Buffer vs Shield:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Buffer had more branded searches than Shield among LinkedIn content tools worldwide. Buffer had about 480 branded searches, while Shield had 310. Buffer made up 2.3% of all LinkedIn content tool searches we track, and Shield accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about LinkedIn content tools, Buffer appeared in three of the five answers and Shield in none.
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Top LinkedIn content tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Buffer was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Shield did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Buffer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Taplio2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hootsuite2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AuthoredUp1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Supergrow1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
TypeGrow0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
aiCarousels0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
PostNitro0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Kleo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Shield0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about LinkedIn content tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best tool for writing LinkedIn posts?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How can I schedule LinkedIn posts and see how they perform?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI tool should I use to grow on LinkedIn?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“linkedin post scheduler”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“linkedin post generator”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Buffer or Shield more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Buffer and Shield by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 LinkedIn content tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Buffer, Shield. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Taplio | TypeGrow | AuthoredUp | Supergrow | aiCarousels | PostNitro | Buffer | Kleo | Shield | EasyGen | RedactAI | Hootsuite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 47.9% | 9.5% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 11.7% | 5% | 1% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 0.45% | 3.4% | 0.69% |
| Dec 2025 | 50.6% | 10.1% | 8.1% | 7.2% | 10.1% | 3.6% | 1.1% | 0.98% | 3.3% | 0.73% | 3.6% | 0.73% |
| Jan 2026 | 47.5% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 8.3% | 9.4% | 5% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 3.9% | 0.45% | 2.6% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 49% | 9.7% | 7.8% | 8.6% | 7.8% | 6.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 4% | 0.7% | 2.4% | 0.87% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.6% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 8.6% | 7.9% | 6.3% | 1.6% | 1% | 4% | 0.37% | 3.5% | 0.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.3% | 9.4% | 7.6% | 5.5% | 9.4% | 7.6% | 1.9% | 0.92% | 4.9% | 0.44% | 4.2% | 0.84% |
| May 2026 | 50.1% | 10% | 8% | 8.8% | 8% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 0.91% | 4.3% | 0.72% | 1.6% | 0.58% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.3% | 11.3% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 7.5% | 5% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 2.2% | 5.9% | 1% | 0.66% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.7% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 7.8% | 8.9% | 4.8% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 3.7% | 1.2% | 0.78% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.5% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 8% | 9.2% | 5% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.81% | 0.81% | 0.65% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.3% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 7.6% | 10.3% | 5.6% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Oct 2026 | 46.8% | 13.7% | 9% | 8.1% | 7.6% | 6.1% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
How has branded search for Buffer and Shield changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending October 2026: Buffer took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Buffer’s share of searches among LinkedIn content tools worldwide moved from 1% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 480.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Shield’s share of searches among LinkedIn content tools worldwide moved from 3.1% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2K to 310.
How did search popularity change for LinkedIn content tools worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
How are Buffer’s and Shield’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Buffer’s and Shield’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.
Other head-to-heads among LinkedIn content tools
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