Buttondown vs Substack (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack grades higher than Buttondown: 3.2 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Substack grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features 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
Substack
Newsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions
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 Substack if
- Fits if you want to start writing for free and let readers find you in the network
- Works for writers who plan to charge, as no monthly fee applies
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, on top of card fees
- Skip it if you want drip sequences or segmentation, which the pages read do not describe
- Not for you if you want a custom site or heavy design control
- Watch out: there are no paid plans, so features and limits are the same for every publication
- Skip it if you want a desktop app, as only web and phone apps are listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAButtondownFair | 3.2GPASubstackVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree to start with no tiers, and no cost until you charge subscribers. Then Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and card fees come out of your share too. |
| 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. | AFree outright, with no paid plans or tiers listed and the same features for every publication. |
| 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. | CPaid subscriptions, newsletter, podcast and video, a reader network and subscriber chats. The pages read describe no drip sequences or list segmentation. |
| 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. | BNo rating on record, but nothing to set up: sign up, write and publish. Apps are listed for iPhone and Android. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with no desktop app and no integration list on the pages read. |
| Best for | plain newsletters from one writer | writers who want to start a paid newsletter free |
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 Substack. 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. Substack has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Substack scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other email marketing and newsletter tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Buttondown for less, and none scores higher than Substack 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.
- Substack also covers community.
At a glance
| Buttondown | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 to start, with no platform fees or tiers; Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Buttondown | Substack Inc. |
| Price read from | buttondown.com | substack.com |
| 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.
Substack
- Substack keeps 10% of paid-subscription revenue, and credit card processing fees come out of the writer's share as well.
- There are no paid plans or add-on tiers listed, so features and limits are the same for every publication.
- It is a publishing platform rather than a marketing-automation tool; the pages read do not describe drip sequences or list segmentation workflows.
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.
Substack
- Paid subscriptions
- Writers choose which posts are free and which are for paid subscribers only, and Substack handles the sign-up and payment side.
- Newsletter, podcast and video
- A publication can carry written posts, podcasts and video shows, with live video available for creators who want it.
- Built-in reader network
- Substack publishes a reader app and a discovery network, and says more than half of new subscribers arrive through that network.
- Subscriber chats and community
- The app includes discussions and chats hosted by writers, so subscribers can talk with the writer and each other.
- Own your list
- Substack states that writers own their content and their subscriber list, and that the platform is free to leave.
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.
Substack
Substack$0
Free to start with no tiers or contracts. Writers keep 90% of paid-subscription revenue, minus credit card fees.
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.
Substack
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Substack 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 Substack is free.
Which has a free plan, Buttondown or Substack?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Buttondown and Substack have a free plan.
Which platforms do Buttondown and Substack run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Substack lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.