Buttondown

Minimal, Markdown-first newsletter tool with a clean API for writers and developers

Free plan

Visit Buttondown

Own Buttondown? or

Facts verified Nov 2026. Spotted a mistake?

What you'd pay

verified Nov 2026

Solo

$9/mo

Team of 5

$88/mo

Usage

PlanMonthlyAnnual, per monthUnitIncluded

FreeMonthly: $0Annual, per month: —per account, up to 100 subscribers

· Up to 100 subscribers
· Markdown editor
· API access

BasicMonthly: $9Annual, per month: —per account, up to 1,000 subscribers

· Up to 1,000 subscribers
· Custom domain sending
· $9/mo add-ons: analytics, tagging, paid subscriptions, RSS

StandardMonthly: $29Annual, per month: —per account, up to 5,000 subscribers

· Up to 5,000 subscribers

ProfessionalMonthly: $79Annual, per month: —per account, up to 10,000 subscribers

· Up to 10,000 subscribers

AdvancedMonthly: $139Annual, per month: —per account, up to 20,000 subscribers

· Up to 20,000 subscribers

External ratings

verified Nov 2026

4 / 5

(1 review)

Capterra

4.8 / 5

(114 reviews)

Our scores

Value4/5

Ease of use4/5

Depth3/5

Support5/5

Automation 2/5Deliverability 3/5

What it is

Buttondown is a lightweight newsletter platform from a small, self-funded US team, built around a Markdown editor and a well-documented API. It suits independent writers and technical users who want a simple, fast tool with paid subscriptions available. Pricing is by active subscribers with a free tier to 100. Analytics, automations and several other features are paid add-ons, and the setup can feel technical for non-developers.

Standout capability

Markdown-first writing plus a clean, well-documented API.

Best for

Independent writersDevelopers and technical bloggersSmall paid newsletters

Markdown and rich-text editor
REST API and webhooks
Paid subscriptions via Stripe
Custom CSS and archives

Community sentiment

What people praise

Users love the simple Markdown workflow, developer-friendly API and very personal, fast support from the small team.

What people complain about

Users mention basic analytics, a technical setup with DNS and jargon, and occasional editor glitches.

Source

Geo & compliance

Local-currency pricing: No
Regional pricing: Persona prices at the 1,000-subscriber tier (Basic $9/mo). Team of 5 = Basic $9 + Teams add-on $79/mo = $88 (judgement call). Add-ons cost $9, $29 or $79/mo each (e.g. automations $29, Teams $79). Prices assume about one email a day to the list. 50% nonprofit discount. Only active subscribers are billed. No annual price shown on the current pricing page.
EU data hosting: No
DPA available: Yes