Buttondown vs Ghost (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buttondown grades higher than Ghost: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Buttondown grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
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
Ghost
Open source publishing with newsletters and paid memberships
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 Ghost if
- Fits if you want your own site, a newsletter and paid memberships in one place
- Works for solo writers who want to avoid platform fees on payments
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want paid subscriptions: they need Publisher at $29 a month
- Watch out: Starter and Publisher stop at 1,000 members, and you are asked to upgrade after that
- Watch out: Stripe's own fees still apply on payments
- Pricey if you want a team: 3 staff users on Publisher, 15 on Business at $199
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, since only a browser admin is listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAButtondownFair | 2.2GPAGhostFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$15 a month on yearly billing ($18 monthly) for 1,000 members is the middle of this category. Publisher, with paid subscriptions, is $29. |
| 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. | CA 14-day free trial. The listing does not say whether a card is needed, and there is no free plan. |
| 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. | CNewsletters, memberships, a website and analytics. Starter has no paid subscriptions, custom themes or custom fields, and the pages read show no marketing automation. |
| 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. | CA web admin with no rating on record. You pick a theme and set up a site as well as a newsletter. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube. | BWeb only, with Stripe, Zapier, Slack, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Google Analytics, Discord and Plausible. |
| Best for | plain newsletters from one writer | publishers who want a site and newsletter in one |
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 Ghost. 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. Ghost starts at $15 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Buttondown starts $6 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Buttondown for less, and 14 score higher than Ghost 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
- Ghost is open source, according to its own site.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
At a glance
| Buttondown | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers | $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Ghost(Pro) |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Buttondown | Ghost Foundation |
| Price read from | buttondown.com | ghost.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Ghost
- Paid subscriptions, custom themes and custom fields need the Publisher plan; Starter has none of them.
- Starter and Publisher cap out at 1,000 members, and the page says you are notified to upgrade as members grow.
- Ghost takes no transaction fee on payments, but Stripe's payment processor fees still apply.
- Only a browser-based admin is listed; no desktop or mobile apps appear on the pages read.
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.
Ghost
- Newsletters built in
- Posts can go out as email newsletters. The pricing page lists multiple newsletters, email templates and editable links after sending.
- Paid memberships
- Members sign up free or pay through Stripe. Publisher and above include paid subscriptions, tips, premium tiers and special offers.
- Own website and themes
- Every plan includes a website with a custom domain. Marketplace and custom themes start on the Publisher plan.
- Member analytics
- Shows who is signing up, who is paying and what members read, with advanced analytics on Publisher and higher.
- Open source software
- The foundation describes Ghost as open source, and its developer docs include a hosting guide for running it yourself.
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.
Ghost
Starter$15
per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly)
1 staff user, a default theme with design settings, and email newsletters. Price rises with the member count.
Publisher$29
per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly
3 staff users, custom themes, paid subscriptions, advanced analytics and custom fields. Price rises with members.
Business$199
per month for up to 10,000 members, billed yearly
15 staff users, priority support, higher usage limits and early access to features.
CustomCustom
Unlimited members and staff users, a dedicated IP address and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Sold through sales.
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.
Ghost
- Annual discount
Lower price when billed yearly
The Starter plan is $15 a month billed yearly against $18 billed monthly. Yearly and monthly billing toggle on the pricing page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or Ghost?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buttondown is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $15 a month for Ghost. Buttondown starts at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, and Ghost starts at $15 per month for up to 1,000 members, billed yearly ($18 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Buttondown or Ghost?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Buttondown has a free plan. Ghost does not, though it has a free trial.
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.