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Email Marketing

Buttondown vs Substack: Pricing Comparison 2026

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

Bottom line: Both Buttondown and Substack offer free plans. Buttondown has 2 pricing tiers while Substack has 7.

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated July 2, 2026
Try Buttondown freeTry Substack freeUpdated this monthUpdated this month
Best Value

Substack - Substack offers a free plan, offers 7 tiers vs 2.

Buttondown vs Substack: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureButtondownSubstack
Starting PriceCustom pricing$5/mo
Number of Plans27
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Buttondown and Substack are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible Email Marketing tools. Together they offer 9 pricing plans with 37 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 free
Substack
Substack
Try 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
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Set up paid subscriptions
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Own your content
  • Choose free or paid posts
Start with Free
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
Basic
$5/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 50 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Basic
Tier 3
-
Standard
$7/monthCheapest
$7 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 100 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Standard
Tier 4
-
Advanced
$10/monthCheapest
$10 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 200 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Advanced
Tier 5
-
Pro
$15/monthCheapest
$15 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 400 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Pro
Tier 6
-
Premium
$30/monthCheapest
$30 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 800 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Premium
Tier 7
-
Enterprise
$75/monthCheapest
$75 / year
Includes
  • Earn from 2000 subscribers
  • Keep 90% of revenue
  • Direct payments from subscribers
Start with Enterprise

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Buttondown

Minimal newsletter tool for writers and indie publishers

View all Buttondown plans

Substack

Newsletter and publishing platform with paid subscriptions (10% cut)

View all Substack plans

Frequently Asked Questions: Buttondown vs Substack

How many pricing plans does Buttondown have vs Substack?
Buttondown offers 2 pricing plans, while Substack offers 7 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Buttondown or Substack offer a free plan?
Yes, both Buttondown and Substack offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for Buttondown or Substack?
Both Buttondown and Substack offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does Buttondown or Substack offer custom enterprise pricing?
Buttondown offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Substack lists all its pricing publicly.
How do Buttondown and Substack compare for Email Marketing?
Both Buttondown and Substack are Email Marketing tools. Buttondown offers 2 plans starting at Custom pricing, while Substack offers 7 plans starting at $5/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Email Marketing needs.
AI Recommendations

Sources

  1. Buttondown Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page
  2. Substack Official Pricing- Vendor pricing page

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