AI CMO vs Buffer + Mention: One Tool or Two?
Many teams combine Buffer for scheduling and Mention for listening. AI CMO does both + AI content generation in one platform.
Quick Verdict
Choose AI CMO if: You want one integrated tool with social listening, content generation, and AI-powered features for $99/month (vs $63+/month for two separate tools).
Choose Buffer + Mention if: You prefer best-of-breed tools and don't need AI content generation, and you're okay managing two separate dashboards and billing.
The Hidden Cost of Tool Fragmentation
Using multiple tools creates more than just financial costs
Time Switching
Average 23 minutes lost per context switch between tools. That's 2+ hours/week.
Double Billing
Two subscriptions = two billing dates, two renewals, two support channels to manage.
Manual Data Transfer
Copy insights from Mention → Generate content manually → Paste to Buffer. Every. Single. Time.
Cost Comparison
AI CMO
All-in-One$99/mo
Everything included
- Social Listening: 15 keywords across 6 platforms
- AI Content Generation: 20 distribution recommendations/month
- Daily Summaries: AI-generated insights via email
- Team: 3 users included
- One Dashboard: Everything in one place
Buffer + Mention
$63+/mo
$22 (Buffer) + $41 (Mention)
Plus AI tool if needed: ~$20/mo
Buffer ($22/mo)
- Social media scheduling
- 4 social accounts
- No social listening
Mention ($41/mo)
- Social listening (2 alerts)
- Competitor tracking
- No content generation
Missing: AI content generation, daily summaries, integrated workflow
Real Total Cost: Buffer + Mention + AI tool = $83-103/month vs AI CMO's $99/month (with more features)
Workflow Comparison
AI CMO Workflow (5 min)
Morning email arrives
AI summary with top opportunities
Click interesting post
Opens in AI CMO dashboard
View AI content recommendation
Platform-specific versions ready
Copy & post
Done! On to next task
Total time: ~5 minutes
Buffer + Mention Workflow (25 min)
Log into Mention
Check alerts, read through posts
Copy interesting post URL
Switch to notes app
Manually write content
Or use separate AI tool (ChatGPT)
Adapt for each platform
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook formats
Log into Buffer
Schedule posts for each platform
Post manually or schedule
Finally done!
Total time: ~25 minutes (5x longer)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AI CMO | Buffer + Mention |
|---|---|---|
| Social Listening | ✓ (15 keywords) | ✓ (2 alerts) |
| AI Content Generation | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI Daily Summaries | ✓ | ✗ |
| Social Media Scheduling | Roadmap | ✓ (Buffer) |
| Integrated Workflow | ✓ (One dashboard) | ✗ (2 tools) |
| Platforms Monitored | 6 platforms | Multiple sources |
| Team Users | 3 included | 1 each tool |
| Monthly Cost | $99 | $63-103 |
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose AI CMO if you:
- Want one tool instead of two (or three)
- Value time saved over tool flexibility
- Need AI content generation included
- Want daily AI summaries via email
- Prefer integrated listening → content workflow
Choose Buffer + Mention if you:
- Already use Buffer and like it
- Prefer best-of-breed tools
- Don't mind managing multiple tools
- Write content manually (no AI needed)
- Have specific Buffer/Mention integrations
One Tool. One Dashboard. One Simple Price.
Stop juggling Buffer, Mention, and ChatGPT. Get it all in AI CMO.
No credit card required • Cancel anytime • No tool switching