Content marketing is key to attracting and engaging new customers online. It is the backbone of your digital marketing strategy and should be at the top of your priority list.
However, efficiently handling content creation, editing, and distribution across various channels can be challenging.
A good content manager software is the perfect solution for these repetitive tasks. Helping streamline the creation process from ideation to managing and publishing online content.
While numerous content manager software options are available, selecting the right one for your growing business depends on your specific needs and budget. We’ll explore three popular choices we highly recommend: Social Champ, Buffer, and Hootsuite.
Option 1: Social Champ
Social Champ is a content manager software that helps you manage all your social media accounts from a single dashboard. You can create, edit, and schedule posts, collaborate with your team, and track the performance of your campaigns.
Subscription costs:
This table shows the pricing plans for Social Champ:
Feature | Champion | Business | Agency | Enterprise |
Price (monthly) | $0 | $80 | $240 | Custom |
Social Accounts | 12 | 40 | 100 | Custom |
Scheduled Posts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Users | 2 | 6 | 10 | Custom |
The plans differ depending on the number of social accounts you can manage, the number of scheduled posts you can create, and the number of users who can access the account.
You can start with the Champion (free) account for individuals or small teams handling a few social media accounts to get the hang of it.
Key features:
- Schedule posts for Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and more.
- Track the effectiveness of your posts with detailed analytics.
- Collaborate with your team and easily assign roles.
- Bulk upload and schedule multiple posts at once.
- Repeat evergreen content to maximise reach.
- Integrate with Canva, VistaCreate (formerly Crello), and Wave.
Feature highlights:
Evergreen content: Social Champ’s “Repeat Evergreen Content” feature helps businesses automatically resurface previously successful content to maximise reach and engagement, particularly for platforms like Pinterest, where evergreen content thrives.
AI-powered social calendar: Social Champ simplifies managing social media for multiple clients. Create dedicated workspaces for each client to keep their content organised and separate, and add unlimited workspaces as your clientele grows. You can also view all client posts in a single, unified calendar to gain a clear overview of upcoming schedules.
Option 2: Buffer
Buffer is a social media management platform that helps you schedule posts, analyse performance, and collaborate with your team. It started as a scheduling tool, allowing you to queue posts for automatic publishing. Now, it offers a variety of features to simplify your social media workflow.
Compared to Social Champ, Buffer has a more straightforward and more intuitive interface for queuing and publishing. Social Champ has a wider range of features, but Buffer’s focus on its core functionality—such as social media scheduling and analytics tools—makes it ideal for individuals or teams that prioritise ease of use and social media publishing.
Subscription costs:
This table shows the pricing plans for Buffer:
Feature | Free | Essentials | Team | Agency |
Price (monthly) | $0 | $6 | $12 | $120 |
Channels | 3 | $6 per additional channel | $12 for additional channels | $120 for up to 10 additional channels |
Users | 1 | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Buffer offers a free plan, but it’s very limited compared to Social Champ’s free tier with its set price per plan. The software charges per social media channel you connect, which can get expensive if you manage multiple channels for your business.
Key features:
- Schedule posts for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Pinterest.
- Analyse performance with detailed reports.
- Collaborate with team members and assign roles.
- Create landing pages to showcase your brand or products.
- Integrate with Shopify to view social media and sales data together.
- Use the AI Assistant to draft and refine your social media posts.
- Connect Buffer with Zapier to automate tasks across thousands of apps.
- Generate custom reports to compare and analyse social media channel performance.
Feature highlights:
AI assistant for content inspiration: Buffer’s AI Assistant helps draft and refine social media posts by suggesting relevant hashtags and content ideas. It also helps improve post captions for better audience engagement.
Pablo integration: While Pablo is not exclusive to Buffer’s paid plans, it is a free image creation tool that allows you to easily create visually appealing images without needing heavy photo and video editing software.
Option 3: Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that offers various features that are specifically useful for marketing agencies.
While Social Champ and Buffer focus on content creation and scheduling for sole marketers and smaller teams, Hootsuite offers the most comprehensive suite, with its social listening tools, advanced analytics, and team collaboration.
It prioritises enterprise-level security, making it ideal for agencies and large teams that manage a high volume of social media accounts.
Subscription costs:
This table shows the pricing plans for Buffer:
Feature | Professional | Team | Enterprise |
Price | $99/month (billed annually) | $249 /month (billed annually) | Contact for pricing |
Social Accounts | 10 | 20 | 50 |
Users | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Additional Users | Not available | Not available | Add-on per-user pricing |
Additional Social Accounts | Not Available | Not Available | Add-on per-account pricing |
If cost consideration is a priority and you only need the essentials, Social Champ’s free plan offers basic functionality to get you started. Even if you decide to upgrade, their paid plans are generally the most affordable option, especially if you’re managing multiple social media channels.
On the other hand, if advanced features are your top concern, then Hootsuite’s paid plans might be the best fit. Despite their higher costs, Hootsuite offers the most comprehensive set of tools for managing your social media presence.
Key features:
- Schedule posts in advance for multiple social media platforms.
- Monitor conversations and engage with followers across various platforms.
- Track and analyse social media performance with detailed reports.
- Manage multiple client accounts from a single dashboard.
- Assign tasks and collaborate with team members on projects.
- Integrate popular marketing tools for a streamlined workflow.
- Monitor competitor activity to stay ahead of the curve.
Feature highlights:
Brand Monitoring & Competitor Analysis: Hootsuite’s robust social listening tools allows businesses to track brand mentions, industry trends, and competitor activity to identify opportunities, stay ahead of the curve, and refine their social media strategy accordingly.
Enterprise-grade Security: Hootsuite prioritises security features that make it ideal for agencies and large teams managing sensitive information. These features include two-factor authentication, advanced permission controls, and data encryption for maximum protection.
In-Depth Comparison of Content Manager Software
The table below compares three content manager software tools: Social Champ, Buffer, and Hootsuite. When choosing the right platform, consider the features most important to your business needs and budget.
Feature | Social Champ | Buffer | Hootsuite |
Content Creation | Basic composer, integrates with Canva, VistaCreate, Wave Video | Basic composer integrates with Canva | Composer with Canva templates, OwlyWriter AI for post ideas/captions |
Scheduling | Schedule posts in bulk | Schedule posts in bulk | Schedule posts in bulk |
Social Listening | Basic monitoring, sentiment analysis | Limited listening features (paid plans) | Robust social listening tools for brand mentions, trends, competitors |
Engagement | Manage messages from various platforms | Manage messages from various platforms | Manage messages from various platforms |
Analytics | Track basic metrics like likes, comments, shares | Track basic metrics with some paid plan features | Detailed analytics with custom reports |
Team Collaboration | Assign roles and collaborate on content | Assign roles and collaborate on content | Assign tasks, collaborate on projects, manage team permissions |
Customer Care | No dedicated features | No dedicated features | Heyday platform for managing customer conversations with AI chatbots (additional cost) |
User Experience | Clean and intuitive interface | Simple and user-friendly | More complex interface with a learning curve |
System Uptime | Generally reliable | Generally reliable | Known for high uptime |
Security | Secure data encryption | Secure data encryption | Enterprise-grade security features |
Integrations | Integrates with popular design and marketing tools | Integrates with design and analytics tools | Integrates with a wide range of marketing and business tools |
Price | Subscription starts at $9/month | Subscription starts at $6/month | Subscription starts at $49/month |
Content Manager Software Recommendations
Based on the features we compared, here are some recommendations for choosing the right content manager software for your business:
Social Champ is the best option for businesses balancing affordability and features.
Its AI-powered post suggestions can assist with brainstorming with an endless list of ideas. It makes scheduling a breeze, and its built-in visual content creation tools (for image and video editing) are great for individual marketers or small teams without dedicated design resources.
It also has reasonable price points that strike a good balance between affordability and features, especially for businesses that focus on content creation.
Buffer is great for small businesses and individuals with basic social media needs. The interface is clean and user-friendly, which makes it perfect for beginners or those who value simplicity.
Buffer is comparable to that one intuitive friend in your group who is organised and makes everything easy. It has smooth scheduling tools, and its basic analytics features give you good insight into content that’s resonating with your audience.
Buffer is easy to use, so it is a good fit for those new to social media management or with limited technical expertise.
Hootsuite works well for agencies and larger businesses needing advanced social media management.
If you require robust social listening, customer care features, extensive integrations, and enterprise-grade security, Hootsuite is the most suitable option, despite the higher cost.
The advanced social listening and competitor analysis features of Hootsuite can be invaluable for agencies managing multiple client accounts and staying ahead of industry trends.
The ideal content management software empowers you to streamline content creation, manage your social media presence effectively, and gain valuable insights to achieve your marketing goals.
All three software programs we covered offer great features to help streamline your work, such as their intuitive interface, simple scheduling feature, basic analytics, and limited features (which are not bad for beginners).
Hootsuite better suits agencies and larger teams with more complex marketing needs.
Moreover, Hootsuite’s enterprise-grade security makes it especially appealing for clients who have plenty of sensitive client information. While the price reflects the comprehensive features, it is a worthwhile investment for those who require advanced functionalities and a large client base.
With these key considerations in mind, you can explore these popular content manager software options to help you find the perfect fit.
Other content manager software options
Social Champ, Buffer, and Hootsuite are popular content manager software tools, but there are several other options that are available, depending on your specific needs. Here are some strong contenders:
- Sprout Social has a user-friendly interface with core scheduling features, analytics, and engagement tools.
- Sendible is like Buffer in its simplicity. It allows scheduling across platforms, basic analytics, and team collaboration features.
- Later caters specifically to Instagram marketing, with scheduling, analytics, and visual content creation tools for story templates and link-in bio optimisation.
- Brandwatch is a social listening platform that goes beyond basic monitoring by providing in-depth insights and competitor analysis.
- Agora Pulse works with agencies and large teams. It offers scheduling, comprehensive analytics, social listening, and team collaboration features.
Content manager software platforms specialise in specific industries, like social commerce or B2B marketing. Because of their different needs and requirements, most of them offer free trials and demos to allow marketers and business owners to explore functionalities before committing.
In the end, the best content manager software depends on the specific needs of your business, so you should research your options and consider different factors to help you find the perfect software to help you reach your goals.