Buttondown vs Curated (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buttondown grades higher than Curated: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Buttondown grades higher on value for money and platforms. Curated grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Buttondown
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons
Curated
Newsletter platform for link-based, editorial issues
Which one is for you
Pick Buttondown if
- Fits if you write a newsletter and want markdown and a custom sending domain
- Works for small lists, where the $9 step covers 1,000 subscribers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 100 subscribers
- Watch out: automations, sponsorships, multiple newsletters and custom-domain archives are $29 a month each
- Pricey if you want teams or whitelabeling, which are $79 a month each
- Watch out: prices assume one email a day to the whole list, and heavier sending needs a custom quote
- Skip it if you want an app on your phone or desktop, as it is web only
Pick Curated if
- Fits if your newsletter is a weekly set of links with notes
- Works for publishers with under 1,500 subscribers who want every feature free
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a card-free start, as a card is added before the first send
- Pricey if you grow, with $189 at 15,000 and $399 at 50,000 subscribers
- Too light for automation or ordinary marketing email, since it's built for editorial issues
- Watch out: above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price, and invoices need a $1,000 minimum
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAButtondownFair | 2.2GPACuratedFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$9 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers is inside the cheapest quarter of this category. But tagging, paid subscriptions, comments and analytics are $9 each and automations $29. | C$39 a month for 2,500 subscribers, $69 for 5,000 and $129 for 10,000. Ordinary at first, and in the dearer quarter from 5,000. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for up to 100 subscribers with the editor, custom sending domain and archives. A small list fits, but 100 is a cap you will reach. | BFree up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature, sending included, though a card is added before the first issue. |
| Features | CEditor, archives, automations, segmentation, paid subscriptions and an API, but most of them are add-ons at $9 to $79 each. It does newsletters, not much beyond. | CLink collection, issue assembly, archive, sponsorships, paid subscriptions and analytics. It does that one job fully, which is a smaller job than general email. |
| Ease of use | CA web app with no rating on record. Writing an issue is simple, but each add-on is something to switch on and set up. | CNo store rating on record. A web app where you build issues yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube. | CWeb with Stripe for payments. No other integrations are listed. |
| Best for | plain newsletters from one writer | link-based editorial newsletters |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Buttondown and Curated. How we grade
Price against what you get
Buttondown starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Curated starts at $39 a month and scores 2.0.
Buttondown scores higher and starts $30 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 5 score higher than Buttondown for less, and 47 score higher than Curated for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
- Curated also covers reports.
At a glance
| Buttondown | Curated | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers | $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives. | Free up to 1,500 subscribers with every feature included, including sending. A card is added before the first issue is sent. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Buttondown | Curated |
| Price read from | buttondown.com | curated.co |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Buttondown
- Most extras are paid add-ons: tagging, paid subscriptions, comments, analytics and RSS-to-email are $9 a month each.
- Automations, sponsorships, multiple newsletters and custom-domain archives are $29 a month each; whitelabeling and teams are $79 each.
- Prices assume sending at most one email a day to the whole list; heavier sending needs a custom quote.
- The page does not say whether the monthly figures change with annual billing.
Curated
- Price is set by subscriber count across all publications, and the page lists a $399 a month tier at up to 50,000 subscribers.
- Above 50,000 subscribers there is no published price; you contact the vendor.
- Monthly email quota is 31 times the plan's subscriber limit.
- Paying by invoice requires a minimum commitment of $1,000.
Key features
Buttondown
- Editor and archives
- Write in a rich text or markdown editor, send from a custom domain, and publish a hosted archive of past issues.
- Automations and segmentation
- Automations ($29 a month add-on) and tagging and segmentation ($9 a month add-on) target the right people with the right message.
- Paid subscriptions
- Paid subscriptions are a $9 a month add-on, and the homepage says Buttondown takes no fees from paid subscribers.
- API
- The homepage describes a feature-complete API for building custom tools on top of the platform.
- Concierge migration
- Buttondown says it will migrate a whole list from another platform within one business day, on request.
Curated
- Link collection
- Save links with a bookmarklet or by emailing them to a private address, with team members able to contribute.
- Issue assembly
- Import saved links into the next scheduled issue and add an intro, summaries and commentary.
- Web archive
- An optional publication site with searchable back issues, usable on your own domain at no extra fee.
- Sponsorships
- Handles sponsorship inquiries and a bookings calendar for the publication.
- Paid subscriptions
- Paid newsletters through a connected Stripe account; Curated says it takes 0% commission.
- Analytics
- Subscriber-level stats and per-issue reports on who read what and which links were clicked.
Plans
Buttondown
Free$0
Up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives.
Basic$9
per month for up to 1,000 subscribers
Same base features as Free; the price rises with active subscribers. Add-ons are extra.
Standard$29
per month for up to 5,000 subscribers
The step for lists of 1,001 to 5,000 subscribers. Add-ons are extra.
Professional$79
per month for up to 10,000 subscribers
The step for lists up to 10,000 subscribers; $79 a month at 10,000. Add-ons are extra.
Advanced$139
per month for up to 20,000 subscribers
The step for lists up to 20,000 subscribers. Add-ons are extra.
Curated
Free$0
per month for up to 1,500 subscribers
All features included. You add a card before sending your first issue but are not charged while at or under 1,500 subscribers.
Up to 2,500 subscribers$39
per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly
Price rises with the list: $69 up to 5,000, $129 up to 10,000 subscribers, and $189 up to 15,000.
Up to 25,000 subscribers$299
per month for up to 25,000 subscribers, billed monthly
Steps continue at $399 for 25,001 to 50,000 subscribers; above 50,000 the vendor asks you to get in touch.
Ways to pay less
Buttondown
- Nonprofit
50% off for registered non-profits
Registered 501(c)(3) non-profits, or the local equivalent, can get 50% off a plan by emailing proof of registry.
Curated
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or Curated?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buttondown is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $39 a month for Curated. Buttondown starts at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, and Curated starts at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, Buttondown or Curated?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Buttondown and Curated have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.