Buffer for Publishing. Shield for Analytics.
Buffer is built for scheduling and publishing social media content. Shield is built for understanding how your LinkedIn content performs. Two different tools for two different jobs.
Publish with Buffer. Understand your results with Shield.
Start Free TrialManaging LinkedIn for a team? Let's talk →
Two different tools for two different jobs
Buffer is excellent if you need to plan, schedule, and publish content across LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and other networks. That's what it's designed for.
Shield is for what happens after you publish. Deep analytics on every post — impressions, engagement rates, follower growth, audience demographics. A complete archive of your LinkedIn content, searchable and sortable by any metric. And Shield Agent, which lets you ask plain-language questions about your LinkedIn performance.
Many creators use both. Buffer to publish consistently, Shield to understand what's working.
Built for different things
A side-by-side look at what each tool is designed to do
| Feature | Shield | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | LinkedIn analytics | Social media scheduling & publishing |
| LinkedIn post analytics | Deep — sort, filter, all metrics | Basic — views and engagement |
| Follower growth tracking | Yes — visualized over time | Limited |
| Audience demographics | Yes — jobs, industries, locations | Not available |
| Shield Agent (AI on your data) | Yes | No |
| LinkedIn-only focus | Yes | No — multi-platform |
| Scheduling / publishing | No | Yes |
| Historical post archive | Full lifetime history | Limited |
| Free trial | 7 days, no credit card | Free plan available |
Where Shield goes deeper
The LinkedIn analytics Buffer doesn't cover
Analytics beyond "views and likes"
Sort every post by impressions, engagement rate, reach, or comments. Filter by date, format, or type. Find your top-performing LinkedIn content in seconds. Buffer tells you a post got views. Shield tells you why it worked and how to replicate it.
Shield Agent — ask your data anything
Shield Agent has access to your full LinkedIn post history. Ask "what format drives the most impressions for me?" or "which topics get the most comments?" in plain language. No exports, no spreadsheets. Buffer has no equivalent for LinkedIn analytics.
Built for multi-profile, teams, and agencies
Manage all your LinkedIn profiles from one workspace. Add team members, track client accounts, compare performance side by side. Shield is built for agencies and advocacy programs — not just individual creators.
Your complete LinkedIn archive
Every LinkedIn post you've ever published — searchable, sortable, and permanently accessible. Go back years to find your best content and understand long-term trends. Buffer's analytics focuses on recent content.
What you get when analytics is the whole product
Buffer is great at helping you stay consistent — a content calendar, a scheduling queue, a simple way to publish to multiple networks. Shield is what you reach for when you want to understand your results.
Your full post archive, automatically synced. Audience demographics showing who's actually engaging: job titles, industries, locations. Follower growth over time, so you can connect spikes to specific content decisions. Data that updates automatically — no exports, no manual tracking.
Buffer gets your content out. Shield tells you what to do more of.
Trusted by 10,000+ creators and global brands
Common questions
Can I use Shield alongside Buffer?
Yes — and many creators do. Buffer for scheduling and publishing your LinkedIn content, Shield for measuring how it performs. They cover different parts of the content workflow.
Does Shield have scheduling or publishing features?
No. Shield is analytics only. That focus is intentional — we'd rather be exceptional at LinkedIn analytics than mediocre at many things.
How long does setup take?
Connect your LinkedIn profile and data starts flowing immediately. Your full post history is available within minutes.
What's included in the free trial?
Everything. Full analytics dashboard, Shield Agent, complete post history. 7 days, no credit card required.
Can I track multiple LinkedIn profiles?
Yes. Add as many profiles as you need. Shield is built for individuals, teams, and agencies managing many profiles from a single workspace.
Serious about LinkedIn performance? Start with Shield.
Buffer helps you publish consistently. Shield helps you understand what's working. If you've been publishing LinkedIn content and wondering which posts actually drive growth, Shield gives you the data to find out — and the tools to act on it.
Shield is trusted by creators and brands in +50 countries and processes millions of LinkedIn posts from thousands of accounts.
Start Free TrialManaging LinkedIn for a team? Let's talk →