It's a near tie: both score 8.7, with YouTube ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. YouTube wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Buffer on 2, with 1 tied.
Creators who make longer videos and want a clear way to earn
Solo creators and small teams who post to several apps
Score by score
The details
| Feature | YouTube | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Media & Creator Tools | Social Media & Creator Tools |
| Category rank | #1 of 17 | #2 of 17 |
| Developer | Buffer | |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is YouTube better than Buffer?
It's a near tie: both score 8.7, with YouTube ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. YouTube wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Buffer on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, YouTube or Buffer?
YouTube: Free with ads; in the US, Premium is $15.99 a month and Premium Lite is $8.99. Buffer: Free for 3 channels; Essentials is $5 a month per channel, billed yearly. On value for money, Buffer scores higher.
Do YouTube and Buffer work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Web.
Which is more private, YouTube or Buffer?
Buffer scores higher on privacy (8.0/10). The App Store label links contact info, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics and your content to you, with no tracking. There are no ads. Buffer needs access to the social accounts you connect.
Strengths and weaknesses
YouTube
- Free to watch and post
- Clear rules for getting paid
- Works on phones, computers and TVs
- Lots of ads unless you pay for Premium
- Hard for brand new channels to get noticed
- Google links a lot of data to your account
YouTube is still the best place to watch and post longer videos. You can upload long videos, Shorts and live streams, all for free. Creators start earning from ads at 1,000 subscribers plus enough watch time, which is the clearest pay system of any big app. The downsides are lots of ads unless you pay for Premium, and Google links a lot of what you watch to your account.
Full YouTube review
Buffer
- Free plan is useful on its own
- Clean and easy to learn
- Works with Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon
- Paid plans charge per channel
- Free plan holds only 10 posts per channel
- First-comment scheduling needs a paid plan
Buffer is the easiest way to plan posts for many apps at once. Write a post, pick your channels, and it goes out at the time you choose. The free plan covers three channels with 10 scheduled posts each, which is plenty for one creator. It works with 12 networks, including Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky and YouTube. Paid plans charge per channel, so costs climb if you run many accounts.
Full Buffer review
