Buttondown

🚀Solo Choice

Simple newsletter tool for creators and writers

Founded 2017Website

Overview

Buttondown is an independently-founded and self-funded email newsletter platform that prioritizes simplicity, privacy, and creator independence. Founded by Justin Duke in 2017, the platform serves everyone from individual writers and journalists to Fortune 500 companies, but truly shines for solo creators building direct relationships with their audience. The Markdown-based editor appeals to developers and technical writers who value efficiency, while the straightforward subscriber management keeps everything uncluttered.

What sets Buttondown apart is its commitment to creator economics and independence. The platform enables paid subscriptions with 100% revenue share to creators (Buttondown takes a processing fee only), allowing solopreneurs to monetize their writing directly. The complete REST API opens possibilities for custom workflows, integrations, and automation that aren't possible with closed platforms. RSS-to-email feeds, segmentation, tagging, and automation give serious creators professional capabilities without enterprise complexity.

Buttondown's pricing model is transparently creator-friendly: free tier up to 100 subscribers, then per-1000-subscriber pricing starting at $5/month. There are no per-seat charges for team collaboration, making it ideal for solo operators who occasionally need help. The company's emphasis on privacy, high deliverability rates, and independence from venture capital means your newsletter won't be subject to sudden feature removals or aggressive monetization schemes.

Pricing

FreemiumFree tier available

Free

Up to 100 subscribers
Markdown-based email editor
Subscriber management
Basic analytics
+3 more features

Pro

$9/mo

Custom domain support
All Free features
Unlimited subscribers at tiered pricing
$5 per 1,000 subscribers (100-1,000)
+4 more features

Scale

$49/mo

Up to 5,000 subscribers at discounted rates
All Pro features
Priority support
Advanced segmentation
+2 more features

Free plan with up to 100 subscribers and core features. Paid plans start at $9/month for custom domain support and scale based on subscriber count. Charges per 1,000 active subscribers: $5 per 1,000 from 100-1,000 subscribers, then tiered pricing. No setup fees or per-seat charges for team collaboration.

Best for: Individual writers and creators, Journalists and professional writers, Software developers and engineers, Indie hackers and solopreneurs, Content creators, Small teams and organizations, Enterprise publishers

The Good

Simple and elegant design
Markdown support
Generous free plan
Affordable pricing
Complete REST API
Privacy-focused approach
Self-funded and independent
No per-seat charges for teams
Strong deliverability
Excellent customer support
Flexible paid subscriptions with 100% creator revenue

The Bad

Smaller platform with fewer integrations than competitors
Limited advanced automation compared to enterprise platforms
Smaller community and fewer templates
Less marketing education resources
Limited analytics compared to larger platforms

Best For

Individual writers and creators, Journalists and professional writers, Software developers and engineers, Indie hackers and solopreneurs, Content creators, Small teams and organizations, Enterprise publishers

Buttondown is built specifically for independent creators who want to own their newsletter without unnecessary complexity. Its generous free tier (up to 100 subscribers) and simple Markdown-based editor mean you can start building an audience immediately with zero upfront costs. The complete REST API and paid subscription capabilities unlock direct revenue from your audience, turning your newsletter into a sustainable business.