Home › Compare › Buttondown vs Substack
Buttondown vs Substack: 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.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Substack is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: only Buttondown has a verified option at every size we checked.
- Paid newsletter: Buttondown is cheaper at every size we checked.
Free Get an email if Buttondown or Substack changes a price, limit or fee. Sign up below
Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $9 (Paid (usage-based)) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $9/mo |
| 5,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $29/mo |
| 10,000 | $79 (Paid (usage-based)) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $79/mo |
| 25,000 | $239 (Paid (usage-based)) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $239/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | $29 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | $79 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | $239 (Paid (usage-based)) | n/a | Buttondown (only option in our verified data) |
Substack has no native automation builder in our data, so that scenario shows n/a.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | Buttondown | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $38.40 (Paid (usage-based)) | $69.40 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Buttondown by $31/mo |
| 5,000 | $176 (Paid (usage-based)) | $347 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Buttondown by $171/mo |
| 10,000 | $373 (Paid (usage-based)) | $694 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Buttondown by $321/mo |
| 25,000 | $974 (Paid (usage-based)) | $1,735 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Buttondown by $761/mo |
Switching? Buttondown → Substack cost · Substack → 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 | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free up to 100 subscribers | free at any size |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 0% platform cut + Stripe fees | 10% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Paid (usage-based) (from $29/mo) | not available |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Paid (usage-based) (from $29/mo) | Free + 10% of paid revenue (free) + $50 one-time |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Paid (usage-based) (from $79/mo) | not available |
| Plans | Free, Paid (usage-based) | Free + 10% of paid revenue |
| 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
Substack is best for
Writers starting from zero who want $0 upfront cost and Substack's built-in network, and are fine giving up 10% of paid revenue.
FAQ
Is Buttondown cheaper than Substack?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Substack is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — only Buttondown has a verified option at every size we checked. Paid newsletter — Buttondown is cheaper at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, Buttondown or Substack?
Buttondown: free up to 100 subscribers. Substack: free at any size. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do Buttondown and Substack take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Buttondown: 0% platform cut + Stripe fees. Substack: 10% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do Buttondown and Substack cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $79/mo on Buttondown Paid (usage-based) and $0/mo on Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue. With automations: $79/mo (Buttondown Paid (usage-based)) vs n/a on Substack.
Sources
- Buttondown pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Buttondown: paid subscriptions
- Buttondown: buttondown.com/features/integrations/stripe
- Substack pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Substack: substack.com
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
More comparisons: beehiiv vs Kit · beehiiv vs Substack · Kit vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs MailerLite · Substack vs Ghost · Mailchimp vs MailerLite · Brevo vs MailerLite · Brevo vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs MailerLite · AWeber vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs Kit · Constant Contact vs Mailchimp · Constant Contact vs MailerLite · AWeber vs Constant Contact · ActiveCampaign vs Mailchimp · GetResponse vs Mailchimp · ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse · GetResponse vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs Ghost · Kit vs Substack · Kit vs Mailchimp · beehiiv vs Mailchimp · Kit vs Ghost · Substack vs MailerLite · Ghost vs MailerLite · beehiiv vs AWeber · Substack vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs Substack · AWeber vs Ghost · Ghost vs Mailchimp · AWeber vs GetResponse · AWeber vs ActiveCampaign · AWeber vs Brevo · beehiiv vs Brevo · beehiiv vs Buttondown · beehiiv vs Constant Contact · beehiiv vs ActiveCampaign · Kit vs Flodesk · MailerLite vs Flodesk · beehiiv vs Flodesk · Sender vs MailerLite · Sender vs Mailchimp · Sender vs Brevo · Sender vs Kit · Sender vs EmailOctopus · Moosend vs Mailchimp · Moosend vs MailerLite · Moosend vs Constant Contact · Moosend vs Brevo · Flodesk vs Moosend · Flodesk vs Mailchimp · Flodesk vs Substack · Flodesk vs Constant Contact · Flodesk vs Brevo · MailerLite vs EmailOctopus · EmailOctopus vs Mailchimp · EmailOctopus vs Brevo · EmailOctopus vs Kit · EmailOctopus vs beehiiv · Buttondown vs Mailchimp · GetResponse vs Brevo · ActiveCampaign vs Brevo · ActiveCampaign vs Constant Contact · ActiveCampaign vs Kit · ActiveCampaign vs MailerLite · Kit vs Brevo · Constant Contact vs Brevo · Constant Contact vs Kit · GetResponse vs Kit · Klaviyo vs Mailchimp · Klaviyo vs Omnisend · Klaviyo vs Brevo · Klaviyo vs Constant Contact · Klaviyo vs MailerLite · Klaviyo vs Kit · Klaviyo vs ActiveCampaign · Klaviyo vs beehiiv · Klaviyo vs Flodesk · Klaviyo vs GetResponse · AWeber vs Klaviyo · Omnisend vs Mailchimp · Omnisend vs Brevo · Omnisend vs MailerLite · Omnisend vs Kit · Omnisend vs Flodesk · Omnisend vs ActiveCampaign · Omnisend vs beehiiv · Constant Contact vs Omnisend · Klaviyo vs Shopify Email · Shopify Email vs Mailchimp · Omnisend vs Shopify Email · Shopify Email vs Flodesk · Shopify Email vs MailerLite · all comparisons · Cheapest for 500, 1k, 2.5k, 5k, 10k, 25k subscribers · Best for: paid newsletters, beginners, small business, creators, nonprofits · Alternatives to Substack, Mailchimp, beehiiv, Kit
Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · Substack to beehiiv migration · beehiiv Free plan (2026) · Substack fees (2026)
Get alerted when Buttondown or Substack changes its prices
One short email when Buttondown, Substack or another tracked platform changes a price, subscriber limit or fee (at most one a week), with before/after numbers. Plus one monthly cost report. Free. What you get →
Recently flagged: Kit: 25% off the first year of Pro on annual billing (limited-time offer) (20 Oct 2026) · beehiiv renames plans and raises prices (Scale → Lite, Max → Pro) (1 Oct 2026)