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Email Marketing

Buttondown vs MailerLite: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Buttondown and MailerLite. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Both Buttondown and MailerLite offer free plans. Buttondown has 2 pricing tiers while MailerLite has 3.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

Buttondown vs MailerLite: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureButtondownMailerLite
Starting PriceCustom pricingCustom pricing
Number of Plans23
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Buttondown and MailerLite are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible Email Marketing tools. Together they offer 5 pricing plans with 51 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Email Marketing needs.

Pricing Plans
Buttondown
Buttondown
Try it free
MailerLite
MailerLite
Try it free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Rich text or markdown editor
  • Send from a custom domain
  • Hosted newsletter archives
  • Privacy-first
Start with Free
AdvancedPopular
Custom pricing
Includes
  • monthly emails
  • Unlimited user seats
  • 24/7 Live chat & email support
  • All in Growing Business, plus
  • Smart sending
  • Facebook integration
  • Unlimited digital products or bookings New
  • Custom HTML editor
  • Promotion pop-ups
  • Enhanced automations
  • Preference center
  • AI writing assistant
  • Partner discounts
Start with Advanced
Tier 2
Paid Add-ons
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Tagging & segmentation (+$9/month)
  • Paid subscriptions (+$9/month)
  • Comments and surveys (+$9/month)
  • Analytics (+$9/month)
  • RSS-to-email support (+$9/month)
  • Email attachments (+$9/month)
  • Archives on a custom domain (+$29/month)
  • Multiple newsletters (+$29/month)
  • Automations (+$29/month)
  • Whitelabeling (+$79/month)
  • Teams (+$79/month)
Start with Paid Add-ons
Growing Business
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Unlimited monthly emails
  • 3 user seats
  • 24/7 Email support
  • All in Free, plus
  • Unlimited templates
  • Dynamic emails
  • Up to 3 digital products or bookings New
  • Campaign auto-resend
  • Multivariate testing
  • Unlimited websites & blogs
  • Unlimited landing pages
  • Unsubscribe page builder
Start with Growing Business
Tier 3
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 12,000 monthly emails
  • 1 user seat
  • 24/7 Email & chat support for up to 14 days
  • Key features
  • Drag & drop editor
  • Email automation builder
  • 1 digital product or booking New
  • Websites
  • 10 landing pages
  • Comparative reporting
  • Signup forms & pop-ups
Start with Free

Swipe to compare plans →

Buttondown

Minimal newsletter tool for writers and indie publishers

View all Buttondown plans

MailerLite

Affordable email marketing with drag-and-drop editor

View all MailerLite plans

What Reviewers Say

Our Pick

MailerLite

MailerLite offers a free plan, offers 3 tiers vs 2.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: MailerLite

Try MailerLite free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Buttondown if:

  • You prefer Buttondown's free tier features—Rich text or markdown editor, Send from a custom domain
  • You prioritize Buttondown's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
  • You prefer Buttondown's usage-based model with its 2-tier structure

Choose MailerLite if:

  • You prefer MailerLite's free tier features—12,000 monthly emails, 1 user seat
  • You need 3 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • You want more features built-in—MailerLite offers 21 additional features across its plans

Both Buttondown and MailerLite offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: Buttondown includes 4 features, while MailerLite includes 13 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Buttondown vs MailerLite

How many pricing plans does Buttondown have vs MailerLite?
Buttondown offers 2 pricing plans, while MailerLite offers 3 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Buttondown or MailerLite offer a free plan?
Yes, both Buttondown and MailerLite offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
What is the most popular MailerLite plan?
The Advanced plan is MailerLite's most popular tier, priced at Custom pricing. Key features include monthly emails, Unlimited user seats, 24/7 Live chat & email support.
Does Buttondown or MailerLite offer custom enterprise pricing?
Yes, both Buttondown and MailerLite offer custom enterprise pricing tiers with quote-based pricing. Contact each vendor for a tailored quote.
How do Buttondown and MailerLite compare for Email Marketing?
Both Buttondown and MailerLite are Email Marketing tools. Buttondown offers 2 plans starting at Custom pricing, while MailerLite offers 3 plans starting at Custom pricing. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Email Marketing needs.

Sources

  1. Buttondown Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. MailerLite Official PricingVendor pricing page

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