The Buttondown Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Buttondown in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Buttondown
The Insider’s Guide
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email marketing and newsletter tools, read from Buttondown’s own pages.
Made by Buttondown · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Buttondown’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Buttondown’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 27 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade
Buttondown is a newsletter platform from a small independent team. It is free for the first 100 subscribers, then priced by the number of active subscribers, with extras such as paid subscriptions, automations and analytics sold as separate monthly add-ons. It does not take a cut of what writers earn from their paid subscribers.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Buttondown, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Most of the extras are priced add-ons, so the real monthly cost climbs as soon as you want automations, tagging or paid subscriptions.
- 1
Best for plain newsletters from one writer
Buttondown is a newsletter tool with a markdown or rich text editor, a custom sending domain and hosted archives.
- 2
Paid plans start at $9 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Editor and archives
Write in a rich text or markdown editor, send from a custom domain, and publish a hosted archive of past issues.
- 6
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.
- 7
Paid subscriptions
Paid subscriptions are a $9 a month add-on, and the homepage says Buttondown takes no fees from paid subscribers.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 27 of 57
That is against the other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Buttondown you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Buttondown at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Buttondown, since 2017
- Category
- Email Marketing & Newsletters
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for plain newsletters from one writer
Buttondown is a newsletter tool with a markdown or rich text editor, a custom sending domain and hosted archives. Free for 100 subscribers, $9 a month at 1,000. Most of the extras are priced add-ons, so the real monthly cost climbs as soon as you want automations, tagging or paid subscriptions.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free 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. |
| Features | C | Editor, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | A web app with no rating on record. Writing an issue is simple, but each add-on is something to switch on and set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Buttondown is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Writers and small teams that want to pay only for what they use
- Developers who want a complete API
- Teams that need many collaborators, since there is no per-seat charge
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Buttondown has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers.
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.
The free plan
Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives.
Read from buttondown.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on buttondown.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Newsletter software priced by active subscribers, with add-ons. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, marketing automation, email campaigns, paid newsletters.
Web only, with an API and connections for Discord, Memberful and YouTube.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Discord
- Memberful
- YouTube
Buttondown is made by Buttondown, and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
27/57
Other email marketing and newsletter tools it is graded above
Buttondown's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 27 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 44 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 5 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Buttondown’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 44 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 11 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 57
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 50 email marketing and newsletter tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Buttondown is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Buttondown you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Paid newsletters: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Email sent in volume that still reaches the inbox.
- It plugs into other products, Discord, Memberful and YouTube among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Buttondown’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Substack, Ghost, beehiiv, Kit and MailerLite
The 5 tools Buttondown is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
Substack
Free
Newsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions.
- Only Substack lists iOS and Android apps.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
- Substack also covers community.
- 2.2GPA
Ghost
Free trial · from $15/mo
Open source publishing with newsletters and paid memberships.
- Buttondown has a free plan. Ghost does not, though it has a free trial.
- Ghost is open source, according to its own site.
- Buttondown also covers marketing automation.
- 2.4GPA
beehiiv
Free plan · from $49/mo
Newsletter platform with paid subscriptions, ads, website and podcast.
- beehiiv also covers forms.
- 2.6GPA
Kit
Free plan · from $33/mo
Email marketing and paid newsletters for creators.
- Kit also covers forms.
- 2.6GPA
MailerLite
Free plan · from $12/mo
Email newsletters, automations, sites and paid subscriptions.
- Only MailerLite lists an iOS app.
- MailerLite also covers forms.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Buttondown free?
Buttondown has a free plan. Free for up to 100 subscribers, with a rich text or markdown editor, custom sending domain and hosted archives.
How much does Buttondown cost?
Buttondown lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Buttondown work on?
Buttondown is available on Web.
Does Buttondown offer any discounts?
Buttondown publicly lists the following: 50% off for registered non-profits.
Does Buttondown have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Buttondown is listed for Web.
Does Buttondown have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Buttondown is listed for Web.
Is Buttondown open source?
Buttondown is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Buttondown have an API?
Yes. Buttondown offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Buttondown integrate with?
Buttondown's listing names Discord, Memberful and YouTube. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Buttondown?
Buttondown is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Buttondown?
The closest alternatives to Buttondown in our directory are Substack, Ghost, beehiiv, Kit and MailerLite.
How does Buttondown compare with other email marketing and newsletter tools?
Buttondown's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 27 of the 57 other email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, and level with 15.
Is Buttondown good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Buttondown B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month, against a middle price of $15 for the category: 5 of the 47 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Buttondown?
To replace Buttondown you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Buttondown’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Buttondown's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Buttondown. Prices change, so check buttondown.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Buttondown, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/buttondown
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Buttondown: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/buttondown
Know someone choosing between email marketing and newsletter tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/buttondown/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email marketing and newsletter tools after Buttondown, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Marketing & Newsletters Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 email marketing and newsletter tools we grade, compared
- Substack Insider's GuideNewsletter, podcast and video publishing with paid subscriptions3.2 GPA
- SendFox Insider's GuideEmail newsletters and list building for creators on a budget3.0 GPA
- Zoho Campaigns Insider's GuideEmail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns that tie into Zoho's apps3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Buttondown’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Buttondown is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Buttondown. Prices and plans change: check buttondown.com before you buy.