beehiiv vs Buttondown
beehiiv and Buttondown are both popular choices in the newsletter platform space. Buttondown has been around since 2017, giving it a 4-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). Buttondown is the more affordable option at $9/mo — that's $34 less than beehiiv's $43/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. beehiiv has the edge with A/B testing, a drag-and-drop editor. Both tools work well for newsletter creators and bloggers.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on rating, integrations.
Buttondown wins on price.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
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 | beehiiv | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $43/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | 100 subscribers |
| Founded | 2021 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 5 |
| Integrations | 40 | 30 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- +Built-in ad network for monetization
- +Referral program to grow subscribers
- +Paid subscription support
- +Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- −Limited to newsletter use case
- −Fewer templates than established tools
- −Smaller integration ecosystem
- −No SMS marketing
- −Relatively new platform (2021)
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
beehiiv and Buttondown are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $43/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 98% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 30 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You need A/B testing
- + You're a media companies
- + You're a creators
Choose Buttondown if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You're a developers
- + You're a writers