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Buttondown vs Mailchimp: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Buttondown charges by subscriber count; Mailchimp charges by stored contacts. At 5,000 subscribers with automations, Buttondown Paid (usage-based) costs $29/mo and Mailchimp Essentials $75/mo, so Buttondown saves $46 a month. Below: costs at four list sizes, fees, free-plan limits and who each suits.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Buttondown is cheaper at every size we checked (1,000: $9 vs $26.50; 10,000: $79 vs $110).
- With automations: Buttondown is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers (1,000: $29 vs $26.50; 10,000: $79 vs $110).
- Paid newsletter: only Buttondown has a verified option at every size we checked (1,000: $38.40 vs n/a; 10,000: $373 vs n/a).
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $9 (Paid (usage-based)) | $26.50 (Essentials) | Buttondown by $17.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | $75 (Essentials) | Buttondown by $46/mo |
| 10,000 | $79 (Paid (usage-based)) | $110 (Essentials) | Buttondown by $31/mo |
| 25,000 | $239 (Paid (usage-based)) | $270 (Essentials) | Buttondown by $31/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | $26.50 (Essentials, limited) | Mailchimp by $2.50/mo |
| 5,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | $75 (Essentials, limited) | Buttondown by $46/mo |
| 10,000 | $79 (Paid (usage-based)) | $110 (Essentials, limited) | Buttondown by $31/mo |
| 25,000 | $239 (Paid (usage-based)) | $270 (Essentials, limited) | Buttondown by $31/mo |
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Mailchimp | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $38.40 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | $176 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | $373 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | $974 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
Switching? Buttondown → Mailchimp cost · Mailchimp → Buttondown cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack, AWeber and Flodesk); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| Buttondown | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free up to 100 subscribers | free up to 250 subscribers |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees | not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages) |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Paid (usage-based) (from $29/mo) | Standard (from $20/mo) |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Paid (usage-based) (from $29/mo) | not verified |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Paid (usage-based) (from $79/mo) | Essentials (from $13/mo) |
| Plans | Free, Paid (usage-based) | Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
Buttondown is best for
Writers who want a simple newsletter with paid subscriptions on their own Stripe account, no platform cut, and a low price at small and mid list sizes.
- Free for the first 100 subscribers. source
- One usage-based plan: features unlock at price thresholds (paid subscriptions from $9/mo, automations and archives on your own domain from $29/mo, white-labeling from $79/mo). Prices assume at most one email per day. source
- No cut of paid subscriptions; the customers and their subscriptions live in your own Stripe account, so they move with you. source
Mailchimp is best for
Small businesses that want an all-round email marketing tool with automation flows (Standard and up) and are fine with contact-based pricing and overage billing.
- Priced by stored contacts (the peak in each billing period); each tier includes a monthly send limit of 10× (Essentials), 12× (Standard) or 15× (Premium) your contacts. source
- Going over the contact or send limit on a paid plan adds overage charges rather than pausing sending. source
- Free plan: 250 contacts and 500 emails/month (250/day), no automation flows, Mailchimp branding stays. source
- Annual billing is only available through sales (Standard and Premium, 10,000+ contacts). On 2026-10-20 the page offered 15% off the first 12 months at 10,000+ contacts. source
FAQ
Is Buttondown cheaper than Mailchimp?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Buttondown is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — Buttondown is cheaper at 5,000, 10,000 and 25,000 subscribers; Mailchimp is cheaper at 1,000 subscribers. Paid newsletter — only Buttondown has a verified option at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Buttondown or Mailchimp?
Buttondown: free up to 100 subscribers. Mailchimp: free up to 250 subscribers. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Buttondown and Mailchimp take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Buttondown: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees. Mailchimp: not verified (not listed on the official pricing pages).
What do Buttondown and Mailchimp cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $79/mo on Buttondown Paid (usage-based) and $110/mo on Mailchimp Essentials. With automations: $79/mo (Buttondown Paid (usage-based)) vs $110/mo (Mailchimp Essentials).
Sources
- Buttondown pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Buttondown: paid subscriptions
- Buttondown: buttondown.com/features/integrations/stripe
- Mailchimp pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans/
- Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/help/about-additional-charges/
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
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