AWeber vs Buttondown
AWeber is a email marketing platform while Buttondown is a newsletter platform. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 19-year head start over Buttondown (founded 2017). Buttondown is the more affordable option at $9/mo, which is $6 less than AWeber's $15/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. AWeber has the edge with A/B testing, landing pages, ecommerce integrations. Both tools work well for bloggers.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on integrations.
Buttondown wins on price, deliverability, rating.
Best for most users: Buttondown (developers).
AWeber
Powerfully simple email marketing
AWeber is one of the original email marketing platforms, serving small businesses since 1998. It offers the largest template library (600+) and an impressive integration ecosystem. While its automation isn't as advanced as newer competitors, its reliability and excellent affiliate program make it a solid choice.
Buttondown
The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter
Buttondown is a minimalist newsletter platform beloved by developers and writers who prefer Markdown over drag-and-drop editors. It focuses on writing quality and simplicity, with excellent API support for custom integrations and automations.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | 100 subscribers |
| Founded | 1998 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 0 |
| Integrations | 750 | 45 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | No |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | No |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
AWeber: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + 600+ email templates (largest library)
- + 750+ integrations
- + Established and reliable (since 1998)
- + Free plan available
- + Excellent affiliate program (up to 50% recurring)
Cons
- − Interface feels dated compared to newer tools
- − Automation capabilities lag behind competitors
- − Free plan is limited
- − Lite plan restricts automations to 3
- − No SMS marketing
Buttondown: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Markdown-first writing experience
- + Excellent API for developers
- + Clean, minimal interface
- + Paid subscription support
- + Custom domain on free plan
Cons
- − No visual email editor
- − Minimal templates
- − No A/B testing
- − Small free plan (100 subscribers)
- − Limited integrations
The Verdict
Buttondown edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.8 vs 4.2) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4). On deliverability, Buttondown reports 98% compared to 97.8% for AWeber — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $9/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% | 98% Winner |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 Winner | 45 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose AWeber if…
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics
Choose Buttondown if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You're a developers
- + You're a writers