Buffer vs Rival IQ:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Buffer had more branded searches than Rival IQ among social media analytics platforms worldwide. Buffer was estimated to have 112K branded searches compared to Rival IQ’s 4.5K, and held an 18.1% Share of Search versus Rival IQ’s 0.72%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Buffer or Rival IQ?
Compare tools that help marketing teams report on social media performance and understand competing brands. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Buffer, Rival IQ. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Metricool | Buffer | Sprout Social | SocialPilot | Agorapulse | Iconosquare | Rival IQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 54.9% | 6.6% | 25.8% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 58.5% | 5.6% | 22.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 61.4% | 6.9% | 19.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 57.5% | 8.8% | 22.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 58.8% | 11.5% | 18.8% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 60% | 10.2% | 19.1% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 61.6% | 13.1% | 16.1% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 61.9% | 13% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.4% | 0.74% |
| Jun 2026 | 61.3% | 13.9% | 16.2% | 3.7% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.74% |
| Jul 2026 | 55.2% | 23% | 14.5% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.82% |
| Aug 2026 | 59.6% | 18.1% | 15.5% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 0.88% | 0.72% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Buffer and Rival IQ comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Buffer was ahead of Rival IQ in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Buffer’s estimated Share of Search among social media analytics platforms worldwide moved from 6.6% to 18.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 36.4K to 112K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Rival IQ’s estimated Share of Search among social media analytics platforms worldwide moved from 1.5% to 0.72%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 4.5K.
How did search popularity change for social media analytics platforms worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Buffer lost estimated Share of Search among social media analytics platforms worldwide, from 23% to 18.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Rival IQ worldwide fell 45.1% over 11 measured months, from 8.1K to 4.5K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Buffer’s and Rival IQ’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Buffer
23 branded search terms
- buffer app for instagram
- buffer app instagram
- buffer app twitter
- buffer com
- buffer for instagram
- buffer for twitter
- buffer instagram scheduling
- buffer linkedin
- buffer linkedin scheduling
- buffer pricing
- buffer publish
- buffer scheduling tool
- buffer social
- buffer social management
- buffer social media
- buffer social media management
- buffer social media management tool
- buffer social media marketing
- buffer social media marketing tool
- buffer social media scheduling
- buffer social media tool
- buffer social tool
- Buffer.com
Rival IQ
2 branded search terms
- rival iq
- rivaliq.com
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.