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Free Buttondown alternatives

Top Email Marketing & Newsletters like Buttondown

The most popular alternative to Buttondown is Substack, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Buttondown are beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, and MailerLite.

Most alternatives to Buttondown are in the Email Marketing & Newsletters category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Buttondown alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
6 apps

All Buttondown alternatives

  1. Substack

    4.9(549.5K) · App Store

    Substack lets writers start a newsletter with a web archive, podcast and video hosting, and turn on paid subscriptions when they are ready. Publishing is free: Substack takes a share of subscription revenue instead of charging for a plan. Its reader app, Notes feed and cross-recommendations connect publications into a network that helps writers find readers.

    7 Substack alternatives

    Pros

    • Free to publish, with no setup or hosting to manage
    • Built-in paid subscriptions, podcasts and video
    • Notes and cross-recommendations help writers find readers

    Cons

    • Takes a share of revenue from paid subscriptions
    • Limited design and branding customization
    • Your audience lives inside Substack’s network rather than your own brand
    Cost / License
    FreeProprietary
    Categories
    Email Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    WebiPhoneAndroid
    Features
    AnalyticsCustom domainsMobile appPaid newsletters
    Visit websiteMore about Substack

  2. beehiiv

    beehiiv is a newsletter platform created by former Morning Brew team members, combining an editor, a hosted website and email delivery. It focuses on growth and monetization, with a referral program, recommendations between newsletters, an ad network and paid subscriptions. Publishers also get detailed analytics, A/B testing of subject lines and AI writing tools.

    6 beehiiv alternatives

    Pros

    • Growth tools like referrals and cross-newsletter recommendations
    • Monetization through an ad network and paid subscriptions
    • Hosted website and detailed analytics included

    Cons

    • Most monetization and growth features sit on paid plans
    • Less suited to advanced marketing automation or e-commerce
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Email Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    Web
    Features
    A/B testingAI assistantAnalyticsAudience segmentationCustom domainsPaid newsletters
    Visit websiteMore about beehiiv

  3. Ghost

    55.5Kstars

    Ghost is an open source platform for independent publishers that combines a website, a newsletter and paid memberships in one product. Writers publish in a clean editor, send posts by email and charge for subscriptions through Stripe, with no revenue share taken by Ghost. It can be self-hosted for free or run on the managed Ghost(Pro) service, and is maintained by a non-profit foundation.

    9 Ghost alternatives

    Pros

    • Website, newsletter and paid memberships in one product
    • No revenue share taken on subscriptions
    • Open source and free to self-host

    Cons

    • Fewer themes and integrations than WordPress
    • Self-hosting needs technical skills and an email delivery service
    • Ghost(Pro) gets expensive as your member list grows
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
    Categories
    Website BuildersEmail Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    WebSelf-hosted
    Features
    BloggingContent management (CMS)Custom domainsPaid newslettersSEO settingsSubscriptions
    Visit websiteMore about Ghost

  4. Kit

    Kit, previously called ConvertKit, is an email marketing platform designed for creators such as writers, podcasters and course authors. It combines landing pages and forms, visual automations, subscriber tagging and paid newsletters, and lets you sell digital products directly to your list. A recommendations network helps creators grow by promoting each other's newsletters.

    12 Kit alternatives

    Pros

    • Tag-based subscriber management suited to creators
    • Sell digital products and paid newsletters to your list
    • Recommendations network helps newsletters grow

    Cons

    • Email design options are deliberately simple
    • Gets expensive as the subscriber count grows
    • Advanced automations are reserved for paid plans
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Email Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    WebiPhoneAndroid
    Features
    Audience segmentationDigital productsEmail automationIntegrationsLanding pagesPaid newsletters
    Visit websiteMore about Kit

  5. MailerLite

    MailerLite is an email marketing tool with an uncluttered drag-and-drop editor and an approachable automation builder. Besides campaigns, it can create landing pages, signup forms and simple websites, sell digital products and paid newsletter subscriptions, and run A/B tests. Small businesses and creators often choose it as a lighter alternative to larger marketing suites.

    11 MailerLite alternatives

    Pros

    • Clean drag-and-drop editor that is easy to learn
    • Landing pages, websites and paid newsletters included
    • Approachable automation builder for small businesses

    Cons

    • Account approval process can delay your first campaigns
    • Fewer advanced automation and reporting options than larger suites
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Email Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    Web
    Features
    A/B testingAudience segmentationEmail automationLanding pagesPaid newslettersTemplates
    Visit websiteMore about MailerLite

  6. listmonk

    23.8Kstars

    listmonk is a free, open source newsletter and mailing list manager distributed as a single binary backed by PostgreSQL. It handles large subscriber lists, template-based campaigns, transactional messages via API and segmentation through SQL queries, and can send through any SMTP server or service. It suits developers and organizations that want to keep email marketing and subscriber data on their own servers.

    6 listmonk alternatives

    Pros

    • Free, open source and distributed as a single binary
    • Handles very large lists efficiently on PostgreSQL
    • Sends through any SMTP server or email service

    Cons

    • Requires self-hosting and a separate sending service
    • No visual automation builder or drip campaigns
    • Segmentation relies on SQL queries rather than a point-and-click tool
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Categories
    Email Marketing & Newsletters
    Platforms
    Self-hosted
    Features
    AnalyticsAPI accessAudience segmentationTemplates
    Visit websiteMore about listmonk

Buttondown vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Buttondown, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Buttondown vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAPI accessCustom domainsMarkdown supportPaid newsletters
ButtondownFreemiumWeb
SubstackFreeWeb, iPhone, Android
beehiivFreemiumWeb
GhostFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted
KitFreemiumWeb, iPhone, Android
MailerLiteFreemiumWeb

Buttondown alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Buttondown?

The most popular alternative to Buttondown is Substack: Publish a newsletter and podcast, with optional paid subscriptions. Other great alternatives are beehiiv, Ghost, Kit, and MailerLite.

Is there a free alternative to Buttondown?

Yes, 6 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Substack, beehiiv, Ghost, and Kit.

Is there an open source alternative to Buttondown?

Yes, 2 open source alternatives are listed, including Ghost and listmonk.

Is Buttondown free?

Buttondown has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.

Compare Buttondown with its alternatives

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