Buttondown vs listmonk (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Buttondown grades higher than listmonk: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Buttondown grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. listmonk grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on features.
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
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 listmonk if
- Fits if you can run a server and want a mailing list you fully control
- Works for developers who want a transactional and newsletter tool without a monthly fee
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to host and update a server
- Skip it if you want automation journeys, which the pages do not describe
- Watch out: you supply a Postgres database and an SMTP provider, which cost money
- Watch out: the latest release shown is a v7 beta from 10 Nov 2026
- Skip it if you want one-click hosting backed by the project: third-party hosts exist, and the project says it has no affiliation with them
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAButtondownFair | 2.0GPAlistmonkFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CThe software is free, but you need a server and an SMTP provider for sending, so it is not free in practice. Software that is free only if you host it yourself needs a server, so it sits at an ordinary C. |
| 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 and open source with no subscriber cap on record, but you pay for hosting and an SMTP service yourself. |
| 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. | CLists, segmentation, templates, analytics, transactional messages and access control. The pages read describe no automation journeys or paid subscriptions. |
| 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. | DYou self-host it: a server, a Postgres database and an SMTP provider, plus updates. No rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube. | CWeb only, with no integrations listed on the pages read. |
| Best for | plain newsletters from one writer | self-hosted mailing lists for people who run servers |
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 listmonk. 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. listmonk has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Buttondown scores higher, and starts $9 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Buttondown for less, and none scores higher than listmonk 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
- listmonk is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation and paid newsletters.
- listmonk also covers transactional email.
At a glance
| Buttondown | listmonk | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers | Free |
| Free plan | Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives. | Free and open source; you host it yourself and supply your own SMTP service. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Buttondown | Kailash Nadh |
| Price read from | buttondown.com | listmonk.app |
| 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.
listmonk
- You install, host and update it yourself, and supply a Postgres database and an SMTP provider for sending.
- It is a one-way mailing list tool; the pages read do not describe automation journeys or built-in paid subscriptions.
- The latest release shown is a v7 beta, released 10 Nov 2026.
- Third-party one-click hosting exists, but the project says it has no affiliation with those providers.
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.
listmonk
- Lists and segmentation
- Manage single and double opt-in lists with millions of subscribers, and query and segment subscribers with SQL expressions.
- Templates and editors
- Go-templated emails with logic and 100+ functions, written in a visual drag-and-drop builder, a WYSIWYG editor, Markdown or raw HTML.
- Analytics
- Built-in analytics show campaign performance, bounces and top links across campaigns.
- Transactional messages
- An API sends arbitrary messages from pre-defined templates, and messenger interfaces can send SMS or WhatsApp through HTTP webhooks.
- Access control and privacy
- OIDC single sign-on, granular roles, scoped API tokens, and subscriber data export and deletion on request.
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.
listmonk
Self-hosted$0
Free and open source; you host it yourself on a server with a Postgres database.
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.
listmonk
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or listmonk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, listmonk is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Buttondown. Buttondown starts at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers, and listmonk is free.
Which has a free plan, Buttondown or listmonk?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Buttondown and listmonk 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.