Loomly vs Buffer: Which Is Better for Your Business?

Loomly vs Buffer: Which Is Better for Your Business?

Loomly vs. Buffer

Overview

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.

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

Loomly

Start with $42

Agency, Small Business

Buffer

Buffer

Start with $6

Professionals and SMBs

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Start with $30

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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

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 check check check
Analytics check check check
Social Inbox check check check
Collaboration check check check
Whitelabel check check check
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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

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 check check check
Analytics check check check
Inbox check check check
Collaboration check check check
Competitor Tracking check check check
Whitelabel check check check
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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Smart & Advanced Queueing check check check
Customize Post for Each Platform check check check
Post Preview check check check
Canva Integration check check check
Unsplash Integration check check check
Slack Integration check check check
URL Shortener check check check
Visual Post Support (Image, Video, GIF) check check check
UTM Parameters check check check
Cloud Storage check check check
Hashtag Suggestions check check check
Advance Publishing Capabilities
Save Draft Posts check check check
AI Assistant check check check
Watermark on Images check check check
Bulk Scheduling check check check
Auto publishing from RSS check check check
Social media calendar check check check
Mobile App check check check
Browser Extension check check check
Advance Facebook Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Support Album Posts check check check
Support Carousel Posts check check check
Alternate Text on Image check check check
Support Facebook First Comment check check check
Audience Targeting check check check
Boost Post Scheduling check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Advance Twitter Publishing Capabilities
Location Tagging check check check
Support Mention and Hashtags check check check
Support Multiple Image Posts check check check
Threads Scheduling check check check
Advance Instagram Publishing Capabilities
Reel Scheduling check check check
Story Scheduling check check check
Tag Profiles on Images check check check
Location Tagging check check check
Support Instagram First Comment check check check
Instagram Grid check check check
Advance LinkedIn Publishing Capabilities
Audience Targeting check check check
Support LinkedIn First Comment check check check
Advance YouTube Publishing Capabilities
Shorts Scheduling check check check
Mention of Other YouTube Accounts check check check
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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Whitelabel Downloadable Report in PDF Format check check check
Email PDF Report to Client check check check
Auto Schedule Report with Team and Client check check check
Custom Report Builder check check check
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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Can Reply to Messages check check check
Can Reply Questions and Reviews check check check
Can Reply on Visitor Posts check check check
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

Loomly

Buffer

Buffer

SocialPilot

SocialPilot

Free Unlimited Client Onboarding check check check
Per Post Multi-User Collaboration check check check
Access Management check check check
Content Approval Workflow check check check
Learn More Learn More 14 Days Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of Loomly?

Loomly is a social media management tool that primarily automates all the activities involved in managing multiple social media accounts. The tool is used to create, schedule and publish content on various social platforms. Users can also see the analytics, listen to their audience's messages, and respond to them from the same dashboard.

Can Loomly publish reels?

Loomly can publish various types of short-form video content, including Facebook reels, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts as well.

Is Buffer approved by Pinterest?

Buffer supports Pinterest, so the platform allows Buffer users to schedule and posts content on it.

Can Loomly post to YouTube?

Loomly does allow its users to connect YouTube channels to it and posts videos and YouTube shorts on the platform.

Is Buffer no longer free?

Buffer has a free plan among its subscriptions. The plan does not require any payment or credit card details. But this plan has limited capabilities as only a single user can work on this plan. They can add up to 3 social accounts and schedule up to 10 posts for each channel.

About the Author

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Jimit Bagadiya

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