What is Buttondown?
Buttondown is newsletter software aimed at writers, developers and small publishers who want something simple and respectful of readers. You write in a rich text or Markdown editor, send from your own custom domain, and every issue is saved to a hosted web archive. The service is privacy focused and keeps the interface uncluttered.
As your list grows, you can add features as you need them, such as tagging and segmentation, paid subscriptions, comments and surveys, analytics, RSS-to-email and automations. Buttondown also has an API, which makes it popular with developers who want to plug their newsletter into their own site or tools.
Main Features
- Rich text and Markdown editor
- Send from a custom domain
- Hosted archive of past issues
- Paid subscriptions for premium newsletters
- RSS-to-email, tagging and automations as add-ons
- API for developers
How to Get Started with Buttondown
- Sign up at buttondown.com
- Set your newsletter name and add a sign-up form or link to your site
- Import existing subscribers if you have them
- Write your first issue in the editor and send it
Buttondown Pricing
Buttondown is free for your first 100 subscribers. After that, pricing is based on active subscribers, and add-ons such as paid subscriptions, analytics and RSS-to-email start at $9 a month each, with bigger add-ons at $29 and $79 a month.
Who Should Use It?
- Writers starting a personal newsletter
- Developers who like Markdown and APIs
- Indie creators selling paid subscriptions
- Small businesses sending regular updates
- Bloggers turning RSS posts into emails
Buttondown Alternatives
- Beehiiv: newsletter platform with growth tools
- Benchmark Email: email marketing for small businesses
- Repurpose IO: share content across social platforms
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buttondown free?
Yes, for up to 100 subscribers. After that you pay based on your active subscriber count, plus optional add-ons.
Does Buttondown support Markdown?
Yes. You can write in Markdown or in a rich text editor.
Can I run a paid newsletter on Buttondown?
Yes. Paid subscriptions are available as an add-on starting at $9 a month.