Buttondown
Its free plan covers the first 100 subscribers, while the listed $9 monthly tier covers 1,000 subscribers.
What Buttondown is
Its free plan covers the first 100 subscribers, while the listed $9 monthly tier covers 1,000 subscribers. The service includes email automation, audience segmentation, and landing pages, with 45 native integrations. Buttondown was founded in 2017. Its subscriber limits and feature set make the distinction between the free and paid tiers clear: the free option is for up to 100 subscribers, and the listed paid tier is for up to 1,000. Pricing is stated as $9 per month for the paid tier.
Good
- Free plan covers up to 100 subscribers.
- Email automation is included.
- Audience segmentation is available.
- Includes landing pages and 45 native integrations.
Watch out
- Free plan is limited to 100 subscribers.
- Paid tier is $9 per month.
Who it suits
Buttondown suits people who want web-based email tools with automation, segmentation, and landing pages. The free plan is suited to lists of up to 100 subscribers, while the listed paid tier accommodates up to 1,000.
Verdict
Buttondown offers a free starting tier and paid service at $9 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers. Its listed tools include automation, segmentation, landing pages, and native integrations.
Plans and prices
From Buttondown's own pricing page, checked 20 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Paid tier | $9 a month | 1,000 subscribers · Buttondown shows $9/month at 1,000 subscribers. |
| Free | Free | rich text or Markdown editor · custom sending domain · hosted archives · privacy-first · first 100 subscribers |
| Basic | $9 a month | plan tier reported by GetApp · per month |
| Standard | $29 a month | plan tier reported by GetApp · per month |
| Professional | $79 a month | plan tier reported by GetApp · per month |
| Advanced | $139 a month | plan tier reported by GetApp · per user per month |
The facts
Each one read from Buttondown's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Analytics privacy
- Analytics and tracking are optional, and the product says it is GDPR compliant.checked 21 Oct 2026
- API availability
- API access is available on every plan, including the free plan.checked 21 Oct 2026
- API keys
- Users can create multiple keys with separate read, write or no-access permissions for subscribers, emails, sending, settings, automations, forms, styling and surveys.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Audience segmentation
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Automations
- Automations can create sequences for new or tagged subscribers and schedule messages based on survey responses.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Compliance limit
- Buttondown says it is not SOC 2 certified, although its infrastructure providers are SOC 2 certified.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Email automation
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Independent product classification
- FAUN.dev describes Buttondown as hosted-only, closed-source software with a REST API, CLI and pricing based on active subscribers.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The integrations directory lists services including Stripe, Zapier, WordPress, Ghost, Discord, Mastodon, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, Spotify and many others.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Landing pages
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Limit: design depth
- Capterra reviews mention that the editor and campaign management are more minimal than larger marketing platforms, with limited visual-building tools.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: service complaint
- The sole Trustpilot reviewer alleged an unexpected charge connected with subscribing to a paid newsletter.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: setup complexity
- Capterra reviewers report confusion around technical language and DNS setup during onboarding.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Limit: subscriber ceiling
- GetApp reviewers say the free plan's subscriber ceiling can be restrictive and that price jumps between tiers are noticeable.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Markdown editor
- The editor supports native Markdown alongside rich-text writing.checked 21 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Browser requirements
- The service runs in a browser with cookies, JavaScript and pop-ups enabled; the documentation says there is nothing to install.checked 21 Oct 2026
The company
- Company address
- The legal contact address listed by Buttondown is 406 W Franklin St. #201, Richmond, Virginia 23221, United States.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company funding
- Buttondown says it is customer-funded, profitable and not financed by investors or venture capital.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- The support policy identifies the contracting entity as Buttondown, LLC.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Company profile
- LinkedIn lists Buttondown as privately held, headquartered in Seattle, with 2–10 employees and a 2016 founding year.checked 21 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2017checked 28 Sep 2026
- Founder and team
- Indie Bites describes Justin Duke as Buttondown's founder, launching it in 2017, and says the team had grown to eight people by February 2025.checked 21 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Free-plan limit
- The pricing page states that the first 100 subscribers cost nothing; optional features are separately priced at $9, $29 or $79 per month depending on the add-on.checked 21 Oct 2026
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