Buffer vs Tailwind
Generic pin scheduling versus a Pinterest-only marketing tool
TL;DR
For Pinterest pin creation: Buffer (from $6 per channel per month, or $5 billed annually) is a generic scheduler that treats Pinterest like any other platform. Tailwind ($29.99/month, or $17.99/month billed annually) is a Pinterest-only tool with SmartSchedule, SmartPin pins auto-created from your URLs and blog feed, Ghostwriter AI copy, Tailwind Create for pin designs, and an optional Turbo engagement add-on. For serious Pinterest marketing, Tailwind does far more. Buffer is cheaper and also covers your other social networks.
Key Differences for Pinterest
How these tools differ for Pinterest pin creation and scheduling
Pinterest Focus
Buffer has a Pinterest rating of 4/10 while Tailwind scores 9/10. Tailwind offers stronger Pinterest-specific features.
Pricing
Buffer starts at $6/mo per channel ($5 billed annually) while Tailwind starts at $29.99/mo ($17.99/mo billed annually). Buffer offers a free plan. Tailwind offers a free plan.
Automation
Tailwind has SmartPin weekly refresh. Neither tool can auto-create pins from your website content like BlogToPin does.
Bulk Pin Creation
Neither Buffer nor Tailwind can generate pins from your website automatically. BlogToPin reads your sitemap and creates hundreds of optimized pins with AI-written titles and descriptions.
Platform Support
Buffer supports Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business, Bluesky, Mastodon. Tailwind covers Pinterest only. Buffer gives you more platform options.
Analytics
Tailwind provides deeper Pinterest analytics. Tailwind offers detailed analytics while the other has more basic reporting.
Pricing for Pinterest Users
What you will actually pay for Pinterest pin scheduling
Buffer
Per channel pricing
Tailwind
Per Pinterest account, credit-based plans
BlogToPin
Starter plan. 1,000+ pins/mo. Unlimited AI.
Pinterest Feature Comparison
20 Pinterest-relevant features compared side-by-side
| Feature | Buffer | Tailwind | BlogToPin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinterest Features | |||
| Pinterest Scheduling | |||
| Smart Schedule | SmartSchedule | AI-powered | |
| Pin Templates | Tailwind Create | 100+ templates | |
| Board Management | Basic | ||
| Idea & Video Pins | Image, video & GIF pins | ||
| Automation | |||
| Bulk Scheduling | CSV bulk upload | CSV Upload | Automatic |
| Auto-Create from URL | SmartPin | ||
| Auto-Sync New Content | RSS SmartPin | ||
| Content Recycling | SmartPin weekly refresh | ||
| Delete Underperforming Pins | |||
| RSS Feed Integration | Ideas only (no auto-post) | RSS SmartPin | |
| AI & Content | |||
| AI Writing | AI Assistant | Ghostwriter | Unlimited |
| AI Image Generation | |||
| Hashtag Suggestions | |||
| Analytics | |||
| Pinterest Analytics | Basic | ||
| Best Time to Post | |||
| Competitor Tracking | |||
| Platform | |||
| Multi-Platform | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business, Bluesky, Mastodon | Pinterest only | Pinterest focused |
| Mobile App | |||
| Team Collaboration | Team plan | Collaborators (select plans) | Business plan |
Pros & Cons for Pinterest
Strengths and weaknesses for Pinterest pin workflows
Buffer
Pros
- Dead simple to use, almost no learning curve
- Very affordable, especially for solo creators
- Supports more platforms than most tools
- Clean, distraction-free interface
- Free plan for 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel
- Great for beginners who just need basic scheduling
Cons
- Pinterest features are extremely basic
- No Pinterest-specific best-time data
- No pin design templates (Canva integration only)
- No content recycling or evergreen features
- Analytics are minimal for Pinterest
- No pin recycling or auto-pinning from your site (CSV bulk upload only)
Tailwind
Pros
- Long-standing Pinterest marketing partner focused only on Pinterest
- SmartPin creates a fresh pin from each URL every week, and can follow your RSS feed
- Turbo boosts your top pins through a community of creators
- SmartSchedule picks optimal posting times based on your audience data
- Tailwind Create generates pin designs quickly from templates
- Solid Pinterest analytics with board-level insights
Cons
- New plans are Pinterest-only (Instagram and Facebook on legacy plans only)
- Credit-based: every scheduled pin, SmartPin and Ghostwriter run uses credits
- Engagement boosting (Turbo) and keyword research are separate paid add-ons
- Cannot delete underperforming pins for you
- Tailwind Create designs can look generic and template-y
- Priced per Pinterest account, so costs multiply across accounts
BlogToPin
Pros
- Auto-creates pins from your website content — no manual design
- 100+ pin templates for visual variety across your profile
- AI writes Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- Automatically deletes underperforming pins to protect account quality
- Smart scheduling posts pins at optimal times
- Reads your sitemap and generates pins from every page
Cons
- Pinterest-only — does not support other social platforms
- No mobile app yet
- Requires a website with content to generate pins from
- Starting at $39/mo, higher entry price than basic schedulers
What Users Say
Real user reviews from Trustpilot and G2
Buffer Reviews
“Buffer saves me so much time. Tools are efficient and easy to use, easy to swap out accounts and channels too.”
“I've scheduled 5 posts every day but one post doesn't always get published because it exceeded the number of posts allowed.”
Tailwind Reviews
“The SmartPin scheduler is out of this world and really creates a more efficient workflow for me.”
“I'd just been charged $599.88 without any prior notice. There was absolutely no indication during signup that the plan would auto-renew.”
Best For Pinterest
When to choose each tool for your Pinterest pin strategy
Buffer
- Beginners who want the simplest possible tool
- Solo creators on a tight budget
- People who need basic scheduling across many platforms
Tailwind
- Pinterest-first marketers who want deep platform integration
- Bloggers who want existing URLs turned into fresh weekly pins with SmartPin
- Creators who want community engagement boosts via Turbo
BlogToPin
- You need hundreds of unique pins created from your website content
- You want AI to write Pinterest-optimized titles and descriptions
- You are tired of manually designing pin images for every post
- You want to automatically remove underperforming pins
- You need Pinterest pin creation on autopilot, not just scheduling
Overview
This is the generalist vs. specialist matchup for Pinterest. Buffer schedules pins the same way it schedules posts for Instagram or LinkedIn: upload, describe, time, publish. Tailwind is built specifically for Pinterest, and new Tailwind plans are Pinterest-only: SmartSchedule picks posting times for your audience, SmartPin turns any URL into a fresh pin every week, RSS SmartPin turns new blog posts into SmartPins automatically, and Tailwind Create generates pin designs. If Pinterest is a meaningful traffic or revenue channel for your business, Tailwind's higher price buys capabilities Buffer simply doesn't have.
SmartSchedule vs. Manual Time Slots
Tailwind's SmartSchedule recommends posting times based on when your specific Pinterest audience is most active. The posting times are personalized to your account, not generic "best times to pin" advice from blog articles.
Buffer uses time slots you configure yourself. It offers generic recommended posting times, but nothing based on your Pinterest audience specifically, and no Pinterest-specific optimization over time.
For many Pinterest accounts, audience-based timing beats manually chosen times. The difference is especially noticeable for niche topics where audience activity patterns don't follow generic social media timing wisdom.
SmartPin: Fresh Pins From Your Content
Tailwind's SmartPin is the feature that most clearly separates it from Buffer. Give it a URL and it creates a new pin for that page every week; connect your RSS feed and every new blog post becomes a SmartPin automatically. Site Pages can import your sitemap so your existing content is easy to queue up. Your content keeps reaching Pinterest without you designing each pin by hand.
Buffer has no recycling and no pin auto-creation. Every pin publishes once and leaves the queue. Buffer can pull an RSS feed in as a source of post ideas, but it won't turn new posts into pins automatically, so each new pin still needs a design and a manual queue entry.
SmartPin alone can justify Tailwind's price for bloggers. An account with a library of evergreen posts gets a steady stream of fresh pins without new design work.
Tailwind Turbo for Engagement Boosting
Tailwind Turbo is an optional engagement add-on ($14.99/month, or $11.99 billed annually) that uses Tailwind's member community to boost engagement on your pins. It superseded the older Tailwind Communities (and Tribes before that).
Buffer is a solo tool. Your reach depends entirely on your own following and the Pinterest algorithm, with no built-in way to boost early engagement on your pins.
Tailwind Create and Ghostwriter for Pin Design
Tailwind Create generates pin designs from your content and brand, producing multiple variations in Pinterest-ready dimensions, while Ghostwriter writes AI titles and descriptions. It's not a full design tool like Canva, but for speed and convenience it turns a long design task into a quick selection task.
Buffer has no pin design capabilities. Its AI Assistant can help with captions, but every pin image must be created externally in Canva, Photoshop, or another tool.
BlogToPin is another Pinterest-focused option here: it reads your sitemap, generates multiple designs per page, writes descriptions, and schedules the pins.
Price vs. Pinterest Results
Buffer Essentials costs $6 per channel per month ($5 billed annually), and its free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each. It's cheaper, but you get basic Pinterest scheduling without audience-based timing, recycling, or pin creation.
Tailwind's Pin Scheduling & Creation plan costs $29.99/month, or $17.99/month billed annually, per Pinterest account, with 300 credits a month (one credit per scheduled pin). The SEO and Turbo add-ons cost $14.99/month each ($11.99 billed annually), or $44.98/month ($29.98 billed annually) for the bundle. You can start free with a one-time allowance of 10 scheduled pins, no card required.
Tailwind costs several times Buffer's per-channel price for one Pinterest account, but SmartSchedule, SmartPin, and Create directly address how experienced Pinterest marketers operate.
Final Verdict
Tailwind is the better choice for anyone serious about Pinterest marketing. SmartSchedule, SmartPin, Ghostwriter, and Tailwind Create provide Pinterest-specific capabilities Buffer doesn't offer at any price. Keep in mind that the base plan's 300 monthly credits cap how many pins you can schedule.
Buffer makes sense if Pinterest is a minor channel — you pin a few times per week alongside Instagram, LinkedIn, or X posts and don't need optimization. Since new Tailwind plans only cover Pinterest, many marketers use Tailwind for Pinterest and Buffer for everything else. BlogToPin is another Pinterest-focused option that generates pins from your content and schedules them.
Want pins created automatically?
Both Buffer and Tailwind require manual pin creation. BlogToPin generates pins from your website with AI — no design work needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions answered about Buffer vs Tailwind
Is Tailwind really worth several times the price of Buffer for Pinterest?
For active Pinterest marketers, usually yes. SmartSchedule optimizes timing for your audience, SmartPin keeps fresh pins coming from your existing URLs and new blog posts, and Tailwind Create speeds up design. If you only pin a few times a week, Buffer's lower price may be enough.
Can Buffer match Tailwind's Pinterest features?
No. Buffer is designed as a generic scheduler. It handles board selection, CSV bulk upload, and basic Pinterest analytics, but has no Pinterest-specific timing, no recycling, and no pin creation. Tailwind's SmartSchedule, SmartPin, Ghostwriter, and Create are built specifically for Pinterest.
Does Tailwind Create replace Canva for pin design?
Not entirely. Tailwind Create generates quick pin designs from your content, which works well for speed. Canva offers more design control and customization. Many Pinterest marketers use Tailwind Create for batch designs and Canva for high-priority custom pins.
How quickly do Tailwind's smart features show results?
SmartPin starts producing pins as soon as you add URLs or connect your RSS feed. SmartSchedule's timing recommendations become more useful as Tailwind learns about your account. Pinterest growth is slow-building in general, so judge results over a few months rather than a few weeks.
Can I use Tailwind for Pinterest and Buffer for other platforms?
Yes, and it's a natural split now that new Tailwind plans are Pinterest-only. Tailwind handles Pinterest with its specialized features, while Buffer handles Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, and other networks in its queue.
Is Buffer's free plan enough for basic Pinterest?
For very light pinning, yes: Buffer's free plan covers 3 channels with 10 scheduled posts each. But without audience-based timing, recycling, or pin creation, you're leaving Pinterest growth potential on the table. Tailwind's free start (a one-time allowance of 10 scheduled pins) is enough to test its Pinterest features before paying.
Which tool is better for Pinterest beginners?
Buffer is easier to start with due to its simplicity. However, beginners who invest time learning Tailwind can build their Pinterest presence faster thanks to SmartSchedule and SmartPin. The learning curve is worth it if Pinterest is a priority channel for your business.
Tired of creating pins by hand?
BlogToPin generates Pinterest pins from your website automatically. AI writes the titles and descriptions, 100+ templates handle design, and smart scheduling posts at optimal times. Try it free.