trial |
In-depth Scheduling and Publishing Capabilities Comparison
Scheduling abilities are the bedrock on which the effectiveness of any social media tool depends upon. So now we’ll go over the scheduling and publishing capabilities of Loomly and Buffer.
Both tools have more than sufficient features to be powerful social media scheduling tools. Advanced capabilities include smart queueing, platform-specific post customization, visual content support, cloud content storage, and more.
However, there are some discrepancies between the two tools. For instance, Buffer cannot schedule Facebook reels, carousel posts, or boost posts, while Loomly can.
Also, Buffer does not support YouTube publishing and is unable to give content curation or RSS feed automation. All of these gaps have been filled by Loomly, providing many more advanced scheduling features which Buffer lacks.
Note: Loomly lacks a specific feature which is very much in demand for creating engaging and optimized posts. It does not allow users to schedule the first comment with their Facebook posts. However, you can do that with SocialPilot.
Based on the table below, you can determine which tool, Loomly or Buffer, performs better for scheduling and publishing. Alongside, we have given the data for SocialPilot as it has very robust scheduling abilities and gives tough competition to the tools in question.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Smart & Advanced Queueing | |||
Customize Post for Each Platform | |||
Post Preview | |||
Canva Integration | |||
Unsplash Integration | |||
Slack Integration | |||
URL Shortener | |||
Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) | |||
UTM Parameters | |||
Cloud Storage | |||
Hashtag Suggestions | |||
Advance Publishing Capabilities | |||
Save Draft Posts | |||
AI Assistant | |||
Watermark on Images | |||
Bulk Scheduling | |||
Auto publishing from RSS | |||
Social media calendar | |||
Mobile App | |||
Browser Extension | |||
Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities | |||
Reel Scheduling | |||
Support Album Posts | |||
Support Carousel Posts | |||
Alternate Text on Image | |||
Support Facebook First Comment | |||
Audience Targeting | |||
Boost Post Scheduling | |||
Support Mention and Hashtags | |||
Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities | |||
Location Tagging | |||
Support Mention and Hashtags | |||
Support Multiple Image Posts | |||
Threads Scheduling | |||
Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities | |||
Reel Scheduling | |||
Story Scheduling | |||
Tag Profiles on Images | |||
Location Tagging | |||
Support Instagram First Comment | |||
Instagram Grid | |||
Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities | |||
Audience Targeting | |||
Support LinkedIn First Comment | |||
Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities | |||
Shorts Scheduling | |||
Mention of Other YouTube Accounts | |||
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
In-depth Analytics Capability Comparison
Analytics is the roadmap that every social media marketer must refer to for creating successful strategies. In this section, we are trying to determine which tools have stronger analytics and reporting features.
Both Buffer and Loomly have similarly sufficient capabilities when it comes to collecting data on how your content is performing on the relevant platforms and the actions it is generating among the users. This data helps you determine your audience’s preferences and prevalent social media trends.
Buffer lacks reporting functionalities because it can’t automatically send the analytics reports it generates to concerned stakeholders, while Loomly can do it. And so can SocialPilot at a much lesser cost!
For better comparison, here are all the analytics and reporting functions for these tools along with SocialPilot.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format | |||
Email PDF Report to Client | |||
Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client | |||
Custom Report Builder | |||
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
In-depth Inbox/Listening Capability Comparison
Listening abilities in a social media management tool helps monitor audiences’ opinions of their images and manage all the engagements and reviews.
Loomly has adequate listening abilities where users can reply to messages they receive from their audience on specific platforms. But Buffer seriously lacks in this criteria, missing all essential social inbox or listening capabilities.
Note: SocialPilot has a very capable inbox where users can monitor all the messages and comments they receive on their business pages. They can even see the review and star ratings they get on their Google Business pages. Engagement becomes super easy when all of it can be managed from one integrated and intuitive dashboard.
Here’s a brief look at all the listening capabilities of both Buffer and Loomly with SocialPilot for extra reference.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Can Reply to Messages | |||
Can Reply Questions and Reviews | |||
Can Reply on Visitor Posts | |||
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |
In-depth Social Media Collaboration Capability Comparison
Now we come to the last but crucial feature of the tool to be discussed. Collaboration functionalities are fundamental for marketing teams to work together on a social media management tool.
Both these tools have effective team and client workflows. Users can work and collaborate on a single post, get approval, and admins can decide on permission-based access.
Here is a brief summary in the table for all the collaboration features for Loomly and Buffer, along with SocialPilot.
Loomly |
Buffer |
SocialPilot |
|
---|---|---|---|
Free Unlimited Client Onboarding | |||
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration | |||
Access Management | |||
Content Approval Workflow | |||
Learn More | Learn More | 14 Days Trial |