I recently wrote an article about how much I loved the social media scheduling tool, Buffer.

Someone read my article and left a comment describing a very similar tool called Timely.is.

After doing a little bit of research, I determined that this tool was also awesome.

In case you are unfamiliar, the idea of tools such as Buffer and Timely.is is to make tweeting easier.

Similarities

• Both tools have a dashboard where you can see side by side all the tweets you have scheduled.
• Both tools offer an extension that can be added to your browser. This makes scheduling tweets as easy and quick as if you were going to click a Twitter sharing icon.
• Both tools offer analytics about everything you tweet. They will tell you how many people clicked on the tweet and re-tweeted the tweet.
• Both make it easier to schedule tweets.

On the surface, these two tools seemed to serve the same purpose. However, once you begin using the tools you will realize that there are differences that really matter. Consider some of the ways these tools differ before deciding which is right for you:

• Scheduling--Buffer allows you to schedule up to ten tweets per day at whatever time you wish. Timely.is schedules tweets based upon your past tweeting habits. You can tweet up to nine times per day and decide whether you want to tweet on the weekends or not. Winner: Depends. Would you rather come up with your own schedules, or let someone pick one for you?
• Accounts -- You can sync up one Twitter account for free, but others will cost you at least $10/month with Buffer. Timely.is allows your to add unlimited Twitter accounts for free and include unlimited team members. Winner: Timely.is.
• Sharing Options -- Many websites are including a Buffer option along with other sharing options. Timely.is is not nearly as popular/well known as Buffer, so it's harder to find these perks. Winner: Buffer. 
• Mobile -- Buffer has a mobile app and Timely.is does not. Winner: Buffer.

Whether you’re starting a business or looking to simply improve your company’s social media efforts, there is no right answer. It is up to you to decide if you want to put more value on price, scheduling options, or a mobile application.

I actually use both Buffer and Timely.is to schedule my tweets because I have so many. I work with my company accounts, personal account, try to promote my co-workers content, and try and tweet out things that I find valuable. I generally use Buffer for my personal account and personal tweets, and Timely.is to promote content that I or my co-workers have written. 

Do you use Timely.is or Buffer? Which do you prefer?

Photo Credit: stunningmesh.com

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to workers compensation. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including VoIP to small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.